Farm Report: 5-20

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

In case you missed my latest interviews
OF Stephen Wrenn
OF Granden Goetzman
RHP Jose Hernandez-Urquidy and IF/OF Osvaldo Duarte
RHP Bryan Abreu and RHP Ronel Blanco

MAY TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

Note: Some of the assignments to Tri-City are likely to be on paper only in order to help with roster management while some indicate players who have been sent back to extended Spring Training.

5-19: OF Carmen Benedetti (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5-19: LHP Parker Mushinski (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
5-19: OF Alex McKenna (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5-17: OF Bryan de la Cruz (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
5-17: 1B Scott Schreiber assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-17: OF Alex McKenna (Quad Cities) activated from the DL
5-17: OF Ramiro Rodriguez assigned to Quad Cities
5-16: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day DL
5-16: OF Seth Beer assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
5-16: RHP Brendan Feldmann (Corpus Christi) released
5-16: 3B Enmanuel Valdez assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-16: RHP Nivaldo Rodriquez assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-16: RHP Jose Alberto Rivera assigned to Quad Cities
5-15: RHP Cristian Javier assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
5-15: RHP Jose Hernandez-Urquidy assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-13: OF Marty Costes (Quad Cities) activated from the DL
5-12: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Quad Cities from Fayetteville
5-12: RHP Corbin Martin called up to Houston from Round Rock
5-12: RHP Brett Conine assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-11: RHP Tyler Ivey (Corpus Christi) activated from the suspended list
5-11: RHP Ronel Blanco assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-8: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL and assigned to Fayetteville
5-8: RHP Hunter Martin assigned from Fayetteville to Tri-City
5-7: OF Alex McKenna (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5-7: OF Carlos Machado assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
5-7: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Tri-City from Round Rock
5-6: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Round Rock from Fayetteville
5-6: OF Stephen Wrenn assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
5-6: OF Derek Fisher optioned to Round Rock From Houston
5-6: C Carlos Canelon (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5-6: RHP Akeem Bostick (Round Rock) activated from the temporary inactive list
5-6: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Fayetteville from Round Rock
5-6: LHP Brett Adcock assigned to Corpus Christi from Tri-City
5-4: 1B A.J. Reed (Round Rock) activated from the DL
5-4: OF Derek Fisher recalled to Houston from Round Rock
5-4: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-4: IF Michael Wielansky assigned to Quad Cities
5-4: RHP Felipe Tejada assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
5-4: RHP Cody Deason assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
5-3: OF Stephen Wrenn assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-3: RHP Akeem Bostick (Round Rock) placed on the temporary inactive list
5-3: OF Carmen Benedetti (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL
5-3: RHP Cesar Rosado (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
5-3: OF Marty Costes (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5-3: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL
C Ruben Castro
RHP Nick Hernandez - activated 5-8
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna - activated 4-29; back on 5/7
RHP Hansel Paulino
RHP Erasmo Pinales
RHP Abdiel Saldana
RHP Kyle Serrano
RHP Jairo Solis

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension)
1B/OF J.J. Matijevic (50-game suspension)

An ongoing list of all of the 2019 season transactions and roster moves can be found here.

2019 STANDINGS

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

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

🠋 2nd 25-17 .595 0.5GB L3

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

🠉 T2nd 21-21 .500 1.5GB L1

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

🠉 4th 20-23 .465 9.5GB W1

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)

🠋 1st 26-13 .667 -.-GB W2

THOUGHTS ON YORDAN ALVAREZ AND BRADY RODGERS

My recent trip to Round Rock didn't yield any player interviews, but I've already interviewed almost everyone on that team at one time or another. I had lined up OF/1B Yordan Alvarez (with Alex De Goti to translate), but Astros GM Jeff Luhnow came to town and called a team meeting during my only window of opportunity to talk with him. But I was able to ask Express Manager Mickey Storey and Hitting Coach Ben Rosenthal about Alvarez.

Yordan Alvarez - May 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

If you've been living under a rock and have somehow missed out on the incredible start to Alvarez's season, let's recap. In 39 games with AAA Round Rock, he is hitting .411/.494/.884/1.378 with 15 doubles, 18 home runs, 55 RBI and 38 runs scored. He has 23 walks to 33 strikeouts. He hits on the road and at home and kills right-handed pitching, but is only hitting .348/.434/.761/1.195 against his fellow lefties (yes, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek as I write that). When I asked Rosenthal what a coach can do with somebody like that, he quickly responded, "Try not to screw him up." Rosenthal added, "There are small things (to work on), but he's got a good approach. It's advanced. He recognizes pitches well. You can get away with a bad swing if you've got a good plan and know what you can handle. But he's got a good swing and he's got a lot of good things going his way. Just try not to hinder him and get in his way. If he needs info on a (pitcher), I try to get it and if there's something that he needs, I try to get it for him."

Storey said, "The thing that separates Yordan is his approach. He's always been the same guy. He's got real good swing decisions. He goes up there knowing what he's looking for. He's able to hit the ball to all fields and he's strong. Obviously, he's got power. The things that we saw in him in the lower levels are just flourishing now. He's just getting that much better each year and he's really capitalizing. He's in one of those runs where he's really locked in and really letting his talents work. As far as what we do as coaches, it's really easy for me. Insert him in the clean up spot, make sure he's in the lineup as much as I can. He's like having a weapon that can go off any moment. The group's really doing well offensively, but he is someone who has really been a staple for us in the middle of the lineup doing damage."

