Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, July 28, 2016

Let's play two in Fresno!

Game 1: Las Vegas 6, Fresno 5

W- Josh Edgin (2-1)
L- Mike Hauschild (7-9)
S- Paul Sewald (12)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (14, 2-run in 1st), Andrew Aplin (4, solo in 4th)

The Grizzlies scored in more innings in the first game of this twinbill, but the 51s scored more runs in the frames in which they scored.

A.J. Reed finished 3-3 in game 1, and his 2-run homer in the 1st opened up the scoring. In the 3rd inning, Reed added an RBI single to his ledger and came around to score on a single from Colin Moran. Andrew Aplin went 2-4 and smacked a solo home run in the 4th inning.

Mike Hauschild went 5 innings and allowed 6 runs on 8 hits (2 solo homers), walked 3 (one intentionally), and struck out 5. Brendan McCurry allowed a hit and struck out 2 over the final 2 innings.

How did Fresno fare in game 2?

Game 2: Fresno 2, Las Vegas 1

W- Brad Peacock (5-5)
L- Duane Below (5-9)
S- James Hoyt (28)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (9, 2-run in 6th)

Jon Kemmer's blast in the 6th was Fresno's only scoring play in game 2, but it turned out to be the difference. Tony Kemp finished 2-2 with a double and a stolen base (10).

Brad Peacock allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 6 shutout innings. James Hoyt allowed an unearned run on a single and struck out 2 in the 9th to earn his 28th save of the season.

Brady Rodgers will start game 4 of this series. He'll take on Darin Gorski at 7:05 Pacific.

Midland 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- Lou Trivino (1-0)
L- Evan Grills (3-4, 6-5 season)
S- Bobby Wahl (9)

CC home runs: None.

Evan Grills pitched into the 9th, but he ran out of gas and the Hounds took advantage.

Grills went 8.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 9 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 6. Aaron West got the final two outs of the 9th inning.

Ramon Laureano smacked a ground-rule double with one out in the 1st inning, and he scored the game's first run on a D.J. Fisher single. Alejandro Garcia added an RBI groundout in the 2nd. Laureano and Mott Hyde were both stranded to end the game; both reached via the walk.

In game 2 of this series, Keegan Yuhl will take on Brandon Mann. First pitch is at 7:05.

Lancaster 4, Bakersfield 3

W- Scott Weathersby (4-5, 5-5 season)
L- Kody Kerski (2-2)
S- Jacob Dorris (8)

Lancaster home runs: Drew Ferguson (8, solo in 7th)

The JetHawks scored 2 in the 7th to tie and one more in the 8th to take the lead, and the first game of a new series.

Drew Ferguson stuffed the stat sheet in this game, finishing 4-4 with 2 doubles, a solo homer, 2 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases (26). He scored the first run of the night when Marc Wik hit a sacrifice fly that turned into an inning-ending double play in the 2nd inning. He led off the top of the 7th with a home run, his 8th of the season. Jamie Ritchie followed by drawing a walk, and Wik smacked a double. Brooks Marlow reached on an error that allowed Ritchie to score the tying run, and in the 8th, Lancaster went ahead thanks to Ferguson's double.

Rogelio Armenteros went 4 innings, and the two runs he allowed came on a home run hit by Tyler Marlette in the 3rd inning. Armenteros allowed 4 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Scott Weathersby tagged in for 3 innings, and the only run he surrendered came on a homer hit by Drew Jackson in the 5th. He allowed one other hit and fanned 6. Ryan Deemes allowed 2 hits and walked 1 in 1.2 innings, and Jacob Dorris struck out Daniel Torres for the final out of the game.

Dean Deetz will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Anthony Misiewicz at 7:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 8, Peoria 7 in 11 innings

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (4-4)
L- Steven Gallardo (1-3)

QC home runs: Dexture McCall 2 (7; solo in 1st, solo in 9th), Kristian Trompiz (2, 2-run in 1st), Hector Roa (3, solo in 2nd)

The Banditos got out to a quick start, only to see the Chiefs put up a big inning for the second straight night. Luckily for Quad Cities, they had some time to right the ship, and they did so by forcing extra innings. Ultimately, they completed the comeback by walking off with the victory.

Kristian Trompiz kicked off this wild night with a 2-run home run in the 1st inning. Two batters later, Dex McCall clubbed his first solo home run of the game. In the 2nd, Hector Roa whacked a solo homer and McCall drew a bases-loaded walk. That walk would be the Banditos' last scoring play until the 8th; in the meantime, Peoria went on a 6-0 run that included a 5-run 4th inning to take a 7-5 lead.

Anthony Hermelyn walked to lead off the bottom of the 8th. Two groundouts allowed him to advance to 3rd, and Myles Straw smacked an RBI double to cut the deficit to 1. With one out in the bottom of the 9th, McCall launched his 2nd solo home run of the evening to tie the game at 7. Both teams went quietly in the 10th and the Chiefs stranded a man at 2nd to end their half of the 11th. Straw led off the bottom of the 11th with a triple, and Trompiz sent the crowd at Modern Woodmen Park home happy with a single.

Straw finished 4-5 with 2 doubles, a triple, and scored 3 times. Trompiz finished 3-5 with 3 RBI, and McCall (2 solo HRs) and Kyle Tucker (2B) had 2 hits apiece.

Matt Bower went 3.2 innings and allowed 6 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 4, and struck out 4. Justin Ferrell was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen, and in 2 innings, he allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. David Schmidt was next; he allowed 2 hits and struck out 6 in 3.1 innings, and Ralph Garza Jr. walked 1 and struck out 2 in 2 innings.

Elieser Hernandez will get the start as the River Bandits and Chiefs wrap up their series tonight. He'll face Derian Gonzalez at 7:00.

Tri-City 2, Connecticut 1

W- Austin Nicely (4-1)
L- Locke St. John (2-5)
S- Agapito Barrios (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats just eked out the victory in their series opener with the Tigers. They won despite leaving 11 men on base and going 0-12 with runners in scoring position. Fortunately, their pitching was up to the task.

Austin Nicely allowed a run on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 in 5 innings of work. Sean Stutzman worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 6th, and Agapito Barrios finished off with 3 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 2.

Both Tri-City runs came in the 2nd inning. Chuckie Robinson drew a walk to lead off the inning and scored the first run of the evening on a Spencer Johnson triple. Brauly Mejia brought Johnson in with a sac fly. Taylor Jones and Tyler Wolfe had 2 hits apiece.

In game 2 of this series, Erasmo Pinales will face Gregory Soto. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 1, Bluefield 0 through 3.5 innings

This game was suspended due to rain and will resume tonight at 6:05 Eastern. Bryan De La Cruz's RBI groundout in the top of the 4th is currently the only scoring play of this game. Troy Sieber and Ruben Castro have the hits.

Jorge Alcala pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4.

The regularly scheduled game will be a 7-inning affair. Greeneville's starter for that game is TBA.

GCL Cardinals 10, GCL Astros 2

W- Mike O'Reilly (3-1)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (2-3, 3-3 season)

GCL home runs: None.

Well, the game started out well enough for the Kissimmee Stros... and then everything went horribly wrong almost in an instant.

David Paulino's first rehab outing did not have anything go wrong; he allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over 3 scoreless innings.

Randy Vasquez's 2-run single in the 1st opened the scoring and was the GCL team's only scoring play. Wilson Amador and Jose Benjamin had 2 hits apiece; Benjamin was making his U.S. debut.

DSL Astros Blue 5, DSL Phillies 3

W- Johsson Arias (2-0)
L- Yeral Gomez (1-4)
S- Jheyson Caraballo (3)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team got outhit 9-5, but they won in the column that matters.

Michael Garcia opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 4th inning. In the 5th, the Blue team got a pair of sac flies from Angel Tejeda and Brandon Benavente. Tejeda smacked an RBI triple in the 7th, and later in the inning, Nicolás Miranda drew a bases-loaded walk. Anibal Sierra finished 2-4 with a run scored, a walk, and a stolen base.

Johsson Arias went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and walked 1. Yonatan Quintin threw a 1-2-3 6th inning, and Jheyson Caraballo pitched the final 3 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits and striking out 1.

DSL Phillies2 6, DSL Astros Orange 2

W- Abdallah Aris (2-0)
L- Humberto Castellanos (1-3)
S- Jose Jimenez (1)

Orange home runs: Jose Abel Hernandez (2, 2-run in 4th)

While the Blue team swept the Phillies 1, the Orange team got swept by the Phillies 2.

