Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, May 6, 2017

Swept.

Colorado Springs 19, Fresno 7

W- Tim Dillard (1-0)
L- Mike Hauschild (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (3, solo in 1st)

This game was surely one to forget for the Fresno Grizzlies. Once again, they lost a series opener.

Mike Hauschild and Keegan Yuhl both had tough nights on the mound, and I think I'll leave it at that. Sean Stutzman allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 2.1 innings. Aaron West allowed a hit and fanned 2 over 1.1 scoreless, and Andrew Aplin worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 8th.

Jon Kemmer opened the scoring by whacking a solo homer in the 1st inning. This would be the Grizzlies' last scoring play until the 5th; in the meantime, the Sky Sox scored 18 unanswered.

Max Stassi walked to lead off the 5th. Aplin doubled, and Jack Mayfield drove them in with a double. Mayfield came around to score on a single from Derek Fisher. A.J. Reed walked to lead off the 6th and Stassi drove him in with a double. Stassi advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on an Aplin single. Aplin eventually scored on a Tony Kemp groundout.

Stassi and Aplin both went 2-3; both of Stassi's hits were doubles. Fisher and Kemmer finished 2-5; Fisher extended his hit streak to 11 games.

Edison Frias will take on Brandon Woodruff in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 1:30 Mountain.

San Antonio 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- Brett Kennedy (2-1)
L- Kent Emanuel (1-2)
S- Trey Wingenter (1)

CC home runs: Tyler Wolfe (1, 2-run in 8th)

A two-run homer jolted the Hooks back to life but they couldn't push across the tying run in the 9th and dropped their fifth in a row.

Tyler Wolfe was the one who smacked a 2-run homer in the 8th that put Corpus on the board and suddenly made this a one-run game. Garrett Stubbs drew a walk in the bottom of the 9th and managed to advance to 2nd, but he was stranded there to end the game. Drew Ferguson went 2-4 with a double.

Kent Emanuel went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 4th) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Dean Deetz turned in 4 scoreless frames, allowing 2 hits, walking 3, and fanning 4.

Josh James starts game 2 of this series. He'll face Kyle Lloyd at 2:05.

Myrtle Beach 8, Buies Creek 4

W- Oscar de la Cruz (2-2)
L- Justin Ferrell (2-2)
S- Kyle Miller (1)

BC home runs: Kyle Tucker 2 (6; solo in 4th, solo in 9th), Christian Correa (1, solo in 8th)

A big inning from the Pelicans doomed the Carolina Stros for the second straight contest.

Kyle Tucker launched a pair of solo shots to turn in the first multi-homer game of his career. Christian Correa smacked a solo homer of his own in the 8th inning. After Little Tuck's second homer in the 9th, Ryne Birk drew a one-out walk and scored on a double from Pat Porter. Tucker and Porter both finished 2-4 on the evening.

Justin Ferrell went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Ralph Garza Jr. got the final two outs of the 5th, one via strikeout, but both of the runners he inherited from Ferrell scored on a 3-run homer that he served up to Eddy Martinez. Garza also allowed a 2-run homer to Matt Rose in that 5th inning for Myrtle Beach. Alex Winkelman allowed an unearned run, 2 hits, and struck out 6 in 3 innings; the run scored on a force out in the 6th.

Matt Bower will take on Ryan Kellogg in the series finale. First pitch is at 3:05 Eastern.

Lake County 13, Quad Cities 3

W- Justin Garza (1-0)
L- Forrest Whitley (1-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos fell behind 10-0 after 3.5 innings and Forrest Whitley hit the first speed bump of his young career.

Whitley did strike out the side in each of the two innings that he worked, but he got tagged for 4 runs on 5 hits (3-run homer) in the 1st inning. Reggie Johnson was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed 5 runs on 4 hits while walking 2 in the 3rd inning. Jorge Alcala allowed a run in the 4th, his first inning of work, but he managed to stop the bleeding. Alcala ended up going 4.2 innings and also allowed 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Salvador Montaño recorded the last 4 outs, all via strikeout. He also allowed 3 runs (all of which came in the 9th) on 4 hits and walked 1.

All three Quad Cities runs came in the 4th inning: Randy César ripped a 2-run double and came around to score on a single from Rodrigo Ayarza. Stephen Wrenn finished 3-4 with a pair of doubles while Ayarza finished 2-4.

Ryan Hartman gets the start as the River Bandits and Captains wrap up their series at 1:15. He'll be opposed by Juan Hillman.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo by Bryan Green

Kyle Tucker, OF, Buies Creek

2-4, 2 solo HR (6); first career multi-HR game

Photo by Bryan Green

Jorge Alcala, RHP, Quad Cities

4.2 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

.@winks_253 pic.twitter.com/rE6bhFYZpY

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) May 10, 2016

Photo by Rich Guill

Alex Winkelman, LHP, Buies Creek

3 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 6 K

Stephen Wrenn, OF, Quad Cities

3-4, 2 2B

Dean Deetz, RHP, Corpus Christi

4 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Max Stassi, C, Fresno

2-3, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R

Andrew Aplin, OF/LHP, Fresno

2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R; IP, H, BB

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno

2-5, RBI

Has a hit in 11 consecutive games

Jon Kemmer, OF, Fresno

2-5, solo HR (3)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Sacramento 5, Fresno 4

W- Matt Reynolds (2-0)
L- Brian Holmes (0-2)
S- Ryan Webb (1)

Fresno home runs: Reid Brignac (3, 2-run in 5th)

The Tacos/Grizzlies just can't seem to start series off on the right track in the early going. With this loss, they fall to 0-7 in series openers.

Brian Holmes went 3.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Kevin Comer was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen; in 1.2 innings, he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3. Holmes left the bases loaded and Sacramento got a sac fly off of Comer. Tyson Perez and Dayan Diaz both threw 2 scoreless innings; Perez was perfect, getting 4 groundouts and 2 flyball outs, while Diaz allowed a hit and struck out 3.

Andrew Aplin went 2-2 with a couple of walks; he put the Tacos on the board with a 2-run single in the 2nd. Reid Brignac whacked a 2-run homer in the 5th. Tyler White finished 3-4 and scored twice, while D.J. Fisher went 2-5 with a double.

Casey Coleman makes his system debut tonight at 6:35 Pacific. He'll face Michael Roth. Coleman was recently acquired from New Britain of the independent Atlantic League. He pitched three seasons with the Cubs and last appeared in the Majors in 2014 with the Royals.