The only possible hole in Alvarez's game right now is his defense. "He's never going to win a Gold Glove but he has made strides year in and year out, getting better, getting more steady, making plays that he should make. And that's the key. If he can make plays he's supposed to make in the big leagues, (he can let his bat) do the talking. He's been working. He's been out early as much as he can, working on everything defensively just to get himself prepared to play in the big leagues because defense matters everywhere but in the big leagues, it's heavily scrutinized. Everyone knows the kid can swing it, but we want to make sure he's clicking on all cylinders when he gets that call," said Storey.

Brady Rodgers - May 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I also asked Storey to weigh in on Round Rock RHP Brady Rodgers. Rodgers has had a very solid start to his season, going 4-0 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.299 WHIP in eight games (seven starts) and I was somewhat surprised that he wasn't the first player to be called upon to help the big league club, particularly since he is already on the 40-man roster. I didn't ask Storey about that directly, but I did ask what Rodgers needs to do to get back to the bigs. "What can he do? He can stay the course. Everyone's got work to do, but he's a veteran guy at this point. He's got experience. He throws strikes. He attacks hitters. He's doing everything right. Yeah, the walks are up a tick but I'm sure he'll iron that out as the season goes on. It's still early. I expect a guy like that to start locking it in and really come into his own as the season goes because he's been around. He can really throw the baseball. He's doing everything he can. We really have a good big league staff. Like I say, he's got to stay the course, keep chipping away. Keep working. Keep making his starts and having his quality outings like he's done thus far. He'll be fine. Something will shake out eventually for him. He's a mentally strong guy. He's not here worrying about why am I not getting called up, why did this guy go and I didn't go. He's not. He just continues to do what he does. He's working. This is a guy who came back from Tommy John, missed a ton of time. He knows what it takes. There are setbacks involved and sometimes it throws you off course, but you do what you can do and he's doing everything he can do at this point," said Storey.

WATCH THIS SPACE

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

Enmanuel Valdez - July 2018
Photo by Jayne Hansen

If you have been reading Dustin's fantastic minor league recaps since the season started, you will probably have noticed 2B/3B Enmanuel Valdez showing up as one of his stars of the day over and over again. There are certainly players with better overall numbers than Valdez, but he always seems to be in the middle of the action. The 20-year old Dominican who signed in July 2015 for $450,000 is in his fourth season in the Astros system and is starting to live up to his early promise. In his first 33 games of the season for Low A Quad Cities, Valdez hit .275/.374/.442 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 16 walks to 21 strikeouts. With solid numbers like that, it was no surprise that Valdez was promoted to High A Fayetteville last week. Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Brock Dykxhoorn - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Brock Dykxhoorn was originally drafted by the Astros in the 6th round in 2014 and spent five seasons in the Astros system prior to his November 2018 release. Dykxhoorn was quickly picked up by SK Wyverns in the Korean Baseball Organization where he has been flourishing. He is 3-2 in 10 starts with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.247 WHIP. He has allowed 15 walks to 42 strikeouts in 55.1 innings of work. Brock recently started a Youtube channel to document the lifestyle of a Canadian baseball player transitioning from minor league baseball to playing in Korea. Dykxhoorn has always lived up to the stereotype of an almost too nice Canadian. We at WTHB and all of the fans he made in the Astros minor leagues wish Brock the best.

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Purple Coneflower
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Austin, TX - May 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, May 4, 2019

Round Rock 11, San Antonio 4

W- Brady Rodgers (3-0)
L- Brad Kuntz (0-2)

RR home runs: Taylor Jones (7, 3-run in 2nd), Nick Tanielu (3, solo in 3rd), Kyle Tucker (7, solo in 8th)

The Express rumbled out of the gates and cruised to the victory. Keston Hiura proved to be a nuisance for the Express pitchers as he drove in all four of San Antonio's runs, but they scored plenty of runs to absorb his big night.

Brady Rodgers pitched seven innings and allowed a run on six hits, walked two, and struck out three. Dean Deetz and Tanner Duncan both pitched an inning and they both allowed two hits, and one of those two his was a home run hit by Keston Hiura. Deetz got tagged in the 8th; he also walked one, and struck out the side. Duncan allowed a two-run homer to Hiura and struck out one in the 9th.

Round Rock parlayed a bases-loaded situation with one out in the opening inning into four runs as Taylor Jones drew a walk to open the scoring, and then they got RBI singles from Kyle Tucker and Jack Mayfield with a sac fly from Nick Tanielu sandwiched in between. Jones whacked a three-run homer in the 2nd inning. The Express scored twice in the 3rd as Tanielu launched a homer to begin the inning and Jamie Ritchie hit a sac fly. Tucker smacked a solo homer in the 8th for the Express' final run.