Jose Abel Hernandez finished 2-4, and his 2-run homer in the 4th was the Orange team's only scoring play. Enmanuel Valdez went 2-3, and both of his hits were doubles.

Humberto Castellanos went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits and struck out 4. Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed a hit in a scoreless 5th, and Luis Castro allowed a run on a groundout, a single, and walked 1 in 3 innings.

Thursday's Stars

A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

3-3, 2-R HR (14), 3 RBI, 2 R in game 1 of doubleheader

Brad Peacock, RHP, Fresno

W (4-4), 6 IP, 4 H, BB, 3 K in game 2 of doubleheader

Drew Ferguson, OF, Lancaster

4-4, 2 2B, solo HR (8), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (26); go-ahead RBI 2B in 8th

Scott Weathersby, RHP, Lancaster

W (4-5, 5-5 season) 3 IP, 2 H (solo HR), ER, 6 K

Photo from MiLB.com

David Schmidt, RHP, Quad Cities

3.1 IP, 2 H, 6 K

Ralph Garza Jr., RHP, Quad Cities

W (4-4), 2 IP, H, 2 K

Dexture McCall, 1B, Quad Cities

2-4, 2 solo HR (7), 3 RBI

Kristian Trompiz, IF, Quad Cities

3-5, 2-R HR (2), 3 RBI; walk-off RBI single in 11th

Myles Straw, OF, Quad Cities

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 17, 2016

Fresno 2, New Orleans 0

W- Brad Peacock (4-4)
L- Jeremy Guthrie (6-6)
S- James Hoyt (23)

Fresno home runs: Alex Bregman (6, 20 season; solo in 4th), Tyler White (9, solo in 9th)

The Grizzlies earned the series split as Brad Peacock handcuffed the New Orleans offense.

Fresno only had 4 hits in this game, but they had the only scoring plays of the game. Alex Bregman smacked a solo homer in the 4th inning, and Tyler White provided a little insurance in the 9th with a solo blast of his own.

Peacock allowed just 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 9 over 7.2 shutout innings. James Hoyt earned the save by striking out 2 over 1.1 perfect innings.

Tonight, Fresno will begin a 4-game series in Round Rock. Brady Rodgers will take on Eric Jokisch at 7:05.

Midland 6, Corpus Christi 3

W- Trey Cochran-Gill (4-3)
L- Keegan Yuhl (8-3)
S- Bobby Wahl (6)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (13, solo in 2nd)

The Hounds took control of this game with 4 runs in the 4th inning, and the Hooks were held off the scoreboard for the final 5 innings.

Chase McDonald put Corpus on the board with a solo homer in the 2nd inning, his 13th of the year. J.D. Davis added a 2-run single in the 3rd inning.

Keegan Yuhl pitched 4 innings and allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (3-run homer) and walked 3. Ryan Thompson allowed 4 hits over 4 scoreless innings. Neither of them recorded a strikeout.

Kent Emanuel will face Daniel Gossett in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:30.

Rancho Cucamonga 10, Lancaster 7

W- Adam Bray (1-0)
L- Scott Weathersby (3-5, 4-5 season)

Lancaster home runs: Bobby Boyd (7, solo in 3rd), Trent Woodward (3, 4 season; 3-run in 7th)

The JetHawks scored 4 runs in the top of the 7th to tie the game at 7, but the Quakes quickly broke the tie with 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the 7th.

Trent Woodward opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the 1st inning. Bobby Boyd whacked a solo homer in the 3rd, and Marc Wik added an RBI single in the 6th.

Tony Nuñez started the 7th-inning rally with a 1-out single and scampered home on a triple from Johnny Sewald. Ramon Laureano drew a walk and stole 2nd (33), and Woodward stepped up and tied the game with a 3-run home run. Woodward matched a career high with 4 RBI, while Sewald (3B, RBI, 2 R), Laureano (2 2B, 2 R, SB), and Wik (RBI) all finished with 2 hits in the game.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 4 innings and allowed 6 runs on 6 hits (1 solo and two 2-run homers), walked 2, and struck out 1. Scott Weathersby was the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen, and he allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits and walked 2 in 2 innings. He faced 2 batters in the 7th and did not retire either of them, so Jacob Dorris took over the 7th. The 2 runners he inherited from Weathersby both scored, and he allowed a run of his own on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the inning. Kevin Comer worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

In game 3 of this series, Josh James will take on Felipe Gonzalez. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Lake County 9, Quad Cities 4

W- Matt Esparza (8-6)
L- Chris Murphy (3-6)
S- Devon Stewart (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Captains took the series thanks to a 5-run 5th inning.

Chris Murphy's outing went well for the first 4 innings, but Lake County shelled him in the 5th with a grand slam and a solo homer. In his 5 innings, he allowed 6 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Zac Person allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 innings. Makay Nelson came out for the 8th but failed to record an out; the Captains loaded the bases on him with a single and 2 walks. Ralph Garza Jr. came on to take over the inning. Garza didn't allow any runs of his own, but he couldn't prevent the Captains from inflicting damage in the inning, which went to Nelson. He allowed 2 hits and struck out 1.

Hector Roa put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI double in the 7th inning. In the 8th, Kyle Tucker hit an RBI infield single. He ended up getting forced out at 2nd base, but Arturo Michelena scored on the play. Pat Porter drove in the Banditos' final run with an RBI triple. Myles Straw finished 3-4 with a double and scored a run.

The Banditos are back home, and they have two days off. They'll be back in action on Wednesday against the Dayton Dragons.

Tri-City 9, Batavia 8

W- Sebastian Kessay (2-1, 3-4 season)
L- Brent Wheatley (0-2)
S- Juan Carlos Santos (1, 3 season)

TC home runs: Ronnie Dawson 2 (4; 3-run in 1st, 2-run in 7th)

This game was a little crazy, to say the least.

The ValleyCats jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the 1st inning, but Batavia took the lead thanks to a 5-run 5th. TC responded with a 5-run inning of their own in the 7th to regain control and successfully fended off a 9th-inning rally from the Muckdogs to escape with the victory.

Randy César opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. One batter later, Ronnie Dawson whacked a 3-run home run, his first homer of the night.

Rodrigo Ayarza singled with one out in the 7th inning and came around to score on a Ryne Birk double. Brauly Mejia and César followed with RBI singles, and Dawson put Tri-City in the lead once again with his second home run of the game; this one was of the two-run variety.

Dawson reached base in all four of his plate appearances; he also drew a couple of walks to go along with his homers. César had a couple of RBI singles and scored on both of Dawson's blasts. Ayarza finished 2-5 at the top of the order.

Erasmo Pinales went 4.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (all inherited runners that were charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Luis Ramirez got the final out of the 5th with a strikeout, but not before he allowed 5 runs in the inning. He walked in one of Pinales' runners, and the other two runners scored on a bases-clearing double, which was the only hit he allowed in the inning. Ramirez, who was charged with a run of his own on the double, also had an unearned run charged against him thanks to an error.

Sebastian Kessay was next, and he allowed a hit and struck out 4 over 2 scoreless innings. Carlos Sierra threw a 1-2-3 8th and got 2 outs in the 9th, but getting that last out proved to be a challenge. The Muckdogs had the bases loaded once again in the 9th inning, and Juan Carlos Santos came on to try and rescue Sierra. He allowed a 2-run single to the first man he faced, but he pulled himself together to secure the victory. Sierra allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him), 2 hits, walked 2, and fanned 1.

In game 2 of this series, Framber Valdez will face Jordan Holloway. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 5, Bluefield 4 in 20 innings

W- Reggie Johnson (2-0)
L- Juandy Mendoza (0-1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

This game started at 6:01 P.M. Eastern. 6 hours and 31 minutes later, the Appy Astros walked off with their 7th consecutive victory. This was the longest game in Greeneville history.

The Appy Astros used 7 pitchers and two position players on the mound. Some of the highlights included Tyler Britton recording 7 strikeouts in 3.1 innings, Devin Raftery recording 8 of his 9 outs via the strikeout, and two position players, Chaz Pal and Tyler Wolfe, coming in to throw two scoreless innings apiece. Wolfe, who is normally a second baseman, even got 3 strikeouts!

Greeneville staved off a Bluefield threat in the 9th in which they had the bases loaded and one out. They also threw out the potential go-ahead run at home in the 16th and stranded another would-be go-ahead runner at 3rd. Both teams had runners thrown out at the plate in the 18th inning.