Midland 6, Corpus Christi 1

W- Brandon Mann (2-2)
L- Rogelio Armenteros (1-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks offense was MIA as they dropped the first of four in Midland.

Bryan Muñiz went 2-4 and spoiled the shutout with an RBI single in the 9th. Garrett Stubbs hit a double to extend his hitting streak to 6 games.

Rogelio Armenteros went 3.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Eric Peterson was the first man out and threw 1.1 innings; he got Armenteros out of a bases-loaded jam to end the 4th but allowed 3 runs of his own in the 5th. He allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Josh James pitched the final 3 innings, allowing a run on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3.

Brock Dykxhoorn will get the start in game 2 of this series. He'll face James Naile at 11:00 AM.

Buies Creek 4, Carolina 3 in 12 innings

W- Ryan Deemes (2-0)
L- Quintin Torres-Costa (3-1)
S- Nick Hernandez (4)

BC home runs: Kyle Tucker (4, solo in 12th)

The Carolina Stros scored 2 in the top of the 8th to break a 1-1 tie. The Mudcats got 2 of their own in the bottom of the 9th to restore the deadlock, and that's where it stood until Kyle Tucker got a hold of a Quintin Torres-Costa offering with 2 outs in the 12th, sending one out to put Buies Creek back in front.

Little Tuck opened the scoring way back in the 1st with a sac fly. Osvaldo Duarte tripled to lead off the 8th and trotted home on a triple from Arturo Michelena, who scored on Dex McCall's RBI single.

The one run that Matt Bower allowed in his 5 innings of work came on a home run hit by Isan Diaz, who has really become a thorn in the Astros' side this season. Bower also allowed 4 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Carlos Sierra struck out 2 over 3 perfect frames. Ryan Deemes went 3.1 innings and allowed a game-tying 2-run homer to Lucas Erceg with one out in the 9th. He also allowed 3 other hits, walked 2, and fanned 3. Nick Hernandez got the final two outs of the 12th, one via strikeout, to get the save.

Buies Creek looks for the sweep later this morning as Yoanys Quiala takes the mound. He'll take on Conor Harber at 11:00 AM Eastern.

Quad Cities 9, Fort Wayne 5

W- Ryan Hartman (3-0)
L- Evan Miller (0-1)

QC home runs: Jake Rogers (5, solo in 2nd), Rodrigo Ayarza (4, solo in 2nd)

The Banditos finally got a chance to get back on the diamond after two days of rainouts in Clinton. They broke a 2-2 tie in the 6th, briefly lost the lead in the 7th, and then seized control with a pair of 3-run innings.

Quad Cities got on the board thanks to back-to-back solo homers from Jake Rogers and Rodrigo Ayarza in the 2nd inning. Ayarza added a sac fly to his ledger in the 6th inning. Fort Wayne scored 3 in the top of the 7th to take a 5-3 lead, but the River Bandits wouldn't be down for long.

Carmen Benedetti walked to lead off the bottom of the 7th inning. Ronnie Dawson joined him on the bases by drawing a walk, and Stephen Wrenn looked to move the two of them over with a sac bunt but he ended up reaching anyway. Alex De Goti went down on strikes for the first out, but Randy César kept the line moving by walking Benedetti home. Rogers followed with a 2-run single that put the Banditos back in front. Benedetti singled to lead off the 8th and came around to score on Wrenn's RBI single. Wrenn, who advanced to 2nd as Dawson was getting thrown out at 3rd, came around to score on an error that allowed De Goti to reach. César capped off the evening by ripping an RBI double.

Rogers finished a triple shy of the cycle, while César (2B, 2 RBI, R) and Wrenn (RBI, 2 R) had 2 hits apiece.

Enoli Paredes had a bit of a rough start to his evening but he managed to right the ship. He went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs in the 1st on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 8. Paredes did not allow a hit after the 2nd inning. Ryan Hartman tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 2 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 4. Erasmo Pinales struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Carson LaRue gets the start in game 2. He'll face Logan Allen at 6:35.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Andrew Aplin, OF, Fresno

2-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Tyler White, IF, Fresno

3-4, 2 R

Currently on 5-game hitting streak

Tyson Perez, RHP, and Dayan Diaz, RHP, Fresno

Perez: 2 IP

Diaz: 2 IP, H, 3 K

Photo by Rich Guill

Jake Rogers, C, Quad Cities

3-5, solo HR (5), 3 RBI; finished triple shy of cycle

Randy César, 3B, Quad Cities

2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Photo by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Photo by Rich Guill

Kyle Tucker, OF, Buies Creek

1-4, go-ahead solo HR (4) in 12th, 2 RBI

Matt Bower, LHP, and Carlos Sierra, RHP, Buies Creek

Bower: 5 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Sierra: 3 IP, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 1, 2017

Organization sweep!

Fresno 11, Reno 7

W- Reymin Guduan (2-2)
L- Brian Matusz (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (4, solo in 1st), Andrew Aplin (1, 2-run in 2nd), D.J. Fisher (6, 3-run in 6th)

The Grizzlies scored 7 unanswered runs to wrap up this series with a win.

Preston Tucker launched a solo homer to open the scoring. Andrew Aplin clubbed a 2-run homer in the 2nd, and Tyler White smacked an RBI triple in the 3rd, which pushed Fresno's lead to 4-1. This was the Grizzlies' last scoring play until the 6th; in the meantime, the Aces took a 7-4 lead.

The Grizzlies' next scoring play was D.J. Fisher's 3-run homer in the 6th that tied the game at 7. Tucker tripled to lead off the 7th and scored the go-ahead run on A.J. Reed's double. White followed by ripping an RBI double and came around to score on a Juan Centeno single. Tucker capped off the evening with an RBI double in the 8th.

The elder Tucker finished a single short of the cycle. Reed finished 4-5 with a pair of doubles. Fisher (2B, 3-R HR, 2 R), White (2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R), Centeno (2B, RBI, R), and Aplin (2-R HR, 2 R) all had two hits on the night.

Edison Frias went 4 innings and allowed 7 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. The bullpen picked him up by throwing 5 scoreless innings to end the game. Reymin Guduan allowed a hit and struck out 3 over 3 innings and Jordan Jankowski allowed 2 hits and fanned 2 in 2 innings of work.

The Grizzlies return home to begin a 4-game set with Sacramento at 6:35 Pacific. Brian Holmes will face Roberto Gomez.

Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 2

W- Dean Deetz (3-0)
L- James Dykstra (0-1)

CC home runs: Drew Ferguson (3, solo in 1st)

The Hooks took the series from the Roughriders as Dean Deetz turned in another nice outing and the Hooks made it 2-2 for the Astros over the Rangers on Monday. Well actually, their game ended first.

Deetz was taken deep by Scott Heineman to start off the game, which was the only run he allowed in 5 innings of work. He also allowed three other hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Michael Freeman and Riley Ferrell both pitched 2 innings out of the bullpen; Freeman allowed 2 hits and walked 2, while Ferrell allowed a run on 3 hits.

Drew Ferguson responded to Heineman's homer by launching one of his own to lead off the bottom of the 1st. Trent Woodward put Corpus in front with an RBI double. Bryan Muñiz ripped a 2-run double in the 6th and Ferguson added a 2-run single. Ferguson and Ramon Laureano both finished 2-4 with a stolen base; they both have 6 on the season.

Corpus will begin a 4-game series in Midland at 6:30. Rogelio Armenteros takes on Corey Walter.

Buies Creek 8, Carolina 7

W- Alex Winkelman (1-0)
L- Cody Ponce (2-2)

BC home runs: Jason Martin (2, solo in 3rd), Pat Porter (2, 2-run in 6th)

The Astros had to fend off a comeback bid from the Mudcats; the difference in this game was Buies Creek scoring a run in each of the first three innings.

Myles Straw scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch in the opening frame. Anibal Sierra doubled to lead off the 2nd and came home on a sac fly from Eduardo de Oleo, and Jason Martin led off the 3rd with a homer. Pat Porter smacked a 2-run homer in the 6th to push BC's lead to 5-0.

Kyle Tucker ripped a one-out double in the 7th, stole 3rd (7), and scored a Dex McCall single. De Oleo drew a walk to lead off the 8th and didn't have to wait long to score; one batter later, Osvaldo Duarte lashed an RBI triple. Martin walked, which prompted a pitching change. He then stole 2nd on a wild pitch and Duarte took advantage by dashing home.

Martin finished 2-4 with two stolen bases (6). Tucker (2B, R, SB), Sierra (2B, R), and de Oleo (2 2B, R) also finished with 2 hits on the evening.

After failing to get out of the 1st inning in his last appearance, Alex Winkelman got back on track by allowing just 2 hits and fanning 5 over 5 shutout innings. It was a little more daunting for the Astros' bullpen, though. Justin Ferrell was the first man out; he went 1.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned, all on home runs) on 6 hits (3-run and solo homers) and struck out 2. Sebastian Kessay came on with the bases loaded in the 7th and extricated Ferrell from the jam without further incident. Kessay got the final two outs of the 7th, striking out 1. Ralph Garza Jr. pitched the final 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 8th) on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

Matt Bower gets the start in game 2. He'll go up against Marcos Diplan at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

After a three-day layoff, the Banditos will finally return to action as they welcome Fort Wayne to Modern Woodmen Park for a three-game set starting at 6:35. Ryan Hartman will face Austin Scholtens.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Alex Winkelman, LHP, Buies Creek

W (1-0), 5 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Dean Deetz, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (3-0), 5 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Reymin Guduan, LHP, and Jordan Jankowski, RHP, Fresno

Guduan: W (2-2), 3 IP, H, 3 K

Jankowski: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K

Jason Martin, OF, Buies Creek

2-4, solo HR (2), 2 SB (6)

Drew Ferguson, OF, Corpus Christi

2-4, solo HR (3), 3 RBI, SB (6)

Andrew Aplin, OF, Fresno

2-3, 2-R HR (1), 2 R, SB (1)

Preston Tucker, OF, Fresno

3-5, 2B, 3B, solo HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 R; finished single shy of cycle

A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

4-5, 2 2B. RBI, 2 R

Tyler White, IF, Fresno

2-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno

2-5, 2B, 3-R HR (6), 2 R

Nolan Fontana and Andrew Aplin: A Bromance for the Times

George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller. Nolan Fontana and Andrew Aplin. All-time great bromances.

Andrew Aplin and Nolan Fontana - September 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Earlier this month, I spoke with Fresno Grizzlies IF Nolan Fontana and OF Andrew Aplin about this epic bromance. They humored me and I think you'll enjoy the result.

In case you missed it, here are other recent interviews of Astros minor leaguers:

Grizzlies RHP Brady Rodgers
JetHawks C Garrett Stubbs
JetHawks OF Ramon Laureano
JetHawks RHP Josh James

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, June 9, 2016

Salt Lake 12, Fresno 10 in 10 innings

W- Geoff Broussard (1-1)
L- James Hoyt (3-3)
S- Al Alburquerque (7)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies managed to erase an early 9-1 deficit.... only to see the Bees win it with 2 in the first extra frame.

Preston Tucker drove in the first run of the evening on a sacrifice fly in the 1st inning. Tyler Heineman hit an RBI single in the 4th. Fresno scored 2 runs in the 5th thanks to a double from A.J. Reed. They scored 3 in the 6th, thanks to an RBI double from Andrew Aplin, who later scored when Tucker grounded into a force out. Colin Moran also hit an RBI single in the 6th. The Grizz scored 3 more in the 7th as Aplin and Danny Worth hit RBI singles; Aplin later scored on an error that allowed Tucker to reach.

Aplin (2B, 2 RBI, 3 R) and Worth (RBI, R) both finished 3-5. Reed (2B, 2 RBI, R), Jon Singleton (2B, R), and Nolan Fontana (R) had 2 hits apiece in this game.

Tommy Shirley got shelled in his 2.1 innings. We'll just leave it at that. Chris Cotton was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen; he went 2.2 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 1. Reymin Guduan allowed 2 hits and fanned 2 over 2 scoreless. Jordan Jankowski got a popout and a couple of groundouts in a 1-2-3 8th. James Hoyt pitched 1.2 innings, and the only hit that he allowed was rather costly, as it was the tiebreaking 2-run single in the 10th. He walked 4 and struck out 5. Kevin Chapman got the final out of the 10th inning.

In game 2 of this series, Brad Peacock will take on Kyle McGowin. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, Midland 0

W- Francis Martes (3-2)
L- Joel Seddon (1-6)

CC home runs: Alejandro Garcia (1, 2-run in 2nd), Chase McDonald (10, solo in 4th), Conrad Gregor (2, solo in 4th)

An early offensive outburst was enough to secure the win, and Francis Martes had his best start of the season as he and Eric Peterson combined to keep the RockHounds off the scoreboard.

