Astros Farm Report: 6-3

Bringing you the latest news from down on the farm ...

Happy Draft Day (One)!!

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Here are the latest roster moves (since the last Farm Report). An ongoing list of all of the 2019 season transactions and roster moves can be found here.

6-2: OF Bryan de la Cruz (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-2: RHP Jacob Billingsley (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-2: C Alejandro Flores (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: OF Ronnie Dawson (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: RHP Willy Collado assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-1: RHP Hector Martinez assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
6-1: C Cesar Salazar (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: LHP Julio Robaina assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training

In addition, several players were assigned to the DSL for the first time on 5-31 as that team started their season on Saturday. Information on those players can be found here.

5-31: RHP Humberto Castellanos assigned to Round Rock from Quad Cities

5-31: C Alex Holderbach (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day IL

5-31: C Orlando Marquez assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training

5-31: OF Wilyer Abreu assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training

5-30: RHP Nick Hernandez assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
5-29: OF Myles Straw recalled to Houston from Round Rock

5-29: RHP Forrest Whitley (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL

5-29: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) activated from the IL

5-29: 3B Josh Rojas assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi

5-29: 2B Alfredo Angarita assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville

5-29: C Alejandro Flores assigned to Fayetteville from extended spring training

5-28: OF Jonathan Lacroix (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day IL

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL
C Ruben Castro - activated 5-25
RHP Nick Hernandez - activated 5-8
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna - activated 4-29; back and forth since
RHP Hansel Paulino
RHP Erasmo Pinales - activated 5-20; back on 5-24
RHP Abdiel Saldana
RHP Kyle Serrano
RHP Jairo Solis

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension)
1B/OF J.J. Matijevic (50-game suspension)

2019 STANDINGS

Up and down arrows denote an increase or decrease in win percentage over the last week.

AAA ROUND ROCK (Pacific Coast League/American Southern Division)

🠋 2nd 34-23 .596 1.5GB L1

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

🠋 3rd 28-27 .509 0.5GB W2

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

🠋 4th 25-31 .446 13.5GB L1

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)

🠋 1st 35-18 .660 -.-GB L1

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Northwest Division)
T1st 1-0 1.000 -.-GB W1

WATCH THIS SPACE

I plan to use "this space" to feature players who are currently flying below the radar, but who deserve a look.

Josh Rojas - April 2019
Photo by Jayne Hansen

IF Josh Rojas has been flying under the radar ever since he was first drafted in 2017 by the Astros in the 26th round out of the University of Hawaii, but he really shouldn't be. Through his first 49 games in 2019, Rojas is hitting .330/.410/.571 with 16 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 16 stolen bases (six caught stealing). He has 24 walks to 30 strikeouts. His season-to-date OPS of .981 lags behind only Yordan Alvarez and Seth Beer in the Astros minor league system. Rojas was recently promoted from AA Corpus Christi to AAA Round Rock and has hit the ground running, hitting .400/.455/.650 and collecting three doubles, a triple and three stolen bases in his first five games at the new level. Rojas offers a lot of versatility in the field; he has played mostly at second and first this season, but has also played a fair number of games at third base and in the outfield, and a few games at short as well during his pro career. Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Adrian Houser - June 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Former Astros righthander Adrian Houser did not get off to a very good start in his season debut for the Brewers on April 22nd, but he has since lowered his ERA from 11.25 to 3.26. Since April 22nd, he has a 1.17 ERA and a 1.174 WHIP in nine appearances (15.1 IP). Houser was drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2011 out of Locust Grove HS (OK) and was traded to the Brewers in July 2015 as a part of the Mike Fiers/Carlos Gomez trade. He subsequently underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2016. 2019 is his second season back since the surgery.

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Eutin, Germany - 2010

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Farm Report: 4/9

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

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Jamie Ritchie - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

4/9: OF Juan Ramírez (19)
4/9: C Jamie Ritchie (25)
4/14: SS Junior Marté (18)

TWEET OF THE WEEK

This dog makes more than I do #milb https://t.co/loIAL6OtGR

— Cy Sneed (@CySneed) April 3, 2018

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

4/7: RHP James Hoyt (Houston) optioned to Fresno
4/7: C Eduardo de Oleo (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: C Eduardo de Oleo assigned to Fresno
4/5: RHP James Hoyt (Houston) assigned to Fresno for a rehab assignment
4/5: 1B Yuli Gurriel (Houston) assigned to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment
4/5: DH Randy Vasquez (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)

Also, Baseball America is showing the release of two players over the last week:

• RHP Ronaldo Marrero - originally signed by the Phillies in 2013 as an infielder; picked up by the Astros as a MiLB free agent in January 2017 and converted to pitching
• LHP Noel Pinto - Drafted in the 34th round in 2017 out of Connors State College (OK)

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

T2nd 2-2 .500 0.5GB W2

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

T3rd 2-2 .500 1.0GB L1

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

T3rd 1-3 .250 2.0GB L1

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

8th 0-2 .000 2.0 GB L2

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

I'll keep this brief this week since the teams are only a handful of games into the season.

