Meet the Fayetteville Woodpeckers

Wrapping up the Meet the Team series is the Fayetteville Woodpeckers!

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Unfortunately, with the glut of minor league clubs in the Southeastern United States and the contraction of Minor League Baseball, some clubs in the region having to move down a level would be inevitable. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers, who entered MiLB as a Class A Advanced club, were one of the clubs to draw the short stick and dropped to Class A as a result. Fayetteville will begin its season on the road against the Carolina Mudcats Tuesday night.

The Woodpeckers will now compete in Low-A East, which consists of seven teams from the Carolina League and five from the South Atlantic League. It's a 12-team league split into three divisions of four. Fayetteville is in the Central division, which consists of the four North Carolina teams. Their division rivals are the Carolina Mudcats (Brewers), Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers), and the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox). The Cannon Ballers were known as the Intimidators until 2020.

The South division consists of the four teams located in South Carolina: the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays, formerly a Yankees affiliate), Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs), Columbia Fireflies (Royals, formerly a Mets affiliate), and the Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta, formerly a Giants affiliate). Augusta, best known as the site of the Masters, is located in Georgia, but the GreenJackets' ballpark is located across the Savannah River in North Augusta, South Carolina.

The North has all the teams not located in the Carolinas: three Virginia teams and one club in Maryland. The Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles), Salem Red Sox (guess their parent club), Lynchburg Hillcats (Cleveland), and the Fredericksburg (formerly Potomac) Nationals (again, guess who their parent club is).

Opened in 2019, Segra Stadium serves as Fayetteville's home park. Segra also owns the naming rights to Columbia's ballpark, but their stadium is called Segra Park. 

Fayetteville is home to a major U.S. Army installation, Fort Bragg, and the Woodpeckers have drawn inspiration from the city's military history, as evidenced by their special "Black Ops" alternate uniforms. The city is located on the Cape Fear River, in North Carolina's coastal plain. 

In 1789, Fayetteville was the site of a state convention to ratify the United States Constitution; by a 194-77 decision, the Constitution was ratified and North Carolina became the 12th state in the Union.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Official website: fayettevillewoodpeckers.com

Twitter: @WoodpeckersNC

Instagram: fayettevillewoodpeckers

COACHING STAFF

Manager: Ray Hernandez

Pitching Coach: Todd Naskedov

Hitting Coach: Sean Godfrey

Development Coach: Bryan Muniz

Athletic Trainer: Takeaki Ando

Strength Coach: Michael Hoffman

Former Astros farmhand Bryan Muniz will get his first coaching opportunity in the minors. Muniz, a 22nd-round pick out of Southeastern, an NAIA school in Lakeland, Florida, played in the Astros system from 2014-17, topping out at Corpus Christi.

ROSTER

Matt Barefoot, a 6th-round pick back in 2019, gets to play close to home. He's from Dunn, which is literally the next town after Fayetteville on Interstate 95 and played at Campbell University, which temporarily hosted the Buies Creek Astros before they moved to Fayetteville. 

Zach Daniels, a 4th-round pick in last year's draft, has explosive athleticism and the Astros are banking on his tools to translate to the professional level.

You may know J.C. Correa's older brother. I hear he's not bad at baseball. 

Jayson Schroeder had a rough 2019, which saw him get sent down to the complex-level Gulf Coast League. Now that he's gotten a chance to reset, he'll give Class A another try. The 2018 second-rounder from a high school in the Seattle area, Schroeder has plenty of talent, but this could be a pivotal year in his development. 

Ernesto Jaquez caught my attention in 2018 when he completely dominated the Dominican Summer League. Unfortunately, his encore would be delayed as he missed all of the 2019 season. Can he recapture that dominant form?

Joe Perez has shown some of the best power in the system, but has also had some injury issues since entering the Astros system. Fortunately, he made it through 2019 without any major health scares. It's now time for him to become a more complete hitter. He should form one half of a pretty potent left side of the infield with Shay Whitcomb, the final pick of the 2020 draft. Whitcomb was drafted for his bat and that should get him plenty of playing time all over the infield.

Nerio Rodriguez took a big step forward with his bat in 2019. Can he continue to make progress on offense?

Janos "Johnny" Meszaros is a minor league free agent signing with a very interesting back story. A native of Alaska, he was originally drafted in the 39th round by the Rays out of high school but did not sign. He went to junior college but his career ended up getting derailed by injuries. Meszaros, who still tried to keep his dream alive, got the attention that had long eluded him with one video of him throwing upper-90s heat and a wicked slider. He caught Brent Strom's eye and was signed basically on Strom's recommendation. Now, seven years later, at the age of 26, Meszaros is finally getting his chance to play professional baseball. 

Italics - player bats/throws left-handed

Bold - player is a switch-hitter

Pitchers

Brayan De Paula - Acquired via trade along with Adonis Giron from Marlins for future considerations, 2018; De Paula mainly played for the GCL Astros in 2019 and appeared in two games with Tri-City.