Marcos Almonte tripled in the 1st inning and opened the scoring by coming home on a wild pitch. Reiny Beltre added a sac fly in the 2nd inning. Jonathan Arauz hit an RBI single in the 4th, and Almonte doubled and later scored when Troy Sieber grounded into a fielder's choice in the 5th inning. Nash Knight tied the game at 4 with a solo home run in the top of the 8th for Bluefield, and for the next 11.5 innings, the game remained in a 4-4 deadlock.

Gabriel Bracamonte singled with 1 out in the bottom of the 20th, advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, and scored the winning run on a single from Abraham Toro. Arauz and Toro both finished with 3 hits, while Almonte and Bracamonte had 2 hits apiece.

Greeneville will look for the sweep tonight as Ricardo Castro takes on Kyle Weatherly. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Game 1: GCL Marlins 2, GCL Astros 1

W- Chris Mazza (1-1)
L- Agapito Barrios (0-1)
S- Kyle Fischer (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros made it a 1-run game in the 7th, but their comeback bid was denied. Brody Westmoreland scored their only run on an error in the top of the 7th.

Agapito Barrios went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Yhoan Acosta allowed a hit and struck out 1 in a scoreless 4th, and Ian Hardman allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3 over 2 scoreless innings.

Game 2: GCL Astros 2, GCL Marlins 0

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (2-2, 3-2 season)
L- Eliezer Cuello (1-1)
S- Manuel Gonzalez (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros earned the split in the twinbill by blanking the Marlins.

Leovanny Rodriguez allowed 2 hits and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings, and Manuel Gonzalez allowed a hit and struck out 1 in the final 2 innings to get the save.

Both of the GCL Astros' runs came in the 3rd inning; Brody Westmoreland hit an RBI groundout and Carlos Machado added an RBI single. Machado finished 2-4.

Dominican Summer League All-Star Game

The American League All-Stars came out on top, 4-3 in the DSL All-Star Game.

Gilberto Celestino (Orange) got the start in center field and finished 1-2. Jose Benjamin (Blue) entered the game at right field in the 4th inning and played the rest of the game, going 1-2. Ronel Blanco (Blue) got the final out of the 6th inning by inducing a force out.

Sunday's Stars

Leovanny Rodriguez, RHP, GCL Astros: W (2-2, 3-2 season), 5 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Tri-City

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

Photo from MiLB.com

Abraham Toro, 3B, Greeneville

3-8, walk-off RBI single in 20th inning

Brad Peacock, RHP, Fresno

W (4-4), 7.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K

James Hoyt, RHP, Fresno

Save (23), 1.1 IP, 2 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page

Greeneville Astros pitchers: 20 IP, 16 H (2 HR), 4 ER, 10 BB, 34 K

Notables:

Tyler Britton: 3.1 IP, H, BB, 7 K

Devon Carr: 2.1 IP, H, BB, 5 K

Devin Raftery: 3 IP, 2 H, 8 K

Chaz Pal: 2 IP, H, 2 BB

Tyler Wolfe: 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, July 9, 2016 

Let's play two in Fresno!

Game 1: Fresno 5, Reno 0

W- Brad Peacock (3-4)
L- Braden Shipley (7-5)

Fresno home runs: None.

In the first game of the twinbill, Brad Peacock dominated on the mound. He went the distance, allowing just 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 12. The 12 strikeouts is the most that he's recorded as a member of the Astros organization; his career high for Ks is 14, which occurred on May 13, 2011, when he was with Harrisburg in the Nationals organization.

Jon Singleton opened the scoring with a 2-run double in the 4th inning. Tyler White ripped a 2-run double of his own in the 5th, and Tony Kemp capped off the scoring in game 1 with a sac fly in the 6th. Singleton and Kemp both finished 2-3.

How did the Grizzlies fare in game 2?

Game 2: Fresno 4, Reno 3

W- James Hoyt (4-3)
L- Jimmie Sherfy (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Max Stassi (5, solo in 6th)

The Aces tied the game at 3 in the top of the 6th, but Max Stassi quickly re-established Fresno's advantage by smacking a solo homer in the bottom half. And so, the Grizzlies won their final series before the AAA All-Star break by sweeping the doubleheader.

Jordan Jankowski went 3 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Josh Fields and James Hoyt pitched 2 innings apiece; Fields allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 4, and Hoyt allowed a run on 4 hits and struck out 3.

Tony Kemp drove in the first run of game 2 with an RBI single in the 2nd inning, and Teoscar Hernandez added an RBI groundout later in the frame. Teoscar added an RBI single to his ledger in the 4th, and Stassi's home run in the 6th turned out to be the game-winning hit. Stassi finished 2-3 in the game, and Kemp did so as well.

The Triple-A All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 13 at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte. Brady Rodgers, James Hoyt, and Mike Hauschild will represent the Grizzlies on the Pacific Coast League All-Star team.

Fresno will return to action on Thursday when they begin a 4-game series in New Orleans.

Corpus Christi 7, Tulsa 6

W- Kyle Smith (3-5)
L- Ralston Cash (5-3)
S- Aaron West (12)

CC home runs: None.

The missed extra point turned out to be the difference here... sorry, I was still in football mode. I was covering the Texas State 7-on-7 Football Tournament in College Station this weekend, so I'm still trying to recover from that.

The Hooks trailed 6-0 after the 2nd inning, but they turned the tables on the Drillers, culminating in a 6-run 7th inning that put them in the lead.

Kent Emanuel only lasted 2 innings and allowed 6 runs on 8 hits (3-run homer) and struck out 2. However, the Hooks bullpen picked him up by keeping the Drillers off the scoreboard for the final 7 innings. Kyle Smith allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over 4 scoreless innings. Chris Cotton allowed a hit and walked 1 in 1.1 innings, and Aaron West pitched the final 1.2 innings to get the save; he allowed 2 hits and fanned 1.

Roberto Peña drove in Corpus Christi's first run with an RBI groundout in the 6th. The Hooks quickly found themselves down to their final out in the 6th, but Chase McDonald, Danry Vásquez, and Nick Tanielu all singled to load the bases. Alejandro Garcia followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Peña added an RBI single, and then James Ramsay hit a double. He was credited with 2 RBI on the play, and an error allowed him and Peña to score the go-ahead runs. McDonald and Garcia had 2 hits apiece; here's Ramsay's go-ahead double:





Inland Empire 6, Lancaster 2

W- Jason Hoppe (1-2)
L- Dean Deetz (4-5)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks scored first, but the 66ers finished up the game on a 6-0 run.

Lancaster's two runs both came in the 4th inning; Jason Martin grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Johnny Sewald, and one batter later, Trent Woodward hit an RBI single.

Dean Deetz went 7 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 3, and fanned 6. Kevin McCanna allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and struck out 1 in the 8th inning.

Clinton 3, Quad Cities 0

W- Luiz Gohara (1-0)
L- Albert Abreu (2-7)
S- Spencer Herrmann (2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos couldn't get much going on offense; that is because the top third of the order had all of the hits, and they were all singles. Myles Straw and Kyle Tucker both went 2-4, while Osvaldo Duarte finished 1-4.

Albert Abreu allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 2 in 5 innings. Chris Murphy allowed 3 hits and struck out 1 over 3 scoreless innings, and Ralph Garza Jr. worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th.

Tri-City 4, West Virginia 3

W- Enrique Chavez (1-0)
L- James Marvel (1-3)
S- Nick Hernandez (1)

TC home runs: None.

Tri-City hung on to the win by staving off a 9th-inning rally from the Black Bears.

Taylor Jones opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 4th. In the 5th, Stephen Wrenn legged out an RBI bunt single. Jones added an RBI single to his ledger in the 6th, and Alex DeGoti smacked an RBI ground-rule double in the 7th. Jones finished 3-4, while DeGoti (2B, RBI, SB [5]) and Brauly Mejia (2 R) both went 2-4.

Enrique Chavez allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 over 5 shutout innings. Hector Perez tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits, walking 4, and striking out 5. Nick Hernandez closed it out, but not before he allowed a 2-run double that cut the ValleyCats' lead to 1 and allowed the two runners he inherited from Perez to score. Hernandez struck out the side.

Elizabethton 4, Greeneville 3

W- Alex Schick (1-0)
L- Diogenes Almengo (0-1)
S- Colton Davis (3)

Greeneville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra 2 (8; solo in 1st, solo in 8th)

So, when will Miguelangel Sierra be promoted?

Sierra recorded his first career multi-homer game in this one by smacking two solo shots: the first led off the bottom of the 1st inning, and he sent another one out in the 8th. Luis Payano ripped an RBI double in the 9th to cut the Appy Astros' deficit to one run, but he was stranded there to end the game. Ray Henderson finished 2-4 with a double.

