2014 Interviews and Profiles

My interview and profile links are getting really lengthy on the front page so I'm going to consolidate the links from 2014 into one post for the front page. Here are the links in alphabetical order with the publication dates of the interviews/profiles indicated.

OF Andrew Aplin - 4/30/14

RHP Mark Appel - 2/5/14

OF Bobby Boyd - 8/6/14

RHP Tyler Brunnemann - 6/27/14

Special Assistant to the GM Enos Cabell - 2/20/14

RHP Kevin Comer - 6/25/14

SS Carlos Correa - 6/6/14

RHP Jamaine Cotton - 6/3/14

LHP Kent Emanuel - 12/9/14

OF Derek Fisher - 8/15/14

RHP Devonte German - 7/9/14

OF Justin Gominsky - 8/27/14

C Alfredo Gonzalez - 8/5/14

RHP Aaron Greenwood - 7/12/14

1B Conrad Gregor - 8/22/14

LHP Evan Grills - 7/1/14

LHP Josh Hader - 6/9/14

OF Teoscar Hernandez - 6/13/14

C Brian Holberton - 7/3/14

2B Tony Kemp - 6/10/14

RHP Jordan Jankowski - 11/13/14

LHP Mitch Lambson - 6/11/14

1B Mike Martinez - 7/14/14

RHP Lance McCullers- 6/4/14

OF Sean McMullen - 7/15/14

3B Jonathan Meyer - 1/22/14

LHP Jordan Mills - 5/13/14

OF Brett Phillips - 1/7/14

RHP Francis Ramirez - 8/5/14

C Jamie Ritchie - 8/8/14

RHP Brady Rodgers - 5/6/14

3B Rio Ruiz - 5/13/14

RHP Gonzalo Sanudo - 5/30/14

IF/OF Joe Sclafani - 2/17/14

RHP Troy Scribner - 8/13/14

LHP Tommy Shirley - 5/14/14

OF Preston Tucker - 5/7/14

OF Danry Vasquez - 6/13/14

RHP Derick Velazquez - 8/12/14

C/LF/1B/DH Trent Woodward - 7/16/14

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, December 31, 2014, and Thursday, January 1, 2015

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Sydney 7, Adelaide 6

The Blue Sox got 1 in the top of the 9th off of Tyler Brunnemann to break a 6-6 tie and take the series opener. Bruno also allowed 2 hits in the frame. Chan-Jong Moon finished 1-3 with a walk and 2 strikeouts for the Bite.

Next up is a doubleheader. Game 1 will kick off at 4:00 Australian Central Time.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 4, Mazatlán 1 (Jalisco leads series 1-0)

Leo Heras finished 1-4 with a run scored as Jalisco took the opening game of this playoff series.

Game 2 will take place at 7:30.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Well, that Santurce-Mayagüez game ended up getting cancelled. Now, Puerto Rico moves to the playoffs. Tonight, the aforementioned teams will play each other, and Caguas will square off against Carolina, Both games will take place at 7:30 Atlantic.

Astros Playing Winter Ball in Puerto Rico

Regular season play in Puerto Rico ended on Tuesday with Wednesday's makeup game cancelled. Here is how your Astros fared:

C Carlos Corporan
Corporan hit .228/.257/.359 with TWELVE DOUBLES in 27 games for Carolina. He walked three times and struck out 20 times.

C Jobduan Morales
Also playing for Carolina, Morales hit .179/.281/.214 with two doubles in 23 games. He walked eight times and struck out 14 times.

2B Nolan Fontana
Fontana, whose 2014 season ended early due to a broken finger, played for the San Juan team, last playing on November 28th. In 11 games, he hit .129/.243/.194 with one triple. He walked four times, struck out seven times and stole two bases.

OF Edwin Medina
Also playing for San Juan was Edwin Medina (33rd round draft pick in 2014). Medina got very limited playing time. In eight games (eight at-bats), he hit .125/.125/.125, struck out twice and stole one base.

C Roberto Pena
Pena appeared for the Caguas team, hitting .167/.219/.183 with one double in 20 games. He walked three times and struck out nine times.

LHP Luis Cruz
Cruz started five games for Caguas, going 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA and a 1.453 WHIP in 21.1 innings. He walked six batters and struck out 20.

OF Ruben Sosa
After finishing his season playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Sosa scurried on over to Puerto Rico to get in three more games for Santurce in which he hit .300/.364/.300 with two stolen bases, one walk and three strikeouts.

RHP Travis Ballew
Travis Ballew was headed to play in Panama and somehow ended up in Puerto Rico instead. Ballew appeared out of the bullpen for Santurce in four games and was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 1.846 WHIP in 4.1 innings. He walked three batters and struck out four.

RHP Juan Santos
Santos (the Astros 39th draft pick in 2013) appeared in one game (0.1IP) for Santurce on November 9th and let's just say that it did not go well and leave it at that.

We still have Astros playing in Australia and Panama.

Previously posted:
Astros in the Arizona Fall League
Astros in the Dominican Winter League
Astros in the Mexican Pacific Winter League
Astros in the Venezuelan Winter League

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, December 30, 2014

And here we are. The last recaps for the year 2014.

