Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 18, 2017

The rain wiped out a good part of the Astros' low minors schedule on Tuesday.

Fresno continues to pour it on in Sin City.

Fresno 19, Las Vegas 12

W- David Martinez (6-7)
L- Mitch Atkins (2-3)

Fresno home runs: Tony Kemp (7, led off game), A.J. Reed (17, 2-run in 1st), Max Stassi (11, solo in 2nd), D.J. Fisher (21, solo in 5th), Preston Tucker (16, 2-run in 7th), Tyler White (17, 2-run in 8th)

After putting 22 on the board on Monday, the Grizzlies turned around and put up 19 more. Both teams combined for 31 runs on 36 hits, 10 of which were home runs. Fresno scored in 7 of 9 innings.

Everyone in the Fresno lineup drove in a run; Reid Brignac was the only player who didn't score or have a hit. Tony Kemp wasted little time in extending his hit streak to 23 when he homered to kick things off.

It wasn't a great night for the pitching staff, but once again, the Grizzlies offense laid waste to Vegas' pitchers.

Kyle Smith allowed 5 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 5 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and failed to record an out in the 1st. David Martinez went 3.2 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits (2 2-run homers), walked 1, and struck out 5. Kevin Comer went 2 innings and the one scoring play he allowed was a 2-run homer to Gavin Cecchini in the 5th. He allowed 3 other hits and struck out 3. Brendan McCurry and Andrew Thome finally brought order to the game with scoreless outings; McCurry allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 in 1.1 innings, while Thome struck out 3 over 2 perfect frames.

Trent Thornton takes on Tyler Pill in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Frisco 6, Corpus Christi 1

W- Tyler Davis (1-1)
L- Akeem Bostick (4-2, 6-3 season)

CC home runs: Dex McCall (2, 6 season; solo in 5th)

The Hooks were handcuffed on Tuesday.

Dex McCall's solo blast in the 5th was Corpus Christi's only scoring play and one of just three hits they recorded on the evening. The other two hits were singles from Tony Nuñez and Arturo Michelena.

Akeem Bostick went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 4 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 5. Ryan Thompson was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed 2 hits, one of which was a solo homer. He also struck out 3. Nick Hernandez allowed a run on a single and struck out 1 in the 9th.

Alex Winkelman starts the series finale against Collin Wiles. First pitch is at 7:05.

Myrtle Beach 5, Buies Creek 4

W- Duncan Robinson (1-2)
L- Hector Perez (4-4, 5-5 season)
S- Pedro Araujo (6)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros nearly managed to steal one despite being down 5-0. Unfortunately, no cigar for them.

Hector Perez went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 4, and struck out 6. He's the first pitcher in the system to strike out 100 batters this season. Justin Ferrell and Carlos Sierra pitched 2 innings apiece out of the bullpen; Ferrell allowed 2 runs on 2 hits (grand slam; 2 runs charged to Perez), walked 1, and struck out 4. Sierra allowed a hit and struck out 1.

Buies Creek got on the board in the 6th thanks to a Taylor Jones RBI single and an error that allowed Jake Rogers to come home. Rogers ripped an RBI double in the 8th and Anthony Hermelyn added a sac fly. The threat continued when Stephen Wrenn and Spencer Johnson walked to load the bases, but they were all stranded to end the frame. Myles Straw went 2-5 with a stolen base (27) and scored twice.

The Carolina Stros begin a 4-game home-and-away set with Carolina on Thursday, with the first 2 games coming on the road.

Quad Cities was off

Carson LaRue takes on Mike Ellenbest at 6:35 as the Banditos begin a 3-game series with the Lansing Lugnuts.

From Monday: Connecticut 1, Tri-City 0

W- Brad Bass (1-2)
L- Kit Scheetz (0-1)
S- Brandyn Sittinger (1)

TC home runs: None.

The Tigers' lone tally in the 1st inning held up after play resumed.

Kit Scheetz allowed a run on 4 hits and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings. Colin McKee and Reggie Johnson came on to throw 3.2 innings apiece; McKee was first and all he did was issue 2 walks and strike out 7. Johnson allowed a hit and fanned 6.