Diogenes Almengo went 2.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (all on a home run) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Patrick Sandoval allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6 in 4.1 innings, and Devin Raftery struck out the side in order in the 8th inning.

DSL Astros Blue 8, DSL Phillies 7 in 11 innings

W- Juan Cuevas (5-2)
L- Steiner Carmona (1-2)

Blue home runs: None.

Samir Caraballo finished 4-4 with a double and 2 RBI. Angel Tejeda finished 2-4 with 2 runs scored; Orlando Marquez also scored twice.

Juan Cuevas got the win, allowing 2 hits over 2 scoreless innings.

DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Rangers2 5

W- Miguel Matos (2-0)
L- Enmanuel Betances (0-2)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team surprised the Rangers with a late rally to take control.

Kendy Moya went 4-5 with a run scored, and Ronaldo Urdaneta was 2-4 with 2 RBI and a stolen base (7).

Miguel Matos allowed a solo homer to Adrian Pernalete in the 9th, which was the only run he allowed. Matos allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 5 in 3 innings of work.

Saturday's Stars

Photo by Bryan Green

Miguelangel Sierra, SS, Greeneville

2-4, 2 solo HR (8)

Brad Peacock, RHP, Fresno

CG, 3 H, BB, 12 K in game 1 of doubleheader

Kyle Smith, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (3-5), 4 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Enrique Chavez, RHP, Tri-City

5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Results for Sunday, July 10, 2016

Tulsa 7, Corpus Christi 6

W- Joe Broussard (3-0)
L- Michael Freeman (3-3)
S- Gus Schlosser (2)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (8, 10 season; 3-run in 7th)

Jack Mayfield's blast tied the game at 6, but the Drillers went back in front with a run in the bottom of the 7th.

Chase McDonald put Corpus on the board with an RBI infield single in the 4th, and one batter later, Mott Hyde added a 2-run single. McDonald finished 2-4 on the day.

Edison Frias went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Michael Freeman allowed 2 runs on 5 hits in 2 innings, and Ryan Thompson pitched a 1-2-3 8th.

Keegan Yuhl will start the series finale. He'll face Lisalverto Bonilla at 7:05.

Lancaster 17, Inland Empire 0

W- Akeem Bostick (1-1, 2-2 season)
L- Alex Klonowski (6-9)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin (16, 2-run in 6th), Brooks Marlow (4, 6 season; 2-run in 6th)

Total domination from the JetHawks on Sunday night.

On the mound, Akeem Bostick and Andrew Thome joined forces to throw a 3-hit shutout. Bostick allowed a hit, walked 4, and struck out 6 in 7 innings, and Thome allowed 2 hits and fanned 1 over the final 2 frames.

In the series finale, Brock Dykxhoorn will take on Justin Anderson. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Clinton 12, Quad Cities 5


W- Pablo Lopez (5-0)
L- David Schmidt (2-1, 3-2 season)
S- Joey Strain (7)

QC home runs: None.

It all went horribly wrong for the Banditos after the 5th inning as Clinton seized control with 8 runs in the 6th.

Hector Roa, who finished a home run shy of the cycle in 4 trips to the plate, smashed an RBI double in the 2nd to open the scoring. He added an RBI triple to his ledger in the 4th. Pat Porter finished 2-4 with an RBI single in the 8th. Later in the 8th, Kristian Trompiz hit a sac fly and Roa hit an RBI single.

Elieser Hernandez allowed 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 over 5 shutout innings. David Schmidt, Adam Whitt, and Zac Person all allowed 4 runs out of the bullpen. Schmidt only got 1 out in the 6th. He allowed a hit and walked 3, and 2 of the runs that were charged to him were inherited runners. Whitt pitched 2.2 inning and allowed 4 runs of his own on 4 hits and struck out 1. Person's 4 runs came on 3 hits, and he also walked 2 in the 9th inning.

Jose Luis Hernandez will start the series finale. He'll face Jeffeson Medina at 7:00.

Tri-City 5, West Virginia 3

W- Austin Nicely (2-1)
L- Danny Beddes (0-1)
S- Sean Stutzman (2)

TC home runs: Spencer Johnson (2, 4 season; grand slam in 3rd)

Spencer Johnson led Division I in home runs this past spring, and he's showing off that power. His slam in the 3rd inning put Tri-City on the board and in the lead. Rodrigo Ayarza added an RBI single in the 5th inning. Taylor Jones went 2-4.

Austin Nicely went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and fanned 1. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen, and he allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 3 scoreless. Sean Stutzman struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Tonight, the ValleyCats are in Niles, Ohio, best known as the birthplace of former U.S. President William McKinley. They will be starting a 3-game series with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at 7:05 Eastern. Dustin Hunt will face Luis Jimenez.

Greeneville 4, Elizabethton 1

W- Nathan Thompson (1-0)
L- Sean Poppen (0-2)
S- Salvador Montaño (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros got a couple of late insurance runs to provide some separation between them and the Twins.

Troy Sieber opened the scoring with an RBI single. Tyler Wolfe finished 2-5 with an RBI single in the 7th, and in the 8th, Vicente Sanchez hit an RBI groundout and Marcos Almonte added an RBI single. Almonte and Gabriel Bracamonte also had 2 hits in the game.

Tyler Britton and Nathan Thompson both threw 4 innings; Britton allowed 4 hits and struck out 6, while Thompson allowed a solo homer to Amaurys Minier in the 7th which accounted for Elizabethton's only run. Thompson allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 3. Salvador Montaño worked around a walk to close out the game.

Abdiel Saldaña will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 6, GCL Nationals 5 in 10 innings

W- Dariel Aquino (1-1)
L- Matt Pirro (1-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Nationals tied this game with 4 in the top of the 7th, but the Kissimmee Stros walked off with a victory in the first extra frame.

Bryan Abreu allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5 over 4 scoreless innings. Manuel Gonzalez allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, a single, and struck out 1 in the 5th. Ian Hardman was next; he went 1.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits and struck out 1. Cris Santamaria allowed a hit in 1.1 innings, but the 2 runners he inherited from Hardman scored on a sac fly and a wild pitch. Dariel Aquino went 2.1 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.

Juan Piñeda (2 RBI, R, 2 SB [2]) and Reiny Beltre (RBI, R) both finished 2-4. Beltre was plunked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to bring in the winning run.

Sunday's Stars

Photo by Bryan Green

Juan Piñeda, 2B, GCL Astros

2-4, 2 RBI, R, 2 SB (2)

Photo from MiLB.com

Hector Roa, OF, Quad Cities

3-4, 3 RBI; finished HR shy of cycle

Photo from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page

Lancaster JetHawks: W 17-0 @ Inland Empire

Jason Martin: 2-5, 2-R HR (16), 2 R
Brooks Marlow: 3-5, 2B, 2-R HR (4, 6 season), 6 RBI

Tony Nuñez: 3-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R

Bryan Muñiz: 4-6, 4 R

Akeem Bostick: W (1-1, 2-2 season), 7 IP, H, 4 BB, 6 K

Andrew Thome: 2 IP, 2 H, K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Fresno 3, Albuquerque 1

W- Brad Peacock (2-3)
L- Carlos Hernandez (0-1)
S- Jordan Jankowski (2)

Fresno home runs: Matt Duffy (6, solo in 8th)

The Tacos took the first of 4 from the Isotopes behind a strong pitching performance from Brad Peacock.

Peacock pitched 8 innings and allowed an unearned run on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Kevin Chapman retired the only man he faced in the 9th, and Jordan Jankowski recorded the final two outs of the game to get the save.

A.J. Reed opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, and Tyler White drove in another run with a groundout later in the inning. Matt Duffy provided a crucial insurance run in the 8th inning with his solo home run. Reed finished 2-4 with a double, and Colin Moran finished 2-4 as well.

César Valdez will start game 2 of this series. He will face Harrison Musgrave at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 5, San Antonio 1

W- Evan Grills (2-1, 5-2 season)
L- Aaron Northcraft (1-1)

CC home runs: None,

The Hooks jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the 1st inning, and Evan Grills and two relievers handcuffed the Missions offense.