Little Tuck finished 4-5 on the evening as he has finally gotten over the Mendoza Line. Looks like he's getting over his rough start to the season. Yordan Alvarez finished 3-4 and scored twice. Somewhat shockingly, he did not drive in a run in this game. Alex De Goti went 3-6 with a double and scored a run from the leadoff spot. And finally, in his Triple-A debut, Stephen Wrenn finished 2-5 with a run scored.

Before these two teams play their regularly scheduled game, they'll have to finish up Friday's game that was suspended due to rain. That game will resume at 1:30. A seven-inning contest will follow once that game is completed. Cy Sneed gets the start in that one.

Corpus Christi 9, Tulsa 7

W- Ronel Blanco (3-0)
L- Dustin May (2-2)

CC home runs: Osvaldo Duarte (4, solo in 6th)

The Hooks busted out for six runs in the 4th and withstood a late Tulsa charge to earn the win.

Bryan Abreu went three innings and allowed three runs on two hits, both of which were home runs that came in the 3rd inning. Gavin Lux hit a solo homer off of him and then D.J. Peters took him deep for a two-run shot later in the frame. Abreu allowed four hits and struck out two. Ronel Blanco was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he allowed a run on two hits while striking out three in 2.1 innings.

Kit Scheetz was the only Hooks pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing; he allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one in 1.2 innings. Carlos Sanabria got the last two innings and he allowed a three-run homer to Chris Parmelee in the 8th. He shook that off and threw a scoreless 9th to close out the game. Sanabria allowed three hits, including the homer, walked one, and struck out two.

Ronnie Dawson hit a one-out single in the 3rd inning and then proceeded to steal second base. Osvaldo Duarte joined him on the bases after reaching on an error. They both scored on an error that allowed Granden Goetzman to reach. All six Hooks runs in the 4th came with two outs.

Chuckie Robinson kept the inning alive with a double and then Aníbal Sierra got hit by a pitch and Dawson walked to load the bases for Duarte, who got plunked to bring Robinson in. Sierra scored on an Abraham Toro infield single and Dawson came in when Goetzman drew a walk. Josh Rojas then decided that he'd bring in everyone at once and he did so with a triple. Duarte got his revenge by clubbing a solo homer in the 6th. Rojas, Toro (RBI, R), and Dawson (2B, 2 SB) all finished with two hits on the evening.

Carson LaRue will face Yordy Cabrera in game two of this series. First pitch is at 1:05.

Down East 5, Fayetteville 4

W- Michael Matuella (2-0)
L- Tommy DeJuneas (0-1)
S- Peter Fairbanks (2)

Fayetteville home runs: Jacob Meyers (2, solo in 5th), Seth Beer (6, solo in 7th)

The Woodpeckers have dropped all five games against the Wood Ducks this season and in all five of them, the Wood Ducks have managed to score the deciding run(s) in the 8th inning or later. In this game, they scored twice in the... you guessed it, 8th inning to take the lead. Such a dumb sport.

J.P. France turned in a bare minimum quality start, allowing three hits (two-run homer), walking four, and striking out three. Tommy DeJuneas pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out two. Joey Gonzalez got the final out of the 8th, and Jacob Billingsley walked one and struck out the side in the 9th inning.

Corey Julks put Fayetteville on the board when he ripped an RBI double in the 4th inning. The Jacobs struck in the 5th as Jacob Meyers launched a solo homer and Jake Adams hit an RBI single to tie the game at 3. Seth Beer put the Woodpeckers in front when he smacked a solo homer in the 7th. Beer, Adams, and Colton Shaver all finished with two hits on the night.

Chad Donato gets the start as the Woodpeckers look to avoid the sweep. He'll face Josh Advocate at 2:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 10, Fort Wayne 3

W- Cody Deason (1-1)
L- Angel Acevedo (0-4)
S- R.J. Freure (2)

QC home runs: César Salazar (2, solo in 2nd), Ross Adolph (2, 2-run in 2nd)

The Banditos pounded out 15 hits as they rolled to the win in Northeast Indiana.

Cody Deason pitched five innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, walked one, and struck out six. R.J. Freure shut it down as he allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out seven over the final four innings.

Jonathan Lacroix opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st inning. César Salazar kept the 2nd inning alive when he smacked a solo homer with two outs in the inning. Austin Dennis drew a walk and then Ross Adolph launched a homer, his first since Opening Day. Scott Schreiber scored on a heady play in the 3rd when he dashed home on a David Hensley strikeout that got away from the catcher. Schreiber ripped an RBI double in the 5th and came around to score on Lacroix's base hit. Dennis hit an RBI single in the 6th and in the 7th, Lacroix hit another RBI single and scored the final run of the night on a balk.

Schreiber (2 2B, RBI, 3 R) and Lacroix (3 RBI, R) both finished with three hits and a stolen base; they both have five stolen bases on the year. The bottom four in the order left their mark on this game; Salazar (2B, solo HR, 2 R), Dennis (2 SB), Adolph (2-R HR), and Trey Dawson (2B) all had two hits.

Brett Daniels takes on Casey Weathers in the series finale. First pitch is at 1:05 Eastern.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Big nights for these River Bandits!