LIDOM

Estrellas 4, Águilas 1

Both teams scored a run in the 4th, but it was Estrellas that came out on top as they held Águilas hitless and scoreless over the final 5.2 innings. Jonathan Villar finished 0-3 with a strikeout for Águilas.

After a 2-day break for the New Year, Águilas will be back in action on Friday when they host Toros.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Carolina 7, Caguas 2

Carolina scored in just 1 inning, but... they still ended up on top, thanks to the touchdown they put up in the 2nd inning. Jobduan Morales appeared as a defensive replacement in the 7th to catch and went 0-1. For Caguas, Roberto Peña went 0-4.

This was the final regular-season game for both squads.

Santurce 4, San Juan 1

This game was memorable as it featured one man playing all 9 positions. Jose Lozada started in center field for San Juan. He played 1 inning at 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF, then in the 8th, he moved behind the plate, and then got the final 2 outs of the inning on the mound.

Ruben Sosa got the start in CF for Santurce and finished 2-2 with a walk, a run scored, and 2 steals, his first 2 swipes in Puerto Rico. Travis Ballew was the first man out of the Santurce bullpen and he got the win with 2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2.

Santurce has 2 games to finish with Mayagüez today; one of them originally started on the 16th, but was suspended. A doubleheader was also scheduled for that day but was rained out, so now they're playing those games today. Then, and only then, will the regular season be completed.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Caballos 16, Industriales 1

I'm guessing that there's a mercy rule in Panamanian baseball because this game was made final after 6.5 innings. As you can see, it was all Caballos. Telvin Nash smashed a solo homer, drew a walk, and scored twice. Tyler White finished 0-2, and Jack Mayfield finished 4-4 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and scored 3 times.

Caballos returns to action on Friday when they take on Águilas.

Indios 3, Águilas 0

Rodrigo Ayarza got the start at 2B for Indios and went 2-3. Jose Montero was the first man out of the Indios pen and threw 2 scoreless, allowing 3 hits and striking out 3.

Indios will face Industriales on Friday, when the league resumes play.

Astros Playing in the Venezuelan Winter League

And yet another winter league ended its regular season yesterday. Three Astros players plied their wares for the Caracas team in Venezuela. Here is how they fared:

Danry Vasquez
Vasquez had a particularly good winter campaign. In 48 games, he hit .304/.371/.443 with four doubles, SIX TRIPLES(!), two home runs and 22 RBI. He walked 18 times, struck out 30 times and was caught stealing three times.

L.J. Hoes
Hoes played in 14 games, hitting .322/.344/.441 with four doubles, one home run, 12 RBI, two walks to 12 strikeouts and was caught stealing once.

Gregorio Petit
In 31 games, Petit had a .252/.308/.297 batting line with five doubles and seven RBI. He walked seven times and struck out 23 times.

Previously posted:
Astros in the Arizona Fall League
Astros in the Dominican Winter League
Astros in the Mexican Pacific Winter League

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Monday, December 29, 2014

LIDOM

Estrellas 5, Águilas 1

Águilas was on the short end of the stick in round 3 as Estrellas got on the board in 5 of their 8 innings. Jonathan Villar went 2-3, stole a base (2), and scored Águilas' only run of the game in the 3rd inning when he came home on an RBI single from Ricardo Nanita.

These two teams will play each other again tonight at 7:30 Atlantic; Águilas will be the host.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Caguas 7, San Juan 0

Making his first appearance for San Juan since November 21, Edwin Medina got the start in CF and went 1-4.

San Juan will take on Santurce at 7:30 Atlantic.

Mayagüez 14, Carolina 3

Carolina was buried with an 8-run 5th. Jobduan Morales finished 1-3 with a strikeout, and Carlos Corporán went 0-3.

Carolina will face Caguas at 7:30 Atlantic.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Águilas 6, Indios 3

Rodrigo Ayarza went 0-1 with a walk and a run scored for Indios. Harold Arauz got the start for Águilas and got the win. He went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned), 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4.

The final game in this 5-game set will take place tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

Caballos 7, Industriales 3

Caballos jumped out to a 5-0 lead on their way to winning the series. Telvin Nash went 1-5 with a double, Tyler White went 1-4 with 2 runs scored, and Jack Mayfield finished with a triple in 4 at-bats and scored a run.

Caballos and Industriales will concluded their series at 7:00 Eastern.

Astros Playing in the Mexican Pacific League

One more winter league ended its regular season yesterday and the two Astros playing in the Mexican Pacific League both had excellent winter campaigns:

Leo Heras
Playing for Jalisco, Heras hit .289/.429/.513 with 20 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 38 RBI in 64 games. He drew 55 walks while striking out 58 times. Heras also swiped 14 bags and was caught four times.

Gonzalo Sanudo
Sanudo appeared in 27 games for Culiacan and ended with a 3-1 record, 0.64 ERA and 0.953 WHIP. He walked eight batters and struck out 34 in 28.1 innings of work.

Previously posted:
Astros in the Arizona Fall League
Astros in the Dominican Winter League

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for the weekend of December 26-28, 2014

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

The Adelaide Bite dropped the first game of their series as part of a series-opening twinbill with the Canberra Cavalry, but they wound up taking the next 3 to win the series. This was a doubleheader because Friday was Boxing Day.