All Tri-City got on offense in this game were singles from J.J. Matijevic, Kristian Trompiz, and Jake Meyers.

Tri-City 3, Connecticut 1

W- Ben Smith (3-1)
L- Oswaldo Castillo (1-1)
S- Jesús Balaguer (2, 3 season)

TC home runs: Luis Payano (3, solo in 3rd), Connor MacDonald (2, solo in 6th)

The ValleyCats got even by taking the regularly scheduled contest.

Reid Russell opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd inning. Luis Payano smacked a solo homer in the 3rd and Connor MacDonald launched one in the 6th to cap off the night.

Juan Robles allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Ben Smith allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless and Jesús Balaguer struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 7th to close it out.

Tri-City and Connecticut will wrap up their series shortly with an 11:00 AM Eastern start.

Greeneville and Danville was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled to start at 5:00 Eastern. Felipe Tejada takes on Jasseel De La Cruz in game 1 and Leovanny Rodriguez goes up against Odalvi Javier in the nightcap.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Fresno Grizzlies: W 19-12 @ Las Vegas

19 R, 19 H

All players in the lineup recorded at least one RBI.

Tony Kemp: solo HR (7) to lead off game; 23-game hitting streak

Tyler White: 2-6, 2-R HR (17), 3 R

Derek Fisher: 4-6, 2 2B, solo HR (21), 4 R

Teoscar Hernandez: 3-5, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R

Preston Tucker: 3-6, 2B, 2-R HR (16), 3 RBI, 2 R

A.J. Reed: 3-5, 2-R HR (17), 3 R

Balaguer's picture is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Colin McKee, RHP, Reggie Johnson, RHP, Ben Smith, LHP, and Jesús Balaguer, RHP, Tri-City

McKee: 3.2 IP, 2 BB, 7 K (career-high)

Johnson: 3.2 IP, H, 6 K

Smith: W (3-1), 2 IP, H, 2 K

Balaguer: Save (2, 3 season), IP, 2 K

Getting to Know Astros LHP Ben Smith

The headline reads Astros playing long game with rehabbing Draftee Smith. But no one realized how long it would take for 2014 17th round draft pick LHP Ben Smith to finally make it back to the mound. After a year of rehab, Smith was assigned to the rookie league Greeneville team in June 2015, but he never made a start that season. Shortly after arriving in Tennessee, Smith was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma. One day shy of two years from the day he signed with the Astros in 2014, he pitched his first professional inning for Tri-City in the New York-Penn League on June 18, 2016.

Ben Smith - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Of Smith, Greeneville Pitching Coach Bill Murphy told me, "He's a competitor. He's got good stuff. He has a tremendous focus and relentless effort to get better every single day. People like that are going to be successful. He's a very special person." Murphy went on to talk about Smith's calm demeanor and down-to-earth personality, traits that were very evident in my conversation with him last week in Greeneville.

Smith told me that seeing the doctor who had diagnosed him with Burkitt lymphoma in the stands for one of his outings this summer was probably the most memorable experience of his summer.

Smith was once regarded as a highly-ranked prospect. Now that he has his feet back under him, look for him to work his way back on to some of those prospect lists. After all he's been through, I wouldn't bet against him.

Thank you for your time, Ben, and best of luck to you in your career and in your life.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Fresno 1, Round Rock 0

W- Joe Musgrove (4-3, 6-4 season)
L- Nick Martinez (6-5)

S- James Hoyt (24)

Fresno home runs: None.

There was only one scoring play in this game, and it belonged to the Grizzlies. Alex Bregman finished 2-4 with a double and scored the only run of the evening on a Tyler White RBI single in the 3rd inning. 

Joe Musgrove, Josh Fields, and James Hoyt joined forces on a shutout. Musgrove allowed 6 hits and struck out a season-high 9 batters. Fields and Hoyt both allowed a hit and struck out a batter; Fields did so in the 8th, and Hoyt recorded this line as he recorded his 24th save.  

César Valdez will start game 3 of this series, and he'll face Austin Bibens-Dirkx at 7:05.