Whit Drennan - 29th round, 2019 draft (Rollins College); GCL Astros

Freylin Garcia - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2016; last played in 2018 with the GCL Astros

Cesar Gomez - Undrafted free agent (UT-Arlington), 2020; making pro debut

Kevin Holcomb - 13th round, 2019 draft (Glendale CC), GCL Astros

Ernesto Jaquez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2017; last played in 2018 with DSL Astros, GCL Astros, and Tri-City

Alfredi Jimenez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2017; GCL Astros

Angel Macuare - International free agent (Venezuela), 2016; Tri-City

Christian Mejias - International free agent (Venezuela), 2016; Tri-City/GCL Astros

Johnny Meszaros - Minor league free agent signing, 2021; making pro debut

Cristofer Mezquita - International free agent (Dominican Republic); DSL Astros

Mark Moclair - 12th round, 2019 draft (Tampa); Quad Cities

Manny Ramirez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2017; Quad Cities/Tri-City

Jayson Schroeder - 2nd round, 2018 draft (Juanita HS, Kirkland, Washington); Quad Cities/Tri-City/GCL

Jonathan Sprinkle - Undrafted free agent (Central Missouri), 2020; making pro debut

Misael Tamarez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2019; GCL Astros/DSL Astros

Catchers

Luke Berryhill - Acquired via trade from Reds for Cionel Perez, 2021; Greeneville (Reds)

Juan Paulino - 27th round, 2018 draft (Western Oklahoma State); Tri-City

Nerio Rodriguez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2016; GCL Astros

Infielders

J.C. Correa - Undrafted free agent (Lamar), 2020; making pro debut

Joe Perez - 2nd round, 2017 draft (Archbishop McCarthy HS, Southwest Ranches, Florida); Tri-City

Yeuris Ramirez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2015; Tri-City/GCL

Ronaldo Urdaneta - International free agent (Venezuela), 2015; Tri-City/GCL

Shay Whitcomb - 5th round, 2020 draft (UC San Diego); making pro debut

Outfielders

Matthew Barefoot - 6th round, 2019 draft (Campbell); Tri-City

Kenedy Corona - Acquired via trade along with Blake Taylor from Mets for Jake Marisnick, 2019; Brooklyn/GCL Mets/DSL Mets 2

Zach Daniels - 4th round, 2020 draft (Tennessee); making pro debut

Justin Dirden - Undrafted free agent (Southeast Missouri State); making pro debut

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 8, 2019

Triple-A All-Star Break

The 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday in El Paso. Kyle Tucker will represent Round Rock on the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team.

Round Rock returns to action on Thursday when they welcome Iowa to Dell Diamond for a four-game series.

Frisco 14, Corpus Christi 1

W- Ronald Herrera (1-2)
L- Cristian Javier (6-3)

CC home runs: None.

Let's... not talk about this game.

Yohan Ramirez will take on Jonathan Hernandez in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Fayetteville and Potomac was postponed

Due to wet grounds. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 20.

Shawn Dubin, who was originally scheduled to start this game, will now start the series finale. First pitch is at 12:05 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 5

W- J.T. Perez (1-0)
L- Layne Henderson (1-3)
S- José Martinez (1)

QC home runs: Ramiro Rodríguez (2, solo in 1st), Alex McKenna (1, solo in 4th)

The Kernels stunned the Banditos with four runs in the 9th to take the lead. This is the first time that Quad Cities has been swept in a series in 2019.

Ramiro Rodríguez led off the bottom of the 1st with a home run. He hit a two-out single in the 3rd and eventually scored on a base hit from Grae Kessinger. Alex McKenna launched his first home run of the year, a solo shot, in the 4th inning. César Salazar ripped a two-run double in the 7th that pushed Quad Cities' lead to 5-2. Salazar went 3-4 on the night while McKenna, Rodríguez, and Freúdis Nova all finished with two hits.

Felipe Tejada went four innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked six, and struck out one. José Alberto Rivera cruised through four innings but ran into some trouble in the 9th. In 4.1 innings, Rivera allowed two runs, both of which were inherited runners that scored, a hit, walked one, and struck out eight. Layne Henderson got the final two outs of the 9th, but not before Cedar Rapids took the lead. Henderson allowed two runs of his own on two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

After a day off, the Banditos will start a three-game series in West Michigan.

Tri-City 4, Brooklyn 3

W- Angel Macuare (1-2)
L- Matt Cleveland (0-2)
S- Guadalupe Chavez (1)

TC home runs: A.J. Lee (1, 3-run in 2nd)

The ValleyCats only scored in one inning but it turned out to be enough for them to get the win.

Kyle Serrano pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two unearned runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out five. The bullpen picked him up and allowed a run over the final 7.1 innings. Angel Macuare was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and he allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out three in 4.1 innings. Lupe Chavez allowed two hits and struck out four over the final three innings to earn the save.

Wilyer Abreu put Tri-City on the board with an RBI single in the 2nd and one batter later, A.J. Lee launched a three-run home run, the first homer of his pro career. Korey Lee finished 2-4.

Juan Pablo Lopez gets the start in the series finale. First pitch is at 11:00 AM Eastern.

DSL Rays1 5, DSL Astros 4 (10 innings)

W- Argenis Liriano (4-0)
L- Cristofer Mezquita (0-1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros scored two in the 8th... but the Rays ended up walking off with the win in the first extra frame.

Ricardo Toro opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the 2nd and Cristian Gonzalez added a sac fly in the 5th. Their two in the 8th came on a Sebastian Grullón groundout and an RBI single from Yohander Martinez.

Fabricio Reina went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits and struck out four. Daniel Pacheco and Miguel Padilla pitched two innings apiece. Pacheco was first and he allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer) and struck out two. Padilla allowed an unearned run that was the winning run and it was also an inherited runner that was charged to him. He also allowed a hit and struck out one. Cristofer Mezquita got two outs in the 10th but the winning run scored on a failed double play attempt. Mezquita issued two walks, one of which was intentional.