Saturday Game 1: Canberra 2, Adelaide 1

Chan-Jong Moon finished 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout. Tyler Brunnemann worked around a hit to record the final out of the 6th.

Saturday Game 2: Adelaide 2, Canberra 1

Moon went 1-3 with a walk, a strikeout, and a run scored.

Sunday: Adelaide 6, Canberra 3

Moon finished 2-4 with 2 runs scored.

Brunnemann was summoned to secure the win in what was turning out to be a rough 9th inning. He inherited a bases-loaded situation after the pitcher in front of him, Troy Scott, got a double play. The Cavalry dinged Bruno for a 2-run single (which allowed 2 of Scott's runs to score), and then a rare walk issued by Brunnemann re-loaded the bases. But, he was finally able to finish off the game before things started snowballing again.

Monday: Adelaide 6, Canberra 5 in 12 innings

Moon went 0-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and a run scored. Brunnemann worked around a 2-out double to throw a scoreless 10th, striking out 1.

The Bite will host Sydney next weekend, which includes a doubleheader on Saturday.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Saturday: Magallanes 5, Caracas 3

Magallanes put up 5 after stretch time. Gregorio Petit finished 1-4 with a run scored.

Sunday: Caracas 2, Margarita 1

Caracas scored 1 in the bottom of the 8th to break a tie as they finished their season on a winning note. Gregorio went 1-4 with a run scored, while Danry Vásquez appeared as a pinch-runner in the 7th and remained in the game at centerfield. He walked in his only plate appearance.

LIDOM

Saturday: Gigantes 2, Águilas 1 in 11 innings

The LIDOM playoffs began this weekend; the top 4 qualified for this next phase. Águilas faced their regional rivals and were nipped in extras. Jonathan Villar was 0-3 with 2 walks, a strikeout, and a stolen base.

Sunday: Águilas 8, Toros 2

Villar went 0-3 with a walk, 2 strikeouts, and a run scored.

Round 3 has Águilas traveling east to play Estrellas tonight at 7:30 Atlantic.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Results from Friday

Indios 2, Águilas 1

Cris Santamaria got the save for Indios as he allowed a hit and struck out 1 over the final 2 innings.

Caballos 7, Industriales 1

Telvin Nash finished 1-1 with a walk for Caballos, while Jack Mayfield and Tyler White both went 0-3 with a walk.

Results from Saturday

Indios 6, Águilas 3

Rodrigo Ayarza made an impact for the Indios offense as he finished 1-3 with a double, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Juan Delis walked 3 over 1.1 scoreles innings.

Industriales 4, Caballos 3

Caballos tied the game at 3 with a pair in the 9th.... only to see Industriales walk off with the win in the bottom of the inning. Telvin Nash went 1-3 with an RBI, Tyler White finished 0-3 with a walk, and Jack Mayfield went 0-4.

Results from Sunday

Indios 6, Águilas 3

Santamaria got the win as he allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1 over 3 innings for Indios. Jose Montero got the save as the pitched the final 2 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and striking out 3.

The 4th in this 5-game series will take place tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

Caballos 7, Industriales 3

Nash finished 2-4 with a double, while White went 1-5, and Mayfield finished 0-5.

Game 4 of this 5-game set will also take place at 7:00 Eastern.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Results from Saturday

Jalisco 9, Mazatlán 4

After Mazatlán scored a pair in the top of the 7th to make it a 1-run game, Jalisco put it out of reach, and a 4-run 7th was the key. Leo Heras finished 2-5 with an RBI double in that 7th inning, and he would score himself after a wild pitch.

Mexicali 4, Culiacán 2 in 13 innings

Gonzalo Sañudo issued 1 walk over 2 scoreless innings. He induced a double play to end the 9th, and got 3 groundouts (2 of which went to him) in a 1-2-3 10th.

Sunday: Jalisco 12, Mazatlán 7

Jalisco found themselves down 7-3 late, but they got 2 in the 7th to slash the deficit in half and then seized all momentum with 7 runs in the bottom of the 8th. Heras went 0-2, but walked 3 times and scored twice.

The final game of the series and the regular season will be at 8:00.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Friday: Santurce 3, Caguas 2

Ruben Sosa, who just wrapped up his campaign with Licey, is now in Puerto Rico. He went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts and got the start in RF for Santurce.

Luis Cruz got the start for Caguas and went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs (both on a 2-run homer), 4 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4. Roberto Peña went 0-3 for Caguas.

Saturday: San Juan 6, Carolina 1

Carlos Corporán went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts for Carolina.

Results from Sunday

Caguas 4, San Juan 2

Roberto Peña walked in his pinch-hit appearance in the 9th.

Santurce 4, Carolina 2 in 11 innings

The Crabbers got a pair in the top of the 11th to break the tie.

Travis Ballew was the 3rd Santurce reliever to appear; he allowed a single, walked 1, and got 2 outs in the 7th, 1 via strikeout. Ruben Sosa went 1-4.

Carlos Corporán appeared as a pinch-hitter in the 9th and later remained in the game behind the plate. He finished 0-2 with a strikeout.

Tonight, Carolina will take on Mayagüez at 6:00 Atlantic, while Caguas faces San Juan at 7:30 Atlantic.