Martes allowed 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9 over 6.2 shutout innings, and Peterson allowed 2 hits and fanned 2 over the final 2.1 innings.

Alex Bregman tripled with 1 out in the 1st and scored the game's first run on a double from D.J. Fisher. Alfredo Gonzalez hit a 1-out double in the 2nd, and one batter later, Alejandro Garcia clubbed his first home run of the season to put Corpus up 3-0. Chase McDonald and Conrad Gregor led off the 4th with back-to-back solo shots, and Bregman smacked a 2-run double later in the inning. Everyone in the lineup had a hit; Teoscar Hernandez and Bregman had 2 apiece.

The Hooks will look for the sweep as Edison Frias takes the mound. He'll face Corey Walter at 7:05.

Visalia 5, Lancaster 1

W- Shelby Miller (1-0)
L- Trent Thornton (2-3)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks couldn't recover from an early 5-0 deficit, and their bats went silent.

Lancaster only got 3 hits in this game, and Jason Martin's RBI triple in the 7th was their only scoring play. Ramon Laureano, who scored the only JetHawks run, stole his 24th base of the season.

Trent Thornton was victimized by the longball in his 4.1 innings; all 5 of Visalia's runs off of him scored on a couple of 2-run homers hit by Marty Herum and a solo shot from Oscar Hernandez. He allowed 4 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Josh James tagged in to strike out 5 over 2.2 perfect innings, and Yeyfry Del Rosario struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 8th.

Brock Dykxhoorn will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Josh Taylor at 7:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Beloit 2

W- Elieser Hernandez (2-0, 3-4 season)
L- Kevin Johnson (0-1)
S- Jose Luis Hernandez (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos took 2 of 3 from the Snappers as they got out to an early lead and got solid performances on the mound from the Hernandezes.

Elieser allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 5 in 5 innings of work. Jose Luis pitched the final 4 innings, and the only run he allowed came on a solo homer hit by Justin Higley in the 8th. He allowed 4 other hits and struck out 4.

Myles Straw led off the bottom of the 1st with a single. He advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch and a passed ball and scored the first run of the game on an RBI single from Osvaldo Duarte. In the 2nd, it was Straw's turn to drive in a run, and he did so with an RBI single. Duarte added an RBI triple to his ledger in the 7th, and he trotted home on a Keach Ballard double.

Straw and Duarte wreaked havoc from the top of the order as they combined to go 5-8 (Straw 3-4, Duarte 2-4) with 3 RBI (Duarte 2, Straw 1) and 4 runs scored; they both scored twice. Duarte also stole his 10th base of the season.

The River Bandits will spend the weekend in Burlington. Chris Murphy will start the first of 3 games against the Bees; he'll go up against Jared Ruxer at 6:30.

DSL Red Sox1 2, DSL Astros Blue 0

W- Carlos Cortes (1-0)
L- Juan Corniel (0-1)
S- Angel Padron (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team outhit the Red Sox 7-4, but unfortunately, they couldn't push across any runs.

Angel Tejeda reached in all 4 of his plate appearances, going 3-3 with a walk. Alfredo Angarita finished 2-3 with a walk.

Javier Navas threw 4 no-hit innings, walking 2 and striking out 5. Yeremi Ceballos worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 1. Juan Corniel pitched 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Robert Corniel allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the 9th.

The Blue team will travel to the Red Sox complex as they look to avenge their first loss of the season. First pitch is at 10:30 AM Eastern.

DSL Astros Orange 3, DSL Phillies2 2

W- Luis Castro (1-0)
L- Leonel Aponte (0-1)
S- Cosme Zapata (1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team won despite getting held to two hits.

All 3 of their runs came in the 5th inning. Bernardo Heras put them on the board with an RBI single. One batter later, he and Felix Lucas both scored on an errant pickoff throw. Vicente Mota's single to lead off the 2nd was the Orange team's only other hit.

Humberto Castellanos went 4 innings and allowed a run on a groundout, a single, and walked 2. Luis Castro allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 2, and fanned 3 in 4 innings, and Cosme Zapata finished it off with a 1-2-3 9th.

These two teams will play again today at the Astros' complex. First pitch is at 10:30 AM Eastern.

Three Stars

3.

Andrew Aplin, OF, Fresno

3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R

2.

Josh James, RHP, Lancaster

2.2 IP, 5 K

1.

Francis Martes, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (3-2),6.2 IP, 5 H, BB, 9 K

Honorable Mentions

Elieser Hernandez, RHP, Quad Cities: W (2-0, 3-4 season), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K
Jose Luis Hernandez, RHP, Quad Cities: Save (1), 4 IP, 5 H (solo HR), ER, 4 K
- After a nightmare start to his season in Lancaster, Elieser looks like he's gotten some of his momentum and confidence back. He's still 20, so he has some time.
- Jose Luis had his second straight 4-inning outing in which he allowed 1 run.

Myles Straw, OF, Quad Cities: 3-4, RBI, 2 R
Osvaldo Duarte, OF/2B, Quad Cities: 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB
- This is a crazy fast duo at the top of the order for the River Bandits. The Astros have some legitimate burners in the lower levels of the system.

Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi: 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R
- After a slight lull, Bregman is on a nice little 3-game hitting streak. He posted his 2nd consecutive 2-hit game.

Javier Navas, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, 2 BB, 5 K
- Nice first game for the Venezuelan lefty.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 23, 2016

Grizzlies and Hooks conjure up comebacks.

Fresno 8, Oklahoma City 7

W- James Hoyt (2-2)
L- Jacob Rhame (0-2)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton 2 (12; solo in 1st, 3-run in 7th)

The Grizzlies erased a 7-1 deficit and ultimately walked off with the win.

Jon Singleton opened the scoring with his first homer of the night, a solo shot in the 1st. That would be Fresno's only scoring play until the 6th; in the meantime, the Dodgers rattled off 7 unanswered runs, which included a 5-run 4th inning. In the 6th, Jay Sing put the Grizz on the board again when he ripped an RBI double. He later scored on an RBI single from Matt Duffy.

Fresno pulled even with a 4-run 7th. Tyler Heineman kicked things off with a single. Two outs put any hopes of a threat in jeopardy, but Andrew Aplin smacked an RBI double to re-ignite it. Danny Worth drew a walk, and they both advanced on a wild pitch. Singleton proceeded to tie it up with a 3-run home run. Aplin led off the 9th with a single and advanced to 2nd on a sac bunt from Worth. Singleton got a free pass to 1st, which was totally understandable. Duffy went down on strikes for the second out, but Preston Tucker drew a walk to load the bases to bring up Jon Kemmer, who completed the comeback and sent the crowd at Chukchansi Park home happy with the game-winning RBI single.