Midland 14, Corpus Christi 2

W- Joel Seddon (4-8)
L- Cy Sneed (4-3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks scored first.... but it was all Rockhounds afterwards.

Garrett Stubbs singled to lead off the game, made his way around the bases via a wild pitch and a groundout, and scored the first run of the evening on another wild pitch. Stubbs, who finished 2-3, hit an RBI single in the 7th inning. James Ramsay also finished 2-3.

Cy Sneed had a tough night on the mound, and in general, the Hooks pitching staff got smacked around on Tuesday. In their line of work, these nights happen. They'll bounce back from this.

In the series finale, Francis Martes will take on Chris Jensen. First pitch is at 6:30. 

Lancaster 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4

W- Trent Thornton (7-4)
L- Josh Sborz (7-4)
S- Kevin Comer (1)

Lancaster home runs: Bobby Boyd (8, solo in 1st)

The JetHawks shook off a bit of a rough start in order to earn the series split.

Trent Thornton served up two home runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, but he recovered and was able to salvage a quality start. In the opening frame, Edwin Rios tagged him for a 2-run shot and Joey Curletta hit a solo homer. In 6 innings, Thornton allowed 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. Andrew Thome allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and struck out 1 in the 7th. Ryan Deemes was next, and he allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings. He left a couple of runners on for Kevin Comer, who was able to record the final out of the game.

Bobby Boyd wasted little time in getting the scoring started; he led off the game with a home run. Bryan Muñiz hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and the JetHawks scored 3 in the 6th to take the lead. Muñiz walked to lead off the inning, advanced to 3rd on a Trent Woodward single, and scored the tying run on a botched force out attempt. Boyd put Lancaster in the lead with a 2-run single. He finished 3-5, a double shy of the cycle, and was the only man in the JetHawks lineup with a multi-hit night. Drew Ferguson went 0-3, but he walked, scored a run, and stole 2 bases (22).

The California League incarnation of the Lone Star Series begins tomorrow as the JetHawks welcome High Desert to The Hangar.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will begin a 3-game series against Dayton tonight at 7:00. Yoanys Quiala will face Jacob Constante.

Batavia 6, Tri-City 4 in 10 innings

W- Dustin Beggs (2-0)
L- Sean Stutzman (1-2)

S- Dylan Lee (1)

TC home runs: Spencer Johnson (3, 5 season; solo in 2nd)

The ValleyCats were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as the Muckdogs tied the game at 4 in the 8th inning and took the lead with 2 in the first extra frame.

Spencer Johnson had a solid day; he went 4-5 with a double, scored 2 runs, and his solo home run in the 2nd was the game's first scoring play. After Batavia scored 3 in the top of the 3rd to take the lead, Ryne Birk composed the response in the 4th inning with a 2-run single. Brauly Mejia added an RBI single in the 5th inning. Mejia was one of four ValleyCats who finished this game with 2 hits; Rodrigo Ayarza, Carmen Benedetti, and Chuckie Robinson (2B, R) all finished with 2 hits as well.

Enrique Chavez went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Hector Perez tagged in for 4 innings and allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Sean Stutzman pitched the 10th and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on a single, walked 1, hit 1, and struck out 2.

The ValleyCats have today off. Dustin Hunt will start the first game of a 3-game set in Staten Island on Thursday.

Johnson City 4, Greeneville 3

W- Estarlin Arias (3-0)
L- Lucas Williams (0-1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros walked off with a loss that snapped their 8-game winning streak.

Both teams scored a run in the 1st and the 3rd: Bryan De La Cruz ripped an RBI double in the 1st to open the scoring, and Troy Sieber hit an RBI single in the 3rd. Jonathan Arauz added a sac fly in the 4th inning. Marcos Almonte finished 2-4 with a run scored and stole a base (6, 8 season). 

Jorge Guzman went 2.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Ben Smith successfully extracted Guzman from a bases-loaded jam in the 3rd by inducing an inning-ending double play. Smith pitched 4.2 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. The winning run scored with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th against Lucas Williams. He threw a 1-2-3 8th inning, but could not preserve the tie. In 1.1 innings, he allowed the winning run on 2 hits and struck out 1.