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for December 23-25, 2014

Most of the leagues had a Christmas break. For many players, especially the Americans playing overseas this winter, they find themselves living far away from home, far from their loved ones as they continue playing a game they love almost as much as they love their families. (I may catch some heat for this statement.)

This was a very light schedule that only saw significant action in Mexico, which was off on Christmas Eve, but every team was playing on Christmas Day. In Puerto Rico, 4 of the 5 teams were in action on Tuesday.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Charros del Jalisco

Tuesday: Jalisco 7, Obregón 1

Leo Heras went 1-3 with a walk and scored 2 runs for Jalisco as they blew this one open with a 4-run 5th.

In their final series of the season, Jalisco will host Mazatlán beginning on Saturday.

Tomateros de Culiacán

Thursday: Hermosillo 3, Culiacán 2

Gonzalo Sañudo was the first man out of the Culiacán bullpen on Christmas night, and he worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 7th, striking out 1.

Culiacán will travel to Mexicali for their final series of the year.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Results from Tuesday

San Juan 3, Santurce 2 in 14 innings

This was the 2nd game of a doubleheader. This game was originally scheduled for November 22, but rain washed it out, and if I'm not mistaken, they tried making this game up once already, only to see it get suspended by rain yet again.

Travis Ballew, who is actually in Puerto Rico and not Panama, came on to begin the 8th and got the first 2 outs before he gave way to David Rollins, who struck out 4 over 2.1 perfect frames.

Santurce will host Caguas tonight at 7:30 Atlantic.

Mayagüez 4, Carolina 2

Carlos Corporán went 2-4 with a double and a run scored for Carolina.

Carolina will travel to San Juan tomorrow.

Astros Minor League Transactions

According to Baseball America, the following four Astros minor league pitchers have been released:

LHP Kyle Gehrs
LHP J.D. Osborne
RHP Patrick Christensen
RHP Aaron Vaughn

The only one that I'm really surprised about is Vaughn. He had an outstanding first season and I was hoping to see more of him.

I have updated the Off-Season Transaction list here to reflect those changes.

In addition, Darin Downs was outrighted to Fresno yesterday and the Astros 40-man roster now stands at 39.

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Monday, December 22, 2014

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Caracas 10, La Guaira 1

It was all Caracas in a game that sounded like it got chippy at times; 4 players were hit by pitches; La Guaira's Heiker Meneses was plunked twice.

Danry Vásquez entered the game as a defensive sub in the 5th to play LF. He finished 1-2 with a run scored. Gregorio Petit went 0-4 with a walk and 2 strikeouts.

Caracas' penultimate game of the season will be on Saturday, when they conclude this long, season-ending roadtrip against Magallanes.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Caballos 2, Águilas 0

Caballos continued their blazing start to the season as they blanked Águilas, who had Harold Arauz on the mound. Arauz threw 4 scoreless and allowed a hit, walked 4, and struck out 3.

Telvin Nash went 1-4 with an RBI single, Jack Mayfield was 1-3 with a solo homer, and Tyler White finished 0-3 with a walk.

These teams will play once more at 7:00 Eastern.

Industriales 6, Indios 2

Rodrigo Ayarza appeared as a pinch-hitter for Indios and struck out. On the mound, Cris Santamaria was the first man out of the Indios bullpen and allowed a run, a hit, and walked 4 over 2.2 innings.

7:00 Eastern. Don't you just love it when the start times are synchronized?

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 7, Obregón 3

Touchdown > field goal.

Leo Heras had a perfect night at the plate for Jalisco. About the only thing that went wrong for him was that he was caught stealing 2nd in the 1st inning... but he still made it safely, thanks to an error. He finished 3-3, a homer shy of the cycle, with 2 RBI, 2 walks, and 2 runs scored. He hit an RBI double in the 7th, an RBI single in the 9th, and led off the 4th with the triple.

This series continues at 7:30 Mountain.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Caguas 6, San Juan 3

Roberto Peña appeared as a defensive replacement in the top of the 9th.

Caguas will return to action on Boxing Day as they take on Santurce.

Astros Playing in the Dominican Winter League

The seasons for many of the winter league clubs are starting to wind down. The Dominican Winter League finished up over the weekend. Here is the scoop on how your Astros fared. Click on the player's name to see their full winter stats line.

Asher Wojciechowski

Wojo had three great outings and two not-so-great outings for Licey. In five games (five starts), he had a 5.31 ERA and a 1.328 WHIP in 20.1 innings. He walked eight batters and struck out 22.

Richard Rodriguez

Rodriguez did a nice job in his five bullpen appearances for Aguilas. He was 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.091 WHIP in 3.2 innings, walking one and striking out five.

Jonathan Villar

Villar also appeared for Aguilas. In 38 games, he hit .233/.310/.333 with four doubles and three home runs, walking 14 times while striking out 37.

Domingo Santana

Santana appeared in 36 games for Licey, hitting .284/.400/.422 with seven doubles, four triples and no home runs. He walked 17 times while striking out 44 times.

Ruben Sosa

Sosa also played for Licey, appearing in 29 games and hitting .231/.302/.308 with one double, one triple, two walks and six strikeouts. Sosa only had 39 at-bats in his 29 games as he was often used as a pinch runner or defensive replacement.