Aplin (2B, RBI, 2 R), Duffy (RBI single), and Heineman (BB, R) all had 2 hits on the evening. The top third of the order, which was Aplin (2), Worth (2), and Singleton (3), scored 7 of Fresno's 8 runs in this game. Singleton's 3 hits resulted in 5 runs.

Tommy Shirley went 3.1 innings and allowed 6 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Juan Minaya was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen. He allowed one of Shirley's runners to score on a sac fly. He went 1.2 innings and allowed a run on a bases-loaded walk, a double, walked 4 (1 intentionally), and struck out 1. Kevin Chapman allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless. Jandel Gustave allowed a hit and struck out 2 in 1.1 innings, and James Hoyt got the final 2 outs of the 9th, 1 via strikeout.

In game 2 of this series, Joe Musgrove will face Sam LeCure. First pitch is at 6:35.

Corpus Christi 11, Midland 7 in 10 innings

W- Aaron West (3-0)
L- Jake Sanchez (1-2)

CC home runs: Alex Bregman (11, 2-run in 7th)

One day after walking off with a loss despite rallying to force extra innings, the Hooks earned the split by rallying to force extra innings and burying the Hounds with a huge offensive outburst. The Hooks trailed 6-1 after the 4th inning; they outscored Midland 10-1 from the 7th-10th innings.

D.J. Fisher put Corpus on the board first with an RBI single in the 1st. Between that play and the 7th, Midland jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Alex Bregman smacked a 2-run homer in the 7th to draw the Hooks a little closer. The Hounds added a run after stretch time to make it a 7-3 game, but the Hooks swiftly answered in the 8th by parlaying a bases-loaded situation into a 4-run inning. Conrad Gregor scored on an error that allowed Roberto Peña to reach, and Teoscar Hernandez followed by clearing the bases with a double to tie the game at 7.

Teoscar put Corpus in front with an RBI double in the 10th inning, and then the floodgates opened. J.D. Davis and Gregor followed with RBI singles; Davis scored the final run of the evening on an error that allowed Nick Tanielu to reach.

3 of Teoscar's 4 hits in this game were doubles; he drove in 4 and scored 3 runs. Davis (RBI, R), Gregor (RBI, R, 2 BB), and Tanielu (R) all had 2-hit games; Davis extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Francis Martes only got 2 outs in the 1st inning; he had an inherited runner charged to him and walked 3. Michael Freeman pitched 2.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Chris Cotton was next; he allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits and struck out 1 in 2 innings. Angel Heredia tagged in for 3 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 5. Aaron West allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and fanned 2 over 2 scoreless to get the win.

Tonight, the Hooks begin a 3-game series with the Arkansas Travelers. They'll be playing the two Arkansas clubs this week. Cy Sneed will start game 1; he'll face Blayne Weller at 7:05.

High Desert 8, Lancaster 3

W- Jason Richman (1-0)
L- Ryan Thompson (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks scored the first 3 runs, but the Mavericks took the game and the series by scoring the final 8 runs of the game, culminating in a 5-run 8th.

Bobby Boyd broke a scoreless tie with an RBI triple in the 3rd. He didn't have to wait too long to score because he trotted home on an RBI double from Garrett Stubbs. Bryan Muñiz went 2-3 with a double and a sac fly in the 4th. He's now on a 10-game hitting streak.

Trent Thornton went 5.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 6. Ryan Thompson was the first reliever out of the Lancaster bullpen; he went 1.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Ryan Deemes technically pitched a scoreless 8th, but he allowed a single and a sac fly, which allowed the two runners he inherited from Thompson to score.

Lancaster will host Stockton for 3 games starting tonight at 6:35 Pacific. Brock Dykxhoorn will be on the mound.

Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 4

W- Nick Anderson (4-0)
L- Andrew Thome (2-1)

QC home runs: Connor Goedert (3, 2-run in 6th)

The Banditos erased a 4-0 deficit.... only to see the Kernels walk off with the win and the series.

Chris Murphy went 3.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 1. Zac Person walked 2 and fanned 2 over 2.1 scoreless innings. Andrew Thome was taken deep by Zander Wiel with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, which gave Cedar Rapids the win. Thome allowed one other hit in his 2.2 innings of work.

Aaron Mizell put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI triple in the 5th. He later scored on an Osvaldo Duarte RBI single. Connor Goedert smacked a 2-run homer in the 6th, which tied the game at 4. Pat Porter went 3-4 with a double and a run scored, while Duarte (RBI single) and Bobby Wernes both finished 2-4.

Tonight, the River Bandits are in Beloit for 3 games starting tonight at 6:30. Franklin Perez will take on Kyle Friedrichs.

Three Stars

3.

Andrew Aplin, OF, Fresno

2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R

2.

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Corpus Christi

4-5, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R

1.

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno

3-4, 2B, 2 HR (12), 5 RBI, 3 R

Honorable Mentions

Angel Heredia, RHP, Corpus Christi: 3 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K
- Heredia has been called upon to go multiple innings for the Hooks since his promotion, and he's handled himself extremely well.

J.D. Davis, 3B, Corpus Christi: 2-6, RBI, R
- Davis is now on an 11-game hitting streak.

Bryan Muñiz, 1B, Lancaster: 2-3, 2B, RBI
- Muñiz, who is on a 10-game hitting streak, began May with a .114/.273/.205 slash line. It's now up to .262/.345/.427.

Kevin Chapman, LHP, Fresno: 2 IP, H, 2 K
- In his last 5.2 innings, Chapman has allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 11.

Zac Person, LHP, Quad Cities: 2.1 IP, 2 BB, 2 K
- Person's WHIP is a bit high, but when called upon, he's gotten the job done more often than not.

Tweet of the Day

.@DatDudeAP21, We ❤️ you. #Grinder #Growlifornia #SCtop10 @ESPNAssignDesk pic.twitter.com/VOsETx8T57

— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) August 12, 2015

Tweet of the Day

.@PrestonTucker25, @Wiedpipes, @DatDudeAP21, and @nolanfontana are ready to show all these fans another W. pic.twitter.com/6ZLeybKuP7
— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) April 28, 2015

Happy Birthday - 3/21

Happy Birthday to ~

OF Andrew Aplin (24)
Drafted in the fifth round in 2012 out of Arizona State, Aplin spent the majority of his 2014 season with Corpus Christi, earning a promotion to Oklahoma City on August 1st. In the two venues combined, he hit .265/.372/.345 in 126 games.