Carlos Hiraldo will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Jordan Hicks at 7:00 Eastern. Hicks, who is from Houston, is a 2015 graduate of Cy Creek.

DSL Astros Blue 6, DSL Rays1 1

W- Ronel Blanco (5-1)
L- Angel Felipe (0-2)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team scored a run in the 7th and 3 more in the 8th to pull away from the Rays.

Carlos Canelon walked to lead off the bottom of the 2nd. He then advanced to 2nd base on a base hit, and two wild pitches allowed him to score the first run of the day. Ozziel Sanchez-Galan added an RBI single later in the inning. Jose Benjamin hit an RBI double in the 7th, and in the 8th, Alfredo Angarita ripped a 2-run double and scored the final run of the game on a double play.

Juan Lopez went 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Yonatan Quintin was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 2 innings. Ronel Blanco allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless.

DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Mets2 1

W- Gerardo Bojorquez (1-3)
L- Miguel Ramirez (0-3)

Orange home runs: None.

Four pitchers held the Mets 2 to just three hits in this game.

Francisco Villegas allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 6 over 4 scoreless. Jose Antonio Hernandez recorded two outs in the 5th via the strikeout, but he also loaded the bases with 3 walks. Gerardo Bojorquez got him out of the jam and went 3.1 innings, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 8. Yohan Ramirez worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Hector Martinez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd. He then stole 2nd base and scored on an error that allowed Yeuris Ramirez to reach. In the 5th, Kendy Moya hit an RBI double. Vicente Mota tripled in the 6th inning and scored on a wild pitch. Jose Abel Hernandez hit an RBI single in the 8th, and Gilberto Celestino drove in the final run of the day with an RBI single in the 9th. Hernandez finished 2-4.

Tuesday's Stars

Hector Perez, RHP, Tri-City

4 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Spencer Johnson, OF/1B, Tri-City

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

Photo from MiLB.com

Ben Smith, LHP, Greeneville

4.2 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Fresno

W (4-3, 6-4 season), 7 IP, 6 H, 9 K

Bobby Boyd, OF, Lancaster

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 13, 2016

AAA All-Star Game: International League 4, Pacific Coast League 2

Brady Rodgers got the start for the PCL All-Stars, and the only hit he allowed was a solo homer to Erik Gonzalez in the 2nd inning. Rodgers struck out 3 in his outing. Mike Hauschild struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 6th, and James Hoyt allowed 2 hits but was able to record the final out of the 8th.

The Fresno Grizzlies will return to action tonight as they begin a 4-game series in New Orleans. In game 1, César Valdez will take on Jose Urena. First pitch is at 7:00.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 2

W- Eric Peterson (4-2, 5-2 season)
L- Frank Lopez (4-4)
S- Aaron West (13)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (9, 11 season; solo in 1st)

Jack Mayfield carried the Hooks to a victory over the Roughriders.

He opened the scoring by smacking a solo home run in the 1st inning, and with two outs in the 7th, he came through with what turned out to be the game-winning hit.

That 7th-inning rally almost ended before it started thanks to two strikeouts, but Roberto Peña and Alejandro Garcia kept the inning alive with singles, and James Ramsay walked to load the bases to bring up Mayfield, who promptly cleared them with a double to put Corpus in front. Mayfield finished 2-4 and provided all of the offense for the Hooks. J.D. Davis, Mott Hyde, and Garcia joined him in the 2-hit club.

Cy Sneed went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Eric Peterson was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen, and in 1.1 innings, he allowed a hit and struck out 3. Aaron West allowed a hit and struck out 1 over the final 1.2 innings to earn the save.

Francis Martes will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Connor Sadzeck at 7:05.

Lancaster 10, San Jose 9

W- Scott Weathersby (3-4, 4-4 season)
L- Jason Forjet (8-7)
S- Jacob Dorris (6)

Lancaster home runs: Johnny Sewald (3, 4 season; 3-run in 3rd)

The JetHawks exploded for 8 runs in the 3rd inning and were able to hold off the Giants.