Grills pitched 6 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. In his Texas League debut, Ryan Thompson walked 1 and struck out 3 over 2 scoreless innings, and Eric Peterson worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Corpus Christi immediately threatened when they loaded the bases to begin the game; Teoscar Hernandez walked, stole 2nd base, and advanced to 3rd on a Mott Hyde single. D.J. Fisher joined them on the bases after getting hit by a pitch. J.D. Davis drove in the first run of the evening with an RBI single. Nick Tanielu followed with an RBI single of his own, and then Fisher scored on a wild pitch. Tanielu eventually scored on an error that allowed Alfredo Gonzalez to reach base safely. Hyde, who finished 3-5, ripped an RBI double in the top of the 9th to drive in the final run of the evening. Davis finished 2-5, while Hernandez walked twice and stole 2 bases to give him 28 on the season. Teoscar now leads the Astros organization in stolen bases.

The Hooks will look to complete the sweep today as Edison Frias gets the start. He'll take on Kyle Lloyd at 11:05 AM.

California/Carolina League All-Star Game

Bobby Boyd got the start in center field for the California League All-Stars; he tripled in the 4th inning and scored the California League's first run on a C.J. Hinojosa groundout. Garrett Stubbs entered in the 6th inning and caught the remainder of the game. The California League attempted to mount a rally in the bottom of the 9th, and Stubbs chipped in with an RBI double. However, their comeback bid fell short, as the Carolina League All-Stars emerged victorious, 6-4.

Lancaster returns to action tomorrow by welcoming Lake Elsinore to The Hangar for a 4-game series.

Midwest League All-Star Game

Kevin McCanna got the final two outs of the 4th inning, one via strikeout, but not before he allowed a couple of inherited runners to score. The East All-Stars came out on top, 11-10.

The River Bandits will kick off the 2nd half of their season tomorrow as they begin a 4-game series in Wisconsin.

Brooklyn 8, Tri-City 3

W- Raul Jacobson (1-0)
L- Framber Valdez (0-1)

TC home runs: Randy César (1, solo in 2nd), Ronnie Dawson (1, solo in 3rd)

The ValleyCats led 3-0 after 3 innings, but the Cyclones finished this game on an 8-0 run to take the series.

Stephen Wrenn tripled to lead off the game and scored on a Marcos Almonte groundout. Tri-City's other two runs came on solo homers from Randy César in the 2nd and Ronnie Dawson in the 3rd. Rodrigo Ayarza finished 2-4.

Sebastian Kessay pitched 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Framber Valdez threw 2 scoreless innings, but the wheels fell off for him in the 8th inning. Ultimately, Valdez pitched 2.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Edgardo Sandoval allowed 1 hit and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings.

The ValleyCats are back home tonight, where they'll begin a 3-game series with Vermont. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros Blue 2, DSL Dodgers2 0 through 4.5 innings

This game was suspended with 2 outs in the top of the 5th due to rain. Orlando Marquez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 4th, and Ronny Jimenez hit an RBI single of his own in the 5th inning.

Juan Corniel struck out 4 over 4 perfect innings.

I presume that they'll finish this game and then play the regularly scheduled game today, weather permitting.

DSL Astros Orange 7, DSL Phillies2 4

W- Luis Castro (2-0)
L- Leonel Aponte (1-2)
S- Gabriel Pirela (1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team seized control of this game with a 6-run 4th inning.

Anthony Rodriguez walked to lead off the 4th. It looked as if the rally would be snuffed out before it even began, because Hector Martinez and Alvaro Alvarez followed by striking out. However, Bernardo Heras and Jose Miguel Hernandez were both plunked to load the bases, and Kendy Moya promptly cleared them with a triple. Ronaldo Urdaneta followed that with a single, and Ramiro Rodriguez ripped an RBI double to bring Moya home. Gilberto Celestino capped off the scoring in the 4th by smacking a 2-run double. Heras drove in Team Orange's final run of the day with an RBI single in the 7th. Ramiro Rodriguez and Celestino both finished 2-5 on the day.

Humberto Castellanos went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Luis Castro was the first man out of the bullpen; he allowed 2 runs (1 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him), a single, walked 3, and struck out 2. Gabriel Pirela allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 2.2 innings to get the save.

These two teams will play again later this morning. First pitch is at 10:30 AM Eastern.

Three Stars

3.

Evan Grills, LHP, Corpus Christi

W (2-1, 5-2 season), 6 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 4 K

2.

Mott Hyde, IF, Corpus Christi

3-5, 2B, RBI, R

1. 

Brad Peacock, RHP, Fresno

W (2-3), 8 IP, 6 H, unearned run, BB, 6 K

Happy Birthday - 2/2

Happy Birthday to ~

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

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

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

These former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

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

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

SS Ronny Cedeno (32)

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

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

2014 Grapefruit League Recap, Game 16

Washington Nationals 4, Houston Astros 3

2014 Grapefruit League record: 7-9

W- Gio Gonzalez (1-1)
L- Scott Feldman (0-1)
S- Manny Delcarmen (2)

Astros home runs: None.

After getting run out of Lakeland, the Astros returned back to their home base in Kissimmee to take on the Nats.

Starting Pitcher: Scott Feldman

The Opening Day starter got taken deep twice by Steven Souza in the 2nd and the 4th. He also pitched the 5th, but was lifted after allowing a leadoff single. A run ended up being charged to him. Feldman didn't walk anyone, and got his usual quota of groundouts (7 groundouts, no flyouts) in 4 innings of work.

Final line: L (0-1), 4 IP, 8 H (2 solo HR), 3 ER (1 inherited), 5 K

Bullpen

Jorge De Leon came on to relieve Feldman and got 2 quick strikeouts. That final out proved to be a little more elusive (isn't it always) than he would've liked. De Leon allowed a single, then uncorked a wild pitch to allow the runners to advance. He then walked Souza to load the bases, and Brian Goodwin made him pay (well, he also made Feldman pay too) by spraying an RBI single to score a run.

Brad Peacock pitched the final 4 innings and got dinged in the 7th by an RBI triple hit by... Steven Souza. Other than that, he was excellent in those 4 frames, striking out 4.

Offense

8 players had 1 hit apiece.

L.J. Hoes put the Astros on the board (down 3-1) in the 5th with an RBI single. They got a pair of RBI doubles from Jose Altuve in the 7th and Jon Singleton in the 8th. Unfortunately, the Astros couldn't get the breakthrough as Carlos Correa struck out with the tying run on 2nd to end the game.

On a more somber note: These strikeouts (1 BB, 9 Ks yesterday). Yuck. If they threaten their own record for strikeouts again this season, we could be in for some sad times.

Three Stars

3.

Jon Singleton, 1B
RBI double in 8th

2.

Jorge De Leon, RHP
IP, 2 H, inherited runner scored, BB, 2 K

1.

Brad Peacock, RHP
4 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 K

Next Up

Brett Oberholtzer will face off against Alex Wood as the Astros welcome the Braves to Osceola County Stadium. First pitch will be at 1:05 Eastern.

Happy Birthday - 2/2

Happy Birthday to ~

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

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

Several former Astros have birthdays today as well ~

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

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

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

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

SS Ronny Cedeno (31)

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

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

WTHB Pitcher and Player of the Month for July

I have tallied the results of all of the WTHB Players and Pitchers of the Day for July in order to determine Player and Pitcher of the Month. A whopping 71 players received shoutouts during the month (including honorable mentions) with numerous players receiving multiple honors. With that said, here are the July winners.

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH - DELINO DESHIELDS, CHRIS EPPS AND BRANDON MEREDITH
Yes, it's a three-way tie as each of these Lancaster JetHawks players received three nods during the month of July. 2B Delino DeShields hit .349/.407/.500 in July with nine doubles, two triples, a home run and 19 stolen bases. OF Chris Epps, who largely flies under the radar and shouldn't, hit .314/.408/.480 in July and .410/.419/.641 in his last 10 games. Epps, a left-handed hitter, has always hit lefties very well and this year is no exception. He is hitting .368/.413/.649 off southpaws for the season. OF Brandon Meredith had a slow April, but has been making up for it ever since. Meredith hit .311/.433/.612 with eight doubles, one triple and seven home runs in July, and is hitting .438/.591/.719 in his last 10 games. Nicely done, gentleman.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH - BRAD PEACOCK
Brad Peacock has been quietly going about putting up a very good season for the Oklahoma City RedHawks. In July, he was 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP. In his last 10 games, going back to June 13th, he is 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA and a 1.047 WHIP. He has not thrown enough innings to qualify as a league leader, but his season ERA of 2.73 would put him in second place behind Asher Wojciechowski and his season WHIP of 1.101 would land him in first place, just ahead of Wojo. Not bad at all!