OF Myles Straw (Corpus Christi) has hit the ground running (literally) in the 2018 season, collecting five stolen bases in his first four games. He is currently batting .417/.667/.417 with one RBI and eight walks to three strikeouts. Straw only appeared in 13 games with AA Corpus Christi in 2017.

IF "Super" Jack Mayfield is also getting off to a really nice start in Fresno. In his first four games, he is hitting .375/.389/.875 with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI. One of those home runs was a grand slam.

RHP Brandon Bailey, one of our newest Astros, went 5.1 innings in his first start, allowing one run and one walk while striking out seven. His Buies Creek teammate RHP Hector Perez, also allowed one run and one walk, but struck out 10 in his first five-inning appearance.

RHP Carson LaRue (Buies Creek) and RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi) each allowed no runs and no walks in their first outings, striking out three and five, respectively.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

I plan to feature one player each week (we'll see how long this lasts when I get super busy with travel and interviews this season) who bears watching. Today's player is RHP Yohan Ramírez.

Yohan Ramírez - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Ramírez isn't currently on any Astros Top Prospect list ... yet. With a good season in 2018, that could very well change. Ramírez jumped from the Gulf Coast League in his first season to Low A Quad Cities in his second in 2017, but not before making three very successful spot starts at High A Buies Creek and AA Corpus Christi first (which tells me that the Astros like him very much!). Ramírez started off the season very well; in his first 11 appearances, he had a 2.47 ERA and a 1.237 WHIP in 43.2 innings, holding batters to a .201 average. But in his last nine regular season appearances, that ballooned to a 7.67 ERA and 1.863 WHIP (.303 BA) in 31.2 innings. His season may have been uneven, but with electric stuff that he can crank up to 98 or 99, you will be well served to keep an eye on him. 2017 Quad Cities Manager Russ Steinhorn said that Ramírez reminds him of Jandel Gustave -- the same kind of build with a quick arm, throwing hard with a good slider. I think Ramírez may open some eyes in 2018, but may ultimately land in a bullpen role. He will be 23 in May.

Ramírez is scheduled to pitch the home opener for Quad Cities tonight (if the weather holds).

NEWS AND LINKS

So, on the first night of MiLB, the new extra innings rule took effect ... in a game that still lasted 13 innings despite the stated objective of shortening games. Good job, good effort Manfred. (How about we just let baseball be baseball. It will all work out.)

MiLB.com presents an under-the-radar prospect for each of the 30 affiliates.

And, in case you missed it, my Opening Day post contained lots of links and info that you can refer to throughout the season.

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

Adrian Houser - June 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Checking in today with RHP Adrian Houser. Houser was the Astros #11 prospect in 2012 after he was drafted out Locust Grove H.S. (OK) in the second round in 2011. After progressing as high as AA Corpus Christi in 2015, he was included in the Astros July trade that year to the Brewers (along with LHP Josh Hader, OF Brett Phillips and OF Domingo Santana) for RHP Mike Fiers and OF Carlos Gomez (heavy sigh). Houser would make his MLB debut in late September of 2015, but was sent back to AA Biloxi in 2016 where he made 13 starts prior to a June DL stint which was followed by July 2016 Tommy John surgery. Houser made it back in late July 2017 for a few rehab appearances and then spent some time in the Arizona Fall League as well. Houser was recalled to the Brewers on April 6th and made his first appearance in the MLB since September 2015 on Sunday, providing two innings of scoreless relief (1H 0BB 3K). Unfortunately, the recall was short-lived and he is reportedly headed back to the minors. In any event, WTHB wishes Houser the best of luck as he completes his comeback from Tommy John.

WE'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR JOBS (WOMEN IN BASEBALL)

Our good friend Alyson Footer writes about two upcoming events organized by MLB, USA Baseball and other organizations to give girls the opportunity to learn and grow as baseball players. To me, this is the takeaway quote ...

Essentially, every prominent group associated with youth baseball has committed to supporting participation in baseball by young women.

This development makes me very, very happy!

Another fun link -- she blew a call in her second game at the ripe old age of 11, but now at 14, she's a grizzled veteran umpire and trendsetter.