Ross Adolph's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Scott Schreiber, 1B: 3-5, 2 2B, RBI, 3 R, SB (5)

Jonathan Lacroix, OF: 3-4, 3 RBI, R, SB (5)

César Salazar, C: 2-5, 2B, solo HR (2), 2 R

Austin Dennis, OF: 2-3, RBI, 2 BB, R, 2 SB (4)

Ross Adolph: 2-4, 2-R HR (2)

R.J. Freure, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (2), 4 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Round Rock

W (3-0), 7 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Kyle Tucker, OF, and Taylor Jones, 1B/OF, Round Rock

Tucker: 4-5, solo HR (7), 2 RBI

Jones: 3-R HR (7), 4 RBI, 2 R

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Josh Rojas (lying on belly), UTIL, and Abraham Toro, 3B/1B, Corpus Christi

Dawson: 2-4, 2B, 2 SB (5)

Duarte: solo HR (4), 2 RBI, 3 R, SB (5)

Toro: 2-4, RBI, R

Rojas: 2-5, 3B, 3 RBI

Seth Beer, 1B/DH, Fayetteville

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

Astros Farm Report: 4-22

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

APRIL TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

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

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

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension)

2019 STANDINGS

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

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

🠋 1st 10-7 .588 -.-GB L2

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

🠉 3rd 8-9 .471 2.0GB L1

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

🠋 T2nd 10-8 .556 3.0GB L1

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)

🠋 3th 8-7 .533 0.5GB W1

WATCH THIS SPACE

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

Brady Rodgers - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

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

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Asher Wojciechowski - September 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

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

(From Baseball-Reference)
Transactions

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

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

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

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Mount Shuksan, Washington - July 2012

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, April 16, 2019

The Lone Star Series in the Minor Leagues fires up again.

Round Rock 11, Nashville 2

W- Brady Rodgers (1-0)
L- Wes Benjamin (0-2)

RR home runs: Yordan Alvarez (7, grand slam in 1st), Alex De Goti (3, solo in 4th)

The Express began their tour of Tennessee where Yordan Alvarez continued his rampage in the Music City.

Brady Rodgers allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out four in seven innings of work. Tanner Duncan walked one and struck out two over the final two innings.

Alvarez clubbed a grand slam in the 1st to open the scoring. Alex De Goti led off the 4th with a homer. In the 5th, Jamie Ritchie scored on a wild pitch and De Goti scored on a double play. Alvarez drove in another run on a groundout in the 8th, and Round Rock capped things off with three more runs in the 9th on a Myles Straw RBI double, a Derek Fisher RBI single, and a Taylor Jones sac fly. Straw finished 3-6 and scored three runs, while De Goti went 4-5 and also scored three times.

Akeem Bostick faces Richelson Peña in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:35.

Corpus Christi 8, Frisco 6

W- Colin McKee (2-1)
L- Brock Burke (0-1)
S- Kit Scheetz (1)

CC home runs: Granden Goetzman (2, solo in 8th)

The Hooks jumped out to a 7-0 lead and had to hang on for dear life after the Roughriders scored five in the 6th inning. Fortunately, they kept their heads and secured the win.

Ronnie Dawson scored the first run of the evening when Josh Rojas hit into a fielder's choice in the 1st inning. Two batters later, J.J. Matijevic ripped a two-run double. Stephen Wrenn hit an RBI single in the 2nd. Corpus scored three more in the 3rd on a two-run double from Lorenzo Quintana, who scored on an error that allowed Dawson to reach. Granden Goetzman provided a sorely-needed insurance run when he whacked a solo homer in the 8th.

Carson LaRue allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out five over four scoreless innings. Brett Adcock bore the brunt of Frisco's assault in the 6th as he allowed five runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on two hits, walked three, and struck out one in 1.2 innings. Colin McKee was next; he pitched 2.1 innings and allowed a run of his own (inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked three, and struck out two. Kit Scheetz allowed a hit in the 9th that allowed the runner he inherited from McKee to score but was able to shut the door.

Brandon Bailey gets the start as the Hooks look for the sweep. He'll take on Jonathan Hernandez at 6:15.

Carolina 7, Fayetteville 6

W- Nelson Hernandez (2-0)
L- Chad Donato (1-2)
S- Rodrigo Benoit (3)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

A 9th-inning uprising from the Woodpeckers fell just short.

Chad Donato went 3.2 innings and allowed six runs on five hits (three-run homer), walked three, and struck out four. Joey Gonzalez was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed a run on a solo homer, two other hits, walked one, and struck out four in three innings. Tommy DeJuneas allowed a hit and struck out one in 1.1 innings.

Miguelangel Sierra opened the scoring with a two-run single in the 1st and Jake Adams had an RBI single in the 3rd. This was Fayetteville's last scoring play until the 9th; in the meantime, the Mudcats scored their seven runs. Seth Beer ripped a two-run double, advanced to third on an error, and scored on a base hit from Adams. Scott Manea got plunked to put Adams in scoring position, but they were stranded as Colton Shaver struck out to end the game.

Beer finished 3-5 and all three of his hits were doubles. Adams also finished with three hits on the night. Bryan de la Cruz (2B, 3B, R) and Corey Julks (2 R) both finished 2-5.

Well... finally. The 14th and final game of the Woodpeckers' season-opening roadtrip is here. Yohan Ramirez will take the mound for an 11:00 AM Eastern start.