The Dominican 'Stros will host the A's at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fabricio Reina, RHP, DSL Astros: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

A.J. Lee, IF, Tri-City

1-3, 3-R HR (1)

Angel Macuare's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen

7.1 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Angel Macuare: W (1-2), 4.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Lupe Chavez: Save (1), 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

4.1 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K

Ramiro Rodríguez, OF, Alex McKenna, OF, and César Salazar, C, Quad Cities

Rodríguez: 2-5, solo HR (2), 2 R

McKenna: 2-4, solo HR (1)

Salazar: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Let's finish up a game and then play another one in the Dominican Republic.

Round Rock 7, Omaha 6

W- Felipe Paulino (1-0)
L- Andrés Machado (1-1)

RR home runs: Taylor Jones (14, walk-off 3-run in 10th)

The Storm Chasers broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the 10th but the E-Train got the last laugh by walking off with the win.

Round Rock trailed 4-0 early but they got back in the game with three runs in the 4th. Josh Rojas singled and Jack Mayfield walked to lead off the inning and Taylor Jones put the Express on the board with a single to bring in Rojas. Mayfield ended up scoring on a balk. Jones advanced to second and came home on a single from Kyle Tucker. Ferguson hit an RBI single in the 8th to tie the game.

Chas McCormick started the bottom of the 10th in scoring position. Rojas drew a walk but he was forced out at second. Jack Mayfield beat the double play attempt and Jones won the game with a three-run blast. Jones finished 2-4 on the night. The top four in the order scored all the runs; Rojas, Mayfield, and Jones all scored two runs while McCormick scored on the home run.

Brady Rodgers had a rare tough night as he only went 2.2 innings and allowed four runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on five hits (solo and two-run homers), walked two, and struck out one. Kent Emanuel restored order to this game with 5.1 technically scoreless innings; he did allow one of Rodgers' runners to score. No matter, he kept the E-Train in the game by allowing four hits and striking out three. Joe Smith and Felipe Paulino both pitched an inning; Smith struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th while Paulino allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in the 10th.

Akeem Bostick takes on Foster Griffin in the fifth and final game of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Frisco 13, Corpus Christi 11

W- Joe Barlow (1-1)
L- Carlos Sanabria (4-2, 6-2 season)

CC home runs: J.J. Matijevic 2 (6, 8 season; 2-run in 3rd, 3-run in 7th), Aníbal Sierra (4, 5 season; solo in 2nd), Seth Beer (8, 17 season; 2-run in 5th)

The Hooks rallied to take a 10-8 lead in the 7th but the Roughriders scored five in the final two innings to take this wild affair. While the Hooks had four players score all the runs, everyone in Frisco's lineup scored at least once.

It was probably a tough night for the pitching when they issued 11 walks as a team, no one went three innings and the only person who turned in a scoreless outing was a position player.

Corpus opened the scoring in the 1st with a pair of RBI doubles from Seth Beer and Stephen Wrenn. Aníbal Sierra launched a solo homer in the 2nd. J.J. Matijevic launched a two-run homer, his first of the evening, in the 3rd. Beer clubbed a two-run shot of his own in the 5th and Matijevic struck again in the 7th by whacking a three-run home run. Osvaldo Duarte grounded into a force out that scored Matijevic in the 9th.

Abraham Toro went 4-5 with a double and scored four times. Beer and Matijevic both had three hits and scored three runs. Sierra went 2-4 and, well, he scored on his home run. Duarte stole a couple of bases, giving him 17 on the season.

Cristian Javier faces Jonathan Hernandez in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Salem 11, Fayetteville 1 (7 innings)

W- Dylan Thompson (2-6)
L- Luis Garcia (3-1, 7-1 season)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

Uh... no comment.

Shawn Dubin gets the start as the Woodpeckers look to avoid the sweep. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Wisconsin 2

W- José Alberto Rivera (4-3)
L- Reese Olson (2-5)
S- Hunter Martin (1)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams scored in two innings. The Timber Rattlers scored one run in each of the two innings in which they scored. Meanwhile, the Banditos scored two runs in their two scoring innings. My math may be a bit rusty but two is greater than one.

Quad Cities got two in the 4th on an RBI single from Alex McKenna and a sac fly from César Salazar and two in the 5th on a Freúdis Nova RBI double and an Austin Dennis single. Salazar and Dennis had two hits apiece; Dennis also stole a base, his 15th on the season.

José Alberto Rivera went seven innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and struck out five. Hunter Martin got the last two innings and earned the save, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out two.

Felipe Tejada faces Scott Sunitsch at 6:35.

Tri-City 2, Staten Island 1

W- Valente Bellozo (2-0)
L- Blakely Brown (1-1)
S- Angel Macuare (1)

TC home runs: None.

After getting smacked in the series opener, the ValleyCats got even by shackling the Yankees.

Valente Bellozo started things off by allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out four over five shutout innings. Angel Macuare took over for the final four innings and the one hit that he allowed was a triple that eventually turned into a run on a groundout and he also struck out five.

Andrés Santana was involved in both of Tri-City's scoring plays in this game as he scored the first run of the evening when he came home on a C.J. Stubbs groundout in the 1st. He drove in another run with a groundout in the 2nd inning. Nathan Perry and Luis Santana both finished 2-4.