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING TWO PITCHER/PLAYER OF THE DAY HONORS DURING THE MONTH OF JULY:
Nolan Fontana
Preston Tucker
Rio Ruiz
George Springer
Tyler White
Joe Sclafani
Drew Muren
Max Stassi
Vincent Velasquez
Troy Scribner
Jake Buchanan
Mike Hauschild
Zach Morton
Joselo Pinales
T.J. Geith
David Martinez

PREVIOUS WINNERS:
April Player of the Month - Zach Johnson
April Pitchers of the Month - Jake Buchanan, Travis Ballew and Vincent Velasquez
May Player of the Month - Andrew Aplin
May Pitcher of the Month - Jake Buchanan with honorable mention to David Martinez
June Player of the Month - M.P. Cokinos
June Pitchers of the Month - Asher Wojciechowski and Luis Cruz

Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday's Games

Princeton Rays 1, Greeneville Astros 2
Greeneville won their eighth game in a row Friday and Tyler White knocked in every run they tallied. White (2X4 R 2B HR 2RBI) doubled in the first, bringing home Marc Wik (0X3 RBB SO) to get the Astros on the board. In the eighth, White hit a solo homer that was good for the go ahead run. Frederick Tiburcio pitched the first six innings for Greeneville, giving up a run on six hits and striking out two. The win went to Austin Chrismon (2-0), who pitched the next two frames, facing one over the minimum and K-ing one.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Yankees1 3 (11)

The Astros shut out their opponents before the eighth inning when they gave up two runs, tying the game and forcing extras. Brian Holmes, on a rehab start, pitched the first two innings and retired all he faced in order, striking out three. Erick Gonzalez (1-2) took the win, working two and one-third, giving up a run, walking one and striking out two. Yonathan Mejia (2X5 RBI) and Brett Booth (2X3 BB) both had two hits in the game. Ydarqui Marte (1X2 R HR 2RBI) hit a two run shot in the 11^th that put his team ahead for the win.

DSL Athletics 4, DSL Astros 3 (10)

Starter Harold Arauz gave up three runs on four hits (HR) and the Astros never recovered. Arauz worked the first five and a third and also walked one a struck out four.  The Astros rallied to tie it in the ninth when pinch hitter Marlon Avea (1X1 2RBI) singled, scoring Dariel Aquino (0X1 R SO) and Hector Roa (1X1 R 2B). Jean Estrella swung a very hot bat Friday, going three-for-five.

Auburn Doubledays 1, Tri-City Valley Cats 3

Tri-City didn’t score first, but once they did there was no looking back. The Valley Cats were outhit on Friday 9-5 but made the hits they did get count. Jake Rodriguez (1X3 R HR 2RBI) made his count, swatting a two-run homer in the seventh inning that brought Ryan Dineen (0X1 R BB) home. Kyle Westwood started and pitched four innings, giving up a run on seven hits (HR) while striking out two. Chris Cotton (2-1) came on in the sixth and threw through the eighth, picking up the win as he allowed a pair of hits and struck out the same.

Quad Cities River Bandits 6, Fort Wayne TinCaps 3

Mark Appel gave up three runs in his second professional appearance, but the bats and following pitching kept the River Bandits alive. Appel pitched the first four innings and in that time he allowed three runs on four hits (2HR) and struck out four. After Appel left, Daniel Minor and Jordan Jankowski kept it scoreless allowing just three hits in the rest of the game. Minor would pick up the win and Jankowski earned his third save. Carlos Correa was one of three River Bandits with multi-hit games. Correa (2X5 R 2B HR 2RBI) put Quad Cities on the board in the third when he hit a two-run long ball. Dan Gulbransen (2X4 R 2B) and Bobby Borchering (2X4 R RBI SO) were the other two players with more than one hit.

Lancaster JetHawks 3, inland Empire 66ers 6

The JetHawks were shutout nearly the entire game before scoring three in the ninth inning. Lancaster collected five hits in the game and also drew 11 walks, but stranded 14 on base. Aaron West (7-6) worked the first five innings on the mound and was charged with five runs on four hits (HR), walked five and struck out the same, taking the loss. Matt Duffy (1X4 2B BB 2SO) and Delino DeShields (1X5 R 2B 2SO) both hit doubles in the game.

Frisco RoughRiders 11, Corpus Christi Hooks 5 (7) –Game 1

Corpus Christi jumped ahead early in the first game of their double header against Frisco Friday on a Rene Garcia (2X4 R HR 3RBI) two-run homer, but would fall after allowing nine runs in the fifth and seventh innings combined. Mike Foltynewicz started on the hill and threw into the fifth (although he didn’t record an out in the fifth) and left, tallying five runs (4ER) on four hits (HR), two walks and three strikeouts. Kenny Long took the loss though, after working two outs in the fifth and allowing a run of his own on a home run, K-ing two. Max Stassi (1X3 R) hit a homer of his own in the fourth inning as Drew Muren (2X3 R RBI BB) and Jonathan Meyer (2X3 SO) followed Garcia with two hit performances.

Frisco RoughRiders 2, Corpus Christi Hooks 3 (7) –Game 2

The Hooks were outhit in the second game of their double dip 8-5 and went on to win anyway. David Martinez (11-2) earned the win after throwing the complete game. Martinez allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out five on Friday. Preston Tucker (2X3 R 2B RBI) and Domingo Santana (1X1 2B 2RBI) both hit doubles in the sixth inning, combining to knock in all three Hooks’ runs.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 4, Memphis Redbirds 1 (7) –Game 1

Brad Peacock recorded all but the last out in the first game of this doubleheader in Memphis. Peacock (6-2) allowed a run on five hits and struck out 10 while facing just three over the minimum in his shift. Josh Zeid came on to record the final out and did, earning his 11^th save in the process. George Springer (1X3 R HR 2RBI 2SO) and Jose Martinez (1X3 R HR 2RBI SO) were responsible for all of the RedHawks runs in this one, each player hitting his own two run shot.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 1, Memphis Redbirds 5 (7) –Game 2

The RedHawks dropped four runs in the first inning and couldn’t muster a comeback in the second game Friday. Eric Berger (3-3) went the first three innings and recorded the loss, allowing all five runs (2ER) on five hits, walking two and striking out one in that time. Brandon Laird (1X3 RBI) hit an RBI single in the third that scored Jonathan Villar. Villar (1X4 R 2B SO) reached base on a double two batters before and advanced to third on a steal, his 31^st steal of the season.

Player of the Day: Mr. Tyler White stands atop the stage today for single-handedly producing all of his team’s runs yesterday. 

Pitcher of the Day: Brad Peacock wrote his ticket on Friday when he pitched nearly seven quality innings and struck out 10 along the way, including all three he faced in the fifth. At one point Peacock retired 10 batters in a row. Nice game. 

Astros Minor League Recaps

Wednesday's Games

Oklahoma City over Round Rock 7-0
Brad Peacock got the start and allowed only two hits and a walk while striking out four over six shutout innings. The bullpen, in the guise of Jason Stoffel, Kevin Chapman, Josh Zeid and Alex Sogard, kept the two-hit shutout going through the final three innings. The RedHawks got two across in the third on a two-run home run from George Springer (1x3 2BB 2R), his seventh in only 14 games with OKC and his 26th for the season. Robbie Grossman (1x5 3RBI) and Brandon Laird (1x3 2BB 2RBI 2R) added on five more runs in the ninth via the long ball. Ruben Sosa was two-for-three with a walk and scored a run.

Corpus Christi over Frisco 8-7 in 16 innings
Ross Seaton got the start and had a great outing, allowing only one run on two hits and two walks while striking out eight over six innings. The bullpen was a mixed bag with Kenny Long allowing three runs in the seventh and eighth and Chia-Jen Lo (in his first appearance with Corpus this season) giving up three more in the ninth to allow Frisco to tie it up. Pat Urckfitz and Carlos Quevedo kept things knotted for the next seven innings and Matt Heidenreich pitched the 16th and got the win a mere five hours and 16 minutes later. Corpus actually led this one 7-0 at one point, having scored one in the first on an Erik Castro (2x5 3BB 3R) solo homer and another six in the fourth, three of those coming on a Jio Mier bases-clearing double. The game-winning run came across in the 16th as Erik Castro scored on a passed ball. Max Stassi was two-for-four with two walks and a run, and Domigo Santana went three-for-eight with a double.