Cedar Rapids 11, Quad Cities 2

W- Blayne Enlow (2-1)
L- Austin Hansen (1-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos' offense went MIA and the Kernels teed off on their pitchers.

César Salazar hit an RBI single in the 4th and Ross Adolph scored on an error in the 5th. Enmanuel Valdez finished 2-2, scored on Salazar's base hit, and drew a couple of walks.

Austin Hansen went three innings and allowed four runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on five hits (three-run homer), walked four, and struck out two. Humberto Castellanos pitched four innings and allowed two runs of his own on five hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out four. Devin Conn pitched the last two innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, walked three, and struck out two.

Nivaldo Rodriguez takes on Jordan Balazovic in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yordan Alvarez, LF/1B, Alex De Goti, IF, and Myles Straw, OF/SS, Round Rock

Alvarez: Grand Slam (7), 5 RBI

De Goti: 4-5, solo HR (3), 3 R

Straw: 3-6, 2B, RBI, 3 R

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 11-2 @ Nashville

9 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Brady Rodgers: W (1-0), 7 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 4 K

Tanner Duncan: 2 IP, BB, 2 K

Jake Adams' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Seth Beer, 1B/DH, and Jake Adams, 1B, Fayetteville

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

Adams: 3-4, 2 RBI, R

Carson LaRue, RHP, Corpus Christi

4 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Enmanuel Valdez, IF, Quad Cities

2-2, 2B, R, 2 BB

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Fayetteville sweep!

Round Rock 9, Nashville 5 in 10 innings

W- Brendan McCurry (1-0)
L- Miguel del Pozo (0-1)

RR home runs: Yordan Alvarez (5, 3-run in 8th), Nick Tanielu (1, walk-off grand slam in 10th)

The Express couldn't hold a 5-2 lead in the 9th... but they made up for it by walking off with the victory in the 10th.

Brady Rodgers turned in a solid outing as he allowed just one run on five hits, walked one, and struck out six in six innings. Reymin Guduan allowed a run on two hits and struck out three in two innings. Dean Deetz came on for the 9th but failed to record an out; he walked the bases loaded and then saw them emptied after giving up a game-tying triple to Zack Granite. Brendan McCurry stepped in to take ownership of the 9th and preserved the tie. He also had to face a bases-loaded situation in the 10th but this time, Round Rock escaped unscathed. In two innings, McCurry allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two.

Myles Straw drove in the first Round Rock run of the night with an RBI single in the 3rd inning. Yordan Alvarez ripped an RBI double in the 6th and then whacked a three-run homer in the 8th that broke a 2-2 tie. Alvarez was intentionally walked to lead off the 10th and Kyle Tucker followed by walking the conventional way. That brought up Nick Tanielu, who wasted little time in ending the game by sending a 1-0 pitch from Miguel Del Pozo into the night for a grand slam, the first of his career.

Alvarez finished 3-4 on the evening. Straw (RBI, BB) and Jack Mayfield (3 R) both finished with two hits, and Tanielu picked a great time to record his first and only hit of the game.

Ryan Hartman will get the start for the Express in the series finale and he'll take on Wes Benjamin at 7:05.

Frisco 10, Corpus Christi 5

W- Yoel Espinal (1-0)
L- Justin Ferrell (0-1)

CC home runs: Granden Goetzman (1, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks scored three in the 7th to tie the game at 4... only to see the Roughriders regain control with six in the 8th. As a result, Corpus got swept out of the Metroplex.

Granden Goetzman opened the scoring by whacking a homer to lead off the 2nd inning. The homer was the Hooks' only scoring play until the 7th inning, when they got three consecutive RBI singles from Chas McCormick, Stephen Wrenn, and Abraham Toro. Josh Rojas hit an RBI single in the 9th. Toro, Goetzman, and Lorenzo Quintana all turned in two-hit efforts in this one.

Carson LaRue went 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits, walked one, and struck out six. Kit Scheetz was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and went 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and walking one. Justin Ferrell threw a scoreless 7th but unfortunately, he had to bear the brunt of Frisco's 8th-inning assault. In 1.1 innings, Ferrell allowed six runs (four earned, two inherited runners charged to him) on four hits, walked four, and struck out two. Ronel Blanco got the last two outs of the 8th, but not before an error allowed two of the runners he inherited from Ferrell to score. He struck out the first man he faced and got a groundout to end that horror show in the 8th inning.

Brett Adcock will take the mound as the Hooks open up a four-game set in Amarillo. He'll face Jesse Scholtens at 7:05.

Fayetteville 11, Frederick 8

W- Carlos Sanabria (2-0)
L- Matt de la Rosa (0-1)
S- César Rosado (1)

Fayetteville home runs: Chandler Taylor (2, grand slam in 7th)

The Woodpeckers completed the sweep of the Keys by erasing an 8-0 deficit. No, I can't quite believe it either.

Alfredo Angarita ripped a double with one out in the 6th. Jake Meyers and Corey Julks joined him on the bases after drawing walks, and Seth Beer drew a walk to bring Angarita in with Fayetteville's first run. Scott Manea popped out on the infield fly rule, but Bryan de la Cruz and Chandler Taylor followed by walking in Meyers and Julks. Following a pitching change, Miguelangel Sierra ripped a two-run double and Jonathan Arauz, who led off the inning with a flyball out, hit a two-run single. Angarita followed by getting plunked in his second plate appearance of the frame.