That 8-run 3rd inning erased a 5-0 deficit. Drew Ferguson led off the inning by getting plunked, and Tony Nuñez joined him on the bases by drawing a walk. Ferguson scored Lancaster's first run on an error following a Bobby Boyd single, and one batter later, Johnny Sewald whacked a 3-run home run to cut the Giants' lead to one run. They were not quite finished... Bryan Muñiz reached on an error and advanced to 2nd, and then Trent Woodward singled to put men on the corners. Jamie Ritchie and Brooks Marlow followed with RBI singles, and in his second plate appearance of the inning, Ferguson ripped a 2-run double.

In the 4th inning, Sewald added a sacrifice fly to his ledger, and Ritchie added another RBI single. Everyone in the original starting nine scored a run; Ramon Laureano finished 2-3 with a double, but home plate umpire Aaron Higgins tossed him in the 6th inning. This was Sewald's 2nd career 4-RBI game; he drove in 4 for Tri-City on August 25 last year. Boyd finished 3-4 with a double and scored twice, and both of Ritchie's hits were RBI singles.

Josh James went 4 innings and allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 5. Scott Weathersby was the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen, and he allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 2.1 innings. Jacob Dorris allowed a hit and fanned 4 over 2.2 scoreless innings.

The JetHawks and Giants will play 2 tonight as they will finally conclude their season-opening series. Trent Thornton and Rogelio Armenteros will take on Phil Bickford and Jordan Johnson tonight, with game 1 starting at 5:05 Pacific.

Fort Wayne 6, Quad Cities 0

W- Corey Kimber (2-0)
L- Yoanys Quiala (1-7)

QC home runs: None.

Both Yoanys Quiala and Chris Paddack put up 5 zeroes on the scoreboard for their respective teams. Unfortunately for Quiala, the wheels fell off for him in the 6th inning.

Quiala went 5.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (all in the 6th) on 9 hits and struck out 4. Makay Nelson allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings, and Chris Murphy allowed a solo homer to Brad Zunica in the 8th inning.

Myles Straw and Pat Porter had 2 hits apiece; they accounted for all of the River Bandits' hits in this game. One of Straw's hits was a double, which was their only extra-base hit.

In game 2 of this series, Matt Bower will face Thomas Dorminy. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Mahoning Valley 5, Tri-City 3

W- Mitch Miniard (1-2)
L- Alex Winkelman (0-1, 5-3 season)
S- Randy Valladares (1)

TC home runs: Taylor Jones (3, solo in 9th)

The ValleyCats dropped the series as the Scrappers got some insurance runs in the 9th to create a little more separation in a one-run game.

Chuckie Robinson put Tri-City on the board in the 3rd by lashing a 2-run double. Taylor Jones' solo homer in the 9th was the ValleyCats' other scoring play. Robinson and Brauly Mejia had 2 hits apiece.

Alex Winkelman allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and struck out 5 in 4 innings. Carlos Sierra walked 2 and struck out 2 in a scoreless 5th, and Framber Valdez allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3 innings.

Tonight, the ValleyCats are back home, where they'll begin a 3-game series with Connecticut at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 5, Pulaski 1

W- Angelo Serrano (1-1)
L- Nick Nelson (0-2)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros kept the Yankees' bats in check to take the first of this 3-game set.

Ben Smith had his finest outing as a pro as allowed just one hit, walked 2, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless innings. Again, Smith hasn't had the greatest start to his pro career, but considering what he has had to overcome just to play baseball again, he probably isn't fretting too much over his stats. Angelo Serrano tagged in for 3 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 6. Pulaski spoiled the shutout with an RBI double off of Reggie Johnson in the 8th. Johnson allowed one other his and walked 1 in his 2 innings.

Gabriel Bracamonte opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 1st inning. Miguelangel Sierra and Marcos Almonte scored on wild pitches in the 3rd and the 4th, respectively. Bryan De La Cruz, who scored the first run of the evening, clubbed an RBI triple in the 7th and scored on a wild pitch. He, Sierra, and Bracamonte all finished with 2 hits in the game; De La Cruz and Sierra also scored two runs apiece.