Guadalupe Chavez will take the mound for the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 14, GCL Cardinals 1

W- Dean Deetz (1-0, 3-0 season)
L- Luis Ortiz (0-2)

GCL home runs: Luis Guerrero (1, 3-run in 6th), Yeuris Ramirez (1, 2 season; 2-run in 6th)

The Palm Beach 'Stros got into the win column for the first time this season after going off for nine runs in the 6th.

Rolando Espinosa drove in a run with a groundout in the 3rd and an error allowed Colin Barber to score another run. Franklin Pinto ripped a two-run double in the 4th and he opened the floodgates in the 6th with a two-run triple.

Barber brought Pinto in with an infield single. Espinosa got on with another infield single and one batter later, Luis Guerrero launched the first home run of his professional baseball career. Nerio Rodríguez walked and that prompted the Cardinals to make a pitching change. Yeuris Ramírez greeted the new pitcher with a two-run homer. Javier Bermúdez and Sean Mendoza followed by drawing a walk and singling, respectively. A wild pitch and a passed ball allowed Bermúdez to score the ninth and final run of the inning. Barber smacked an RBI double in the 9th to cap things off.

The Palm Beach 'Stros will have to complete a suspended game against the Marlins before they play the regularly scheduled game tomorrow.

DSL Astros 5, DSL Marlins 1

W- Daniel Pacheco (1-1)
L- Henry Valencio (1-1)
S- Ronny Garcia (1)

DSL home runs: Miguel Palma (2, 2-run in 7th)

This game started on June 15 but was suspended due to rain.

Andrés Monzón drew a bases-loaded walk in the 4th before play was halted. He hit into a force out in the 6th and an error on the play allowed Ricardo Toro to score and another error following a single from Freddy Guilamo allowed him to score. Miguel Palma smacked a two-run homer in the 7th. Palma and Yohander Martinez both went 2-4.

Jeremy Molero allowed five hits, walked one, and struck out three in three innings. Daniel Pacheco took over for four innings and he allowed a run on five hits, walked three, and struck out four. Miguel Padilla allowed a hit and walked three in 1.1 innings and Ronny Garcia got the last two outs of the game.

DSL Marlins 3, DSL Astros 1

W- Breidy Encarnación (2-0)
L- Fabricio Reina (0-3)
S- Frank Valera (3)

DSL home runs: None.

Ayendy Ortiz scored the Dominican 'Stros only run in the regularly scheduled contest on an error in the 6th. Yohander Martinez turned in another multi-hit game, finishing 2-3.

Fabricio Reina allowed two runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out three in four innings and Edinson Batista allowed a run on three hits and fanned three in two innings.

These two teams are currently playing at the Astros' complex.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Miguel Palma, C, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2-R HR (2), 2 R

Taylor Jones, 1B/OF, Round Rock

2-5, walk-off 3-R HR (14), 4 RBI, 2 R

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Round Rock

5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 K

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 2-1 @ Staten Island

9 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 9 K

Valente Bellozo: W (2-0), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Angel Macuare: Save (1), 4 IP, H, ER, 5 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

7 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 5 K

Jairo Lopez not pictured.

Yeuris Ramírez and Franklin Pinto's photos are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Colin Barber's photo is from his Perfect Game profile page.

Yeuris Ramírez, IF, Franklin Pinto, OF, Colin Barber, OF, and Jairo Lopez, RHP, GCL Astros

Ramírez: 2-R HR (1, 2 season), 3 R

Pinto: 2-4, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R

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

Lopez: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, J.J. Matijevic, 1B, Seth Beer, 1B/OF, and Aníbal Sierra, SS, Corpus Christi

Toro: 4-5, 2B, 4 R

Beer: 3-5, 2B, 2-R HR (8, 17 season), 3 RBI, 3 R

Matijevic: 3-5, 2 HR (6, 8 season), 5 RBI, 3 R

Sierra: 2-4, solo HR (4, 5 season)

Meet the Tri-City ValleyCats

Let's meet the 2019 Tri-City ValleyCats!

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

The Tri-City ValleyCats are members of the New York-Penn League and play at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, New York. The Tri-City moniker derives from its location in New York's Capital District, which consists of Troy, Schenectady, and New York's capital city, Albany. Why ValleyCats? That's because they are located in the Hudson River Valley.

This franchise began play in 1977 as the Little Falls Mets. The club relocated to Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1989, where it remained a Mets affiliate until 2000. Before the 2001 season, the team switched its affiliation to the Houston Astros. In 2002, the club moved to Troy, where they turned into the ValleyCats.

The ValleyCats are the defending New York-Penn League champions; last year, they swept the Hudson Valley Renegades in the NYPL Championship Series to earn their third NYPL championship in franchise history.

They got swept in their first series of the season up in Vermont but they will open up the home portion of their schedule tonight against Staten Island. Sunday's game was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on August 25.

Now, without further ado... the 2019 Tri-City ValleyCats.

New manager Ozney Guillén is the youngest son of former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén. According to the ValleyCats' press release announcing this year's staff appointments, Guillén recently concluded his playing career, which was mainly spent in the independent leagues and Venezuela. In his first coaching job, he gets to take the reins of a team right out of the gate. He takes over for Jason Bell, who will assume a new role as Fundamentals Coordinator.

New pitching coach John Kovalik spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach at his alma mater, Slippery Rock University, a Division II school in Pennsylvania.

Sean Godfrey, the ValleyCats' new hitting coach, was drafted by the Braves in the 22nd round out of Ball State in 2014 and played in the Atlanta organization until 2016. He spent the last two seasons with the Schaumburg Flyers in the independent Frontier League.