Julks singled to start off the 7th. Beer popped out, but Manea walked and de la Cruz singled to load the bases for Taylor, who put the Woodpeckers in front with a grand slam. It was the second time in the series that Taylor hit a go-ahead home run. Julks finished 3-4 on the night and de la Cruz had two hits of his own.

Parker Mushinski allowed four runs on five hits (two-run homer), walked three, and struck out four in 3.1 innings. Brendan Feldmann was Fayetteville's first reliever and he went 1.2 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits (two-run homer) and striking out two. Carlos Sanabria restored order with three scoreless, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out five, and César Rosado worked around a walk to close out an incredible comeback, striking out one in the 9th.

The third leg of Fayetteville's 14-game roadtrip takes them to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where they will begin a four-game series with the Pelicans at 7:05 Eastern. Yohan Ramirez will face Bryan Hudson in the first game.

Quad Cities 7, Clinton 4

W- Humberto Castellanos (1-0)
L- Zach Wolf (0-1)
S- Devin Conn (1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits stunned the LumberKings by scoring four in the 9th to take the lead. One night after Austin Hansen and Shawn Dubin struck out 20, Nivaldo Rodríguez, Humberto Castellanos, and Devin Conn combined to strike out 16.

Nivaldo allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits (two solo homers) and struck out eight in five innings. Castellanos allowed a run on two hits, walked one, and struck out six in three innings of work, and Conn closed things out by striking out two in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Both teams scored two runs in the opening frame; Quad Cities' two came on a two-run double from Scott Schreiber. In the 3rd, Schreiber drew a walk and stole second base... and then a couple of errant throws from Clinton catcher Will Banfield and Connor Scott in the outfield allowed him to come home.

With one out in the 9th, Andy Piñeda legged out a bunt single, advanced to third on Trey Dawson's base hit, and scored the tying run on a single from Ross Adolph. Jeremy Peña drew a walk to load the bases for Enmanuel Valdez, who put the Banditos in front with a two-run single. Peña scored the final run of the evening on César Salazar's groundout. Valdez went 2-5 on the night; David Hensley and Piñeda, who also drew a couple of walks, also had two hits.

Quad Cities is aiming for a sweep. Cody Deason will get the start and he's looking to rebound from a tough start to his 2019. He will face Humberto Mejía at 6:30.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yordan Alvarez, LF/1B/DH, and Nick Tanielu, IF, Round Rock

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

Tanielu: Walk-off grand slam (1) in 10th inning

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Fresno

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

Carlos Sanabria, RHP, Fayetteville

W (1-0), 3 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

Chandler Taylor, OF, Fayetteville

Go-ahead grand slam (2) in 7th inning, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R

Enmanuel Valdez, IF, Quad Cities

2-5, go-ahead 2-RBI single in 9th inning

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 7-4 @ Clinton

9 IP, 6 H (2 solo HR allowed), 4 R (3 ER), BB, 16 K

Nivaldo Rodríguez: 5 IP, 4 H (2 solo HR allowed), 3 R (2 ER), 8 K

Humberto Castellanos: W (1-0), 3 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Devin Conn: Save (1), IP, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 5, 2019

Two rainouts, two losses. 

New Orleans 2, Round Rock 1

W- Jarlín García (1-0)
L- Cy Sneed (0-1)
S- Tommy Eveld (1)

RR home runs: Jack Mayfield (1, solo in 9th)

This probably wasn't the way the Express envisioned their Opening Day.

Jack Mayfield led off the 9th inning with a solo homer that represented Round Rock's only run, only hit, and only base runner. Mayfield was also the only player in the Express lineup to not strike out.

Brady Rodgers threw five shutout innings, allowing six hits, walking three, and striking out five. New Orleans got to Cy Sneed for two runs in the 8th, both of which were inherited runners that were charged to him. Only one of the runs was earned, however. In 2.1 innings, Sneed allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two. Ralph Garza Jr. got the final two outs of the 8th, striking out one. The Baby Cakes' runs scored on an error and a wild pitch from Garza.

Round Rock and New Orleans will play a doubleheader to make up the game that was originally scheduled for Opening Night. Akeem Bostick will go up against Hector Noesí in game one, while Corbin Martin takes on Nick Neidert in the second game.

Amarillo 7, Corpus Christi 5

W- Blake Rogers (1-0)
L- Brett Adcock (0-1)
S- Andrés Muñoz (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks nearly erased a five-run deficit, but the Sod Poodles managed to keep them at bay.

Granden Goetzman put Corpus on the board in the bottom of the 3rd when he hit a blooper that dropped, resulting in two runs. Abraham Toro ripped a double to bring Goetzman in; he wound up scoring on a single from Josh Rojas. Stephen Wrenn had two hits, walked twice, and stole a base. Rojas also finished with two hits on the evening.

Brett Adcock went 2.2 innings and allowed five runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out three. Kit Scheetz restored some order to the game as he retired all four Amarillo hitters he faced, striking out two. Carson LaRue pitched the last five innings and allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out six.