Teoscar Hernandez

Hernandez appeared in 34 games for the Toros, hitting .228/.279/.354 with four doubles and two home runs. Like Sosa, Hernandez was frequently used as a defensive replacement and/or pinch runner, but did manage to get 79 at-bats in. He walked five times and struck out 28 times.

Luis Flores

Flores, a catcher who was picked up in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft earlier this month, appeared in eight games for the Estrellas team, hitting .125/.300/.125 with two walks and five strikeouts.

Previously posted: Astros in the Arizona Fall League

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Saturday, December 20, and Sunday, December 21

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Sunday: Adelaide 4, Sydney 3

The Blue Sox tied the game at 3 with a pair in the top of the 9th, but Ben Lodge un-tied it with a solo homer in the 9th to give Adelaide the sweep. Chan-Jong Moon went 0-2.

This weekend, Adelaide will be in the capital for 4, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Saturday: Caballos 5, Indios 1

Caballos scored in just 1 inning, but it was enough for them to win the game. Telvin Nash went 0-2, but he walked 3 times and scored a run. Jack Mayfield went 1-3 with 2 walks and a run scored, and Tyler White hit a 2-run double and came around to score in the 5-run 3rd.

Jose Montero and Juan Delis combined for 6.1 scoreless innings for Indios; Montero allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 3.1 innings, and Delis walked 2 and fanned 4 over the final 3 frames.

Results from Sunday

Industriales 4, Indios 3

Rodrigo Ayarza appeared as a defensive sub for Indios; he did not appear at the plate. Agapito Barrios allowed a hit and walked 1 in the 1st inning.

These two teams will play again at 7:00 Eastern.

Águilas 6, Caballos 1

Telvin finished with a double in 4 at-bats, Jack Mayfield went 0-4, and Tyler White tripled in 3 at-bats. Blaine Sims pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 4 hits (2 homers), walked 2, and struck out 3.

Ditto for these two teams. They play again at 7:00 Eastern.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Saturday: Caribes 5, Caracas 4

Caracas scored their 4 in the top of the 6th, which gave them the lead. Caribes, however, scored 3 unanswered runs late to get the win. Gregorio Petit finished 0-3 for Caracas.

Sunday: Caracas 10, Caribes 9

Caracas wound up taking 2 of 3 from Caribes as they fended off a 5-run 1st and a 3-run 5th. They outscored Caribes 7-4 from the 5th to the 8th. Petit finished 2-5 with a double and a run scored.

Tonight, they will be in La Guaira. First pitch is at 7:30 Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Results from Saturday

Águilas 10, Estrellas 3

Jonathan Villar went 1-2 with a walk and a run scored for Águilas.

Toros 6, Licey 2

Ruben Sosa got the start in left field for Licey and went 3-4 with an RBI infield single in the 5th.

Sunday: Escogido 8, Licey 3

Sosa started at 2B and went 0-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Sunday marked the end of the regular season in the Dominican Republic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Saturday: Jalisco 6, Los Mochis 5

Leo Heras had a solid night for Jalisco as he finished 3-5 with a double and scored 3 runs.

Sunday: Los Mochis 4, Jalisco 3

Jalisco fought back from an early 3-0 hole to tie the game.... only to see Los Mochis un-tie the game with a run in the 7th. Leo Heras smacked a 2-run homer in the 5th, his 9th homer of the campaign.

There is one week left in the regular season. Jalisco will take on Obregón tonight at 7:30 Mountain.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE


Saturday: Caguas 4, Mayagüez 3

Roberto Peña got the start behind the plate for Caguas and went 0-3.

Sunday: Carolina 5, Caguas 4

Luis Cruz got the start for Caguas, and he was done in by a 4-run 5th from Caguas. He went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 inherited runners charged to him) on 7 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 4. Peña finished 0-4 with a strikeout.

Carlos Corporán ripped a 2-run double in that 4-run 5th.

Tonight, Carolina will take on Santurce, while Caguas hosts San Juan. Both games will be at 7:30 Atlantic.

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Thursday, December 18, and Friday, December 19, 2014

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Friday: Adelaide 6, Sydney 2 in 8 innings

Chan-Jong Moon had a fine night at the plate as he went 4-4 with a double, 2 RBI singles in the 3rd and the 7th, and added 2 stolen bases (5). Tyler Brunnemann got the final 2 outs of the 8th inning, striking out 1.

Saturday: Adelaide 4, Sydney 2

Moon went 0-3 with a run scored and 2 strikeouts. Bruno notched his 5th save of the ABL campaign as he got the final 2 outs of the game for a 2nd straight night. He worked around a hit to do so and struck out 1.

The Bite will look for the sweep at 1:00 Australian Central Time.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Thursday: Caballos 2, Indios 0

All 3 Astros reps on the Indios squad made appearances. Cris Santamaria got the start, and unfortunately, the loss, as he allowed a run on a solo homer, one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4 innings. Jose Montero was the first man out; he allowed a run, a hit, walked 2, and struck out 1 in the 5th. Juan Delis walked 1 in a scoreless 8th.

For Caballos, Jack Mayfield went 0-4, and Tyler White went 1-3.

Friday: Indios 7, Caballos 5

Caballos went into the loss column for the first time this season as Indios responded to a 4-run 2nd with a 6-1 run to close out the game.