COACHING STAFF

Manager: Ozney Guillén
Hitting Coach: Sean Godfrey
Pitching Coach: John Kovalik
Performance Coach: Jake Buffa
Athletic Trainer: Brandon Zumbach
Strength Coach: Michael Hoffman

This roster is the one that currently appears on MiLB.com. Expect to see some of the 2019 draftees to file in over the next couple of weeks. It's currently an extremely young roster, especially in the outfield, and many of these players were playing in the complex leagues last year,

Bold - player bats/pitches left-handed
Italics - player is a switch-hitter

PITCHERS

Jayson Schroeder, last year's 2nd-round pick, headlines the staff. There are plenty of intriguing arms on this staff: Valente Bellozo made 14 appearances last season and 12 of them were scoreless. Manny Ramirez has a mid-90s fastball to pair with a potential wipeout slider.

Angel Macuare signed in the same international free agent class (2016-17) as Jairo Solís and the Astros gave him the second-biggest bonus among the pitchers that they signed during that period; only Cionel Pérez got a bigger bonus. However, Macuare's progress has been a bit of a slower burn than Solís, who was poised to rise through the system before he had to undergo Tommy John surgery. Now that he's out of the complex leagues, Macuare will look to continue his own progress up the ladder.

Guadalupe Chavez was originally acquired from the Blue Jays for Scott Feldman in 2016, but he abruptly retired before the 2017 season. He returned to baseball in 2018 and was subsequently loaned out to Quintana Roo of the Mexican League. Now, Chavez has returned to the Astros system and hopefully, he has been able to resolve whatever issues he had that forced him to step away from baseball.

Valente Bellozo - International free agent, 2017 (Mexico); played with DSL Astros in 2018
Guadalupe Chavez - Acquired via trade with Blue Jays in exchange for Scott Feldman, 2016; Quintana Roo (Mexican League), but was on their reserve team
Jervic Chavez - International free agent, 2016 (Venezuela); GCL Astros
Franny Cobos - International free agent, 2017 (Cuba); DSL Astros
Luis De Paula - International free agent, 2016 (Dominican Republic); Tri-City
Miguel Figueroa - 24th round, 2018 draft (Oklahoma City University); GCL in 2018, appeared in three games for Corpus Christi prior to being assigned to Tri-City
Ernesto Jaquez - International free agent, 2017 (Dominican Republic); DSL/GCL/Tri-City, currently on IL
Angel Macuare - International free agent, 2016 (Venezuela); GCL Astros
Christian Mejías - International free agent, 2016 (Venezuela); DSL/GCL
Hansel Paulino - International free agent, 2014 (Dominican Republic); Tri-City/Quad Cities
Manny Ramírez - International free agent, 2017 (Dominican Republic); GCL/Tri-City, appeared in two games for Quad Cities prior to being assigned to Tri-City
Julio Robaina - International free agent, 2017 (Cuba); GCL Astros, appeared in two games for Quad Cities prior to being assigned to Tri-City
Jayson Schroeder - 2nd round, 2018 draft (Juanita HS, Kirkland, Washington); GCL Astros, appeared in three games (one start) for Quad Cities prior to being assigned to Tri-City

POSITION PLAYERS

2019 first-round pick Korey Lee headlines the squad. Matt Barefoot (6), C.J. Stubbs (10), Zach Biermann (23), Preston Pavlica (24), and A.J. Lee (34) are also with the team, but they haven't been officially added to the roster yet.

Deury Carrasco is a speedster and one of the most exciting athletes in the system. He's certainly capable of making some huge plays with his bat, in the field, and definitely with his feet. Yorbin Ceuta received a $1 million bonus in 2016. He's shown a discerning eye at the plate so far but he'll have to translate some of his potential into on-field results.

Joe Perez appears to have finally received a clean bill of health. A second-round pick in 2017, Perez is a third baseman/former pitcher with legit power potential, but he's fallen behind the curve a bit due to injuries. Perez will need all the at-bats he can get.

Catchers

Korey Lee - 1st round, 2019 draft (Cal); making pro debut
Juan Paulino - 27th round, 2018 draft (Western Oklahoma State College); GCL Astros
Nathan Perry - 5th round, 2017 draft (Bassett HS, Bassett, Virginia); GCL/Tri-City

Infielders

Deury Carrasco - International free agent, 2016 (Dominican Republic); GCL/Tri-City
Yorbin Ceuta - International free agent, 2016 (Venezuela); GCL Astros
Joe Perez - 2nd round, 2017 draft (Archbishop McCarthy HS, Southwest Ranches, Florida); GCL Astros
Juan Piñeda - International free agent, 2014 (Panama); Tri-City; appeared in two games for Fayetteville prior to being assigned to Tri-City.
Yeuris Ramírez - International free agent, 2015 (Dominican Republic); GCL Astros

Outfielders

Yefri Carrillo - International free agent, 2017 (Venezuela); DSL Astros
Yimmi Cortabarria - International free agent, 2017 (Venezuela); DSL Astros
Hector Martinez - International free agent, 2014 (Dominican Republic); GCL Astros; appeared in five games for Corpus Christi prior to being assigned to Tri-City
Franklin Pinto - International free agent, 2017 (Venezuela); DSL Astros
Andrés Santana - 29th round, 2017 draft (Doral Academy, Doral, Florida); GCL/Tri-City

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, August 11, 2018

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

Albuquerque 10, Fresno 0

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

Fresno home runs: None.