Brandon Bailey takes on Pedro Avila in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:15.

Fayetteville and Potomac was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled for tonight with game one starting at 5:00 Eastern. J.P. France faces Jackson Tetreault in the first game. The starters for game two have yet to be announced.

Quad Cities and Burlington was postponed

Due to poor field conditions. A doubleheader is also scheduled for tonight with game one starting at 5:00. Quad Cities will be the home team in game one and then they will serve as the visitors in game two.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Round Rock

5 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Jack Mayfield, IF, Round Rock

Solo HR (1); Round Rock's only hit, run, and baserunner on Friday

Stephen Wrenn (left), OF, and Josh Rojas, UTIL, Corpus Christi

Wrenn: 2-3, 2 BB, R, SB (2)

Rojas: 2-4, RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Let's play two in Myrtle Beach!

El Paso 9, Fresno 5

W- Kyle McGrath (3-2)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (2-1, 4-1 season)

Fresno home runs: Kyle Tucker (12, solo in 1st), Nick Tanielu (2, 6 season; 3-run in 2nd)

The Grizzlies got out to a quick 4-0 lead as Kyle Tucker and Nick Tanielu both homered for the second consecutive evening, but the Chihuahuas bit back ferociously and mauled them with a six-run 3rd and a three-run 4th to take control.

Tucker's solo shot opened the scoring. One inning later, Tanielu whacked a three-run homer. Tim Federowicz ripped an RBI double in the 5th, one of two doubles that he recorded on the night. Federowicz was the only man in the Fresno lineup to record a multi-hit game.

No Fresno pitcher threw three innings in this one. Brock Dykxhoorn went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out two. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed three runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 2.2 innings. Buddy Boshers allowed three hits and fanned five in two scoreless innings of work, and Reymin Guduan worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out two.

What will Cy Sneed have up his sleeve after the best start of his professional career? He'll get the start in game four of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Texas League All-Star Game

The 82nd Texas League All-Star Game ended in a 2-2 tie. No, seriously. Nine innings was not enough to determine a winner, so they went to a home run derby. Again, I'm not joking.

Randy César went 0-2 with a strikeout, but fortunately for him, this exhibition game does not snap his 41-game hitting streak. Josh Rojas and Alex De Goti both came on in the 6th inning; Rojas took over in left field for Josh Naylor and De Goti took César's place at third. Rojas went 0-2 with a strikeout and De Goti lined out to third and drew a walk. Taylor Jones got the start at first base and went 2-4 with a double in the game. He also hit the winning home run in the sudden-death home run derby...

Taylor Jones wins it for the South Division!! @cchooks pic.twitter.com/kvp9OSzZxz

— Midland RockHounds (@RockHounds) June 27, 2018

...and was named MVP of the game.

Taylor Jones is your Texas League All-Star Game MVP!!!

Jones won the game for the South in a Sudden Death Home Run Derby Showdown! pic.twitter.com/OO33Z2d6Hh

— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) June 27, 2018

The Hooks pitchers all got an inning of work in this game. Ryan Hartman was the second pitcher to appear for the South Division and he worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 2nd, striking out two. Corbin Martin threw a 1-2-3 4th inning. Framber Valdez came on for Martin in the 5th and allowed a hit and fanned two in a scoreless outing. Cionel Perez struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th.

The Corpus Christi Hooks will spend Wednesday on the road as they get set to start their tour of Arkansas. They will play three against the Arkansas Travelers beginning on Thursday.

Game 1: Buies Creek 4, Myrtle Beach 2

W- Brett Adcock (4-3)
L- Tyson Miller (6-6)
S- Jesús Balaguer (1)

BC home runs: None.

Buies Creek only scored in one inning, but it was enough for them to get the victory in game one of this twinbill.

All four of the Carolina Stros' runs in game one came in the 4th inning as Cody Bohanek opened the scoring with an RBI single. Bryan de la Cruz hit into a force out attempt that was botched, allowing Osvaldo Duarte to come home with another run. One batter later, Jake Adams ripped a two-run double. Corey Julks and Duarte finished with two hits apiece.

Brady Rodgers allowed four hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings. Brett Adcock's command and control completely deserted him; he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) and walked six in 1.2 innings. Jesús Balaguer pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed an RBI double that allowed one of Adcock's runners to score, walked two, and struck out two.

How would the Carolina Stros fare in the nightcap?

Game 2: Buies Creek 6, Myrtle Beach 0

W- Hector Perez (3-2)
L- Bryan Hudson (4-7)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros got the doubleheader sweep as Hector Perez pitched in every inning in a baseball game for the first time in his professional career in game two. Okay, it was a seven-inning game, but it still goes in the books as a complete game.

Perez allowed seven hits and struck out eight as he went the distance. All but one of the hits he gave up were singles.

Buies Creek scored three in the 1st and three more in the 4th. Abraham Toro scored the first run on a wild pitch and Bryan de la Cruz tacked on a two-run single. All three Buies Creek runs in the 4th came on another wild pitch and an error: De La Cruz, Carlos Canelón, and Jonathan Arauz all scored on some shambolic pitching and defense from the Pelicans. Jake Meyers, Cody Bohanek, and Duarte all finished with two hits in the second game.