Tweet of the Day

Going to miss my roomie @jhader17 the nae nae king @AdrianHouser12 and the guy with the best laugh ever @Brett_Phillips8 #Astros

— Travis Ballew (@ImBallewDabaDi) July 31, 2015

Weighing in on the Carlos Gomez Trade

I'll be honest. I wasn't very happy when I saw this late this afternoon.

Astros announce trade with Brewers: OF Carlos Gomez and RHP Mike Fiers and int'l slot 76 in exchange for Phillips, Santana, Hader, Houser.

— Brian McTaggart ⚾️ (@brianmctaggart) July 30, 2015

I have nothing against Carlos Gomez. And I'd never even heard of Mike Fiers until a couple of hours ago. I want the Astros to be better and if this trade helps them get better, I'm all for it. But let me tell you a little about the players we're losing.

I love Adrian Houser. He's a competitor. I did my first interview with him when he was only 18. The first time I watched him pitch, he was just a kid about 30 pounds lighter than he is now, but showed great rhythm and athleticism on the mound. He was fun to watch. And then I saw him grow and develop and find his command. Each time I saw him, he had matured as a man and as a pitcher.

Domingo Santana was the opposite, physically at least. He was HUGE the first time I saw him at High A in 2012, the year after the trade, but he was what I called a little "doughy." By the time he got to Corpus Christi the next season, he had transformed himself. He was nothing but muscle and incredibly strong at the plate. And he had also started to transform himself defensively. I'll admit that I occasionally cringed when I saw him in right field. But he worked hard and started to learn what routes to take to balls and how to play smarter in the outfield. In late May in Fresno, there was a constant chatter going in Spanish between he and Carlos Correa on either side of the batting cage. I have no idea what they were talking about, but they were having a whole lot of fun together.

Josh Hader is just a good kid who likes sweet tea and country music ... until he gets on the mound. Then he's as hard-nosed and competitive a pitcher as you will ever see. He once told me that he wanted to "assassinate" the hitter. A little hyperbole, sure, but to see him go from laidback country guy to a ninja assassin with a deceptive delivery was quite entertaining.

I did like and do like all three of those players very much, but I will honestly tell you that I think they will all have a clearer path to the majors with another organization. If you haven't noticed, things are getting a little crowded at the top. There are a lot of moving parts as the Astros are having to get more and more and more creative with the 40-man roster. Houser would likely be lost in the Rule 5 draft this coming year if not protected, and Santana would not make it through waivers if he was removed from the 40-man roster. It makes sense to get something for those players now rather than losing them for nothing later.

However, I had three players in the minor league system that were, to me, untouchables. I won't reveal the other two because I don't want Jeff Luhnow to get any more ideas and further break my heart. But Brett Phillips was at the top of that list of three players.

Brett Phillips is a phenomenal talent. Quick twitch athleticism, speed, a canon arm, the ability to hit for average and for power. I see Phillips as becoming a legit 5-tool player in the major leagues and I think he will make his debut by the end of 2016 if not sooner. And I'm not the only one. MLB Pipeline had Phillips as the number 2 prospect in the Astros system. More than that, though, is Phillips' special ability to connect with everyone and to lead a team. He is going to become a very special player, one that can become the heart and soul of a team. And, yes, I am very sad to see him go. This one is going to hurt. It already does. As one person said, in a trade you have to give up good players, but you should make sure you keep the ones that can be great.

Tweet of the Day

I can't help but smile every time I look at this picture. Miss these two little squirts. #nieces pic.twitter.com/V7nrQJnDuf
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) April 20, 2015

Tweet of the Day

The reason why I had to cut my hair. 😢 lol Family Pictures. #Astros 😎🔶🔷 pic.twitter.com/95frAu1Azf
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) February 25, 2015

Tweet of the Day

14 months worth of work all gone. Good bye hair. It was a good ride. 😢 Hahaha.
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) February 13, 2015

Happy Birthday - 2/2

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Adrian Houser (22)
Houser was the Astros second round draft pick in 2011. He pitched for the Quad Cities team in 2014, putting up a 5-6 record, a 4.14 ERA and a 1.252 WHIP in 25 games (17 starts). In his final six appearances (three starts) in August, he had a 3.00 ERA and a 1.074 WHIP, striking out 26 while walking only four batters in 27 innings of work.

Brad Peacock (27)
Obtained by Houston in a February 2013 trade with Oakland, the former 41st round draft pick appeared in 28 games (24 starts) for Houston in 2014 with a 4.72 ERA and a 1.565 WHIP.