Inland Empire over Lancaster 11-8
Luis Cruz had a rare hiccup in his start as he allowed eight runs (seven earned) in only one and a third innings of work. Cruz had only allowed a total of four runs over his last seven outings combined. Cruz was followed by Blair Walters (4.2IP 5H 1R 1SO) and Michael Dimock (3IP 5H 3R 2SO). Behind 9-0 going into the fourth inning, the JetHawks chipped away at the 66ers lead with one in the fourth on a Brandon Meredith (3x5 2B HR) RBI single and one in the fifth on a Delino DeShields (2x5 2R) RBI double before breaking out with a five-run seventh which featured home runs from Brandon Merdith, Tyler Heineman (2x4) and Joe Sclafani (2x4 2RBI 2R). But despite scoring another in the ninth, the 'Hawks left the bases loaded and fell short.

Bowling Green over Quad Cities 8-2
Starter Lance McCullers allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out five in his four innings of work before giving way to Jamaine Cotton who allowed one unearned run on two hits in his two innings. Daniel Minor showed some rust in his second outing since coming off the DL as three additional runs came across under his watch. Gerardo Sanchez (1.2IP 1H 1BB 2SO) finished it off in scoreless fashion. Quad Cities only got six hits in the game, two of which happened to be solo homers from Bobby Borchering and Rio Ruiz. Austin Elkins was two-for-four and stole a base and Jordan Scott was two-for-five.

Tri-City at Mahoning Valley - Postponed

Princeton over Greeneville 10-4
Jandel Gustave only lasted two and two-thirds innings and gave up five runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks. He was followed by Krishawn Holley (2.1IP 3H 1R 1BB 3SO), Ryan Connolly (1.2 3H 3R/1ER 2BB 3SO) and Gerardo Ramirez (1.1IP 2H 1R 1SO). The Astros got two in the fourth and added on two more in the sixth on Ricky Gingras (2x3 BB 3RBI) first home run of the season. Tanner Mathis was three-for-three with a walk.

GCL Astros over GCL Tigers 9-6
Francis Ramirez (4H 2BB 5SO HR) got the start and allowed four runs over two and two-thirds innings and was followed by Troy Scribner (4.1IP 3H 2R 4SO HR) who got the win despite allowing another pair across. Kevin Ferguson and Chris Munnelly were perfect in relief. The Astros got two in the second, three in the fourth courtesy of a Jose Solano (2x4 2R SB) three-run dinger, and four in the sixth, with three of those four runs coming via a Yonathan Mejia RBI double, a Tyler White RBI single and a Jean Batista (3x5 2R) RBI triple, his second  triple of the game.

DSL Astros at DSL Royals - Postponed

Player of the Day: Erik Castro gets my love today for his two hits, for his solo home run, for his three walks, for the three runs he scored (including the game-winner), but mostly for staying after a five hour and sixteen minute game to sign autographs, alongside Zach Johnson.

Pitcher of the Day: Brad Peacock is the man of the day for his six shutout innings. In 10 starts with Oklahoma City, he is 5-2 with a 2.59 ERA and a 1.051 WHIP. He has walked 19 batters while striking out 57.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Thursday's Games

Oklahoma City over New Orleans 2-1
Brad Peacock (6IP 3H 1R 1BB 7SO) pitched a beauty of a start for his fourth RedHawks win, with a solo home run the only blemish on his night, and he received three frames of perfect relief from Hector Ambriz, Jose Valdez and Josh Zeid. OKC got just enough offense with one run scoring in the third on a George Springer (2x4 RBI SB) single driving in Robbie Grossman (2x3 BB R SB) and the second and final run coming in as Che-Hsuan Lin singled, took third on an error and scored on a wild pitch.

Springfield over Corpus Christi 2-1
R.J. Alaniz (2H 3BB 4SO) pitched seven shutout innings, only to see his lead evaporate as Pat Urckfitz and Jorge de Leon gave up home runs in the eighth and ninth respectively. The Hooks only managed one run in the fourth as Rene Garcia (2x4 2B RBI) singled in Drew Muren. Erik Castro had the only other extra base hit, a double.

Lancaster over Inland Empire 10-5
Starter Luis Cruz (6H 1R 1BB 5SO) cruised through five and two-thirds innings before allowing his only run of the game. The bullpen, in the form of Cameron Lamb and T.J. Geith, scuffled a bit in the eighth, allowing three runs across in the frame before Travis Ballew came in to put out the fire. Ballew gave up one run of his own in the ninth. The 'Hawks scored early, powered in large part by a three-run home run from Telvin Nash (3x5 BB 4RBI 2R) in the first and played add-on through the game, culminating in a three runs scored with two outs in the ninth as the 'Hawks took advantage of a throwing error and two wild pitches from Inland Empire pitcher Michael Johnson. Delino DeShields was three-for-five and scored two runs. DeShields has been en fuego, hitting .480 over his last six games and stealing seven bases. In addition, he turned an unassisted double play in the ninth inning last night. Similarly, Nolan Fontana appears to be back on top of his game. He went two-for-three with a double, three walks, an RBI and scored two runs. Andrew Aplin and M.P. Cokinos were both one-for-five with a walk, two RBI and a run scored, and Aplin stole a base as well. Chris Epps was two-for-four with a double and a walk.

Kane County over Quad Cities 7-4
Starter Juan Minaya (3IP 4H 3R 4BB 2SO) took the loss, but neither Mitch Lambson (3IP 3H 2R 0BB 2SO) nor Jamaine Cotton (2IP 4H 2R 0BB 2SO HR) had very effective outings either. The Bandits put up one in the second on a Jobduan Morales bases loaded walk and one more in the second as Jesse Wierzbicki (3x4 RBI R SB) singled in Teoscar Hernandez (2x5 2B 2RBI R). The final two runs came in the ninth on a Hernandez two-run double.

Lowell over Tri-City 4-2
I can't give you much of an eyewitness account of this one as travel delays kept me from getting to the game until the bottom of the fifth. Starter Kevin Comer (3.1 6H 3R 2BB 5SO) was long gone by the time I got there, replaced by Charles Basford (1.2IP 2H). I did, however, get to see Evan Grills pitch two and two-thirds innings (3H 1R). The lefty worked quickly and got one ground ball out after another with great defense behind him. Richard Rodriquez pitched a perfect final one and a third. The 'Cats weren't able to string together enough hits to overcome. James Ramsay was two-for-four with a run; Chan Moon was two-for-three with a stolen base; and Ernesto Genoves was one-for-three with an RBI sac fly. I hope to bring Mark Appel and the 'Cats better luck in tonight's game.

Greeneville over Bristol 2-1
Sebastian Kessay (1H 2SO) pitched the first inning for the Astros and was followed by five terrific innings from lefty Christopher Lee (2H 0R 0BB 7SO). Krishawn Holley allowed the only run (unearned) in the seventh. Tyler Brunneman (1IP 1H) and J.D. Osbourne (1IP 2SO) rounded things out. The Astros made the most of only four hits, scoring in the fourth on a Bobby Borchering home run and in the seventh on an RBI single from Darwin Rivera scoring Tanner Mathis. Jack Mayfield was one-for-three with a double and a walk.

GCL Astros over GCL Yankees 3-1 in 9 innings (Completion of 7/3 suspended game)
Joe Bircher got his second rehab start (pitching on 7/3 before the game was suspended), allowing one unearned run on one hit while striking out three in two and a third innings. Ambiorix de Leon (5.2IP 2H 1BB 6SO) picked up when the game resumed and earned his first win of the season. Erick Gonzalez pitched the ninth to earn his second save. The Astros got on board in the first with an RBI double from Tyler White, added one in the third on a Jean Batista (2x4 R) RBI single in his first rehab appearance, and scored the final run in the sixth on a Yonathan Mejia (2x3) RBI single. Jason Martin was one-for-three with a double, walk and run scored.

GCL Astros over GCL Yankees 5-1 in 7 innings
Another strong starting performance as Agapito Barrios went five innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight before giving way to two perfect innings from Troy Scribner who K'd five of the six batters he faced. The Astros scored two in the first on Yonathan Mejia (2x4 2B 2RBI) and Tyler White RBI singles. Mejia drove in another run on a double in the fourth with the other two runs in that frame coming across courtesy of a fielding error and a balk. Jacob Nottingham was one-for-three with a double and a walk.

DSL Mariners at DSL Astros - Suspended after three innings
The game was suspended with the Astros up 4-0.

Player of the Day: Nolan Fontana appears to be back to being Nolan Fontana (which is a very good thing). In addition to an excellent night at the plate on Thursday, he is hitting .333/.490/.487 with six doubles, 10 RBI and 11 walks in his last 10 games.