Cristian Javier will face Alex Lange in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Wisconsin 5, Quad Cities 0

W- Christian Taugner (3-6)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (2-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got shackled once again on Tuesday.

David Hensley hit a double. Scott Schreiber, and Marty Costes had the other two Quad Cities hits.

Leovanny Rodriguez went six innings and allowed five runs on five hits (two-run homer), walked two, and struck out seven. Carlos Sanabria walked one and struck out three over 1.2 scoreless, and Brendan Feldmann allowed a hit and struck out two in 1.1 innings of work.

Quad Cities will look to avoid the sweep and get on the scoreboard in this series; they haven't scored in 24 innings. First pitch is at 6:35.

Staten Island 2, Tri-City 0

W- Nolan Martinez (1-0)
L- Hansel Paulino (0-1)
S- Reiver Sanmartin (1)

TC home runs: None.

Two runs were scored in this game. Unfortunately, they did not belong to the ValleyCats, and as a result, they were foiled in their bid to sweep the Baby Bombers. They had runners on second and third with one out in the 9th but couldn't get any of them across.

Jeremy Peña and Trey Dawson both finished 2-4 on the evening.

Jose Luis Hernandez allowed three hits and struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings. Hansel Paulino was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and went 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out three. Riley Cabral and Juan Pablo Lopez both threw scoreless innings; Cabral allowed a hit, issued a walk, and struck out the side in the 7th, while Lopez allowed a hit and fanned one in the 8th.

The ValleyCats have Wednesday off as they travel back upstate. They'll start a three-game set with Hudson Valley on Thursday.

GCL Marlins 8, GCL Astros 7

W- Julio Frias (1-1)
L- Elian Rodriguez (0-1)
S- Tanner Andrews (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros scored five in the 8th to cut the deficit to one run, but they couldn't get that tying run across.

Elian Rodriguez went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs (five earned, one inherited runner charged to him) on four hits, walked three, and struck out three. Jonathan Bermúdez made his pro debut as the first man out of the GCLstros bullpen and allowed an unearned run of his own on four hits in 1.2 innings. Manny Ramirez allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out five in four innings, and Freylin Garcia struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Patrick Mathis put the Palm Beach Stros on the board with an RBI double in the 1st and scored on a single from Yeuris Ramirez. All five of the GCLstros' runs in the 8th came with two outs in the inning. Nerio Rodriguez hit a two-run single and Yorbin Ceuta followed with an RBI base hit of his own. Sean Mendoza drew a bases-loaded walk and Freudis Nova legged out an infield single to score another run. Nerio and Mathis both finished with two hits on the afternoon.

DSL Astros 6, DSL Braves 5

W- Wender Oberto (1-1)
L- Jose Olague (1-1)
S- Flaer Gonzalez (2)

DSL home runs: Yimmi Cortabarria (1, solo in 2nd)

The Academy held the Braves to three hits but still had to hang on for the win.

Yimmi Cortabarria smacked a homer to lead off the 2nd inning. Marco van der Wijst scored on a wild pitch later on. Abraham Castillo hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and the Academy got two more in the 4th on a sac fly from Jeury Castillo and an error that allowed Yefri Carrillo to score. Carrillo scored again on a Carlos Hurtado groundout in the 6th. Cortabarria and van der Wijst finished with two hits apiece.

Heitor Tokar plunked two guys and struck out six over four scoreless innings. The two hit batters and a balk were pretty much the only things that went wrong for him on Tuesday. Jose Betances worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 5th. Wender Oberto tagged in for three innings and allowed three runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out two. Jeremy Molero got two outs in the 9th, one via strikeout, but he also issued a couple of walks, hit a couple of guys, and allowed two unearned runs on a wild pitch. One of the HBPs came with the bases loaded. Flaer Gonzalez got the last out of the game without incident.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, DSL Astros: 2-3, solo HR (1)

Nerio Rodriguez, C, GCL Astros: 2-3, 2 RBI, R
Manny Ramirez, RHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K

The @astros signed two Brazilians today! RHP Heitor Tokar and 3B Victor Coutinho, best hitter in 🇧🇷 #astros @BenBadler @JesseSanchezMLB pic.twitter.com/z2Wbgvv5KH

— Baseball Brazil (@baseball_brazil) July 2, 2017

Photographer unknown, picture provided to Baseball Brazil

Heitor Tokar, RHP, DSL Astros

4 IP, 6 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi
2-4, 2B, MVP of Texas League All-Star Game

Corbin Martin's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Texas League All-Star pitchers: Ryan Hartman, Corbin Martin, Framber Valdez, and Cionel Perez
Hartman: IP, H, 2 K
Martin: IP; 2 groundouts, 1 flyball out
Valdez: IP, H, 2 K
Perez: IP, K

Hector Perez, RHP, Buies Creek
CG, 7 H, 8 K in game two of doubleheader

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Buies Creek (on rehab)
3 IP, 4 H, 2 K in game one of doubleheader

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Buies Creek
2-3, 2B, R in game one of doubleheader
2-3, R in game two of doubleheader

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Buddy Boshers, LHP, Fresno
2 IP, 3 H, 5 K