Yeah, I'd rather not touch this one.

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

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

Corpus Christi 6, Springfield 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frederick 2, Buies Creek 1 in 10 innings

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

BC home runs: None.

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

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

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

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

Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tri-City 8, Vermont 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

GCL Nationals 3, GCL Astros 0

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

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros were blanked by their complex mates.

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

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

DSL Rays1 9, DSL Astros 1

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

DSL home runs: None.

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

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

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

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

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

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Corpus Christi

4-5, 2B, solo HR (3, 13 season), 2 RBI, 2 R

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 5-2 vs. Springfield

9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

Corbin Martin: W (7-2, 9-2 season), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K

Kit Scheetz: 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Alex Winkelman: Save (4), IP, H

Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, and Carson LaRue, RHP, Buies Creek

Saldaña: 5 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 3 K

LaRue: 4 IP, BB, 3 K

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen

5.2 IP, BB, 7 K

Felipe Tejada: W (4-3), 4.2 IP, 6 K

Austin Hansen: Save (2), IP, BB, K

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

Holderbach: 2-5, 3B, 3 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Let's... finish up a game and play another in Connecticut!

Reno 3, Fresno 1

W- Jared Miller (3-2)
L- Reymin Guduan (5-6)
S- Silvino Bracho (6)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Aces stunned the Grizzlies with 3 runs in the 7th.

Tony Kemp went 2-4 and drove in Fresno's only run with an RBI single in the 5th.

Mike Hauschild allowed 3 hits, walked 7, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Kevin Comer worked around a couple of hits to throw a scoreless 6th, striking out 2. Reno got to Reymin Guduan and Jumbo Diaz after stretch time. Guduan only recorded one out, allowing 2 runs on a homer and one other hit. Diaz got the last two outs of the 7th, but not before allowing a run on 2 hits. Jacob Dorris threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.

The Grizzlies have Wednesday off. They'll welcome Tacoma to Chukchansi Park for their final home series of the 2017 season beginning Thursday.

Corpus Christi 5, Midland 1

W- Yoanys Quiala (3-4, 8-5 season)
L- Grant Holmes (10-12)

CC home runs: Ramon Laureano (7, 2-run in 4th), Kyle Tucker (12, 21 season; 2-run in 5th)

The Hooks launched a pair of 2-run shots to top the RockHounds on Tuesday.

Corpus also played host to some rehabbing Astros as they look to get back to full strength for September. Tony Sipp, Will Harris, and Michael Feliz all started off with a scoreless inning. Sipp walked 1 and struck out 2 in the 1st inning, Harris threw a 1-2-3 2nd and got two groundouts and a strikeout. Feliz worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 3rd, striking out 1. He walked Jorge Mateo, who got caught stealing to end the inning.

Yoanys Quiala followed with 5 innings and allowed a run on a solo homer, 5 other hits, and walked 1. Riley Ferrell struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Ryne Birk opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd inning. Ramon Laureano smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th and Kyle Tucker whacked one of his own in the 5th. Laureano finished 2-3 and scored twice. Evan Gattis caught 7 innings; at the plate, he walked twice and scored a run.

Framber Valdez faces Heath Fillmyer at 7:05.

Lynchburg 6, Buies Creek 3

W- Dominic DeMasi (6-3)
L- Elieser Hernandez (4-4, 5-4 season)

BC home runs: Randy César (3, 6 season; solo in 8th)

The Carolina Stros fell behind early and couldn't quite recover.

Elieser Hernandez allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and struck out 9 in 6 innings. Carlos Sierra allowed a run on a sac fly, a double, walked 1, and struck out 4 in his 3 innings.

Jake Rogers tripled to lead off the 2nd and scored on a Carmen Benedetti groundout. Rogers added an RBI single to his ledger in the 3rd, and Randy César launched a solo homer in the 8th. Rogers, Taylor Jones, and Ronnie Dawson all finished with 2 hits on the night. Dawson was making his Carolina League debut.

Brett Adcock takes on Sean Brady in game 2. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Beloit 1

W- Salvador Montaño (7-3)
L- Sam Sheehan (3-2)

QC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (8, 14 season; solo in 8th)

The Banditos got a solid night from their pitchers to take the first game of this series. With this victory, Quad Cities' magic number is now down to 2.

Carlos Sanabria went 5.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. Salvador Montaño shut it down by allowing 2 hits and striking out 7 over the last 3.1 innings.

Josh Rojas put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI single in the 4th. Rojas scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the 7th and Wander Franco, who was hitting at the time, extended the lead with an RBI single. Abraham Toro-Hernandez launched a homer to start off the 8th.

Ronel Blanco goes up against Zack Erwin in game 2. First pitch is at 7:00.

From June 30: Connecticut 2, Tri-City 1

W- Burris Warner (1-0)
L- Diogenes Almengo (0-2)

TC home runs: None.

The Tigers scored the only two runs of the game after play resumed.

Carlos Hiraldo and Corbin Martin both threw 4 innings; Hiraldo did that almost 2 months ago and allowed 2 hits while striking out 4. Martin came on after play resumed and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Diogenes Almengo allowed a single in the 9th and an error allowed the runner to advance to 3rd, and then a sac fly allowed the runner to score; the run was unearned.

Kristian Trompiz's RBI single in the 4th inning back on June 30 turned out to be Tri-City's only scoring play.

Connecticut 1, Tri-City 0

W- Dean Aldridge (1-0)
L- Colin McKee (1-4)
S- Drew Carlton (6)

TC home runs: None.

Both teams had 3 hits, but the Tigers had the only run.

Bryan De La Cruz, Gabriel Bracamonte, and Kyle Davis all singled.

Brandon Bielak allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over 4 scoreless innings, while Colin McKee allowed the only run on a single, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 2 innings. The run was unearned.

Game 2 of this series begins at 7:05 Eastern.

Bristol 7, Greeneville 3

W- Max Kranick (1-0)
L- Humberto Castellanos (4-1, 6-1 season)
S- Alex Manasa (1)

Greeneville home runs: Brody Westmoreland (8, solo in 2nd)

The Appy Astros suffered a costly series loss to the Appalachian League's worst team.

Brody Westmoreland smacked a solo homer in the 2nd inning. Gilberto Celestino hit an RBI single in the 3rd and it turned into a Little League home run thanks to an error. Celestino and Westmoreland both went 2-4.

Chad Donato allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out a career-high 9 in 3.2 innings. Juan Corniel was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 2.1 innings. Humberto Castellanos allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings, and Noel Pinto threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.

Greeneville will begin what is probably their biggest series of the season in Johnson City; the Cardinals are currently two games ahead of the Appy Astros in the standings. Remember... in the Appalachian League, the top two teams in each division are the playoff teams. Jairo Solis takes on Alvaro Seijas in game 1. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros Blue 8, DSL Royals 3

W- Flaer Gonzalez (3-1)
L- Carlos Sanchez (1-1)

Blue home runs: None.

Team Blue and the Royals scored in the same number of innings, but the Blue team's three crooked numbers topped the Royals' single tallies.

Angel Macuare struck out 4 over 3 perfect innings. Manny Ramirez, Flaer Gonzalez, and Jonger Ochoa all pitched 2 innings; Ramirez was first, and he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Gonzalez followed by allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 1. Ochoa allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 1.

There weren't really any offensive standouts, but Leonardo Gonzalez did reach in all four of his plate appearances, finishing 2-2 with a couple of walks, one of which came with the bases loaded in the 7th inning.

DSL Pirates 6, DSL Astros Orange 5 in 10 innings

W- Wilmer Contreras (5-1)
L- Cristofer Melendez (0-3)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team scored a run in the 8th to tie the game at 3, but the Pirates regained control in the first extra frame. Team Orange managed to cut the deficit to one run... but no cigar.

Renaigel Martis hit an RBI single in the 3rd. Euclides Chavez tripled in the 4th and ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Gerry Castillo hit an infield single and an error on the play allowed Kelvin Perez to score. Perez started the 10th in scoring position and scored on another error that allowed Deury Carrasco to reach. Carrasco scored on a sac fly from Castillo.

Carlos Perdomo went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Ronny Garcia technically struck out the side in the 4th, but one of his victims managed to reach base safely. He also induced a groundout. Asael Uribe followed with 4 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 6. Cristofer Melendez threw 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Angel Macuare, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 3 IP, 4 K; perfect outing
Leonardo Gonzalez, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-2, RBI, R, 2 BB

Ramon Laureano, OF, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2-R HR (7), 2 R

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 4-1 @ Beloit

9 IP, 8 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 15 K

Carlos Sanabria: 5.2 IP, 6 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 8 K

Salvador Montaño: W (7-3), 3.1 IP, 2 H, 7 K

Yoanys Quiala, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (3-4, 8-5 season), 5 IP, 6 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB

Carlos Sierra, RHP, Buies Creek

3 IP, H, ER, BB, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Brandon Bielak, RHP, Tri-City

4 IP, 2 H, 3 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Juan Corniel, RHP, Greeneville

2.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Both photos taken by Bryan Green.

Brody Westmoreland, 1B/3B, and Gilberto Celestino, OF, Greeneville

Westmoreland: 2-4, solo HR (8)
Celestino: 2-4, RBI; Little League HR (also scored on error following RBI single)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, June 15, 2017

Albuquerque 12, Fresno 11 in 10 innings

W- Carlos Estevez (1-2)
L- Jordan Jankowski (1-2)

Fresno home runs: Reid Brignac 2 (6; solo in 3rd, solo in 6th) Teoscar Hernandez 2 (7; 3-run in 5th, solo in 9th), Jon Kemmer (7, 2-run in 6th), Tyler White (8, solo in 6th)

Six homers were not enough for Fresno on Thursday... because they couldn't hold a 10-4 lead. After the top of the 6th, the Isotopes closed this game on an 8-1 run, which culminated in them walking off with the win in the first extra frame.

Tyler White went 4-6 to extend his hitting streak to 9 games, all of which have been multi-hit efforts.

In his AAA debut, Kyle Smith went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits (solo homer), walked 2 (1 intentionally), and struck out 4. Kevin Comer was the first man out of the Grizzlies bullpen and got Smith out of the 5th without further damage. Unfortunately, he got himself into some trouble in the 6th (the first 3 men he faced all reached) and Ashur Tolliver couldn't extract him from that predicament. Comer allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and had 3 inherited runners charged to him. Tolliver got 2 outs in the 6th and allowed a hit, walked 2, and a run of his own. Tyson Perez got the final out of the 6th and pitched the 7th. The 2 runs he allowed came on a homer from Ryan McMahon. Perez allowed one other hit and walked 1. Aaron West worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 2. Jordan Jankowski pitched 1+ innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out the side in the 9th. He did not record an out in the 10th.