SS Adam Everett (38)
Adam Everett was a joy to watch at short during his time here in Houston. From 2001 to 2007, Everett played in 649 games for the Astros, hitting .248/.299/.357/.656.  He won Summer Olympics gold, along with Roy Oswalt, in Sydney in 2000 and was named best shortstop by the Fielding Bible in 2006. In addition to serving as a roving infield specialist for the Astros in 2014, he also filled in as the interim bench coach for the big league club in September.

These former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

SS Buddy Biancalana (55)
A first round pick by the Royals in 1978, Biancalana came to Houston in a July 1987 trade with Kansas City. In 18 games played for the Astros that season, he had one hit in 24 at-bats.

RHP Jared Fernandez (43)
Fernandez came to Houston as a free agent in December 2002 and pitched in 14 games (seven starts) for the Astros in 2003 and 2004 with a 3-3 record, 5.26 ERA and a 1.525 WHIP.

SS Ronny Cedeno (32)

Cedeno signed with Houston as a free agent in March 2013 and played in 51 games for the Astros, hitting .200/.260/.298 before being released by Houston in July 2013. He most recently played for the AAA Diamondbacks affiliate.

And a Very Happy Birthday to the inimitable @AstrosCounty whose fierce passion, incredible intellect, flawless sense of irony and fantastic humor make Astros County an everyday must for the true Astros fan. Have a great one, James!

Tweet of the Day

This weather just makes me more ready to be in Florida in a month. #baseball 😁
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) January 27, 2015

Tweet of the Day

Piper playing with a baseball the other night, looks like she's praying over it for me to throw strikes. Ha Love her! pic.twitter.com/wZpN2318a2
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) December 16, 2014

Tweet of the Day

Worst time for an elevator to be out... When you're loading up to go home and you live on the fourth floor. 😒 #stairsfordays #hangwithem
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) September 2, 2014

Tweet of the Day

First time meeting and holding my niece last night. 😍 She's perfect. #PiperGrace pic.twitter.com/yV147hJYyz
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) August 10, 2014

Tweet of the Day

Gotta love baseball. Haha.
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) August 3, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Oklahoma City 12, New Orleans 0

W- Jake Buchanan (4-3)
L- Brian Flynn (4-3)

OKC home runs: Gregorio Petit (4, 3-run in 5th)

Well that was fun. Jake Buchanan went the distance and put up 9 zeros in the process while the RedHawks offense unleashed hell on the Zephyrs pitching staff.

It took Buchanan 97 pitches (77 strikes) to get 27 outs. He allowed 6 hits and struck out a career-high 10. This was the first time that he's recorded double-digit strikeouts as a pro. His previous career high was 9, which came last July 5 against the Zephyrs. This was also Buchanan's 2nd career complete game shutout; his 1st came on May 1, 2011, when he fired a 4-hitter for Lancaster against Inland Empire. According to OKC announcer Alex Freedman, Buchanan is currently on a 26-inning scoreless streak. That's pretty good.

The RedHawks offense was powered by a pair of 5-run innings, and they tacked on 1 in 2 other innings to complete the dozen. They also drew 10 walks. Jon Singleton was the only player in the starting 9+1 without a hit, but he drew 4 walks and scored a run. Andy Simunic drew 3, while Ronald Torreyes walked twice. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the 2nd, Robbie Grossman kicked things off by bringing in Torreyes with a single. Kiké Hernandez followed up with a sac fly, and then Domingo Santana ripped an RBI double. Max Stassi topped it off with a 2-run double. Carlos Perez added an RBI single in the 3rd.

Stassi, who finished 4-4 with a couple of doubles, added a 2-run single in the 5th, and then one batter later, Gregorio Petit, for all intents and purposes, sealed the deal with a 3-run blast (4). Simunic provided the cherry with an RBI single in the 9th. Santana also had a 4-hit night; he scored 3 times. Petit, Hernandez, and Simunic finished with 2 hits apiece.

Asher Wojciechowski, who's been on Team Rehab all year, will make his season debut later this morning. He'll take on Bryan Evans in game 3 of this 4-game set at 11:00 A.M.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks will begin their tour of Arkansas. Their first stop is Little Rock, where they'll play 3 with the Travelers beginning tonight. Tommy Shirley will start the opener, and he'll be opposed by Kramer Sneed. First pitch is at 7:10.

Lancaster 8, Bakersfield 4

W- Brian Holmes (1-1)
L- James Allen (2-4)
S- Dan Minor (2)

Lancaster home runs: Teoscar Hernandez 2 (8; solo in 1st, 2-run in 8th)

The JetHawks took the opener behind the bat of Mr. Hernandez. It got a bit hairy in the middle stages of the game, but they finished with 3 unanswered runs.

Teoscar swatted a pair of homers and moved into a tie for the California League RBI lead with Bakersfield 1B Marquez Smith. His first was a solo shot in the 1st that opened the scoring. After the Blaze tied it with 1 of their own in the bottom of the frame, Lancaster responded with 3 in the top of the 2nd. Carlos Perdomo finished 3-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI double in the inning. He'd score on a Tony Kemp single, and Kemp came home on a Teoscar double. Kemp also scored on a Teoscar groundout in the 4th. After Bako scored 2 in the bottom of the 4th to get within 1, Perdomo added an RBI single in the 5th to provide a little more separation, and Hernandez gave the JetHawks the separation they needed by sending a 2-run shot into the Central Valley night in the 8th. Kemp and Jordan Scott both went 2-5 and took part in a little thievery. Scott swiped one (2), while Kemp had a couple (18).

Brian Holmes went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 4 hits (3 solo homers), walked 1, and struck out 4. J.D. Osborne was a bit erratic, as he issued 3 walks and only struck out 1 in his 2 frames, but he didn't allow a hit or a run. As long as the other team doesn't score.... whatever works. Dan Minor finished it off with 2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and striking out 2.

In the middle game of this series, Kyle Westwood will face Drew Cisco. First pitch is at 7:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Burlington 1

W- Adrian Houser (3-1)
L- Harrison Cooney (2-3)
S- Tyler Brunnemann (1)

QC home runs: None.

After a tough extra-inning loss in the series opener, the Bandits came back and smacked the Bees around, scoring 6 unanswered runs to take this one.

Adrian Houser won his 3rd straight decision with another fine outing. He went 6 innings and allowed a run on 5 hits while striking out 4. Tyler Brunnemann pitched the final 3 innings and posted 3 zeros. He allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 for the save.

Brett Booth went 2-4 with a pair of RBI singles; the first one opened up the scoring in the 1st, and he had another one as part of a 3-run 5th. Conrad Gregor hit an RBI single in the 3rd, while James Ramsay ripped a pair of RBI doubles in the 4th and the 8th. Tyler White added an RBI double in the 5th and ended up scoring on a Tanner Mathis force out. Mathis, who doubled and scored in the 4th, added a stolen base (6). Chan-Jong Moon went 2-5 with 2 steals (17).

In the rubber game of this series, Kevin Comer will make his first start of the season. He'll face Ryan Etsell at 7:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

James Ramsay, CF, Quad Cities

2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R

2. 4-hit nights for OKC.

Domingo Santana, LF

4-6, 2B, RBI, 3 R

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Max Stassi, C

4-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, R

1.

Teoscar Hernandez, CF, Lancaster

3-5, 2B, 2 HR (8), 5 RBI

Honorable Mentions: Carlos Perdomo, Tony Kemp, Gregorio Petit, Andy Simunic, Brett Booth


Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

J.D. Osborne on Twitter: @jd13_osborne

J.D. Osborne, LHP, Lancaster

2 IP, 3 BB, K

Dan Minor, RHP, Lancaster

Save (2), 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K

2. Quad Cities pitchers shackled Burlington.

Adrian Houser, RHP

W (3-1), 6 IP, 5 H, ER, 4 K

Photo by John Whinery

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP

Save (1), 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K 

1. Wonder why he's got that grin on his face? Oh that's right, he just tossed a complete game shutout.

Jake Buchanan, RHP, Oklahoma City

W (4-3), CG, 6 H, 10 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 9, 2014

Believe in DeShields.





Oklahoma City 3, Memphis 2

W- Bobby Doran (1-2)
L- Boone Whiting (0-5)
S- Kevin Chapman (1)

OKC home runs: None.

For the first time this season, the RedHawks have won a home series. Before that, they lost 3 of 4 in one series (to Nashville) and split the other 2 (Round Rock and New Orleans).

After Audry Perez put Memphis on the board first with a sac fly in the top of the 2nd, Robbie Grossman put OKC on the board by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning. Ronald Torreyes had the only extra-base hit for the RedHawks, but it was a big one, as his 2-run double in the 3rd proved to be the difference.

Bobby Doran and 3 relievers held the Redbirds to 3 hits in this one. Well, Doran allowed everything, but the relievers kept Memphis at bay. Doran went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Raúl Valdés got the first 2 outs of the 7th, striking out 1. Josh Fields, in his first outing since being optioned, pitched a scoreless inning (final out of the 7th, first 2 outs of the 8th) and walked 1. Kevin Chapman got the 4-out save; he worked around a walk to Randal Grichuk to lead off the 9th. He erased Grichuk by getting  double play and struck out Stephen Biscotti Piscotty to end it.

The RedHawks will welcome Colorado Springs to Bricktown for 4 beginning at 7:05. Rudy Owens (2-1, 4.32) will start the opener against Pedro Hernandez (1-0, 8.34).

Frisco 6, Corpus Christi 2

W- Alec Asher (3-3)
L- Kyle Smith (0-2, 4-2 season)

CC home runs: Delino DeShields 2 (4, solo in 1st, solo in 3rd)

Well, the Hooks got dropped by the Roughriders. But, the story of the night was Delino DeShields, who was playing in his first game since April 18, when he was drilled in the face in Frisco.

In his first game back at the scene of the crime, DeShields was the Hooks offense. He kicked off the game by taking Alec Asher deep, and he took Asher deep again in the 3rd. Corpus Christi also had 3 singles from Andrew Aplin, Preston Tucker, and Joe Sclafani.

Kyle Smith went 3.2 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 6. Alex Sogard was the first man out of the bullpen and went 1.2 innings, giving up 2 runs (both inherited runners that were charged to him) on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1. Pat Urckfitz got the final 2 outs of the 6th and allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Sogard to score on a bases-loaded walk and a sac fly. Michael Dimock allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless.

The Hooks will look to get on the board in this series as they send out Tommy Shirley (3-2, 1.60) to face a rehabbing Joe Saunders (0-0, 4.50) in game 3. First pitch is at 7:05.

High Desert 5, Lancaster 3

W- Scott DeCecco (2-2)
L- Vince Velasquez (4-1)
S- Grady Wood (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks were once again stymied by the lefty, DeCecco, but they did get to him with 3 in the 7th. They also hit into 4 inning-ending double plays (including the game-ender) and didn't strand any baserunners.

Tony Kemp posted his 4th straight multi-hit game, going 3-4 with a double and a run scored. He led off the 7th with a single, then moved to 3rd on a Teoscar Hernandez double. Carlos Correa finally unshackled the JetHawks from DeCecco's grasp with a 2-run double. Rio Ruiz would bring him in with a single one batter later. With that double, Hernandez is now on an 8-game hitting streak, which ties a season-best. He had an 8-game streak from April 13-22. Correa has a 7-game hitting streak of his own; he's got a hit in 12 of his last 13 contests.

Vince Velasquez went 3 innings and the only hit he allowed was a solo homer to Jordy Lara in the 2nd. He walked 1 and struck out 4. Kyle Westwood pitched 5 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Westwood also induced 12 groundouts. Entering this game, Westwood had a 66.7% groundball rate, according to MLBFarm.com.

In the middle game of this series, Kent Emanuel (0-0, 9.64; 0-2, 3.71 season) and Lance McCullers (1-2, 3.86) will take on Dylan Unsworth (2-2, 4.80) at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Beloit 1

W- Adrian Houser (1-1)
L- Chris Lamb (0-1)
S- Chris Cotton (1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits won the series behind a strong performance from Adrian Houser, who got his first win since August 18, 2012, when he threw 5 shutout innings for Greeneville against Burlington. They've won this series.

Houser tossed 6 shutout innings and allowed 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Albert Minnis got 2 outs in the 7th (both via strikeout), but a hit and 2 walks knocked him out of the game. Tyler Brunnemann came on and got the Bandits out of the inning by striking out Tyler Marincov, who had a golden sombrero. He went 2 innings and the only run he allowed came in the form of a solo homer by Sam Roberts. That snapped a 16.1 inning scoreless streak that Brunnemann was on; he hadn't allowed a run since Opening Day. He allowed one other hit, walked 3, and struck out 3. Brunnemann left the bases loaded for Chris Cotton, who struck out Jaycob Brugman to end it.

QC got on the board first with a pair in the 1st. James Ramsay walked to lead off the inning, stole 2nd (9), and scored on an RBI double from Chase McDonald. Brian Holberton added an RBI single to bring McDonald home. Thomas Lindauer singled to begin the 5th, stole 2nd (1), and scored all the way from 2nd on a Chan-Jong Moon fielder's choice. After Ramsay drew a 1-out walk in the 7th, he scored on a Moon triple. White brought Moon home for the final Bandits run of the night on a sac fly. McDonald and Holberton had 2 hits apiece. Moon also added a steal (10).

The River Bandits will go for the sweep as Andrew Thurman (2-2, 5.40) takes on Dylan Covey (2-2, 3.97). First pitch is at 6:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Quad Cities

2-3, 2B, RBI, R

2.

Tony Kemp, 2B, Lancaster

3-4, 2B, R; 4 straight multi-hit games

1.

Delino DeShields, CF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 solo HR (4); first game since April 18

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Bobby Doran, RHP, Oklahoma City

W (1-2), 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 3 K

2.

Vince Velasquez, RHP, Lancaster

L (4-1), 3 IP, H (solo HR), ER, BB, 4 K

1.

Adrian Houser, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-1), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 7 K

Tweet of the Day

Gotta forget. Regroup. Refocus. And get back at it. #shortmemory
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) May 4, 2014

Tweet of the Day

First day of practice is in the books. Baseball is back!! Big year. #Astros
— Adrian Houser (@AdrianHouser12) March 3, 2014

Happy Birthday - 2/2

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Adrian Houser (21)
Houser was the Astros second round draft pick in 2011. He had a solid season for Tri-City in 2013, putting up a 3.42 ERA and a 1.340 WHIP in 14 games (nine starts). Houser also showed dramatic improvement in his walk rate, halving his rate from the prior season.

Brad Peacock (26)
Obtained by Houston in a February 2013 trade with Oakland, the former 41st round draft pick split his season between Oklahoma City and Houston, starting and ending the season in Houston with three back-and-forths in between. In 14 games (13 starts) for the RedHawks, he was 6-2 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.101 WHIP. For the Astros, he was 5-6 with a 5.18 ERA and a 1.380 WHIP in 18 appearances (14 starts).

Several former Astros have birthdays today as well ~

SS Adam Everett (37)
Adam Everett was a joy to watch at short during his time here in Houston. From 2001 to 2007, Everett played in 649 games for the Astros, hitting .248/.299/.357/.656.  He won Summer Olympics gold, along with Roy Oswalt, in Sydney in 2000 and was named best shortstop by the Fielding Bible in 2006. Everett will be in his second season as a roving infield specialist for the Astros in 2014.

RHP Don Wilson (died January 5, 1975 at 29)
Wilson pitched for Houston from 1966 to 1974.  In 266 games, he was 104-92 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.212 WHIP. In 1971, his only All-Star season, he was 16-10 with a 2.45 ERA, 1.022 WHIP and 18 complete games in 268 innings pitched. He is the only Astros pitcher to have ever pitched two no-hitters for the team. His number 40 was retired in 1976, the year after death. For more, check out his Wikipedia page.

SS Buddy Biancalana (54)
A first round pick by the Royals in 1978, Biancalana came to Houston in a July 1987 trade with Kansas City. In 18 games played for the Astros that season, he had one hit in 24 at-bats.

RHP Jared Fernandez (42)
Fernandez came to Houston as a free agent in December 2002 and pitched in 14 games (seven starts) for the Astros in 2003 and 2004 with a 3-3 record, 5.26 ERA and a 1.525 WHIP.

SS Ronny Cedeno (31)

Cedeno signed with Houston as a free agent in March 2013 and played in 51 games for the Astros, hitting .200/.260/.298 before being released by Houston in July 2013. He most recently signed with the Phillies as a free agent in January.

And a Very Happy Birthday to the inimitable @AstrosCounty whose fierce passion, incredible intellect, flawless sense of irony and fantastic humor make Astros County an everyday must for the true Astros fan. Have a great one, James!

Astros Minor League Recaps

Tuesday's Games

Oklahoma City over Albuquerque 6-5
Jake Buchanan (5IP 8H 3R 1BB 3SO) got the start and was followed by Jason Stoffel and Pat Urckfitz who combined to allow the next two runs across. Hector Ambriz and Rhiner Cruz each pitched a perfect frame in relief and Cruz was rewarded with the win. The RedHawks drew first blood with a George Springer solo home run in the first (his 17th at Oklahoma City and his 36th overall). Three more runs scored in the fifth on a Trevor Crowe bases-loaded walk and a Jose Martinez (3x5 2B 3RBI R) two-RBI single. Down one run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Martinez doubled in Carlos Perez and was then driven in by a George Springer walk-off single. Che-Hsuan Lin was two-for-three with a triple, walk and a run scored. George Springer is now at 36/39 in his quest for the 40/40 club. The RedHawks magic number to win the division is now at eight with 13 games remaining.

Corpus Christi over Midland 3-2 in 10 innings
Nick Tropeano tossed the first six innings, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four. Alex Sogard allowed the final Midland run to score in the seventh on a solo home run. Carlos Quevedo (2IP 1H 4SO) and Jonas Dufek (1IP 1H) took it the rest of the way with Dufek earning the win. The Hooks scored one in the third on a Cody Clark sac fly, and one in the seventh on a Drew Muren home run to tie the game. Jonathan Meyer singled in Preston Tucker with one out in the 10th for the walk-off win. Kike Hernandez went three-for-five and Drew Muren was three-for-four with the solo home run and scored twice.