These former Astros mark the day as well ~

1B Prentice Almont "Pidge" Browne (died June 3, 1997 at 68)
Browne played in 65 games for the Colt 45's in 1962, a rookie at 33. According to Baseball-Reference:

Pidge Browne was a long time minor league star who at the age of 33 finally got a shot at the major leagues with the expansion Houston Colt .45's in 1962 ... He was the Texas League home run champion in 1955 when he hit 33 home runs for Shreveport. He later became a fan favorite playing for the Houston minor league team in the late 1950s. 

He hit .210/.298/.320 with four doubles, two triples and a home run for Houston that season and never played in the major leagues again.

OF Tommy Davis (76)
Davis came to Houston in a trade with the Seattle Pilots in August of 1969 and played for Houston for parts of the 1969 and 1970 seasons, hitting .271/.308/.377 over 81 games. Davis spent parts of 18 seasons in the major leagues, playing 1999 games for 10 teams and earning All-Star nods and National League batting titles in 1962 and 1963.

Arizona Fall League Recap

Salt River 6, Scottsdale 3

W- Jake Reed (1-0)
L- Alex Smith (0-1)
S- Enrique Burgos (1)

Salt River home runs by Astros players: None.

After Scottsdale scored their 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th, Salt River finished the game by scoring 5 unanswered.

Rio Ruiz was in the field for the first time this season; he went 0-5 with a strikeout. Andrew Aplin and Tyler Heineman appeared in the AFL for the first time this season; Aplin started in LF and went 1-5 with a run scored from the #8 spot in the order, and Heineman was behind the plate; he went 0-2 with 2 walks, a strikeout, and a run scored in the #9 spot.

Mark Appel got the start for Salt River and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 3 scoreless frames. The one hit was a double by the Mets' Brandon Nimmo.

Appel was 94-97 in the first. Command wasn't great. Nimmo smoked a changeup to RCF for a double.
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) October 9, 2014

Stay tuned for Mr. Wallee Wright's in-depth report.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 1, 2014

Let's play 2 in Davenport....



Swept.

Round Rock 3, Oklahoma City 0

W- Nick Tepesch (5-1)
L- Nick Tropeano (1-2)
S- Ben Rowen (1)

The RedHawks had to settle for a split as they were held off the scoreboard.

OKC only had 6 hits; Ronald Torreyes went 2-3, while Robbie Grossman's double was their only extra-base hit.

In the battle of Nicks, Tropeano came out on the short end. He went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Chia-Jen Lo was the first man out; he threw 1.2 innings allowed a hit and struck out 3. Rhiner Cruz struck out 1 over 1.1 perfect frames, and Kevin Chapman went 2 innings and allowed a run (in the 9th) on 2 hits, walked 1, and fanned 4.

OKC will now hit the road... they'll be spending this weekend and Monday in Omaha. In game 1, David Martinez will take on Brett Tomko. Now, I haven't heard that name in a while. First pitch is at 7:05.


Midland 6, Corpus Christi 5

W- Shawn Haviland (1-1)
L- Brady Rodgers (1-3)
S- Seth Frankoff (6)

CC home runs: Chris Epps (3, solo in 5th)

The Hooks came close, but.... no cigar.

Brady Rodgers got jumped for 4 runs in the 1st, but he was able to pull himself together to hold Midland scoreless for the rest of his outing. He went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (again, all in the 1st) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Travis Ballew pitched 1.2 innings and gave up an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 2, and fanned 1. Pat Urckfitz was the 3rd and final pitcher of the night for Corpus; he threw 2 innings and gave up an unearned run on 2 hits and struck out 1.

Leo Heras got the Hooks on the board in the 4th by scoring on a wild pitch. He hit a 2-out triple right before that. Epps took Midland starter Shawn Haviland deep with 1 out in the 5th. Matt Duffy added an RBI groundout in the 7th. Duffy and Heras hit RBI singles in the 9th to make it a 1-run game, but they were both stranded to end the game. Heras finished 2-5. Jio Mier went 3-5, and Andrew Aplin finished 3-4 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 2 runs scored.

The Hooks will look to avoid the sweep as they send out Troy Scribner for the finale. He'll take on Nate Long at 7:00. I think this was supposed to be Aaron West's spot in the rotation.

High Desert 13, Lancaster 7

W- Matt Anderson (2-2)
L- Chris Devenski (1-4)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks fought back bravely, but a 10-0 deficit would prove to be just too much to overcome. They had to settle for the split.

Danry Vasquez finally put the JetHawks on the board with an RBI double in the 6th. Roberto Peña walked to lead off the bottom of the 7th and would eventually score on a Tony Kemp single. Dan Gulbransen drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. Vasquez drew a bases-loaded walk in the 9th, and Peña cleared the bases with a double. He, Kemp, and Rio Ruiz had 2 hits apiece.

Chris Devenski went 4 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. J.D. Osborne was the first reliever out of the bullpen, and he gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and walked 2 in 1.2 innings. Mitch Lambson went 2 innings and allowed a run (inherited runner charged to him), a hit, and fanned 3. Richard Rodriguez got the final out of the 8th via strikeout, but not before he allowed a 2-run homer to Dario Pizzano. Pizzano was his runner, while the runner on base was Lambson's. Jamaine Cotton allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the 9th.

The JetHawks will now welcome San Jose to The Hangar for the weekend. Mike Hauschild is listed as the starter when you first pull up the JetHawks' home page, but he's only spent 5 days on the 7-day disabled list. So, Brian Holmes, who's in California right now, could get the start. However, he's not listed on the roster, nor has an announcement been formally made regarding his roster status.

Well, whoever's starting for the JetHawks will take on Joe Biagini at 6:30 Pacific.


Game 1: Clinton 5, Quad Cities 4

W- Carlos Misell (4-1)
L- Andrew Thurman (2-2)
S- Rafael Piñeda (2)

QC home runs: Brian Holberton (2, solo in 2nd)

The River Bandits got 3 in the bottom of the 6th to make it a 1-run game, but a double play in the 7th was the backbreaker in their comeback attempt.

Down 3-0 in the 2nd, Brian Holberton put QC on the board by taking Carlos Misell for a ride. Holberton got things started in the 6th with a single, then came around to score on a James Ramsay double. Ramsay advanced to 3rd on a single from Tanner Mathis and scored on an Alex Gonzalez single. Mathis, the new lead runner, was erased at 3rd as Thomas Lindauer attempted a sac bunt, so Gonzalez ended up scoring on a Brett Phillips double. Lindauer was thrown out at home trying to score. Holberton was not retired in any of his 4 plate apperances; he finished a triple shy of the cycle (in 3 at-bats).

Andrew Thurman pitched 2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Chris Cotton was the first man out, and he pitched 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1. Pat Christensen threw 2 scoreless and allowed a hit while striking out 2.

Well, would the River Bandits split yet another doubleheader?


Game 2: Clinton 3, Quad Cities 1

W- Paul Fry (1-0)
L- Alex Gonzalez (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

QC manager Omar Lopez ran out of relievers, so Gonzalez, who started at 3B in the first game, got the call to preserve a 1-0 lead in the 7th. He pitched valiantly, but Burt Reynolds unleashed a 3-run blast with 1 out in the inning to give the LumberKings the lead, and eventually the win. Edison Frias was not available; he's scheduled to start on Saturday.

The 4 hits in this game belonged to Brett Phillips (double and triple) and James Ramsay (single and double). Tyler White's sac fly in the 3rd accounted for the lone River Bandits run.

Chris Lee had a no-hitter going for 4 innings, but he did issue 6 walks against 3 strikeouts. But again, he did keep Clinton off the board. Andrew Walter worked around a hit and a hit batter to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 2. Tyler Brunnemann struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 6th, and Gonzalez couldn't hold the lead.

The River Bandits will now spend the weekend in scenic Beloit, Wisconsin. They've got a 3-game series with the Snappers. Evan Grills will start the opener against Lou Trivino at 6:30.

Three Stars

3.

Roberto Peña, C, Lancaster

2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R

2.

Andrew Aplin, CF, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2 2B, 3B, 2 R

1.

#167631057 / gettyimages.com

Brian Holberton, C, Quad Cities
Game 1 vs. Clinton: 3-3, solo HR (2), 2 R

Video Interview with Corpus Christi Hooks OF Andrew Aplin

I first talked to Andrew Aplin in May of last year when he was playing at Lancaster and, after seeing how hard he plays the game, he quickly became one of my favorite players to watch in action. In Corpus Christi over the weekend, I had the opportunity to chat with him briefly. (It was a very windy day!)



In the interview, I mentioned that Aplin's power seemed to be developing slowly this season. Coincidentally, Aplin has kicked it into gear with a double and a home run (his first of the season) under his belt in the last two games.

I also spoke with Hooks Manager Keith Bodie about Aplin, "He's a very intelligent player, very aggressive, but his judgement needs development and refining [like all the players at this level], but he's a baseball player and he's going to figure it out. He's got enough power to hit the ball out of the ballpark. He's got enough speed to be a table-setter. He's got the challenge of figuring out the player he really is, and that's going to take a little time."

Aplin may still have that challenge ahead of him, but he's starting to figure it out. And when he gets there, I personally think it's going to be pretty special.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 28, 2014

Oklahoma City 4, Round Rock 1

W- Darin Downs (1-2)
L- Daniel McCutchen (0-1)

OKC home runs: Domingo Santana (3, 2-run in 6th), Jon Singleton (9, solo in 8th)

The RedHawks took the opener with 4 unanswered runs.

Domingo Santana broke a 1-1 tie with his 2-run homer, and Jon Singleton sealed it with his PCL-leading 9th blast of the year. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Jonathan Meyer. Robbie Grossman went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 3rd that put OKC on the board and tied the game at 1. OKC got 2-4 nights from Grossman, Ronald Torreyes, and Carlos Perez.

Rudy Owens went 4 innings and gave up a run on 6 hits and struck out 4. Darin Downs was the first man out of the bullpen and threw 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 1. Jason Stoffel struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 7th, Kevin Chapman allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 1.1 scoreless frames, and Josh Zeid got the final 2 outs of the evening, striking out 1.

Mike Foltynewicz will be on the mound for game 2 of this series. He'll be taking on Justin Germano at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 11, Frisco 2

W- Michael Dimock (1-0)
L- Alec Asher (1-3)

CC home runs: René Garcia (2, solo in 4th), Andrew Aplin (1, 2-run in 7th), Preston Tucker (5, solo in 7th)

The Hooks earned the split in emphatic fashion as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead after 4 innings, and after Frisco scored a pair in the 5th, buried them with 6 unanswered to close out the game.

Before Aplin went deep, he opened up the scoring with a 2-run single in the 3rd. Not long after that, Tucker joined in on the act with a 2-run ground rule double. René Garcia added to the lead by starting off the bottom of the 4th with a homer. Leo Heras clubbed an RBI triple in the 6th and wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Aplin and Tucker then destroyed Jon Edwards' soul by taking him deep in the 7th. And finally, Joe Sclafani provided the cherry with an RBI triple in the 8th. Tucker finished 3-4, Aplin went 2-5, and they were joined in the multi-hit club by Jio Mier, who finished 2-4 with a double and 2 runs scored.

Luis Cruz started off with 4 scoreless and allowed 2 hits while striking out 4. R.J. Alaniz tagged in for 2.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 4, and fanned 1. Michael Dimock finished it off with 2.1 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 1.

Corpus will now hit the road for 4 in scenic Midland, Texas. The starters for this series have not been announced yet. In the opener, someone will take the mound to take on Andrew Werner at 6:30.

High Desert 13, Lancaster 4

W- Tyler Olson (2-1)
L- Kyle Westwood (1-2)
S- Blake Hauser (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks were sent to their 3rd straight loss as the Mavericks scored a touchdown in the top of the 9th to complement their 3 safeties.

Kyle Westwood went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 1. Mitch Lambson pitched the next 2 innings and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 4. Richard Rodriguez, who was just activated prior to the game, was the only JetHawk pitcher to have a scoreless outing, striking out 4 over 2 perfect frames. Juan Minaya bore the brunt of the High Desert assault, as he gave up 7 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits and walked 3, getting 2 outs in the 9th. Dan Minor got the final out of the 9th, but not before allowing a 2-run triple to Tim Lopes.

The offense didn't mail it in, though, as they got a pair in the 8th on a couple of RBI singles from Rio Ruiz and Bobby Borchering, and 2 more in the 9th on a Ruben Sosa RBI single and a Tony Kemp RBI triple. Kemp and Brandon Meredith had 2 hits apiece, while Sosa (5) and Teoscar Hernandez (8) stole a base.

In game 2 of this series, Lance McCullers and Kyle Smith will face Scott DeCecco. First pitch is at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities and Clinton was postponed

There will now be two doubleheaders in this series. The first set of two will begin not long from now, with the first game beginning at 11 A.M. Andrew Thurman will start game 1 against Eddie Campbell, and Chris Lee will take on Tommy Burns in game 2.


Three Stars

3.

Domingo Santana, LF, Oklahoma City

Go-ahead 2-R HR (3) in 6th

Jon Singleton, 1B, Oklahoma City

Solo HR (9, leads PCL)

2.

Luis Cruz, LHP, Corpus Christi

4 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Richard Rodriguez, RHP, Lancaster

2 IP, 4 K (season debut)

1.

Andrew Aplin, CF, Corpus Christi

2-5, 2-R HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 R

Preston Tucker, RF, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2B, solo HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 R

Honorable Mentions: Jio Mier, Rudy Owens, Robbie Grossman, Tony Kemp, Michael Dimock

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 14

Swept.

New Orleans 14, Oklahoma City 8

W- Bryan Evans (1-1)
L- David Martinez (2-1)

OKC home runs: George Springer (2, solo in 4th)

After 2 fine outings, Team DorInez (Bobby Doran and David Martinez) got knocked around as the RedHawks were forced to settle for a split in this series. This game was the last of 8 straight against New Orleans, and OKC finished 6-2 in this stretch. OKC rallied with 4 in the 7th to make it a 10-8 game, but the Zephyrs put it away with a 4-1 run in the final 2 innings, getting 2 in the 8th and 9th.

Jon Singleton was 1-3 with an RBI groundout in the 1st, walked twice, and scored twice. George Springer went 2-3 with a homer (2) to lead off the 4th inning. Erik Castro added an RBI single later in the inning. Ruben Sosa opened the scoring in the 7th with a sac fly, and then the RedHawks got a pair of bases-loaded walks from Max Stassi and Castro, with a Domingo Santana RBI infield single sandwiched in between. Andy Simunic was just added to the roster and made his debut in this game; he went 1-2 with a run scored after coming on for Ronald Torreyes in the 7th.

Martinez went 4 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and walked 2. Doran only went 3.1 innings and gave up 6 runs (1 inherited) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Darin Downs pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1.

The RedHawks will now head out on a roadtrip. Their first stop will be in Colorado Springs for 4. Mike Foltynewicz and Rudy Owens will start the opener against Dan Houston. First pitch will be at 7:35/6:35 Mountain.

Springfield 2, Corpus Christi 1

W- Kurt Heyer (1-1)
L- Luis Cruz (2-1)
S- Dean Kiekhefer (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks just couldn't get the bats going, and couldn't capitalize on a fine pitching performance in which Luis Cruz and Ross Seaton combined on a 3-hitter.

Nolan Fontana (2-3 with a triple and a double) and Andrew Aplin (3-4) went a combined 5-7; Aplin drove in Fontana with his 3rd single of the night in the 6th. Fontana hit a double in the 1st and attempted to score on Aplin's 1st single, but was thrown out at home.

Luis Cruz went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Ross Seaton had a fine outing after tagging in, as he allowed a hit and fanned 5 over 4 scoreless frames.

Tommy Shirley and Matt Heidenreich will take the hill for the series finale, and they will be opposed by Zach Petrick. First pitch is at 7:10.

High Desert 11, Lancaster 10

W- Andrew Kittredge (1-1)
L- J.D. Osborne (0-1)
S- Will Mathis (1)

Lancaster home runs: Rio Ruiz (1, 3-run in 8th)

Just your garden-variety California League game, with 22 runs, 29 hits, and crooked numbers aplenty. Of course, as a garden-variety California League game, it got topsy-turvy late: the Mavs scored 4 in the bottom of the 7th to take a 9-6 lead. Lancaster responded with 4 of their own in the top of the 8th to regain the lead, which was 10-9, and then in the bottom of the inning, the Mavs plated 2 without getting a hit to re-take the lead for themselves.

Mark Appel made his first appearance in the biggest hitter's park in professional baseball, and his first foray into High Desert lasted 3 innings. He allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 4. Juan Minaya allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 4th. Mike Hauschild tagged in for 3 innings and gave up 5 runs on 8 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 3. J.D. Osborne came on for the 8th and issued 2 straight walks on 8 balls. Jamaine Cotton came on and walked the first batter he faced. He technically threw a scoreless inning, allowing a hit and walking one, but he allowed both of the runners that he inherited from Osborne to score via a double play and a wild pitch.

Teoscar Hernandez was on fire, as he went 3-5 with a 2-run double in the 3rd, another RBI double in the 6th, and an RBI single in the 8th. Rio Ruiz had a monster night as well; he finished 4-5 with a 2-run double of his own in the 3rd and a huge 3-run homer in the 8th which gave the JetHawks a 10-9 lead at that time. The only run that was not batted in was scored by Roberto Peña as he dashed home on a wild pitch in the 4th. It was a rather eventful night for Peña behind the plate as well; he was charged with 2 passed balls. On the flip side, he was 3-3 in catching potential base-stealers. High Desert CF Aaron Barbosa will be regretting the fact that he even thought about testing Peña, as he got caught stealing 2nd twice. The other victim was Vladimir Guerrero's nephew, Gabriel.

Carlos Correa lifted himself off the canvas by going 2-6 with 2 runs scored. However, he struck out with runners on 1st and 2nd to end the game.

knowyourmeme.com

Jordan Scott was 2-3 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 runs scored.

Game 2 of this series features the team of Kyle Westwood and Vince Velasquez as they take on Tyler Pike. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities and West Michigan was postponed

Due to snow. A doubleheader is scheduled for 4:30 P.M. Kent Emanuel will face Jeff Thompson in game 1, and Jandel Gustave will oppose Kevin Ziomek in game 2.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Andrew Aplin's profile on Perfect Game

Andrew Aplin, RF, Corpus Christi

3-4, RBI single in 6th

Nolan Fontana, SS, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2B, 3B, R, BB

2.

Photo courtesy of Brian Green

Teoscar Hernandez, CF, Lancaster

3-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, outfield assist

1.

Rio Ruiz, 3B, Lancaster

4-5, 2 2B, 3-R HR (1), 5 RBI

Two Stars: Pitchers

1 (tie).

Ross Seaton, RHP, Corpus Christi

4 IP, H, 5 K

Luis Cruz, LHP, Corpus Christi

L (2-1), 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 3 K