Telvin Nash finished 1-4 with a walk and 2 strikeouts, and Jack Mayfield went 0-4 with a walk.

These two teams will play again at 6:00 Eastern.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Thursday: Caracas 9, Bravos 1

It was all Caracas as they scored 9 unanswered to close it out. Gregorio Petit finished 2-4 with an RBI single in a 6-run 4th inning and later came around to score.

Friday: Caracas 9, Caribes 3

In the first of 3 straight with Caribes, Caracas took round 1 as they finished the game on an 8-1 run after Caribes scored a pair in the bottom of the 4th to take a 2-1 lead. Gregorio Petit finished 3-4 with a double, 2 RBI singles in the 6th and the 7th, and scored 2 runs.

The 2nd game of this series, if you will, will take place at 7:00 Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Results from Thursday

Águilas 7, Estrellas 4

Jonathan Villar played a big part in a 4-run 2nd for Águilas as he hit a 2-run single. He did get thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch it into a double, but I think he'll take the 2 RBI.

Licey 3, Toros 2 in 11 innings

Licey walked off with the win as Juan Francisco hit a sac fly in the 11th. Domingo Santana went 0-4 with a strikeout.

Results from Friday

Escogido 5, Águilas 4

All the scoring in this game was done in the first 3 innings. The difference was Escogido's run in the 3rd. Jonathan Villar went 1-3 with a run scored.

Águilas will host Estrellas at 7:30 Atlantic.

Estrellas 1, Licey 0

Licey was held to just 3 hits. Ruben Sosa went 0-4 with a strikeout, and Domingo Santana finished 0-3 with a strikeout.

Licey will head east as they take on Toros tonight at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Thursday: Jalisco 3, Hermosillo 1

Jalisco completed the sweep. Leo Heras went 0-3 with a walk and 2 strikeouts.

Results from Friday

Jalisco 6, Los Mochis 4 in 10 innings

The Horsemen won their 7th straight as they put up a pair in the first extra frame. Leo Heras finished 2-5 with a run scored.

The series continues at 6:00 Mountain.

Obregón 3, Culiacán 1

Culiacán outhit Obregón 12-3... but they lost in the column that counts. Gonzalo Sañudo got the final out of the 7th, but he also allowed the go-ahead hit, which allowed 2 runs to score.

This series continues at 6:00 Mountain.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Thursday: Mayagüez 4, Carolina 2

Mayagüez broke the tie with 2 in the 9th after both teams scored 2 in the 3rd inning. Carlos Corporán went 0-3 with a walk, and Jobduan Morales was 0-2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Carolina will be back in action tomorrow when they take on Caguas.

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, December 17, 2014

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 10, Sydney 3

The Bite struck for 6 in the bottom of the 1st to take control of this game. Chan-Jong Moon clubbed a 2-run homer in that 1st inning, his 4th Down Under.

Game 2 of this series will take place at 7:00 Australian Central Time.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Caballos 3, Industriales 0

Caballos has emerged from the first 3 games as the sole undefeated team in the league. Telvin Nash finished 2-3 with a solo homer and scored 2 runs. Jack Mayfield and Tyler White both finished 1-3.

Tonight, Caballos will host Indios at 7:00 Eastern.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Bravos 8, Caracas 1

Gregorio Petit went 1-4 with 2 strikeouts, while Danry Vásquez appeared as a pinch-hitter in the 8th and struck out. He remained in the game as the LF.

Caracas will play one more on the island tonight. First pitch is at 7:30 Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

All 3 games in the Dominican Republic last night were shutouts.

Estrellas 10, Licey 0

Domingo Santana had 2 of Licey's 8 hits.

Licey will host Toros tonight at 7:30 Atlantic.

Águilas 8, Escogido 0

Jonathan Villar opened up the scoring for Águilas with a 2-run double in the 3rd, and he eventually came around to score as Manny Ramirez roped a single to left field. He scored another run in the 5th as he reached on an error to lead off the frame, stole 2nd, and then took 3rd as part of a double steal... then Escogido catcher Charlie Valerio threw the ball away, which allowed Villar to score. He now has 8 steals on the season.

Águilas will host Estrellas at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 7, Hermosillo 0

Leo Heras opened up the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st, and then he led off the bottom of the 7th with a solo shot, his 8th of the Mexican campaign.

The series concludes at 7:00.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Carolina 5, Mayagüez 4

Carlos Corporán went 1-3 with a sac fly in the 1st and an RBI single in the 7th. Jobduan Morales finished 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout.

Tonight, these two teams will play each other again in Carolina; this game is a makeup from December 3, when it was rained out. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, December 16, 2014

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

The ABL All-Star Game took place yesterday (today Down Under), with the natives defeating the imports 11-8. Team Australia took control with 8 in the bottom of the 8th. Tyler Brunnemann was on the World Team and allowed a hit to the only batter he faced in the 7th inning.