Pitchers of the Day: I'm going to do something different today because there were so many outstanding pitching outings so I'm going to recognize several pitchers today ~

Brad Peacock - 6IP 3H 1R 1BB 7SO HR (Peacock is 4-2 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.113 WHIP in 9 outings for OKC)
R.J. Alaniz - 7IP 2H 0R 3BB 4SO
Luis Cruz - 5.2IP 6H 1R 1BB 5SO (Cruz is 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA and a 0.992 WHIP over his last 9 appearances at Lancaster)
Chris Lee - 5IP 2H 0R 0BB 7SO
Agapito Barrios - 5IP 3H 1R 0BB 8SO
Troy Scribner - 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 5SO
Ambiorix de Leon - 5.2IP 2H 0R 1BB 6SO

These pitchers combined for 36 and a third innings with a 0.74 ERA and a 0.661 WHIP. That was an impressive night of pitching!!!

Astros Minor League Recaps

Saturday's Games

Greeneville Astros 5, Burlington Royals 4
The Astros came out scoring on Saturday and when they were done the relievers came in to hold the lead for the win. Jordan Mills was the starting pitcher and he allowed all four runs (2ER) on seven hits, walked one and K-ed three through the first four an two thirds. Sebastian Kessay (2.1 IP),  Krishawn Holley (1 IP) and J.D. Osbourne (1 IP) followed, respectively, after Mills left and together they didn't allow anymore hits. Kessay (1-0) picked up his first win, striking out two. Holley struck out two as well and Osbourne earned his third save. Juan Santana, Bobby Borchering, Wallace Gonzalez and Darwin Rivera all had two-hit games. Gonzalez and Santana had an RBI each and along with Rivera, scored a run each too. Rivera and Borchering had the only extra-base-hits of the game for Greeneville, both clubbing doubles.

GCL Astros 2, GCL Pirates 6

The GCL Astros scored a couple of runs in the fourth inning, but it wasn't enough to overcome the six that were mounted against them. In the fourth, Tyler White led off and was hit by a pitch. One batter later Brett Booth drew a walk and a wild pitch advanced them to third and second. Luis Reynoso (2X4 3B 2RBI 2SO) then hit his second triple of the season to right field, scoring Booth (0X3 R BB SO) and White (0X2 R SO). Reynoso collected half of the Astros' four hits in the game. Starter Jose Montero split the fist six innings of work with Samil De Los Santos and each allowed four hits. Montero tallied two runs, a walk and three Ks while De Los Santos (1-1) recorded four runs and the loss.

DSL Indians 5, DSL Astros 7 
The DSL Astros scored six runs in the first four frames and then added another for insurance in the eighth to lock down their 15th win of the season (15-10). Geronimo Franzua took the hill first, but had a rough start, exiting after one a two thirds. Franzua allowed three runs (2ER) on two hits, threw a wild pitch, walked two batters and hit another in his short outing. Javier Saucedo came in to relieve Franzua and threw for the next four and two thirds, picking up his first win. Saucedo (1-0) tallied two runs (1 ER) on two hits, and K-ed four. Angel Herdia came on with a runner at first and no outs in the ninth, retired three in a row (1 K) and earned his fourth save. Hector Roa ended up a homer short of the cycle on Saturday. Roa finished at three-for-four with a run scored, a double, a triple, two RBI and a strikeout.

Connecticut Tigers 5, Tri-City Valley Cats 1 (7) -Game 1
The loss in the first game of this double-dipper marked the Valley Cats first home loss of the season (5-0 before). Tri-City scored once in the first and then was blanked for the rest of the game. Starting pitcher Tanner Bushue worked six innings, retiring the first nine in order. Bushue gave up a two-run homer in the fifth, then he recovered to strike the next batter out for the last out of the inning and went on to retire the last three he faced in order as well. Bushue finished with the loss and two runs on three hits with four Ks. Chia-Jen Lo pitched the seventh and allowed three more runs on three hits (HR) walked one and struck out one. The Valley Cats had six hits in the first game and Dan Gulbransen (2X4 RBI) and Ryan Dineen (2X2 BB) split four of them. 

Connecticut Tigers 0, Tri-City Valley Cats 4 (7) -Game 2

Tri-City came back to shut out their opponents after losing the first game on Saturday. Adrian Houser pitched the first four innings and allowed four hits while striking out two. Charles Basford (1-0) followed Houser for an inning and recorded the win, giving up one hit in his frame of work. James Ramsay went two-for three in this game at the plate and scored a run. Luis Alvarez (1X3) added punctuation to the win, hitting a solo shot in the sixth inning for the last Valley Cats run of the game.

Clinton LumberKings 1, Quad Cities River Bandits 6
The River Bandits nearly shut out their opponents at home to end their three-game losing streak with authority on Saturday. Rio Ruiz (1X3 2R HR RBI BB SO) and Carlos Correa (3X4 2R 2B HR 2RBI) both hit solo-homers in the game and Correa ended up a triple shy of hitting a cycle. Teoscar Hernandez worked his bat and feet as well, going two-for-four with a double and a triple, striking out once. Juan Minaya (1-1) took the win after pitching the first five and allowing four hits as he struck out four. Vincent Velasquez worked the last four of the tandem and earned his third save after giving up the only opposing run on four hits while striking out two batters an inning.

Lancaster JetHawks 4, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 2
The JetHawks didn't get on the board until the sixth inning, but solid pitching before and after helped them to the win. Luis Cruz started and allowed a run in the first on a hit, the only hit against him of the day, and then cruised through the next four innings with only one more batter reaching base, by way of a walk in the third, striking out seven along the way. Blair Walters worked the sixth and was charged with a blown save, his second, after allowing a run on three hits. Walters (4-1) would also go on to record the win as well. Travis Ballew recorded his 12th save after pitching the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out another. Delino DeShields (2X4 R BB) and Andrew Aplin (2X3 R 2B RBI BB) were the only two JetHawks with multi-hit games. DeShields stole a base (19) in the game as well, leading to a score in the seventh inning on an Andrew Aplin sac' fly. Chris Epps (1X3 R HR RBI BB SO) scored the first run of the seventh, when he led off with a home run, his ninth of the season.

Tulsa Drillers 3, Corpus Christi Hooks 1
The Hooks were held to just four hits in the game and held their opponents to the same but still fell at home on Saturday at Whataburger Field. Mike Foltynewicz (3-1) took the loss after allowing all three runs on three hits (HR) while walking four and striking out five through the first five innings. Tandem pitcher Ross Seaton finished out the game, allowing a double in the ninth to face just one over the minimum and striking out five of his own. Corpus Christi's run in the sixth came after Kiké Hernandez (1x4 2B R SO) led off with a double, was advanced on a Rene Garcia (1X4 SO) single and then scored as Erik Castro (0X3 BB) grounded into a double play. Michael Burgess (1X3) and Jonathan Meyer (1X4 SO) had the other two hits in the game, both singles.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 6, Nashville Sounds 4
After being outscored in the first inning, the RedHawks continued their pursuit of the win offensively behind starting pitcher Brad Peacock's steady seven innings. Peacock (3-2) allowed two runs (1ER) on two hits and an error in the first inning, striking out one. In the following six innings Peacock allowed three hits and a walk and struck out eight more, taking the win. Jose Valdez got into a little trouble in the ninth, allowing two more runs to score on two hits and a walk while striking out one before he was replaced by Wade LeBlanc, who recorded the last out of the game picking up his first save. Brandon Laird batted two-for-four with a pair of doubles, run scored, RBI and a strikeout in the game. Marwin Gonzalez also went two-for-four and scored a run. Che-Hsuan Lin (1X4 2 RBI SO) pulled Oklahoma City ahead in the fourth with his only hit of the day, a two RBI single that scored Laird and George Springer (1X3 R 2SO). 

Player of the Day: Hector Roa and Carlos Correa are splitting the sundae today. Both of these guys ended up a hit short of the cycle yesterday. Roa lacked a homer and Correa was missing the three-bagger. Either way, they both had great games and both helped their teams to the win. Good job, guys.  

Pitcher of the Day: Mr. Brad Peacock stole the show Saturday by recovering after the first inning to help the RedHawks climb back on top for the win. Once Peacock settled in he was all business on the mound, and quite frankly, took all of the noise out of the Sound by way of nine Ks-wow. Nice outing. 

Also an honorable mention goes out to the three relievers in Greeneville, Sebastian Kessay, Krishawn Holley and J.D. Osbourne, who combined to keep the lid on and keep it hitless for the win. Well done.