Lake Elsinore over Lancaster 5-4
Vincent Velasquez (3.2IP 7H 5R 3BB 4SO HR) saw his first action in the California League and mostly cruised through the first three innings. In the fourth, he allowed a single and a home run to start the inning; however, he was poised to escape with just the two runs allowed, but he couldn't get that elusive third out. With two on and two out, Velasquez gave up three straight singles, threw a wild pitch and walked a batter before Michael Dimock came in to get the final out of the frame. Dimock and Jordan Jankowski combined to allow only one hit (with five strikeouts) over the last four and a third innings. The 'Hawks scored two in the fourth on a Dan Gulbransen (2x3 BB) home run and their final two runs in the fifth on an Andrew Aplin (2x4 2-2B R) RBI double and a Tyler Heineman RBI single.

Quad Cities over Burlington 9-2
Josh Hader (5H 2R 2BB 2SO) pitched the first five and earned the win. He was followed by three scoreless innings from Jamaine Cotton and one from Patrick Christensen. The Bandits got their first run in the second as Bobby Borchering (3x4 2B HR 2R) doubled, advanced on a ground out and scored on an Austin Elkins (2x2 2B HR BB 3RBI 2R) sac fly. Elkins led off the fifth with a home run and was followed by RBI singles from Tony Kemp (3x5 3B 2RBI 2R) and Carlos Correa (1x4 BB 2RBI) to make the lead 5-2. QC then padded their lead with two in the sixth on back-to-back RBI triples from Tony Kemp and Teoscar Hernandez (3x5 R SB) and two in the seventh on a Borchering home run and an Elkins RBI double.

Tri-City over Vermont 2-1
Andrew Thurman cruised to his fourth win of the season as he allowed only one run on five hits and a walk. He struck out two. Thurman was followed by three scoreless innings from Adrian Houser (2H 3SO) and a perfect frame from Gonzalo Sanudo who earned his second save in his third appearance for Tri-City. Tri-City only got five hits, but made them count. In the second, Conrad Gregor hit a lead-off double, advanced on a ground out and scored on a Ronnie Mitchell (2x3) single. In the third, James Ramsay walked, advanced on a ground out and scored from second on a Mike Martinez single. It wasn't much, but the pitching staff ensured that it would be enough. Tri-City reclaimed first place in the division and are now a half game up on Lowell who lost on Tuesday.

Elizabethton over Greeneville 10-8
Francis Ramirez struggled through three and allowed seven runs on nine hits and two walks and was charged with the loss. Three more scored against Christian Garcia in his three innings of work, two via the long ball. Ryan Connolly stopped the bleeding with two scoreless innings. Greeneville was down 8-0 going into the sixth, but battled back with a six-run frame which featured seven walks, a sac fly, a fielding error, a wild pitch and only one hit, a single. Greeneville scored another pair in the ninth on a two-run Ariel Ovando homer, but ultimately fell short. After all was said and done, Greeneville scored eight runs on only four hits, but drew 11 walks. Edwin Gomez had four walks. Angel Ibanez and Darwin Rivera drew three each. Greeneville is still in first place by a half game, but lost ground against Kingsport who won on Tuesday.

GCL Phillies over GCL Astros 3-2 in 10 innings
Joe Musgrove put up a solid five innings (8H 1R 0BB 6SO), an encouraging sign as he works toward showing his shoulder is healthy. Musgrove was followed by Matt Heidenreich in his latest rehab outing (2IP 0H 1R/0ER 1BB 1SO) and Justin Hess with two perfect innings (3SO). Erick Gonzalez (2H 1R 2SO) allowed the final run across in the 10th and was charged with the loss. The Astros got one in the fourth as Jacob Nottingham tripled and came home on an Alex Gonzalez single and one in the sixth as Nottingham hit a lead-off double and came around to score later in the inning. Nottingham went three-for-four with two doubles and a triple and scored twice. Jason Martin was three-for-five and stole a base.

DSL Astros at DSL Indians postponed due to rain

Players of the Day: I'm splitting the honors again. Jacob Nottingham's two doubles and a triple get him a share of the pie. And Austin Elkins not only had a great game on Tuesday, he also has been having a great August so far, hitting .364/.396/.636 in 13 games.

Pitchers of the Day: The Tri-City gets my love today. Andrew Thurman, Adrian Houser and Gonzalo Sanudo did a terrific job of giving their team the chance to get back into first place.

Tweet of the Day

Adrian Houser ‏@AdrianHouser12
Had a great time coming home to see the family and friends. Now it's back to baseball. Ready to get the season started.