The season resumes today as Adelaide welcomes the Sydney Blue Sox to South Australia. Last week, they took 3 of 4 on the road from Sydney. First pitch is at 7:30 Australian Central Time.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Caracas 4, Zulia 3 in 11 innings

In the only game in Venezuela last night, Caracas walked off with an extra-inning win. Gregorio Petit finished 1-5 with a double and a run scored, while Danry Vásquez entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the 8th and remained in the game as the left fielder. He walked to lead off the bottom of the 11th and scored the winning run on a botched double play attempt from Zulia. They were trying to double off Petit, which would've sent the game to the 12th.

The capital club is on the island of Margarita tonight as they take on Bravos. First pitch is at 7:30 Venezuelan time.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Indios 4, Águilas 1

Harold Arauz got the start for Águilas and took the loss as he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 1 over 3 innings.

Cris Santamaria was the first man out of the Indios bullpen and threw a 1-2-3 6th, while Juan Delis finished it out. Águilas spoiled the shutout when they got an unearned run off of Delis in the 9th; he allowed a hit and struck out 2.

These two teams will play again at 7:00 Eastern.

Caballos 8, Industriales 4

Telvin Nash went 2-3 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored for Caballos. Jack Mayfield finished 1-4, and Tyler White finished 2-3 with a double, 2 runs scored, and 2 walks.

Blaine Sims got the start for Caballos and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 5 innings.

These two teams will play again; the only difference is a change of venue. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

LIDOM

Gigantes 6, Águilas 5

Jonathan Villar finished 1-4 with a run scored and opened the scoring with an RBI infield single in the 2nd for Águilas.

Tonight, Águilas will host Escogido at 7:30 Atlantic.

Licey 8, Escogido 2

In a battle between the bottom 2 clubs in the Dominican, it was Licey taking this one with 8 unanswered after Escogido put up 2 in the 3rd. Ruben Sosa went 1-3 as the DH, while Domingo Santana was 2-4 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.

Licey will host the leaders, Estrellas, tonight at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 3, Hermosillo 2

Leo Heras, in his customary #3 spot for Jalisco, went 1-3 with a walk and 2 Ks.

The middle game of this series is tonight at 7:00.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Both games on the slate last night were rained out. Tonight, Carolina will take on Mayagüez, while San Juan will face Santurce. Both of these games will start at 7:30 Atlantic.

Astros Winter League Recaps: An Intro to Panamanian Baseball

The major winter leagues in the Caribbean were largely off on Monday, but another league in Panama, the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Panamá, or Probeis, kicked off play on Monday. The Astros have players on all 4 teams in the league, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Here is the official website of the league: http://probeispanama.com/

One note: the entire site is in Spanish.

Indios de Urracá

Urracá was an indigenous freedom fighter, taking on the conquistadors of Spain in the territory that we now consider modern-day Panama. He was captured by the Spanish after falling into a trap and was about to be sent to Spain, but he escaped captivity and continued his resistance for several more years. 

This team represents the province of Veraguas, located in the west-central part of the country. Veraguas borders the Pacific Ocean on its southern coast.

The Astros are represented by 3 pitchers: RHPs Jose Montero and Juan Delis, and LHP Cris Santamaria (I got tired of typing Cristhopher). Carlos Gonzalez, a coach in the Astros organization, is on the coaching staff for Indios. I do not know if he really is an Astros coach because I don't see his name listed under the coaching staffs of the minor league affiliates, or if he is, then he's probably a DSL coach.

Caballos de Coclé

Coclé, on the central coast, shares a border with Veraguas to its west. The city of Aguadulce, in the southwestern part of the province, is best known as the hometown of El Caballo, Carlos Lee. 

The Astros have 5 players on the roster: RHPs Blaine Sims and Travis Ballew, SS/2B Jack Mayfield, 1B/DH Telvin Nash, and 3B Tyler White. Along with Jose Montero, they are the non-Panamanian contingent representing the Astros on the isthmus.

Industriales de Herrera

Nestled into the south-central coast of Panama, Herrera Province shares borders with Coclé and Veraguas. 

RHP Agapito Barrios is on the active roster, while utilityman Rodrigo Ayarza is on the "active reserve" list. RHP Edgardo Sandoval and SS Ozziel Sanchez, who is a member of the Astros' 2014 international free agent class, are on the "inactive reserve" list. 

Águilas Metropolitanas

Representing Panama City, this is Panama's capital club. RHP Harold Arauz is the Astros' lone representative on the team.

Panama uses Eastern Time. There were supposed to be 2 games, but I believe one of them was rained out because the box score isn't available.

Caballos 12, Industriales 2

The hosts, Caballos, romped as they scored in all but the first 2 innings. Telvin Nash finished 2-4 with a 2-run homer, Jack Mayfield went 1-5 with a run scored, and Tyler White went 0-2 with 2 walks and a run scored. 

Agapito Barrios got the start for Industriales and threw 1.1 scoreless, walking 3 and striking out 2.

These two teams will play again at 7:00 Eastern.

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for the weekend of December 12-14, 2014

Let's play 2 Down Under!

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Results from Saturday

Game 1: Adelaide 3, Sydney 0

Chan-Jong Moon finished 1-3.

Game 2: Adelaide 6, Sydney 0

Moon went 0-4 with a run scored.

Sunday: Sydney 6, Adelaide 5

Moon finished 0-5 with a walk and a strikeout. Tyler Brunnemann technically threw 2 scoreless innings, but he was charged with a blown save because he allowed the tying run to score in the bottom of the 8th. Brunnemann allowed 2 hits, working around a single to throw a scoreless 9th.