The Grizzlies wrap up their longest roadtrip of the year at 7:05 Mountain. Trent Thornton will face Matt Flemer.

Corpus Christi 11, Midland 3

W- Cy Sneed (5-4)
L- Grant Holmes (5-6)
S- Ryan Thompson (3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks put up crooked numbers in 5 of the first 6 innings and pounded out 17 hits in their assault. None of those 17 hits was a homer. 

Cy Sneed had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 8 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Ryan Thompson pitched the final 3 innings to get the save and allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2.

Corpus and Midland will play two on Friday to make up Wednesday's game, which was rained out. Akeem Bostick takes on Evan Manarino in game 1, which starts at 4:30. Kent Emanuel starts game 2.

Buies Creek 4, Winston-Salem 1

W- Framber Valdez (1-3, 1-4 season)

L- Brannon Easterling (4-4)

BC home runs: None.

Two lefties turned in fine performances on the mound for the Carolina Stros.

Matt Bower started it off by striking out 5 over 4 perfect frames. Framber Valdez has pitched well in 2017 but had yet to break into the win column... until he allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 5 innings. 

Rodrigo Ayarza opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. He advanced to 2nd on the relay throw home, moved to 3rd on a Stephen Wrenn infield single, and scored on Spencer Johnson's sac fly. Johnson scored on an error that allowed Alex De Goti to reach in the 5th. Ayarza hit another RBI single in the 8th to cap off the evening. Myles Straw finished 3-4 with 2 steals (17).

Hector Perez takes on Dane Dunning in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 5, Cedar Rapids 4

W- Erasmo Pinales (2-1)
L- Alex Robinson (1-5)

QC home runs: Taylor Jones (5, solo in 4th)

The Banditos kept themselves in the playoff picture after taking this series from the Kernels. 

Both teams scored twice in the 1st; Quad Cities' 2 runs came on a Yordan Alvarez RBI single and a Ronnie Dawson groundout. Taylor Jones launched a solo homer in the 4th and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 5th. After Cedar Rapids tied the game at 4 in the 8th, Alvarez put the Banditos back in front with a sac fly in the bottom of the 8th. 

Jones (solo HR, 2 RBI), Alvarez (2 RBI), and Chuckie Robinson (SB, R) all finished with 2 hits on the evening. 

Gabriel Valdez allowed 2 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings of work, striking out 6. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and pitched 1.1 innings; he allowed a hit, had an inherited runner charged to him in the 8th, walked 1, and struck out 1. Erasmo Pinales got the final 1.2 innings and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1. That one hit that Pinales allowed was an RBI single to Jaylin Davis that tied the game. Banditos manager Russ Steinhorn thought they got Davis at 2nd and vehemently argued his case. Unfortunately, his efforts proved to be fruitless and he ended up getting tossed.

Quad Cities will wrap up the first half with 3 games in Beloit. Game 1 starts at 7:00.

DSL Astros Blue 2, DSL Royals 1 in 6.5 innings

W- Antonio Pujols (2-0)
L- Brian Abreu (0-1)

Blue home runs: None.

This game was called early due to rain. Good thing the Blue team went ahead beforehand.

César Cortez hit a sac fly to put the Blue team on the board in the 3rd inning. Ronaldo Urdaneta walked in the go-ahead run in the top of the 7th.

Angel Macuare went 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Antonio Pujols allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless.

DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Pirates 1 in 5 innings

W- Carlos Perdomo (1-0)
L- Noe Toribio (1-1)

Orange home runs: Ramiro Rodriguez (2, 3-run in 5th)

This game was also called early because of rain. Good thing this game went 5 innings so it counts in the standings.

Deury Carrasco scored the first run of the day on a Ramiro Rodriguez groundout in the 1st. Leonardo Gonzalez scored on a double play in the 2nd. Jeury Castillo stole home in the 4th and Rodriguez smacked a 3-run homer in the 5th. Freudis Nova, the highly-touted Dominican infielder, went 1-3 and scored a run in his pro debut.

Diosward Gonzalez pitched 4.1 innings and allowed an unearned run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Carlos Perdomo got the last two outs of the 5th, one via strikeout. He also issued a walk and hit a batter. 

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Angel Macuare, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 7 K

Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, DSL Astros Orange: 1-3, 3-R HR (2), 4 RBI

Buies Creek Astros pitchers

W 4-1 vs. Winston-Salem

9 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 12 K

Matt Bower: 4 IP, 5 K; perfect outing

Framber Valdez: W (1-3, 1-4 season), 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 7 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Corpus Christi Hooks

W 11-3 @ Midland; 11 R, 17 H

Drew Ferguson: 3-6, 2B, RBI, 2 R

J.D. Davis: 3-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Jack Mayfield: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Trent Woodward: 3-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R

Photo by Bryan Green

Gabriel Valdez, RHP, Quad Cities

6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 6 K

Yordan Alvarez's photo from MiLB.com

Yordan Alvarez, 1B, and Taylor Jones, 1B, Quad Cities

Alvarez: 2-3, 2 RBI; go-ahead sac fly in 8th

Jones: 2-4, solo HR (5), 2 RBI

Tyler White, IF, and Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Fresno

White: 4-6, solo HR (8), 3 R

Hernandez: 3-5, 2 HR (7; solo and 3-run)