Astros Farm Report: 4-22

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

APRIL TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

4-21: LHP Reymin Guduan optioned to Round Rock from Houston
4-21: LHP Framber Valdez (Round Rock) recalled to Houston
4-20: IF Juan Pineda assigned to Tri-City (Extended Spring Training) from Fayetteville
4-20: 2B Alfredo Angarita (Fayetteville) activated from the 7-day DL
4-18: OF Drew Ferguson (Round Rock) activated from the DL
4-18: C Lorenzo Quintana (Corpus) placed on the 7-day DL
4-18: C Carlos Canelon assigned to Corpus Christi
4-18: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
4-17: 1B A.J. Reed (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day DL
4-16: RHP Peter Solomon (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
4-15: OF Chandler Taylor (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
4-15: IF Juan Pineda assigned to Fayetteville
4-14: RHP Justin Ferrell (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4-14: RHP Brett Daniels assigned to Corpus Christi from Quad Cities
4-14: RHP Jojanse Torres assigned to Quad Cities
4-13: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Fayetteville
4-13: 2B Alfredo Angarita (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
4-12: LHP Reymin Guduan recalled to Houston from Round Rock
4-12: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
4-11: LHP Framber Valdez optioned to Round Rock from Houston
4-11: OF Drew Ferguson (Round Rock) placed on 7-day DL
4-11: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
4-11: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Corpus Christi
4-11: C Oscar Campos (Quad Cities) placed on 7-day DL
4-11: OF/2B Austin Dennis assigned to Quad Cities
4-8: RHP Hunter Martin assigned to Fayetteville
4-7: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
4-7: RHP Edgardo Sandoval voluntarily retired (he pitched on Saturday and then retired on Sunday; I'm not sure what's going on with that!)
4-7: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Corpus Christi
4-6: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Corpus Christi

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL
C Ruben Castro
RHP Nick Hernandez
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna
RHP Hansel Paulino
RHP Erasmo Pinales
RHP Abdiel Saldana
RHP Kyle Serrano
RHP Jairo Solis

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension)

2019 STANDINGS

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

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

🠋 1st 10-7 .588 -.-GB L2

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

🠉 3rd 8-9 .471 2.0GB L1

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

🠋 T2nd 10-8 .556 3.0GB L1

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)

🠋 3th 8-7 .533 0.5GB W1

WATCH THIS SPACE

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

Brady Rodgers - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Brady Rodgers hasn't exactly flown under the radar over his years as an Astros prospect since being drafted in the third round in 2012, but he did temporarily fall off the radar screen following his May 2017 Tommy John surgery. Once a highly ranked prospect, Rodgers was ranked by Baseball America as the #29 prospect in the Astros system in their 2019 Prospect Handbook, but he is currently unranked by MLB Pipeline. He is trying his best to remedy that, coming out strong in the early going this season. In his first three starts, Rodgers is 1-0 with a 1.56 ERA and a 1.056 WHIP, five walks to 15 strikeouts in 18 innings. There has been a lot of focus on top prospects such as Forrest Whitley and Corbin Martin, but the reality is that Brady Rodgers (who is already on the 40-man roster) will likely be the first pitcher that the Astros will call on for help should the need for another starter arise in Houston. Rodgers was in this exact same position two years ago and would certainly have been recalled to Houston had it not been for that blown UCL. WTHB is hoping for Brady to get a second chance at a first impression and the opportunity to finally prove himself. Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Asher Wojciechowski - September 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Asher Wojciechowski has bounced around quite a bit since he was first drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round in 2010.

(From Baseball-Reference)
Transactions

June 7, 2010: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1st round (41st pick) of the 2010 amateur draft. Player signed June 16, 2010.

July 20, 2012: Traded by the Toronto Blue Jays with a player to be named later, Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Joe Musgrove, Carlos Perez and David Rollins to the Houston Astros for David Carpenter, J.A. Happ and Brandon Lyon. The Toronto Blue Jays sent Kevin Comer (minors) (August 16, 2012) to the Houston Astros to complete the trade.
May 24, 2016: Selected off waivers by the Miami Marlins from the Houston Astros.
November 7, 2016: Granted Free Agency.
December 9, 2016: Signed as a Free Agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
March 28, 2017: Released by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
April 21, 2017: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Reds.
October 6, 2017: Granted Free Agency.
December 1, 2017: Signed as a Free Agent with the Baltimore Orioles.
July 18, 2018: Released by the Baltimore Orioles.
July 25, 2018: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago White Sox.
November 2, 2018: Granted Free Agency.
February 14, 2019: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cleveland Indians.

Wojciechowski has gotten off to a very nice start for the Columbus Clippers, the Indians AAA affiliate, going 1-0 in three starts with a 1.06 ERA and a 0.882 WHIP and seven walks to 20 strikeouts in 17 innings. Yes, he is 30 and he's not on the 40-man roster, but if he can build on his early success, he could help the Indians down the stretch. When healthy, Wojciechowski has been a workhorse and that could work in his favor as he looks to get back to the bigs. On a personal level, Wojo is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and he's very easy to root for. So I am doing just that.

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Mount Shuksan, Washington - July 2012

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, April 28, 2016

Let's play 2 in the Quad Cities!

Fresno 4, El Paso 2

W- Asher Wojciechowski (2-1)
L- Greg Reynolds (1-2)
S- Jandel Gustave (1)

Fresno home runs: Eury Perez (1, solo in 3rd), A.J. Reed (5, solo in 5th), Jon Singleton (4, solo in 6th)

The Grizz put on a show of power as they took game 1 from the Chihuahuas.

Asher Wojciechowski also delivered a fine performance on the mound as he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9 in 7 innings of work. Jordan Jankowski and Jandel Gustave carried him to the finish line with a scoreless inning apiece. Jankowski worked around a hit in the 8th and struck out 1, while Gustave fanned 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to earn the save.

Eury Perez finished 3-4 and put Fresno on the board with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 3rd. He also drove in the only run that wasn't the product of a home run with an RBI single in the 4th. A.J. Reed clubbed a solo shot of his own in the 5th, and ditto for Jon Singleton in the 6th. Jay Sing finished 2-4.

In game 2 of this series, Brady Rodgers will take on Carlos Pimentel. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Midland 8, Corpus Christi 1

W- Dylan Covey (1-1)
L- Kyle Smith (0-3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks suffered the sweep as their offense continues to be mired in a haze following Alex Bregman's injury. In the last 39 innings of this series, they only scored 2 runs.

Chase McDonald opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, and that was all the scoring that Corpus did in this one.

Kyle Smith went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Aaron West was the first man out and he allowed 4 runs on 4 hits (solo homer) and struck out 2 in 2 innings. Brendan McCurry struck out 3 over 2 perfect frames, and Reymin Guduan, who struck out 2 in the 9th, yielded his first run of the year when Matt Chapman took him deep for a solo shot, which was the only hit he allowed in his outing.

Corpus will now head to Frisco for a 4-game series. Brian Holmes will start game 1. First pitch is at 7:05.

Lancaster 5, Bakersfield 4

W- Eric Peterson (1-0)
L- Ramon Morla (0-2)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The late innings were much more kind to the JetHawks this time around as they walked off with the win.

Ramon Laureano put Lancaster on the board with an RBI double in the 1st inning and struck again with an RBI triple in the 3rd. After the Blaze broke the 2-2 tie, Alejandro Garcia pulled a run back with an RBI groundout in the 8th, and the JetHawks mounted their rally in the 9th.

Nick Tanielu, who came on as a pinch-hitter, hit a 1-out single and advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. Bobby Boyd followed with an infield single. Jason Martin went down on strikes for the 2nd out, but Laureano drew a walk to load the bases. One batter later, Jamie Ritchie came through with a game-tying RBI single, and the bases remained loaded for Garcia, who took one for the team and got plunked, which allowed Boyd to trot home for the winning run. Unconventional, but a win is a win no matter how it's obtained. Laureano finished a home run shy of the cycle, while Ritchie went 2-5.

In his California League debut, Rogelio Armenteros went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs (both in the 1st), a double in the 3rd, walked 3, and struck out 5. The 2 runs he allowed came on a wild pitch and a groundout. Ryan Thompson allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2.2 innings, and Eric Peterson threw 1.1 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 2.

Lancaster will finish April with a weekend series in Lake Elsinore. In game 1, Trent Thornton will take on Dinelson Lamet. First pitch is at 7:00 Pacific.

Game 1: Quad Cities 11, South Bend 2

W- Chris Murphy (1-2)
L- Justin Steele (1-3)

QC home runs: Connor Goedert (1, 2-run in 6th)

The Banditos struck early and often in game 1 and dealt the knockout blow with 5 runs in the 6th to turn game 1 into a laugher.

Chris Murphy was the beneficiary of some tremendous run support, but he had a solid outing himself, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits (7 singles and a double) and striking out 2 in 6 innings of work. Adam Whitt worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 7th.

South Bend scored first, but it was all Quad Cities in this one. Connor Goedert put them on the board with a sac fly in the 1st following a double steal by Osvaldo Duarte and Daz Cameron. Daz then stole 3rd and scored on the ensuing error.

The Bandits got 4 in the 2nd as Tony Nuñez hit an RBI single and Goedert cleared the bases with a double. In the 6th, Nuñez scored on an error following a Duarte single. Kyle Tucker smashed an RBI triple, and Goedert capped off a career game with a 2-run homer. Brooks Marlow drove in the final run of game 1 with an RBI single.

Everyone in the lineup for game 1 had a hit; Anthony Hermelyn went 3-3 with 2 doubles. Dex McCall's 2 hits were doubles. Duarte, Tucker, and Nuñez all scored twice; Marlow was the only player who didn't score a run. Johnny Sewald (8), Duarte (4), and Daz (2 steals; 4 season) stole some bases. Basically, the Banditos put on an offensive clinic in game 1.

Game 2: Quad Cities 3, South Bend 0

W- Matt Bower (1-0)
L- Ryan Kellogg (2-2)
S- Ralph Garza Jr. (2)

QC home runs: Dex McCall (1, 2-run in 4th)

The Banditos wound up sweeping the twinbill. They were held to 4 hits, but they held the Cubs off the scoreboard.

Aaron Mizell hit the first of his 2 triples in the 3rd and scored the first run of game 2 on a Bobby Wernes sac fly. Dex McCall smacked his first homer of the year, a 2-run shot in the 4th.

Matt Bower allowed 5 hits and fanned 6 over 5 shutout innings. Ralph Garza Jr. finished off the shutout with a 2-inning save; he allowed 2 hits and struck out 1.

Quad Cities will welcome West Michigan to Modern Woodmen Park for the weekend. In game 1, Kevin McCanna will take on Matt Hall. First pitch is at 7:00.

Three Five Stars

*Doubleheader stats are cumulative

5.

Ramon Laureano, OF, Lancaster

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

4.

Photo from MiLB.com

Dexture McCall, 1B, Quad Cities

3-6; 2 2B in game 1, 2-R HR (1) in game 2, 2 R total

3.

Embed from Getty Images

Eury Perez, OF, Fresno
3-4, solo HR (1), 2 RBI

2.

Asher Wojciechowski, RHP, Fresno

W (2-1), 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 9 K

1.

Connor Goedert, IF, Quad Cities

3-5; 2 2B (1 in game 1, 1 in game 2), 2-R HR (1) in game 1; 6 RBI in game 1, 2 R total

Honorable Mentions

Brendan McCurry, RHP, Corpus Christi: 2 IP, 3 K
- McCurry hasn't missed a beat since joining the Astros organization.

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Lancaster: 5 IP, H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
- A nice debut for the young Cuban following his promotion, especially when you take into account that he put up that line in Pitcher's Hell, aka The Hangar.

Matt Bower, LHP, Quad Cities: W (1-0), 5 IP, 5 H, 6 K
- The last man from the 2015 draft class to sign, Bower has provided some outstanding early returns.

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno: 2-4, solo HR (4)
- I may be one out of like 5 people who still think this, but I really do hope that Jon can finally put it all together. He's way too talented of a player to not do so.

Anthony Hermelyn, C, Quad Cities: 3-3, 2 2B, BB, R
- Hermelyn has come out swinging; 8 of his 15 hits on the year are doubles.

Happy Birthday - 12/21

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Asher Wojciechowski (26)
A first round pick by Toronto in 2010, Wojciechowski came to the Astros in the July 2012 10-player trade with the Blue Jays. Wojo spent a good chunk of his season on the DL, but in his 15 games (14 starts) for the AAA Oklahoma City team in 2014, he was 4-4 with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.447 WHIP.

LHP David Rollins (25)
Drafted by Toronto in the 24th round in 2011, Rollins also came to Houston in the big July 2012 trade with the Blue Jays. Rollins pitched for the AA Corpus Christi team for the entire season and was transitioning from a starter to a relief role in the latter part of the season. In 27 games (12 starts), Rollins had a 3.81 ERA and a 1.231 WHIP. He walked 22 batters and struck out 77 in 78 innings. [NOTE: Rollins was claimed in the Rule 5 draft, but I'm currently in denial so I'm leaving him on the birthday list for now.]

2B Austin "Catfish" Elkins (24)
A 19th round pick out of Dallas Baptist by Houston in the 2012 draft, Elkins split the 2014 season between Quad Cities and Lancaster, but also spent a chunk of the season on the DL. In 62 games, he hit .254/.369/.340.

RHP Gerald Benzant (20)
An international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Benzant pitched his first season in the Dominican Summer League. In 14 games (seven starts), he had a 7.17 ERA and a 1.912 WHIP.

These former Astros mark the day as well ~

RHP Howie Reed (died December 7, 1984 at 47)
Reed came to Houston in an October 1966 trade with the Angels. In four games (two starts) for the Astros in 1967, he was 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.145 WHIP. His best season was 1965 when he played for the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

RHP Joaquin Andujar (62)
Andujar first came to Houston in an October 1975 trade with the Reds and pitched for the Astros from 1976 to 1981 and again in 1988.  In 202 games with the Astros, he had a 3.67 ERA and a 1.377 WHIP.  He was an All-Star with Houston in 1977 and 1979. Andujar made two additional All-Star appearances and won a Gold Glove with the Cardinals, and he earned his one World Series ring with them  in 1982.

RHP LaTroy Hawkins (42)
Originally drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round in 1991, Hawkins came to Houston in a July 2008 trade with the Yankees. In 89 appearances for Houston in 2008 and 2009, he was 3-4 with a 1.71 ERA and a 1.091 WHIP. He has currently pitched 20 seasons for ten different teams with the latest being the Rockies in 2014. He may be turning 42, but I still wouldn't mess with him if I were you.

RHP Philip Humber (32)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the first round in 2004, Humber was claimed by the Astros off waivers from the White Sox in November 2012. In 17 appearances (seven starts) with the Astros in 2013, Humber went 0-8 with a 7.90 ERA and a 1.738 WHIP, a far cry from the perfect game he threw for the White Sox on April 21, 2012. Humber spent 2014 playing for the AAA Oakland affiliate.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Oklahoma City 6, New Orleans 1

W- Paul Clemens (2-0)
L- Bryan Evans (4-3)

OKC home runs: None.

OKC Matinee Magic is real, guys. Asher Wojciechowski made his return to baseball after spending the first 7 weeks of the season on the shelf. He had been in Kissimmee, working his way back from a lat strain he suffered in February.

Wojo went 4 innings in his season debut and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Despite issuing 8 walks on the afternoon, the RedHawks still managed to hold New Orleans to 1 run.

Bobby Doran tagged in for the 5th, and he worked around a single and 2 walks to throw a scoreless frame. The bases were not loaded on Doran; Jordany Valdespin, who walked to begin the inning, was caught stealing 2nd. Paul Clemens got 2 quick outs in the 6th, but all of a sudden, a double from Jake Marisnick, a "plunking" of Matt Angle (even Angle thought he wasn't hit by that pitch), and a Valdespin walk loaded the bases. Clemens was able to escape unscathed when he struck out Josh Rodriguez to end the inning. The 7th turned out to be less harrowing for Clemens; he did walk Kyle Jensen, but got an inning-ending double play. Clemens allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3 in those 2 innings. Chia-Jen Lo also had to extricate himself from a bases-loaded situation in the 8th. He worked around a single, 2 walks, and a wild pitch to put up a zero on the scoreboard, and struck out Juan Diaz for the first out of the inning. Kevin Chapman walked Mark Canha to open the 9th, but nothing happened. He retired the next 3, even with Canha moving to 2nd on defensive indifference.

OKC kicked off the scoring with a pair in the 3rd. Adron Chambers laid down a bunt single and on the ensuing error, Andy Simunic scored the first run of the day. Domingo Santana added an RBI groundout later in the inning. Simunic added an RBI single in the 4th. In the 5th, Ronald Torreyes reached on an error that allowed Jon Singleton to score; Torreyes was credited with an RBI on the play. Santana scored on a wild pitch, and Jonathan Meyer brought home the final run of the day with a sac fly. Kiké Hernandez went 1-3 with 2 runs scored; he's now on an 8-game hitting streak. Meyer was the only RedHawk with a multi-hit day, going 2-3 with a double. Santana and Erik Castro drew 2 walks apiece.

The series finale features Nick Tropeano on the mound for OKC. He'll be taking on Andrew Heaney, the 9th overall pick in 2012 who will be making his AAA debut. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 7, Arkansas 2

W- Tommy Shirley (5-2)
L- Kramer Sneed (4-4)

CC home runs: Preston Tucker (10, solo in 9th), René Garcia (3, 2-run in 2nd)

The Hooks kicked off the series with a dominating victory; Tommy Shirley rendered the Travelers offense useless, and the Hooks offense backed him up with a big 5th inning.

Shirley, whose 1.51 ERA and 47 strikeouts both rank 2nd in the Texas League, threw 6 shutout innings and allowed a hit and struck out 5. He didn't issue a walk, but he did hit a batter. Alex Sogard was the first man out; he threw 2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2. Andrew Robinson brought it home as he worked around 2 hits to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 2.

The Hooks only scored in 3 innings, but they put up a crooked number in 2 of them. René Garcia finished 2-5 and opened the scoring with his 2-run shot (3) in the 2nd inning. They put up 4 in the 5th, which proved to be the decisive inning. Nolan Fontana ripped a 2-run double, and Preston Tucker and M.P. Cokinos chipped in with RBI singles. Tucker provided the cherry with a solo shot (10) in the 9th, his 4th blast in his last 5 games.

In game 2 of this series, Kyle Smith will face Drew Rucinski at 7:10.

Bakersfield 5, Lancaster 4 in 10 innings

W- Carlos Gonzalez (2-0)
L- Juan Minaya (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (3, solo in 1st)

The JetHawks walked off with the loss after Seth Mejias-Brean took Juan Minaya deep with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th. Lancaster had a 3-1 lead after the 3rd inning, but they were outscored 4-1 the rest of the way.

Correa's blast in the 1st was his first homer since April 16. In the 3rd, Tony Kemp drew a walk, then stole 2nd (19). He'd come home on a Teoscar Hernandez triple, and Correa brought Hernandez home with a single. Jordan Scott broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI double in the 7th. Correa and Hernandez both finished 2-5 with a run scored.

Kyle Westwood pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 4 innings. Juan Minaya struck out Kyle Waldrop to begin the 10th, but Mejias-Brean took him deep to win it for Bako.

In the series finale, Kent Emanuel will face Mike Dennhardt. First pitch is at 7:30 Pacific. And, that'll be the last time that the JetHawks will start at 9:30 here in Houston. The next trip to Bakersfield has 3 9:15 games with a 2:00 game sandwiched in between.

Quad Cities 4, Burlington 4 in the 7th inning

This game was suspended when Modern Woodmen Park lost power before the 7th inning. It will be completed at a later date. The next meeting between these two teams will be a 3-game series beginning on Sunday in Burlington.

What's happened so far?

The Bandits have rallied from a 4-0 deficit by scoring 4 unanswered. Ronnie Mitchell went deep (2) to begin the bottom of the 3rd, which put QC on the board, down 4-1. After Brian Holberton hit a 2-out double in the 4th, he came home on a Brett Phillips double. Phillips brought Holberton home again on a sac fly in the 6th, and later in the inning, Thomas Lindauer tied the game with an RBI single. Holberton and Lindauer are currently 2-3.

Kevin Comer made his first start of the season; he went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits while striking out 3. Albert Minnis pitched a 1-2-3 6th, getting 3 groundouts.

The River Bandits will begin a 3-game set with Cedar Rapids beginning tonight at 7:00. Hopefully, power in the park will be restored well before gametime. Chris Lee will face Aaron Slegers in the opener.

There will not be a Three Stars segment until this slate of games is completed.

Tweet of the Day

Team rehab shows no mercy to little kids in Lazer tag! @AlannaWojo12 @AndySimunic pic.twitter.com/iSVHmfZcSX
— Asher Wojciechowski (@AsherWojo) April 12, 2014

Tweet of the Day

Here's a pic of our first dance grand finale #backflip pic.twitter.com/9Fco46Ewtd
— Asher Wojciechowski (@AsherWojo) December 26, 2013

Happy Birthday - 12/21

Happy Birthday to ~

C Pedro Coa (21)
Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela, Coa appeared in 26 games for the Gulf Coast League Astros in 2013, hitting .133/.232/.167. He only appeared in eight games for the Tiburones in the Liga Paralela in Venezuela this winter, but hit a robust .387/.387/.516 in his limited time with the team.

RHP Asher Wojciechowski (25)
A first round pick by Toronto in 2010, Wojciechowski came to the Astros in the July 2012 10-player trade with the Blue Jays. Wojo split his 2013 season between Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City, compiling a combined 11-8 record with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.150 WHIP in 28 appearances (24 starts).

LHP David Rollins (24)
Drafted by Toronto in the 24th round in 2011, Rollins also came to Houston in the big July 2012 trade with the Blue Jays. Rollins spent the bulk of his season with the Lancaster team before a late season promotion to Corpus Christi. He even made a very successful spot start in Oklahoma City. In 30 appearances (20 starts), Rollins was 9-8 with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.210 WHIP. He walked 43 batters while striking out 137 in 136+ innings.

2B Austin "Catfish" Elkins (23)
A 19th round pick out of Dallas Baptist by Houston in the 2012 draft, Elkins spent his second professional season with Quad Cities. In 110 games, he hit .234/.368/.350. He walked 67 times while striking out 70.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Howie Reed (died December 7, 1984 at 47)
Reed came to Houston in an October 1966 trade with the Angels. In four games (two starts) for the Astros in 1967, he was 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.145 WHIP. His best season was 1965 when he played for the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

RHP Joaquin Andujar (61)
Andujar first came to Houston in an October 1975 trade with the Reds and pitched for the Astros from 1976 to 1981 and again in 1988.  In 202 games with the Astros, he had a 3.67 ERA and a 1.377 WHIP.  He was an All-Star with Houston in 1977 and 1979. Andujar made two additional All-Star appearances and won a Gold Glove with the Cardinals, and he earned his one World Series ring with them  in 1982.

RHP LaTroy Hawkins (41)
Originally drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round in 1991, Hawkins came to Houston in a July 2008 trade with the Yankees. In 89 appearances for Houston in 2008 and 2009, he was 3-4 with a 1.71 ERA and a 1.091 WHIP. He has currently pitched 19 seasons for ten different teams with the latest being the Mets in 2013. He signed with the Rockies as a free agent in November shortly after he did this.

RHP Philip Humber (31)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the first round in 2004, Humber was claimed by the Astros off waivers from the White Sox in November 2012. In 17 appearances (seven starts) with the Astros in 2013, Humber went 0-8 with a 7.90 ERA and a 1.738 WHIP, a far cry from the perfect game he threw for the White Sox on April 21, 2012. Humber signed with Oakland as a free agent in October.

Tweet of the Day

.@AsherWojo congrats on 40 man...and yes I'll let u treat me to dinner in spring as celebration for ur accomplishment! #friendsinhighplaces
— Andy Simunic (@AndySimunic) November 21, 2013

Astros Minor League Recaps

Monday's Games

Oklahoma City over Round Rock 5-0
Nothing like a complete game one-hit shutout to get people talking about you and that is precisely what Asher Wojciechowski did on Monday. He didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning and walked one, but faced the minimum number of batters due to two double plays. Robbie Grossman was two-for-four with two RBI and a run; and Marwin Gonzalez was one-for-five with a double and three RBI.

Corpus Christi over Tulsa 4-2
Bobby Doran (4H 2BB 2SO) allowed two runs via the long ball in his six innings of work. Carlos Quevedo worked two-thirds scoreless before giving way to Pat Urckfitz for one and a third perfect frames. Jorge de Leon pitched a clean ninth to earn his third save. The Hooks put their first run on the board in the third by way of a Max Stassi home run, and then added two more in the sixth on a two-run Preston Tucker home run. Tucker enjoyed that so much he added a solo shot in the ninth just for grins.

High Desert over Lancaster 7-3
Starter Tyson Perez allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks over six innings. T.J. Geith gave up the final run as he worked the final two innings at High Desert. M.P. Cokinos and Brandon Meredith each singled in a run in the fourth as did Andrew Aplin (2x4 2B RBI R) in the fifth, but after that, the bats remained mostly quiet. The best opportunity to score again came via a lead-off double from Matt Duffy in the ninth, but he was left on second. Joe Sclafani was two-for-three with a walk.

Quad Cities at Kane County - Cancelled

Tri-City over Aberdeen 2-1 in 12 innings
Randall Fant got the start and allowed four hits over five scoreless innings while striking out two. Zach Morton followed, allowing the only Aberdeen run on three hits and a walk with five strikeouts over his four innings. Richard Rodriguez pitched all the extras with panache, one hit and eight strikeouts over three innings, for the win. Tony Kemp got four of the nine Tri-City hits, but Ryan Dineen got the most important hit, a 12th inning homer to give the 'Cats the win.

Greeneville over Kingsport 3-2
Sebastian Kessay gave up one hit and one run (a solo home run) in two and two-thirds innings while striking out three and was followed by two and a third scoreless from Christian Garcia. Austin Chrismon then gave up the second Kingsport run on three hits in his two innings, and J.D. Osborne pitched the final two in fine fashion, allowing only two hits and striking out five batters swinging to earn his fifth save. Of course, he did have a hit batter and a wild pitch, but let's focus on the five strikeouts. Greeneville drew early blood with a first inning two-run home run from Chase McDonald. In the third Brett Phillips added another run on as he doubled and scored on a Tanner Mathis (2x3) single.

GCL Astros over GCL Braves 13-1
Joe Bircher looked good in his latest rehab outing, going five shutout innings with six hits, no walks and four strikeouts. Javier Lozano gave up the only run of the game, an unearned run in the sixth and was followed by more shutout innings from Chris Munnelly and Kevin Ferguson. The GCL Astros pounded out 15 hits, four doubles (including a three-run double from Luis de la Rosa), a triple (Javaris Reynolds), a home run (Jacob Nottingham's first, a two-run dinger), and seven walks. Luis Reynoso (4x6 2B 2R), Tyler White (2x3 2B 2RBI 2R), and Jean Batista (3x4 2B 2RBI 2R) had particularly good outings.

DSL Astros over DSL Red Sox 4-3
Five pitchers combined for the Astros, but Junior Garcia got the bulk of the work, entering the game in the second inning and pitching four and two-thirds scoreless innings for the win. He allowed only one hit and struck out three. Angel Heredia got the final two outs of the game to earn his sixth save of the season. The Astros only got six hits, including doubles from Luis Payano and Hector Roa, but they made them count.

Player of the Day: Despite some very good performances in the GCL, I will have to go with Preston Tucker's two home run, three RBI performance.

Pitcher of the Day: Hmmmm. Who should I pick? Yeah, let's go with Asher Wojciechowski's amazing bid for a September (or earlier) call up. Nicely done, sir!

Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday's Games

Greeneville Astros 9, Bluefield Blue Jays 5
Greeneville came out swinging in this one and had four runs on the board before their opponents answered back. Tyler Brunnemann (1-0) picked up his first win, entering for the last out of the fourth and staying until the sixth. Brunnemann allowed a run on two hits and K-ed two in his time on the mound. J.D. Osbourne earned save number one on the season Friday, working the last two frames in scoreless fashion (he was the only Greenville pitcher not to allow a run in the game). Osbourne gave up two hits and struck out a trio. Five Greeneville batters had multi-hit games and none was more successful at the plate than Angel Ibanez, who went three-for-four with two runs scored, an RBI and a walk. Here's the rest of the box:

GCL Astros 3, GCL Braves 4 (10)

The GCL Astros came back to tie the game in the fifth and rode the tie four innings before falling in the 10th of their season opener. Ambiorix De Leon started on the mound and through four innings allowed two runs on four hits as he struck out four. Jorge Perez (0-1), who pitched the last two and a third, cruised through the eighth and ninth innings in 1-2-3 fashion before single-handedly giving up the winning run in the 10th on a walk followed by a throwing error (pickoff attempt) and a wild pitch. Perez finished with a unearned run on no hits, a walk and one strikeout. At the plate, Luis De La Rosa set his season off with a bang, batting two-for-four with a run scored, a strike out and an RBI on his fifth-inning, solo-homer.

DSL Red Sox 5, DSL Astros 1
The DSL Astros scored one run on five hits in this game as starter Edwin Villarroel (1-2) picked up his second loss of the season. Villarroel pitched the first four innings, giving up three runs on six hits (HR), a pair of walks and a wild pitch while striking out four. Randy Cesar (1X3 R 2B BB SO) had the only extra base hit of the game for the Astros, a double in the second, putting him in scoring position for the next batter, Marlon Avea (1X2 RBI), who scored him on an RBI grounder.

Tri-City Valley Cats 0,  Lowell Spinners 4
The Valley Cats were blanked on Friday for their first loss of the season, bringing their winning streak to a stop at four. Randall Fant (0-1) took the hill first and pitched the first four, allowing four runs on six hits as he struck out four and picked up the loss. Fant also recorded a wild pitch and a balk on Friday. Andrew Thurman (1 IP) and Zach Morton (2 IP), who combined to pitch the last three innings, kept theirs hitless and scoreless, striking out a batter each. Tri-City had two hits all game, a Ronnie Mitchell (1X3 SO) single in the sixth and an Ernesto Genoves (1X2 2B BB) double in the seventh inning.

Kane County Cougars 2, Quad Cities River Bandits 4
Quad Cities unloaded their bats for 15 hits in their victory at home on Friday. The River Bandits hit in every inning and every batter in the game had at least a hit—five had multi-hit games. Mike Hauschild threw the first five, allowing both opposing runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three. Jordan Jankowski (3-0) followed Hauschild for three frames and picked up the win after keeping his time scoreless, issuing a hit, three walks and K-ing six. John Neely worked the top of the ninth, earning his 12th save. Neely struck out one. While the bats were going hot, Teoscar Hernandez's feet were as well. Hernandez swiped two bags, second and third in the eighth, which led to a run on the next play when Jesse Wierzbicki singled. Jordan Scott also stole a bag in the game. Here's a look at all those hits:

 Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 0, Lancaster JetHawks 14

Lancaster four-hit shut out their opponents on Friday as they amassed 14 runs for the win. Starter Luis Cruz (4-4) picked up the win after working the first five in commanding fashion. Cruz allowed a pair of hits and struck out eight, retiring the first nine batters he faced in order. Kyle Hallock came on for the next three and earned his second hold as he recorded two hits while striking out four. M.P. Cokinos (2X3 3R 2B RBI BB), Preston Tucker (2X5 R RBI 2SO), Telvin Nash (2X5 3R HR 3RBI 2SO) and Matt Duffy (2X5 R 3RBI) all had two-hit games at the plate. Nash hit a two-run homer in the third. Carlos Perdomo was the only JetHawks batter not to get a hit, going aught-for-six with a strikeout. Preston Tucker is first in the California League with 63 RBI and Matt Duffy is third with 53.

Corpus Christi Hooks 5, Frisco Rough Riders 6
Corpus Christi outhit their opponents 14-9 but fell a couple runs short of the win on the road, Friday. Nick Tropeano moved his record to two and six after recording the loss. Tropeano pitched the first four and allowed all six runs on eight hits (HR) and two walks in that time. Trope' also struck out one. George Springer stole his 23rd base as he hit two-for-five with an RBI and a strikeout. Kiké Hernandez hit two-for-four with a run scored, walk and a strikeout. Michael Burgess (3X4 R 2B RBI SO) and Rene Garcia (3X5 2B RBI SO) both had three hit games and Raoul Torrez (1X3 R HR RBI 2SO) hit a solo shot in the sixth inning to pull his team within one.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 2,  New Orleans Zephyrs 3
Asher Wojciechowski pitched the first complete game of his career on Friday and took the loss on the road. Wojo (3-3) finished with three runs on six hits (2HR) and seven Ks through eight innings. Brett Wallace knocked in all of OKC's runs with one swing of the bat, hitting a two-run tater in the fourth. Wallace went one-for-four in the game with a strikeout. Jimmy Paredes and Jake Elmore both hit two-for three. Elmore had a run scored and a walk while Paredes hit a double.

Player of the Day: Teoscar Hernandez gets the nod today. Not only did he bat two-for-five yesterday and score both times he got onto the base paths, he also helped manufacture one of those runs by stealing two consecutive bases. Hernandez put in the effort on Friday and it didn't go unnoticed here. Also, a nod of approval goes out to the guys in Lancaster—they absolutely wore home plate out.

Pitcher of the Day: Simply put, Luis Cruz dominated on Friday. He came out and set the tone for a commanding win and his team noticed. Cruz now has 81 Ks in 66.1 innings pitched. Well played, Cruz.

I'd also like to give an honorable mention to Asher Wojciechowski for his first complete game. Even though it netted him a loss, he went the distance and struck out seven along the way.

An Interview with RHP Asher Wojciechowski

I had the opportunity to talk with Oklahoma City RedHawks RHP Asher Wojciechowski on Saturday, the day before a dominating start in which he allowed one run while striking out eight batters in his six innings. Asher started out the season dominating in Corpus Christi, going 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.923 WHIP. He did not give up an earned run for the last 13 innings of 2012 through the first 20 and a third innings of 2013. Since his promotion to Oklahoma City, he has gone 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.204 WHIP. He pitches off a low to mid 90's fastball with a change up and a slider that is an effective out pitch for him.

I talked briefly with OKC Pitching Coach Steve Webber who had this to say about Wojciechowski, "He's made the transition from AA to AAA real smoothly. He had a hiccup a couple starts, but then he got back on track and he's pitched well lately. He's got a real good make up. He's a strike thrower with three pitches. That's going to take you a long way."

Here's what Asher had to say about his season thus far, the transition to AAA and a few other subjects (edited for brevity and clarity) ~

What has he accomplished so far this season?: "Just so far this year, I've been able to locate my pitches well and locate my fastball ... just being down in the bottom of the zone and just throwing quality strikes and just competing. I feel like I've been doing that well throughout this year and pretty much ever since I got traded over here. So I feel like I've been able to locate my pitches a lot better since the trade and throughout this year."

Speaking of the trade, how did he feel about it?: "I got a call at like 9:00 in the morning. It was real brief, saying I got traded. I was pretty excited about it because I was in High A at the time and they told me I was going to AA. I kind of got a second wind there because it was in July, through the heat of summer in Florida State League and [getting] that call, I just got a second wind and just got real excited."

On the transition from AA to AAA: "I feel like I've done pretty well so far. It's still the same game of baseball and so you've got to locate your pitches and be down in the zone. I think for the most part I've been able to do that so far. Here, your mistakes get hit more and in the big leagues, they get hit even more, so it's just being able to focus and just really minimize your mistakes as you move along through the system."

On the scoreless streak to start the season: "It was fun. I enjoyed it. Especially to start the season there on 20 scoreless innings and having 13 innings before that last year. When I was pitching on that streak, it was a lot of fun. It was a good time."

What Astros pitcher has a pitch he would like to steal?: "Probably Folty's [Mike Foltynewicz] fastball. I heard he hit 103 this year. so that would be nice to have.

What Astros hitter would he least like to face?: "Probably George Springer. Just with all the power he has, and he's fast. He can definitely take you deep and really far so I'd probably say him."

What would he do if he couldn't play baseball?: "I would try to play football if I couldn't play baseball. I really enjoyed football. I broke my thumb my senior year of high school in the second game of the football season so I didn't really have a chance to pursue my football dreams, but baseball always came easier for me. But I definitely love football a lot and would try to play that. [He was a quarterback.]

Something most people don't know about him: "That I grew up a missionary kid and pastor's kid. Most people don't know that I lived in Romania for three years. We worked in orphanages. I would say that would be the thing most people wouldn't know about me, that I grew up on the mission field and lived all over the place.

Any pitching superstitions or rituals?: "Not really superstitious. I just kind of have my routine that I do. I wouldn't say it's superstitious. Maybe a little stitious. I have my routine I do all the time. I like to chew Dentyne Ice gum when I pitch so that's something I could say is kind of superstitious, just having some gum to chew. I don't like the bubble gum. I like the minty; it helps me breathe better so I like chewing that when I pitch. Other than that, usually during the game, I'll walk up one side of the steps and walk down the other side every inning and then I'll sit in the same spot every time."

On the state of the Astros farm system: "I think that it's a very good system right now, just full of players, a lot of talent. Over the last few years, they've made so many trades and just pretty much stockpiled prospects and so it's a very talented minor league system. Lot of talent, lots of guys, lot of competition ... we're all fighting to get to the big leagues and have success in the big leagues. There's a lot of talent here and hopefully a good future for the Astros."

Thank you for your time, Asher, and best of luck as the season unfolds. I'm sure I'll see you again before too long ... in Houston.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Sunday's Games

Round Rock over Oklahoma City 9-4
Ouch. I think my good mojo finally ran out. Either that or it just doesn't work in Oklahoma City. Asher Wojciechowski had a terrific start, allowing only one run on a solo home run in his six innings of work. He gave up four hits, walked two batters and struck out eight. The next two innings (Eric Berger 1.2IP and Jose Valdez 0.1IP) were also smooth sailing and the RedHawks took a 4-1 lead into the top of the ninth. They left the top of the ninth with a 9-4 deficit as Jose Valdez had a very rare implosion and ended up charged with seven earned runs while recording only two outs in the ninth. Philip Humber allowed one more run across before all was said and done and the 'Hawks went down meekly in the bottom of the frame. Up until the ninth inning, all of the scoring was via the long ball with Brandon Laird and Justin Maxwell hitting solo home runs and Jonathan Villar (3x5) hitting two of them. In his first appearance at AAA, Jon Singleton was two-for-four with two doubles (both of which were very close to being home runs as well) and a strikeout. Brett Wallace was three-for-four with a double.

San Antonio over Corpus Christi 7-2
Jake Buchanan got his first loss of the season, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits in five and two-thirds innings. His ERA climbed north to 1.99 in the process. Matt Heidenreich was charged with one run in his two and a thirds innings. The Hooks scored one in the fifth as Drew Muren hit a lead-off triple and was driven in by a Jio Mier (2x4) single and one more in the sixth on an Erik Castro (2x4) home run.

Lake Elsinore over Lancaster 4-2
Aaron West got the start and the loss as he allowed two runs via the long ball in his three innings of work. He allowed four hits and struck out three. He was followed by one and two-thirds from Blair Walters (4H 2R 3SO). Cameron Lamb and Tommy Shirley took it the rest of the way with perfect outings. The JetHawks did all of their scoring in the sixth as Telvin Nash doubled in Ryan McCurdy (2x3 2B BB) and then scored on a ground out.

Quad Cities over Burlington 5-4
Starter Mike Hauschild gave up three runs on six hits in four and a third innings. Two of those runs came across under Mitch Lambson's watch, but he and Colton Cain (3IP 1H 2SO) didn't allow any runs of their own. Juan Minaya got the save despite allowing a solo home run in the ninth. Quad Cities put up a four-spot in the third, starting out with a Jordan Scott double and then playing small ball ... singles, stolen bases, a sac bunt and taking advantage of errors. The final run in the fifth came across in similar fashion as Teoscar Hernandez (2x4 RBI 2R SB) reached on an error, stole second and took third on an error and scored on a Carlos Correa (2x3 2RBI R SB) sac fly.

Player of the Day: Jonathan Villar's two home run game is only a part of it. He looked very smooth and polished in the field as well. All the pieces look to be falling into place for Villar very nicely.

Pitcher of the Day: Asher Wojociechowski was dealing and really deserved the win. I suppose he'll have to settle for a little WTHB love.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Thursday's Games

Omaha over Oklahoma City 2-1
This one was a heartbreaker as Asher Wojciechowski pitched a beauty, but wasn't awarded the win. Wojo put up seven shutout innings allowing four hits and a walk while striking out five and Jason Stoffel pitched a scoreless eighth, but Jose Valdez couldn't hang on to the razor-thin margin. Valdez allowed two runs in the ninth and was charged with the blown save and the loss as the runs came across on an error and a balk. It didn't help that the RedHawks only managed one run in the first inning as Robbie Grossman, walked, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch. The 'Hawks only scraped together three singles and four walks in the game and fell into second place with the loss.

Midland over Corpus Christi 14-4
Can we just forget this one happened? I think all of the pitchers involved except Andrew Robinson would probably just as soon put this one behind them. Robinson was the only pitcher out of five who didn't allow any runs in the game.

The Hooks scored two in the first via a Jon Singleton sac fly RBI and on a Jonathan Meyer RBI single, and two more in the fourth on Jio Mier and Jose Martinez bases-loaded walks. The Hooks were held to five hits, with a George Springer double being the only extra-base hit.

San Jose over Lancaster 8-3
Lancaster has now dropped four in a row and I'm considering going all Cher on them again. Be forewarned, lads, I will be returning to Lancaster sooner rather than later so get it together or we will be having words. And believe me, you don't want that. Starter Tyson Perez just simply had a really bad night starting off by allowing four runs in the first and capping off his night by pitching to four batters in the fifth without recording an out. He was subsequently charged with another three runs for a total of seven runs (six earned). Michael Dimock allowed the final run across in the seventh and was followed with a perfect ninth from Travis Ballew. Ballew has only allowed one earned run in his last 10 outings. The JetHawks got one run across in the sixth as Nolan Fontana hit a lead-off triple and scored on a ground out. The final two runs in the ninth came on a Chris Epps two-run home run. The 'Hawks were held to five hits in the game.

Quad Cities over Cedar Rapids 9-5
Finally, a game I can recap without getting totally depressed! Vincent Velasquez pitched four and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out three. He was followed by Jamaine Cotton who allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk in three and a third. Gera Sanchez allowed the final run to come across in the ninth. Quad Cities took an early lead with one run in the first on a Carlos Correa home run, his fourth of the season, and added on another four in the second in less conventional fashion with runs scoring on a Jordan Scott bases-loaded walk, a force out, an Ariel Ovando steal of home and a Carlos Correa RBI single that he tried unsuccessfully to stretch to a double. Correa was more successful in his second try for a double in the fourth inning, driving in three runs in the process. Correa later scored on a force out to complete the four-run frame.

DSL Royals over DSL Astros 3-1
Geronimo Franzua got the start and the loss as he allowed two runs on two hits and five walks. Carlos Vasquez (1.1IP 2H 1R/0ER 2BB 1SO) and Yonquelys Martinez (2.2IP 1H 2SO) took it the rest of the way. The Astros offense consisted of a Brauly Mejia solo home run and two singles, but they did walk nine times, including three walks from Luis Payano.

Player of the Day: On Draft Day, Carlos Correa reminded us all as to why exactly Jeff Luhnow made him the number one pick in 2012 as he went three-for-four with a double, home run, walk, five RBI and two runs scored.

Pitcher of the Day: Since Asher Wojciechowski didn't get the win, the least I can do is give him the WTHB prize to honor him for his seven shutout innings.

Astros Minor League Recaps for Monday's and Tuesday's Games

Monday's Games

Salt Lake City over Oklahoma City 3-2
Brad Peacock got the start and the loss as he allowed two runs (both off solo homers) on four hits and a walk with nine strikeouts over four innings. Eric Berger gave up the final run in his three innings while Josh Zeid allowed only one hit in the final inning. Jonathan Villar had a heckuva day going three-for-four with a double, a triple, a walk and he scored two runs. Brett Wallace went two-for-five with a double and drove in two. OKC drew within one run in the seventh, but fell short as they dropped their third straight game.

Corpus Christi over San Antonio 13-3
Corpus Christi got off to an early lead with a two-run home run from George Springer in the first and a Jonathan Meyer solo shot in the second. But a five-run third in which the Hooks put up four singles with two outs before Michael Burgess cranked out a three-run bomb put the game out of reach. But that didn't stop Burgess from piling on with a three-run home run in the fifth and a two-run double in the sixth. Yes, you read that right. Michael Burgess drove in eight runs, a new Hooks single game record. Jonathan Meyer was four-for-five and scored four times and Eric Castro was three-for-four with a double, walk and scored three times. Oh, yeah, and there was some pitching in there too. Carlos Quevedo got the start and gave up two runs via the long ball in his four innings and was followed by Jake Buchanan who continues to amaze with four innings of one-hit ball. Alex Sogard gave up his first earned run of the season in the ninth.

Lancaster over Stockton 6-3
Blair Walters got the start and did a Houdini impression in order to limit the damage from four walks and three errors in his four innings, but he did just that as only one unearned run scored and he struck out five in his four innings. He was followed by a perfect inning from T.J. Geith who was awarded his fourth win of the season. Tommy Shirley put in two and two-thirds allowing two runs and was followed by Travis Ballew who converted his sixth save of the season. All of the 'Hawks scoring occurred in the six-run fourth inning as they kept the line moving with four singles, two doubles (Preston Tucker and Carlos Perdomo) and a two-run home run from Brandon Meredith (2x4 2B HR). Delino DeShields also went two-for-four with an RBI single.

Quad Cities over Peoria 8-0
Jordan Jankowski (5IP 3H 3SO), Josh Fields (2IP 2H 2SO) and Brian Holmes (2IP 2H 1BB 2SO) tossed the combined shut out. Much like Lancaster, Quad Cities put up all their runs in one big inning, also the fourth. After one out, nine straight runners reached base. In total 12 batters came to the plate in the frame. The biggest knocks of the inning were a two-run single from Jobduan Morales and a two-run double from Austin Elkins. Carlos Correa was two-for-four, scored a run and stole a base; Rio Ruiz was three-for-four with an RBI double and a run scored; and Ariel Ovando was two-for-three with a walk, RBI and run scored.

Player of the Day: When you go three-for-five with a double, two home runs and eight RBI, you too can become my player of the day. Michael Burgess is king for the day.

Pitcher of the Day: Jake Buchanan got his third win and lowered his ERA to 1.04. He has not allowed a run in his last four outings.

Tuesday's Games

Oklahoma City over Salt Lake City 3-2
Asher Wojciechowski allowed one run on three hits and four walks and three strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings before giving way to Jason Stoffel who allowed the final SLC run in the seventh. Kevin Chapman and Jose Valdez took it the rest of the way with scoreless outings and Valdez was awarded the win as OKC scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single from Austin Wates. Che-Hsuan Lin was two-for-three with a triple and Jason Jaramillo had an RBI triple as well.

San Antonio over Corpus Christi 11-5
In rare hiccups from pitching tandem Bobby Doran (L, 5-1) and Nick Tropeano, the tandem allowed nine runs (seven earned) with four of the runs scoring via the long ball. Pat Urckfitz allowed two of Doran's runners to score and added on two of his own. Jorge de Leon was perfect in his inning of work while Kenny Long walked one and struck out one in the ninth. Eight of the San Antonio runs scored in the first three innings before the Hooks put up a single run. The Hooks came back with five in the middle innings, but the deficit proved to be too large. George Springer (3x5 RBI R), Erik Castro (2x4 2B RBI) and Michael Burgess (2x4 R) all had good games at the plate. Domingo Santana contributed an RBI double to the mix.

Wisconsin over Quad Cities 9-7
Jamaine Cotton got his first start, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in five innings. Vincent Velasquez (1.2IP 5H 4R 2BB 1HR) couldn't hold the Quad Cities lead and was charged with the loss. Richard Rodriguez made his first appearance of the season, allowing one run on a hit and a walk in one and a third innings. Despite a four-run first from Wisconsin, Quad Cities took the lead with a five-spot in the second. Brian Blasik went three-for-four with a double, stole a base, and scored a run. Carlos Correa (2x5 3R) and Jesse Wierzbicki (2x4 2B BB 2RBI R) also had multi-hit games. Terrell Joyce had an RBI double, and Roberto Pena doubled as well.

Player of the Day: Brian Blasik didn't only have a good day, he is having a good season since getting called up from Extended Spring Training, and is hitting .379/.438/.483 in his last ten games.

Pitcher of the Day: Asher Wojciechowski gets the honors. Wojo is 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA and a 1.213 WHIP in his first three starts with Oklahoma City.

Roster Moves

HOUSTON
The moves of RHP Jordan Lyles and LHP Dallas Keuchel from AAA to Houston were finalized today. RHP Brad Peacock and RHP Rhiner Cruz were optioned to AAA in the corresponding move.

OKLAHOMA CITY
RHP Lance Day assigned from OKC to Extended Spring Training

Although I've seen nothing official, Asher Wojciechowski's mother tweeted yesterday that the RHP had been  promoted from Corpus Christi to OKC. Mom and Dad Wojo were on their way to Corpus Christi to see their son and did a U-turn to head to OKC instead. (Confirmed this afternoon.)

CORPUS CHRISTI
RHP Mike Foltynewicz tweeted this morning (and it was confirmed this afternoon) that he was being assigend from Lancaster to Corpus Christi.

GREENEVILLE
OF Jose Monzon traded to Colorado as the player to be named later in the Wilton Lopez trade

Astros Minor League Recaps

Wednesday's Games

Oklahoma City - Off Day

Corpus Christi over Midland 6-3
After 20 and a third innings, Asher Wojciechowski proved that he was human after all and gave up his first run of the season on a sac fly. According to the Hooks twitter account, his scoreless streak goes back through his final 13 innings of the 2012 season, giving him 33+ consecutive innings of scoreless pitching. His final line for the night - 5IP 5H 2R 2BB 6SO. Wojo was followed by David Martinez (3.1IP 3H 1R/0ER 2BB 2SO) who was awarded the win as the Hooks scored late. Jason Stoffel got the last two outs and his fourth save of the season.

The Hooks put up a four-spot in the seventh inning which started with a George Springer double and a Carlos Perez walk and was followed by singles from Jonathan Meyer (RBI), Rene Garcia, Jio Mier (two RBI) and a Michael Burgess fielders choice scoring Rene Garcia (3x4 2B R). Carlos Perez added an exclamation point in the eighth, hitting a two-run home run.

Lancaster over Lake Elsinore 8-4
Starter Tyson Perez got his first W of the season thanks in large part to timely offense. Perez allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over five innings. He was followed by David Rollins who allowed one measly little single in four innings, walking zero and striking out three. The 'Hawks drew first blood with a Matt Duffy (3x5 BB 2R) RBI single in the first, but then started scoring in earnest with a four-run third and a three-run fourth powered in large part by doubles from Telvin Nash (2x3 2BB RBI 2R), Chris Epps (2x5 2-2B 2RBI R) and Preston Tucker (RBI BB R). Nolan Fontana (2x3 3BB R) drove in two with an RBI single. Brandon Meredith was hit by pitches twice and scored once.

Quad Cities - Off Day

Player of the Day: Chris Epps gets the nod for his two RBI doubles.

Pitcher of the Day: After a seriously tough outing his last go around, David Rollins was back on top of his game in a big way.

With that said, I also want to acknowledge Asher Wojciechowski with this ...

Astros Minor League Recaps

Monday's Games

Oklahoma City over Memphis 11-0
Wes Musick (5IP, 2H, 1BB, 5SO) and Jarred Cosart (3.2IP, 3H, 3SO) combined to allow only five hits and one walk in the shutout with Kyle Hallock getting the final out. The RedHawks got on the board early scoring three runs in the first on RBI singles from Brandon Laird, Trevor Crowe and Marc Krauss, but kept playing add-on culminating in a five-run outburst in the sixth inning to seal the deal. Laird was 3-for-4 with a double, walk and two runs scored; Jimmy Paredes was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored; Crowe was 2-for-3 with two walks and an RBI; and Jonathan Villar was 2-for-4 with a triple and scored one of his two runs on a wild pitch. Villar and Robbie Grossman each stole a base. Marc Krauss was only 1-for-2 but drove in three, including two by way of sac flies.

Tulsa over Corpus Christi 3-2
Asher Wojciechowski did his job, keeping Tulsa off the board through five innings, allowing only four hits while striking out three. Corpus led through six, but David Martinez, Jorge de Leon and Andrew Robinson allowed one run each in the final three frames, giving Tulsa the edge. Corpus scored early with a George Springer RBI single in the first and an Austin Wates (2-for-3) RBI single in the second, but that was it for the scoring. Carlos Perez was 2-for-4 and had the only Hooks extra base hit, a double. Austin Wates swiped two bags while Springer borrowed one.

Lancaster over High Desert 15-5
Delino DeShields sat out another one as he nurses an injured finger, and the JetHawks lost a second man to injury early in Monday's game as Tyler Heineman tweaked an ankle on a slide in the first inning and was pulled. But that is the end of the bad news as Lancaster pounded out 12 hits (including two doubles, a triple and three home runs) and drew ten walks in what became a laugher after a seven-run seventh inning. Starter Tyson Perez got knocked around a little, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out one. He was followed by one and a third scoreless from T.J. Geith who in turn was followed by second starter David Rollins who kept High Desert to two hits and two walks while striking out six in his four innings of work. Although Preston Tucker (RBI single and solo home run), Drew Muren (three-run home run), Raoul Torrez (two RBI double) and M.P. Cokinos (2-for-4, RBI, 2R) all had good outings, it was really the Andrew Aplin Show with a run scoring triple in the fourth followed by a grand slam in the seventh. It was Aplin's first home run of the season. Also of note were the three walks and three runs scored by Nolan Fontana.

Clinton at Quad Cities - Postponed due to rain

Player of the Day: 2-for-4 with a triple, grand slam, five RBI, two walks and two runs scored? Yeah, I'll take that. Congratulations Andrew Aplin!

Pitchers of the Day: It's a tie. Not only did David Rollins and Asher Wojciechowski have great outings on Monday, they have both had tremendous starts to their seasons. In 13 innings pitched, Rollins has allowed one unearned run on nine hits and three walks with 15 strikeouts while Wojo has not allowed any runs (earned or otherwise) and has limited the opposition to six hits and four walks while striking out 14 in 14 innings. A tip of the cap to Wes Musick who also had a tremendous outing!

Astros Minor League Recaps

Saturday's Games

Quad Cities over Kane County 13-10 in 11 innings
11 innings, 36 hits, 23 runs, seven walks, 18 strikeouts, six doubles, two triples, three home runs, four stolen bases, four errors and three wild pitches. You'll forgive me if I just hit the highlights on this one. Lefty Colton Cain started the tandem and allowed three runs on seven hits and no walks with two strikeouts over five innings. I did not expect Mike Hauschild to be the second man of the tandem as he had worked exclusively out of the bullpen in 2012. Hauschild allowed four runs on five hits and no walks with two strikeouts but only lasted one and a third innings before Mitch Lambson came in to put out the fire in a very effective outing. Gera Sanchez struggled to be effective but was rewarded with the win nevertheless. Cameron Lamb got the save.

SS Carlos Correa was certainly one of the stars of the game as he went 4-for-7 (2B, HR) with five RBI and stole a base, but there were other heroes as well. CF Teoscar Hernandez (3-for-5, 2R, 2 RBI, SB), C Roberto Pena (3-for-4, 3R, HR), DH Ryan Dineen (3-for-6, 2R, 2 RBI) and 2B Carlos Perdomo (2-for-2, 2BB, 3R, SB) all were huge factors in the win.

Lancaster over High Desert 3-1
This was one of the more successful tandems since Jeff Luhnow started this experiment. Tyson Perez pitched four innings and allowed one run on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts and was followed by a quick Carlos Quevedo, three up, three down outing. David Rollins then took it home with four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out five. He not only earned the win, he also earned the coveted "Your're A Really Good Player" award.

 Morgan Ensberg ‏@MorganEnsberg

Congrats to Dave Rollins the first pitcher to receive the coveted "You're a Really Good Player" Player of the game.

As to the offense, DH Matt Duffy was hit by pitches twice. He only has 39 to go before equaling his 2012 record. 2B Delino DeShields also has an eye on his 2012 record. He stole his first three bases (and was caught once) and only has 98 to go to equal his record. DeShields also went 3-for-5 and scored twice. 1B Zach Johnson got his first RBI of the season (on a double which proved to be the game winner); he only needs 107 to equal his 2012 record. And SS Nolan Fontana tripled; he has already equaled his output of triples from 2012.

Corpus Christi over Springfield 5-2
If Morgan Ensberg could be in two places at one time, surely he would have awarded Asher Wojciechowski another "You're A Really Good Player" award for his outstanding outing, five shutout innings with one hit, one walk and seven strikeouts. Wojo's tandem partner David Martinez gave up four hits in two and two-thirds innings and allowed two runs on back-to-back home runs. Alex Sogard closed it out for the save. The Corpus power was on display last night with home runs from CF George Springer and RF Domingo Santana, as well as a double from DH Michael Burgess, but it was 3B Jonathan Meyer who had the best night going 3-for-4 with a home run.

Oklahoma City over Memphis 3-1
In four innings of work, starter Jarred Cosart allowed one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts while his tandem partner, John Ely, pitched four scoreless innings with two hits, two walks and three strikeouts. In between Josh Zeid provided scoreless relief. LF Trevor Crowe went 2-for-4 and scored two runs; RF-3B Jimmy Paredes was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI single; and DH Marc Krauss was 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a sac fly RBI. As a side note, Brandon Laird was 0-for-4 with two K's; Brett Wallace is safe for now.

Pitcher of the Game: I have to go with Asher Wojciechowski for this one. Five innings of one hit ball with seven strikeouts is no mean feat. A WTHB tip of the cap goes to David Rollins as well.

Player of the Game: Carlos Correa was busy showing just exactly why he was the number one overall pick in last year's draft. Very, very, very small sample size, but in three games he's hitting .400/.438/.733.

Looking at the Astros/Blue Jays July 2012 Trade

Going into July 20, 2012, the Toronto Blue Jays were 45-47. They were in 5th place in their division, 12 and a half games out. And then Astros GM Jeff Luhnow came in and robbed them blind. That day a 10-player trade went through sending RHP Brandon Lyon, RHP David Carpenter and LHP J.A. Happ to the Blue Jays in exchange for MLB OF Ben Francisco and RHP Francisco Cordero, and minor-leaguers RHP Asher Wojciechowski, C Carlos Perez, LHP David Rollins, RHP Joe Musgrove and RHP Kevin Comer as the player to be named later.

Toronto went 28-42 the rest of the season and ended in 4th place, 22 games behind in their division. Here's what they got:

Brandon Lyon (currently 33)
Lyon pitched 25 innings in 30 appearances for Toronto. He was 4-0 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.120 WHIP. He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Mets on February 8th.

David Carpenter (currently 27)
Carpenter only pitched in three games at the MLB level for Toronto. In two and two-thirds innings, he had a 30.38 ERA and a 3.750 WHIP. In 16 minor-league appearances, he was 0-1 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.245 WHIP. He was part of an October trade that brought 31-year old infielder Mike Aviles to Toronto from Boston. A month later, Carpenter was selected off waivers by Atlanta.

J.A. Happ (currently 30)
In ten starts for Toronto, Happ was 3-2 with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.289 WHIP. For his MLB career, he is now 35-35 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.388 WHIP. He is still with the Blue Jays.

Net for the Blue Jays: A 30-year old LHP (Happ) and a 31-year old infielder (Aviles)

Here is what the Astros got in the trade:

Francisco Cordero (currently 37)
Cordero was released by the Astros on September 10th after going 0-3 with a 19.80 ERA and a 3.400 WHIP in six games (five innings).

Ben Francisco (currently 31)
Francisco played in 31 games for the Astros, hitting .247/.289/.365 before being traded to Tampa Bay on August 31st for a player to be named later. The player turned out to be Theron Geith, a 23-year old lefty relief pitcher who had a 2.98 ERA and a 1.086 WHIP in 31 appearances in High A.

Asher Wojciechowski (currently 24)
A first round draft pick in 2010, Wojciechowski was ranked #14 in the organization in the recent Baseball America Prospect Handbook and #15 by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. In eight starts for AA Corpus Christi after the trade, he was 2-2 with a 2.06 ERA and a 1.008 WHIP.

Carlos Perez (currently 22)
Perez's rankings are a mixed bag. Baseball America has him at #27, Mayo at #20, but Fan Graphs liked him enough to rank him #9. In 26 games after the trade, Perez hit .318/.368/.409 at High A Lancaster and boasted a 47% caught stealing percentage.

David Rollins (currently 23)
Rollins was 1-3 with a 3.48 ERA and a 1.161 WHIP in six starts at Low A Lexington after the trade. For the season, he was 7-4 with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.252 WHIP in 24 starts.

Joe Musgrove (currently 20)
A 2011 first round pick, Musgrove is currently ranked by Jonathan Mayo at #19 in the Astros system. Musgrove was coming off an arm injury in 2012 and only pitched 17 innings with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.353 WHIP for the season in the Rookie Appalachian League.

Kevin Comer (currently 20)
Comer was also a first round pick by the Blue Jays in 2011, but signed late and did not play until 2012. Comer was 3-4 with a 4.56 ERA and a 1.277 WHIP in 12 appearances (eight starts) for the season, playing in the Rookie Appalachian League. He is currently ranked by Jonathan Mayo at #17 in the Astros system.

Net for the Astros: A 24-year old AA RHP (Wojciechowski), a 23-year old High A lefty reliever (Geith), a 23-year old Low A lefty starter (Rollins), a 22-year old High A catcher (Perez), and two 20-year old rookie league first round RHP's (Musgrove and Comer). Four of the six are ranked in the Astros top 20 by Jonathan Mayo. In Luhnow we trust.

Tomorrow I'll be posting more on this topic over at The Futurists blog, including thoughts from Jonathan Mayo. [UPDATED with the link to the second post.]