Carlos Hiraldo will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 5, GCL Astros 2

W- Thomas Lee (1-0)
L- Cristian Javier (2-1)
S- Juan Alvarez (1)

GCL home runs: None.

Both teams scored 2 runs in the 4th inning, but the difference in this game was a 3-run 5th for the Cardinals.

The Kissimmee Stros' 2 runs came in the form of Jonathan Matute scoring on an error and Cristopher Luciano drawing a bases-loaded walk. Matute finished 2-4.

Cristian Javier went 4.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Enoli Paredes was the first man out; he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 2.1 innings. Dariel Aquino pitched a 1-2-3 8th.

DSL Astros Blue 2, DSL Red Sox1 1

W- Juan Cuevas (6-3)
L- Juan Florentino (0-1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team snatched a victory from the Red Sox in walk-off fashion.

Nicolás Miranda put them on the board by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the 8th. Angel De Leon led off the bottom of the 9th with a double, advanced to 3rd on a flyout, and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. He and Carlos Canelon both had 2 hits (one being a double) and scored.

Yulian Frontado went 5 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits and fanned 5. Edwin Fidel tagged in for 3.1 innings and allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 4. Juan Cuevas recorded the final 2 outs of the 9th to get Fidel out of some trouble.

DSL Rays2 5, DSL Astros Orange 3

W- Christian Fernandez (1-1)
L- Francisco Villegas (0-2)
S- Enyerbeth Lugo (2)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team got nipped in the end as the Rays got 1 in the 7th and another in the 8th to break a 3-3 tie.

Kendy Moya scored the Orange team's first run of the day on an error in the 3rd inning. In the 5th, Ronaldo Urdaneta stole 3rd and scored on the errant throw, and Ramiro Rodriguez hit a sac fly. Felix Lucas and Vicente Mota had 2 hits apiece.

Gerardo Bojorquez allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Francisco Villegas went 4 innings and allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Carlos Espinoza allowed a solo homer to Luis Arias in the 8th, which was the only run he allowed in the inning. He struck out 1.

Wednesday's Stars

Yulian Frontado, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 5 K
Edwin Fidel, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 3.1 IP, H, 3 BB, 4 K

Jacob Dorris, RHP, Lancaster

Save (6), 2.2 IP, H, 4 K

Jack Mayfield, IF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2B, solo HR (9, 11 season), 4 RBI; drove in all 4 Corpus Christi runs

Johnny Sewald, OF, Lancaster

1-3, 3-R HR (3, 4 season), 4 RBI

Photo from MiLB.com

Ben Smith, LHP, Greeneville

4 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green
Bryan De La Cruz, OF, Greeneville

2-3, 3B, RBI, 2 R

Photo by Bryan Green

Angelo Serrano, RHP, Greeneville

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

Happy Birthday - 1/20

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Ben Smith (22)
Smith was drafted by Houston in the 17th round in 2014. He underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2014 and has not started his professional career yet.

One two-time former Astro celebrates the day as well ~

RHP Matt Albers (32)
A draft-and-follow pick in the 23rd round by the Astros in 2001, Albers pitched in 35 games (20 starts) for Houston in 2006 and 2007 with a 4-13 record, a 5.87 ERA and a 1.599 WHIP before being traded to Baltimore in December 2007 as a part of the Miguel Tejada trade. After spending time with Baltimore and Boston, he was traded to the Diamondbacks in July 2012. The Diamondbacks subsequently traded him to Cleveland in this dizzying transaction (per Baseball-Reference):

December 11, 2012: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Arizona Diamondbacks with Trevor Bauer and Bryan Shaw to the Cleveland Indians. The Cincinnati Reds sent Didi Gregorius to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cincinnati Reds sent Drew Stubbsto the Cleveland Indians. The Cleveland Indians sent Lars Anderson and Tony Sipp to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cleveland Indians sent Shin-Soo Choo, Jason Donald and cash to the Cincinnati Reds.

Matt came full circle back to Houston, signing as a free agent in December 2013. In eight games for the Astros in April 2014, he had a 0.90 ERA and a 1.300 WHIP and then landed on the DL for the remainder of the season. The Astros did not exercise his option at the end of the season.