The ABL All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, December 17. Then, on Thursday, Adelaide will welcome Sydney to South Australia for the weekend.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Friday: Aragua 8, Caracas 5

In their first game since Monday, the capital club was doomed on the road as the hosts, Aragua, scored a touchdown and tacked on the extra point in the 5th inning to erase a 4-0 Caracas lead. Gregorio Petit finished 3-4 with an RBI single in the 4th and scored 2 runs for los Leones.

Saturday: Caracas 9, Magallanes 6

Magallanes scored 3 apiece in the 1st and the 9th, but in between, Caracas put up 9. Petit was 0-2 before he was lifted for a pinch-runner in the 3rd. Danry Vásquez appeared as a pinch-hitter in the 8th and grounded into a force out.

Sunday: Caribes 9, Caracas 3

Gregorio got the start at shortstop and finished 1-4 with a double and a run scored.

Only 9 games left in the regular season for Caracas, and 7 of them will be on the road. In their penultimate home game, Caracas will host Zulia tomorrow night.


LIDOM

Friday: Gigantes 8, Licey 7 in 12 innings

Domingo Santana finished 1-4 with 3 strikeouts, and he exited the game in the 8th when Ruben Sosa was called upon to pinch-run for him.

Saturday: Escogido 6, Licey 3

Domingo tripled in 4 at-bats. In his other 3 at-bats, he struck out.

Sunday: Águilas 7, Licey 5

Domingo Santana went 1-4 with a walk, 2 strikeouts, and 2 runs scored.

Monday is a league-wide off day.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Charros del Jalisco

Friday: Jalisco 2, Navojoa 1

Leo Heras finished 0-2 with a walk and 2 strikeouts.

Saturday: Jalisco 5, Navojoa 1

Heras went 0-2 with 3 walks and a run scored.

Sunday: Jalisco 5, Navojoa 2

Jalisco completed the sweep with 3 in the top of the 9th to break a 2-2 tie. Heras went 1-3 with a strikeout.

Jalisco returns to action on Tuesday when they begin a 3-game series with Hermosillo.

Tomateros de Culiacán

Saturday: Culiacán 3, Los Mochis 1

Gonzalo Sañudo was the first man out of the Culiacán bullpen and was credited with a hold after throwing 2 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 2.


LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Criollos de Caguas

Friday: Caguas 5, San Juan 4

Roberto Peña got the start behind the plate and went 0-4 with a strikeout.

Saturday: San Juan 7, Caguas 6

Peña finished 0-4 with a strikeout. Luis Cruz got roughed up in his 3 innings as he allowed 6 runs on 6 hits (3-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 4.

Caguas returns to action on Tuesday when they host Carolina.

Gigantes de Carolina

Saturday: Santurce 1, Carolina 0

Carlos Corporán started behind the plate and went 0-4.

Sunday: Carolina 5, Mayagüez 1

Jobduan Morales served as the DH and went 1-4 with 2 strikeouts.

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Thursday, Decemeber 11, 2014

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 5, Sydney 4

Chan-Jong Moon finished 0-4 with 2 strikeouts in the Bite lineup, while Tyler Brunnemann rebounded from a disaster in his previous appearance by notching his 4th save of the campaign, tossing a 1-2-3 9th in the process.

Game 2 of this series will start at 5:30 Australian Eastern Time. That's 12:30 A.M. (American) Central Time.

LIDOM

Gigantes 6, Águilas 4

Jonathan Villar finished 0-3 with a walk and 2 strikeouts for Águilas.

Águilas will head east to take on Toros tonight. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Culiacán 5, Jalisco 2

Leo Heras finished 1-4 with a run scored and 2 strikeouts as Jalisco dropped the series.

This weekend's series has los Charros traveling to Navojoa. First pitch of game 1 will be at 7:30 Mountain.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Carolina 13, Caguas 4

Carolina went off with a 9-run 3rd inning, which gave them an 11-1 lead. Carlos Corporán hit a double in 4 at-bats and had a sac fly in that big 3rd inning. Jobduan Morales finished 1-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Tomorrow evening, Carolina will take on Santurce.

Today's Rule 5 Draft

I am, unfortunately, tied up with that whole work thing right now, but David Coleman over at The Crawfish Boxes has the info on how the Rule 5 Draft played out today. OF Delino DeShields, LHP David Rollins and RHP Jandel Gustave were taken. Gustave is the least likely of the trio to "stick" as he is still very raw, but his power arm was just too enticing to pass up. [Oops! I totally missed that Ariel Ovando was taken in the minor league phase of the draft, and is apparently being converted to a pitcher.]

#Cubs plan to convert Ovando to pitcher
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) December 11, 2014

As much as I hate to see any of the three four in another uniform, I am not surprised that the Astros lost players. The depth in the organization is now rising to the top and only so many players can be protected. The good (great) news is that we didn't lose any of the other guys on this list. I am particularly grateful that, despite a great deal of last minute talk about C Roberto Pena being claimed, he was not.

Part of me hopes that each of the claimed players has great success, but a selfish part of me wants them back in the Astros fold. Spread your wings and fly, my lads.

Jandel Gustave - June 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen