Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Round Rock was off

The Express will start a three-game series in El Paso at 7:05 Mountain. José Urquidy will take on Emmanuel Ramirez.

Frisco 9, Corpus Christi 3

W- C.D. Pelham (1-2)
L- Yohan Ramirez (3-6)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks gave up runs in five consecutive innings; they cut into a 5-1 deficit but the Roughriders put them away with three in the 6th and one more in the 7th for good measure.

Ryan Pressly began his rehab assignment by allowing a hit and striking out two in the 1st inning. Yohan Ramirez took over and the results weren't pretty. He allowed seven runs (two inherited runners scored and were charged to him) on five hits, walked seven, and struck out five in four innings. Erasmo Pinales threw two innings and allowed two runs on four hits (three-run homer; two runs were charged to Ramirez) and struck out three. Nick Hernandez worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 8th.

Bryan de la Cruz doubled to lead off the game and he scored the first run of the evening when J.J. Matijevic grounded into a force out. Jonathan Arauz smacked a two-run triple in the 6th inning; he and de la Cruz both had two hits in this game.

Brett Adcock goes up against Tyler Phillips in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Wilmington 4, Fayetteville 1 (10 innings)

W- Tad Ratliff (3-2)
L- Tanner Duncan (4-4)
S- Andrew Beckwith (1)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers tied this game in the 9th... only to see the Blue Rocks go off for three runs in the first extra frame.

Fayetteville's lone run came via a sac fly from Miguelangel Sierra in the 9th. Scott Manea finished 2-3 on the night.

Brett Conine went five innings and he allowed three hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked two, and struck out four. Jojanse Torres tagged in for four scoreless, allowing two hits and striking out five. Tanner Duncan bore the brunt of Wilmington's assault in the 10th as he allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

Luis Garcia will get the start in game two. He'll go against Jonathan Bowlan at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 1, Kane County 0

W- José Bravo (5-5)
L- Matt Tabor (3-4)
S- Garrett Gayle (4)

QC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game and it belonged to the Banditos as they avoided getting swept at the hands of the Cougars.

Freúdis Nova went 2-3 and his RBI single in the 2nd was the only scoring play of the afternoon. Alex Holderbach, who scored on Nova's base hit, also had two hits on the day.

José Bravo allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three over six shutout frames. Devin Conn tagged in for two innings and he allowed a hit, walked three, and struck out four. Garrett Gayle completed the shutout by working around a hit in the 9th.

Felipe Tejada will start the first game of a three-game set with Clinton. He'll take on George Soriano at 6:35.

Tri-City 16, Lowell 4

W- Valente Bellozo (5-0)
L- Bryan Lucas (4-4)

TC home runs: Joe Perez 2 (5; 3-run in 1st, 3-run in 8th), A.J. Lee (4, 2-run in 6th), Nate Perry (6, 2-run in 6th)

The ValleyCats administered a severe beatdown to the Spinners.

Valente Bellozo allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out six in five innings of work. Juan Pablo Lopez tagged in for 3.1 innings and he allowed three runs on two hits, both of which were home runs, walked two, and struck out five. Miguel Figueroa walked one and struck out one as he got the final two outs of this game.

Peyton Battenfield will start the series finale and he'll face Chris Murphy at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros

Before getting to their regularly scheduled game with the Cardinals, they had to finish one that originally started on August 1 but was suspended due to rain. The Palm Beach 'Stros scored four in the 6th to tie the game at 5, but the Cardinals got one run in the 7th to regain the lead and it held up in the end. Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit; Rolando Espinosa hit a two-run homer in the 6th inning. 

In the regularly scheduled game, the Palm Beach 'Stros came out on top by a final of 6-3. The Cardinals scored two in the top of the 8th to tie the game at 3 and then the GCLStros responded with three in the bottom of the inning to regain control. James Nix hit his first career home run, a solo shot, in the 4th inning. Yorbin Ceuta hit a couple of sacrifice flies. Colin Barber launched a solo homer in the 6th. Franklin Pinto and Sean Mendoza had RBI singles in the 8th. Barber, Pinto, Nix, and Nerio Rodriguez all finished with two hits on the afternoon. On the mound, Alfredi Jimenez allowed one hit and struck out seven over four scoreless innings. 

DSL Astros and DSL Marlins was suspended

Due to rain. The Dominican 'Stros are currently leading 2-0 in the top of the 5th. Cristian Gonzalez is 2-2 with a solo homer, the first of his pro career.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

James Nix, OF, GCL Astros: 2-3, solo HR (1), 2 R

Colin Barber, OF, GCL Astros: 2-4, solo HR (2)

Alfredi Jimenez, RHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, H, 7 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Tri-City ValleyCats: W 16-4 @ Lowell

16 R, 16 H, E

Joe Perez: 3-5, 2 HR (5), 6 RBI

A.J. Lee: 3-4, 2 2B, 2-R HR (4), 3 RBI, 3 R

Luis Santana: 4-4, 3 R

Nate Perry: 2-3, 3-R HR (6)

Valente Bellozo: W (5-0), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Brett Conine, RHP, and Jojanse Torres, RHP, Fayetteville

Conine: 5 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Torres: 4 IP, 2 BB, 5 K

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 1-0 @ Kane County

9 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 7 K

José Bravo: W (5-5), 6 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Devin Conn: 2 IP, H, 3 BB, 4 K

Garrett Gayle: Save (4), IP, H

Freúdis Nova, IF, Quad Cities

2-3, RBI single; drove in only run of game

Jonathan Arauz, IF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 14, 2019

Round Rock 10, Iowa 8 (10 innings)

W- Reymin Guduan (3-1)
L- James Norwood (3-1)

RR home runs: Derek Fisher (10, 3-run in 1st), Jack Mayfield (14, solo in 5th), Josh Rojas (15, walk-off 3-run in 10th)

The Cubs thought that they were going to steal one from the Express (doing business as the Chupacabras) when they scored three in the 9th to tie and one in the 10th to take the lead. Yeah, they thought.

Brandon Bielak pitched six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits (solo and three-run homers), walked five, and struck out two. Brendan McCurry was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he allowed three hits and struck out one over two scoreless. Felipe Paulino couldn't get the last out of the game. He got two outs in the 9th and allowed three runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked one, and struck out one. Reymin Guduan allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, a double, and struck out two in 1.1 innings.

Derek Fisher launched a three-run home run in the 1st to kick things off. Jack Mayfield smacked a solo homer in the 5th. Alex De Goti hit a two-run single in the 7th and Mayfield added a sac fly to his ledger in the 8th. Drew Ferguson started the 10th in scoring position. Jamie Ritchie led off the 10th with a single and one batter later, Josh Rojas won the game by clubbing a three-run home run.

Rojas and Mayfield had three hits apiece while Fisher and Ritchie both finished with two on the night.

José Urquidy will start the opener of a four-game series with Memphis on Monday. He'll go against Genesis Cabrera at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 13, Midland 1

W- Yohan Ramirez (3-5)
L- Matt Milburn (5-6)

CC home runs: Seth Beer (21, solo in 3rd), Colton Shaver (12, 2-run in 3rd), Lorenzo Quintana (11, grand slam in 8th)

The Hooks took this series in emphatic fashion as they poured it on the Hounds early and often.

Brett Adcock pitched 3.2 innings and allowed a run on four hits, walked one, and struck out four. Yohan Ramirez was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he turned in 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out four. Nick Hernandez and Carlos Sanabria finished things off with one scoreless inning apiece. Hernandez, who just came off the IL, allowed a hit and struck out two in the 8th. Sanabria got two groundouts and a fly ball out in a 1-2-3 9th.

J.J. Matijevic ripped a two-run double in the 1st to open the scoring. Corpus blew this game open with six runs in the 3rd and all of them came with two outs. Seth Beer kept the inning alive by launching a solo homer. Lorenzo Quintana followed with a single and he scored on a single from Matijevic. Colton Shaver followed with a two-run blast and then Aníbal Sierra and Bryan de la Cruz capped off the onslaught with RBI singles.

Shaver added an RBI single to his ledger in the 7th and Quintana provided the cherry with a grand slam in the 8th inning. Beer, Quintana, and Matijevic all finished with three hits. Everyone except Sierra scored; everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Abraham Toro, who still managed to score a run.

The Hooks have Monday off. They'll welcome the Northwest Arkansas Naturals to the Coastal Bend for a three-game series starting Tuesday.

Fayetteville 3, Potomac 1

W- Brett Conine (7-4)
L- Andrew Istler (0-1)
S- César Rosado (3)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers scored two runs in the 8th to nip the Nationals.

Corey Julks opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd. Jake Adams smacked an RBI double in the 8th to break the tie and he scored the final run of the game on Michael Papierski's RBI single. Papierski finished 2-4 on the evening.

Shawn Dubin went five innings and he allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out five. Brett Conine turned in 3.2 dominating innings as he allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out eight. César Rosado finished off the game with a strikeout.

Austin Hansen gets the start in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, South Bend 4

W- José Alberto Rivera (5-3)
L- Riley Thompson (5-5)
S- Devin Conn (5)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos scored five in the 4th and held off a late charge from the Cubs to even the series.

José Alberto Rivera pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out six. Luis de Paula went two innings in his Midwest League debut and he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked two, and struck out one. Devin Conn walked two and struck out one in the 9th to get the save.

That big 4th inning gave the Banditos control of this game. Freúdis Nova put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI double. Alex Holderbach and Jonathan Lacroix drove in runs with groundouts and then Ramiro Rodríguez and Alex McKenna followed with RBI doubles. Rodríguez added an RBI single to his ledger in the 6th; he and Freúdis both finished with three hits on the day.

Felipe Tejada faces Brendan Little in the series finale. First pitch is at 1:05 Eastern.

Tri-City 6, Connecticut 4

W- Juan Pablo Lopez (2-2)
L- Chavez Fernander (2-2)
S- Yeremi Ceballos (2)

TC home runs: Korey Lee (1, 2-run in 1st)

The ValleyCats also got even in their series by holding off a rally from their opponents.

Korey Lee hit his first professional home run in the 1st inning, a two-run blast that opened the scoring. He added a sac fly to his ledger in the 5th. Tri-City got a pair of RBI singles in the 6th from E.P. Reese and Juan Paulino and Preston Pavlica hit a bloop single that drove in a run in the 7th. Everyone in the ValleyCats lineup recorded at least one hit in this game.

Valente Bellozo allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out five over 3.2 scoreless. Juan Pablo Lopez was the first man out of the ValleyCats bullpen and he allowed three runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out four in 4.1 innings. Yeremi Ceballos allowed a run on two hits, walked one, and struck out one in the 9th.

Hunter Brown takes on Marco Jimenez in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Marlins 3 (10 innings)

W- Jherson Pereira (4-0)
L- Jesús Sanchez (0-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach 'Stros scored all four of their runs in the final three innings of this game, which culminated with them walking off with the win.

Yimmi Cortabarria hit an RBI single in the 8th. Dexter Jordan reached on an error and José Mendoza and Sean Mendoza came home with the tying runs. Jordan tried for the walk-off Little League home run but he was thrown out at the plate. José Álvarez started the 10th in scoring position. He advanced to third on a sac bunt from Cortabarria (who reached safely) and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Álvarez and Cortabarria both had two hits on the day.

Brayan de Paula, facing his former organization, allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out seven over four scoreless innings. Diosmerky Taveras was the first man out of the GCL squad's bullpen and he allowed two runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out five. Danny Cody allowed a run on a sac fly, a hit, and walked one in 1.1 innings. Jherson Pereira got three outs despite facing two batters in the 10th, striking out one. How did that happen? Well, Álvarez picked the leadoff runner off second for the first out. Pereira hit the leadoff hitter, who proceeded to get picked off first. He wrapped up the inning with a strikeout.

Dominican Summer League All-Star Game

The American League topped the National League 5-4 in a game that was shortened by rain.

Yohander Martinez went 0-1 after entering the game to play third base in the 4th inning. Reimy Beltre needed one pitch to record the first out of the 5th.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Brayan de Paula, LHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Corpus Christi Hooks: W 13-1 @ Midland

13 R, 18 H, E

Seth Beer: 3-5, solo HR (21), 3 R

Lorenzo Quintana: 3-5, 2B, Grand Slam (11), 3 R

J.J. Matijevic: 3-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R

Colton Shaver: 2-5, 2-R HR (12), 3 RBI

Brett Adcock: 3.2 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Yohan Ramirez: W (3-5), 3.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Josh Rojas, UTIL, Derek Fisher, OF, and Jack Mayfield, IF, Round Rock

Rojas: 3-6, walk-off 3-R HR (15), 2 R, SB (28)

Fisher: 2-4, 2B, 3-R HR (10), 2 R

Mayfield: 3-4, 2B, solo HR (14), 2 RBI, 2 R

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 3-1 vs. Potomac

9 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 14 K

Shawn Dubin: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Brett Conine: W (7-4), 3.2 IP, H, BB, 8 K

César Rosado: Save (3), 0.1 IP, K

Ramiro Rodríguez, OF, Quad Cities

3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

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

Korey Lee, C, Tri-City

2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R; first professional home run

Valente Bellozo, RHP, Tri-City

3.2 IP, H, BB, 5 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Quad Cities sweep!

Round Rock 9, Omaha 8 (10 innings)

W- Tanner Duncan (2-0, 2-2 season)
L- Andrés Machado (1-2)

RR home runs: Taylor Jones (15, 3-run in 5th), Chas McCormick (4, 8 season; solo in 8th)

The E-Train fought back from an 8-1 deficit to walk off with a victory. After dropping the first game of this series, Round Rock took the next four.

Alex De Goti put the Express on the board with a sac fly in the 4th inning. The Storm Chasers went off for four in the top of the 5th to take an 8-1 lead but Taylor Jones whacked a three-run homer in the bottom of the 5th to help spark a comeback effort. Round Rock got three more in the 6th to get back into it as Jamie Ritchie ripped an RBI double and Chas McCormick followed with a two-run double. McCormick tied it in the 8th by smacking a home run to lead off the inning.

Garrett Stubbs started off the 10th in scoring position and moved to third on Ritchie's fly ball out to right. McCormick coaxed a walk and then Derek Fisher was intentionally walked to load the bases for Jack Mayfield, who picked the perfect time to snap an 0-5 night as he laced a ball to left field to complete the comeback. Jones and McCormick both had two hits and three runs batted in. Fisher and Ritchie also finished with two hits on the night.

Akeem Bostick bore the brunt of Omaha's assault as he allowed four home runs, including a grand slam, in his five innings. Fortunately, the bullpen picked him up with five scoreless innings to close things out. Joe Smith allowed a hit and struck out two in the 6th. Brendan McCurry and Tanner Duncan pitched two innings apiece with identical lines; they both walked one and struck out two during their time on the mound.

The Express will head up to Oklahoma City for their final series before the Triple-A All-Star break. There's a doubleheader on Friday to make up a game that was postponed on April 30. Rogelio Armenteros will start game one and he'll face Daniel Corcino at 7:05.

Frisco 11, Corpus Christi 10

W- Jonathan Hernandez (3-7)
L- J.B. Bukauskas (0-4)
S- Emmanuel Clase (5)

CC home runs: Seth Beer (9, 18 season; solo in 2nd), Lorenzo Quintana (6, 8 season; grand slam in 9th)

The Hooks scored in more innings than the Roughriders did, but unfortunately, one of the two innings in which Frisco scored involved seven runs. Corpus got a grand slam to cut the deficit to one run, but that was as close as they could get.

Cristian Javier continued his habit of being unhittable as he allowed just one hit, walked three, and struck out eight over five shutout innings. J.B. Bukauskas and Layne Henderson... didn't fare as well as Javier did. Riley Ferrell issued a couple of walks and struck out one in a scoreless 9th.

Seth Beer led off the 2nd with a homer and Aníbal Sierra ripped a two-run double later in the inning. Sierra drove in another run with a groundout in the 4th. Beer added an RBI single to his ledger in the 7th and Stephen Wrenn hit a sac fly. The Hooks loaded the bases to lead off the 9th but were in danger of leaving the inning empty-handed until Lorenzo Quintana launched a grand slam while they down to their final out. Unfortunately, they couldn't get the tying run on base.

Beer and Quintana both finished 4-5 on the night. Colton Shaver went 2-4 and both of his hits were doubles.

The Hooks return home to start a four-game set with Midland tonight at 6:15. Yohan Ramirez will start game one.

Salem 2, Fayetteville 1

W- Andrew Politi (4-1)
L- Shawn Dubin (2-4, 3-4 season)

Fayetteville home runs: Jake Adams (13, solo in 4th)

The Woodpeckers got swept in front of the home crowd. The end of June and the start of July has not been a kind stretch for Fayetteville as they've lost eight of their last nine.

Jake Adams clubbed a solo homer in the 4th for Fayetteville's only run in this game. Jonathan Arauz went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Brett Conine rebounded nicely from his worst outing of the season as he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out seven over five shutout frames. Shawn Dubin wasn't terrible in his four innings, but he got nipped for a couple of runs. Dubin allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out six.

The Woodpeckers will look to rebound as they begin a three-game series in Winston-Salem. Leovanny Rodríguez will start game one and he'll take on Jonathan Stiever at 6:30 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Wisconsin 0

W- Felipe Tejada (4-0)
L- Scott Sunitsch (6-8)

QC home runs: Austin Dennis (1, 2-run in 3rd)

The Banditos earned the sweep thanks to a stellar pitching performance; Felipe Tejada and Devin Conn joined forces to throw a two-hit shutout.

Tejada threw seven shutout innings, allowing two hits, walking three, and striking out eight. Conn finished the shutout by striking out two over two scoreless; he faced two over the minimum because he hit two batters.

Austin Dennis is probably better known for his speed on the bases, but he opened the scoring by launching a two-run homer in the 3rd. Quad Cities got two more in the 6th on a pair of RBI singles from David Hensley and Jonathan Lacroix. Hensley, Oscar Campos, and Alex McKenna all finished with two hits on the night.

The Banditos are home and they'll start a two-game series with Beloit tonight at 6:35. Cody Deason will get the start and he'll face Aiden McIntyre.

Staten Island 5, Tri-City 2

W- Abismael Villaman (1-0)
L- Guadalupe Chavez (0-1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats were kept in check on offense as they dropped the series.

They spoiled the shutout with a couple of runs in the 9th as Nathan Perry scored on a wild pitch and Grae Kessinger scored on Luis Santana's groundout. Perry went 2-2 with a double.

Lupe Chavez went 3.2 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out five. Juan Pablo Lopez got 4.1 innings and he allowed two runs on three hits, walked two, and struck out eight.

The ValleyCats are back home and they'll begin a three-game series with the Hudson Valley Renegades in a rematch of last year's NYPL Championship Series. First pitch is at 6:30 Eastern.

DSL Astros 6, DSL Marlins 4

W- Ricardo León (1-1)
L- Luis Lopez (0-1)
S- José Betances (1)

DSL home runs: Miguel Palma (3, 2-run in 7th)

Miguel Palma's one-man rally spurred the Dominican 'Stros to a victory.

Jeremy Molero and Ricardo León pitched four innings apiece. Molero allowed three hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked two, and struck out seven. León allowed three runs, two of which came on a double, walked five, and struck out seven. José Betances worked around a couple of hits and a bases-loading walk to get the save, striking out two in the 9th.

Palma found himself involved in all but one scoring play for the Dominican 'Stros. He reached on an error in the 2nd that allowed Omar Díaz to score. He launched a two-run homer in the 7th that cut the deficit to one run and then he put them in front with a two-run single in the 8th. Sebastian Grullón tacked on some insurance with an RBI single. Palma and Grullón both had two hits on the day.

The Dominican 'Stros will travel to the Royals complex for a game at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Miguel Palma, C, DSL Astros: 2-5, 2-R HR (3), 5 RBI
Jeremy Molero, RHP, DSL Astros: 4 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 BB, 7 K

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 4-0 @ Wisconsin

9 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 10 K

Felipe Tejada: W (4-0), 7 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 8 K

Devin Conn: 2 IP, 2 HB, 2 K

Brett Conine, RHP, Fayetteville

5 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Cristian Javier, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, H, 3 BB, 8 K

Seth Beer, 1B/OF, and Lorenzo Quintana, C, Corpus Christi

Beer: 4-5, solo HR (9, 18 season), 2 RBI, 2 R

Quintana: 4-5, 2B, Grand Slam (6, 8 season), 3 R

Taylor Jones, 1B/OF, and Chas McCormick, OF, Round Rock

Jones: 2-4, 3-R HR (15)

McCormick: 2-5, 2B, solo HR (4, 8 season), 3 RBI

Joe Smith's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Round Rock Express bullpen

5 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Joe Smith: IP, H, 2 K

Brendan McCurry: 2 IP, BB, K

Tanner Duncan: W (2-0, 2-2 season), 2 IP, BB, K

Getting to Know Fayetteville RHP Brett Conine

RHP Brett Conine didn't have a particularly good night at the office last night, but that rare hiccup in his trajectory only serves to underscore just how good he's been since being drafted by the Astros in the 11th round in 2018 out of Cal State Fullerton. Prior to Thursday's game, Conine had a 1.68 ERA and a 0.792 WHIP in his first 13 appearances of the season (10 BB:83 K in 64.1 IP). After last night, Conine now sits with a 2.38 ERA and a 0.897 WHIP, numbers which would still be good enough to land him in the top spot in the Carolina League had he pitched enough innings at the level to qualify.

Brett Conine - June 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Conine has split his season so far between Low A Quad Cities and High A Fayetteville. The Quad Cities team was forced to play on the road for most of their early season games due to river flooding, and Conine described the experience for me, "From what I remember, we only played three home games in a 30-game period so we were living off the bus basically. That was an experience. We would play a three-game roadstand or a six-game roadstand and come home for one day and then go and do it again. You didn't actually get to play at home. You just slept in your bed one night at a time every six days. So yeah we were always on the road. You get used to it because we've been playing baseball our whole lives so everyone's used to playing on the road but you like to mix in a home game every once in a while too. It didn't affect how we played. [Quad Cities went on to win the first half of the season in their division.] We were still playing the game of baseball but it would be nice to have the home fans. When I first showed up here in Fayetteville, having a home crowd behind me was just totally different. We get a good crowd out here too."

When asked about the early success in his season (and his pro career thus far), Conine said, "For me, I'm just trying to be consistent. Each and every day we have a specific throwing program that we try to do to help improve our pitches and the coaching staff has just been really up front on what they want out of all of us. For me, I've just been able to make small strides with each of my offspeed pitches and even my fastball, not only shape but locations. That's what I'm trying to focus on and keep things simple and just make pitches in each of my outings."

Conine described his pitch repertoire as consisting of a fastball, curveball, changeup and slider. "The slider's my most recent developmental pitch. That's kind of what I'm trying to use to help with the right handed hitters. The curveball and changeup I've had, but those were slow works of progress last year when I first got drafted and now they've been more of a staple for me. The fastball command is what I rely on. Just mixing those pitches is what helps me best." With his fastball sitting in the low 90's and hitting the mid-90's, command is key and that command has helped to set him apart.

I also spoke with Fayetteville Manager Nate Shaver and he was very complementary about Conine's command and his ability to pitch efficiently, allowing him to pitch deep into games despite being on a pitch count and putting the team in a good position to win. Shaver went on to say, "He's a good pitcher. And makeup wise, I couldn't ask for anything more out of the guy. Even-keeled most of the time. When he gets on the mound, he's in the zone, he's competitive. He has that swagger about him on the mound, doesn't really let much affect him. Trusts his defense behind him. He's good. He's a competitor."

"For me when I go out, I just want to give my team a chance and pound the strike zone, move quickly. I think if I'm taking too much time on the mound, then I'm out of my own rhythm and I need to keep the game moving and just get on the rubber and wait for the hitter to get in the box because I'm ready and keep a fast pace. I think that keeps the defense into the game as well and they're not dragging along and they can get back in and put up some runs for us and make it as (little) time as possible out on the field," said Conine.

Conine's main focus right now is working on that slider, "I throw the slider to righties so for me that's another out pitch that I can use against them. For me, I just listen to my catchers and mix well and I think that is what has helped me in these games. And as long as I'm consistent, I'm going to know what I can provide each outing."

During the season, in Conine's limited off time, he and his roommates spend most of their time simply trying to decompress and take their minds off baseball for a little bit, watching Netflix or playing video games. While at home in Orange, California in the offseason, Conine likes to hang out with friends and family at nearby California beaches or go for runs and bike rides. His competitive instincts propel him toward ping pong and bowling.

The most surprising thing I learned about Conine is that his major was Child and Adolescent Development and, but for baseball, he would be headed for a career in teaching. "That was like my third major but that was the one that kind of fit me well, to become an elementary school teacher. I still have a couple of semesters left so that would be the plan to go and chip away at that degree." And even though it surprised me, it made sense. I could definitely see Conine's very calm, unflappable demeanor translate well into the classroom.

The Astros 2018 class of 16 signed pitchers had a remarkable first season in 2018, combining for a 2.74 ERA and a 1.207 WHIP (Conine had a 1.99 ERA and a 1.074 WHIP in 11 appearances). But since none of them were promoted beyond the short season A level, I was keeping a close eye on those pitchers to see how they would handle the higher levels this season. Many of them have shown that 2018 was not a fluke. "That's what we come out here to do. We feed off each other. It's always an internal competition between the pitching staff. We all had that same goal. We were all excited to see what we could do on a full season team and push ourselves to get to the next level and show everyone," said Conine. So far, he's done just that.

Thank you for your time, Brett, and best of luck as your season continues to unfold.

Other recent interviews:
Colton Shaver
Nivaldo Rodriguez and Enmanuel Valdez

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, June 22, 2019

Astros vs. A's in the lower levels. Quite a bit of late-inning drama on Saturday...

Iowa 6, Round Rock 1 (6 innings)

W- Craig Brooks (1-0)
L- Ryan Hartman (5-2)

RR home runs: Josh Rojas (3, 11 season; solo in 1st)

This game was called with two outs in the 6th due to rain. The Cubs' first-inning outburst netted them the victory on Saturday.

Josh Rojas' solo shot in the 1st was the E-Train's only scoring play. Taylor Jones' single represented Round Rock's only other hit in this game.

Ryan Hartman pitched five innings and allowed six runs on seven hits (two and three-run homers), walked four, and struck out four.

Corbin Martin gets the start in game four of this series. He'll face Colin Rea at 1:05.

Corpus Christi 6, Springfield 4 (11 innings)

W- Brandon Bailey (2-2)
L- Kodi Whitley (1-4)

CC home runs: Osvaldo Duarte (9, walk-off 2-run in 11th)

The Hooks trailed 4-1 after the 5th but kept the Cardinals off the board the rest of the way and they eventually walked off with the W.

Carson LaRue went 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on five hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out seven. Willy Collado got the final out of the 5th with a strikeout. Collin McHugh struck out one in a 1-2-3 6th, and Brandon Bailey allowed a hit and struck out five in five scoreless innings of relief.

Seth Beer opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st inning. George Springer, who scored on the sac fly, drew a bases-loaded walk in the 6th. Corpus tied the game with two in the 8th on a Chuckie Robinson sac fly and a Bryan de la Cruz RBI single. Colton Shaver started the 11th in scoring position. Ronnie Dawson flew out for the first out, but Osvaldo Duarte came through with a two-run home run to send everyone home happy. Duarte and Ramiro Rodríguez both finished with two hits on the evening. George Springer singled and drew three walks in his second rehab game.

Yohan Ramirez will be on the mound as the Hooks look for the sweep. He'll take on Johan Oviedo at 4:15.

Fayetteville 5, Myrtle Beach 3

W- Brett Conine (3-1, 6-3 season)
L- Manuel Rondon (0-1)

Fayetteville home runs: J.J. Matijevic (1, 3 season; solo in 1st)

The Woodpeckers got three in the 9th inning to snatch this game from the Pelicans.

Shawn Dubin went four innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out seven. César Rosado struck out one in a 1-2-3 5th, and Brett Conine struck out one over four scoreless innings; he faced one batter over the minimum because he hit a batter.

Fayetteville got two in the opening inning on a sac fly from Chandler Taylor and a solo homer from J.J. Matijevic. They didn't score again until the 9th, but that rally ended up getting them the victory.

Matijevic and Jake Adams led off the inning with singles. Scott Schreiber popped out on the infield fly rule, but Marty Costes singled to load the bases for Michael Papierski, who tied the game with a single. Two batters later, Miguelangel Sierra hit a two-run single to put the Woodpeckers in front. Matijevic, who recently returned from a 50-game suspension for a drug of abuse while he was with Corpus, finished 2-4 and scored twice.

Nivaldo Rodríguez will get the start as Fayetteville looks for the sweep. He'll face Alexander Vargas at 6:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 7, Beloit 4

W- Joey Gonzalez (2-1, 2-2 season)
L- Aiden McIntyre (2-5)
S- Riley Cabral (4)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos and the Snappers both scored in the same innings. The difference here, however, was Quad Cities scoring four in the top of the 1st.

Quad Cities got things started in the 1st with a pair of singles from Jeremy Peña and Oscar Campos and then César Salazar ripped a two-run double. Peña hit another RBI single in the 4th and Salazar added an RBI base hit to his ledger in the 5th. Freúdis Nova drove the last River Bandits run with a base hit in the 9th.

Ross Adolph went 3-5 and this time, he finished a home run shy of the cycle. He also stole a base (8) and scored both of Peña's base hits. Peña (2 RBI, R, SB), Campos (RBI, 2 R), and Salazar (2B, 3 RBI, SB) all finished with two hits on the evening.

Brett Daniels threw four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, walked four, and struck out six. Joey Gonzalez was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and he allowed a run on five hits, walked one, and struck out one in three innings. Riley Cabral earned the two-inning save, allowing a run on two hits, walking one, and striking out two.

Matt Ruppenthal goes up against Chase Cohen in the series finale. First pitch is at 2:00.

Tri-City 6, Vermont 5 (11 innings)

W- Jervic Chavez (1-0)
L- Nick Ward (0-1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats took another one-run game from the Lake Monsters, this time in walk-off fashion. This was not a textbook defensive game as both teams combined to commit nine errors in this one, although you could take that with a grain of salt as minor league scorekeepers, especially at the lower levels, occasionally have the tendency to be, um... liberal in scoring plays as errors.

Hunter Brown and Derek West made their pro debuts on the mound in this one. Brown, who was drafted in the 5th round earlier this month out of Division II Wayne State, allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out one in 1.2 innings. West, a 14th-round pick out of Pittsburgh, pitched 1.1 innings and allowed two hits, one of which was a three-run home run. All three runs were unearned. Lupe Chavez followed with 3.2 innings and he allowed a run (inherited runner that was charged to him) on two hits, walked one, and struck out four. Jervic Chavez allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out three in 4.1 innings to get the win.

Preston Pavlica put Tri-City on the board with an RBI infield single in the 3rd inning. Juan Piñeda hit an RBI single in the 4th; C.J. Stubbs tried to score as well but he was thrown out at the plate. Pavlica hit a sac fly in the 5th and in the 6th, Piñeda reached on an error that allowed Zach Biermann to score and he himself ended up scoring on a bloop single from E.P. Reese.

Matt Barefoot started the 11th in scoring position and Biermann got a free pass to first to lead things off. Stubbs won it by ripping a double. Reese finished 2-4 with a stolen base, his second as a pro.

Peyton Battenfield takes on Yorlenis Noa as the ValleyCats look for a sweep. First pitch is at 5:00 Eastern.

DSL Athletics 8, DSL Astros 5

W- Marshall Cantillo (2-0)
L- Ronny Garcia (2-2)
S- Marcelo Hernandez (2)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros were stung by a late uprising from the A's, who scored two in the 8th and three in the 9th to take control.

Ricardo Toro and Sebastian Grullón hit RBI singles in the 1st inning. Andrés Monzón ripped an RBI double in the 4th and he came around to score on a single from Yohander Martinez. Carlos Hurtado ripped an RBI double in the 9th. He, Martinez, and Omar Díaz (2 R) all had two hits on the day.

Misael Tamarez got the start and he allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and struck out three in three innings. Edinson Batista went two innings and allowed a run on a wild pitch, a hit, walked three, and struck out three. Ronny Garcia was next; he pitched three innings and allowed two unearned runs on two hits and fanned two. José Betances got the 9th but only got one out via strikeout; he allowed three runs on three hits and walked three. Miguel Padilla got the last two outs of the 9th, one via strikeout.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yohander Martinez, SS, DSL Astros: 2-5, RBI, R
Carlos Hurtado, C, DSL Astros: 2-5, 2B, RBI

Collin McHugh's photo is his Twitter profile picture. Follow him @Collin_McHugh.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

6.1 IP, H, 7 K

Willy Collado: 0.1 IP, K

Collin McHugh: IP, K

Brandon Bailey: W (2-2), 5 IP, H, 5 K

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Corpus Christi

2-5, walk-off 2-R HR (9), 2 R

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

Jeremy Peña, SS, César Salazar, C, Ross Adolph, OF, and Oscar Campos, C, Quad Cities

Peña: 2-5, 2 RBI, R, SB (16)

Salazar: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, SB (3)

Adolph: 3-5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, SB (8); finished home run shy of cycle

Campos: 2-5, RBI, 2 R

Fayetteville Woodpeckers bullpen

5 IP, HB, 2 K

César Rosado: IP, K

Brett Conine: W (3-1, 6-3 season), 4 IP, hit batter, K

J.J. Matijevic, 1B, Fayetteville

2-4, solo HR (1, 3 season), 2 R

Jervic Chavez's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Guadalupe Chavez, RHP, and Jervic Chavez, LHP, Tri-City

Lupe: 3.2 IP, 2 H, ER (inherited runner charged to him), BB, 4 K

Jervic: W (1-0), 4.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Fayetteville sweep!

Round Rock 9, Reno 8

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (5-1)
L- Anthony Vasquez (3-4)

RR home runs: None.

The Express chipped away at an early 6-0 deficit, pulled even with three runs in the bottom of the 8th, and walked off with the victory in the bottom of the 9th.

Akeem Bostick went four innings and allowed seven runs on six hits (solo and two-run homers), walked four, and struck out four. The bullpen picked him up with five innings of one-run ball to close things out. Kit Scheetz was first and he allowed a run on four hits, walked one, and struck out four in 2.2 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. struck out two over 2.1 perfect innings to earn the win.

Drew Ferguson put the Express on the board with an RBI double in the 4th and he came around to score on a base hit from Nick Tanielu. Kyle Tucker added another run with a single in the 5th and they got a pair in the 6th thanks to an A.J. Reed sac fly and a double from Aníbal Sierra. The E-Train turned a bases-loaded situation in the 8th into the three runs that tied the game. Sierra drove in a run with a groundout, but he became the second out. However, Jamie Ritchie followed with a two-run single to tie the game.

Taylor Jones kept the bottom of the 9th alive by drawing a walk and Ferguson joined him on the bases with a walk of his own. Tanielu sent everyone home happy with an RBI single. He finished 4-5 with a triple on the night. Ferguson went 3-4 with a double and scored three runs.

Rogelio Armenteros gets the start in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Arkansas 2, Corpus Christi 1 (10 innings)

W- Sam Delaplane (1-0)
L- Tommy DeJuneas (0-1, 1-3 season)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks missed a chance to take control of this game and eventually walked off with the loss in the first extra frame.

J.B. Bukauskas pitched six innings and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer. He allowed three other hits, walked two, and struck out ten. Brandon Bailey tagged in for 2.2 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out six. Tommy DeJuneas got the last out of the 9th with a strikeout but the leadoff man hit the walk-off RBI single against him in the 10th.

Ronnie Dawson singled in the 6th and scored Corpus Christi's only run of the night on a wild pitch. Bryan de la Cruz finished 2-3 with a double.

Yohan Ramirez will make his first Texas League start in 2019 in the series finale. He'll face Justin Dunn at 7:10.

Fayetteville 1, Myrtle Beach 0

W- Brett Conine (2-1, 5-3 season)
L- Alex Lange (1-9)
S- Jacob Billingsley (1)

Fayetteville home runs: Scott Schreiber (3, 6 season; solo in 2nd)

There was only one scoring play in this game and it belonged to the Woodpeckers as they swept the Pelicans out of the Sandhills.

Meanwhile on the mound, Brett Conine, César Rosado, and Jacob Billingsley combined on a three-hit shutout. Conine actually allowed all three hits and struck out seven in six innings. Rosado struck out three over two perfect innings and Billingsley worked around a hit batter to finish off the game. He struck out two.

Scott Schreiber led off the 2nd with a homer and that tally held up thanks to the excellent pitching. That was the only extra-base hit by either side in this game. Miguelangel Sierra had the other two Fayetteville hits.

The Woodpeckers will take on the Potomac Nationals in a four-game series, their last series before the Carolina League All-Star break. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities and Beloit was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled for tonight with game one beginning at five. Cody Deason takes on Reid Birlingmair in the first game and R.J. Freure will go against Bryce Conley in game two.

DSL Red Sox1 8, DSL Astros 7

W- Isaac Pinales (1-0)
L- José Betances (0-1)

DSL home runs: None.

Unbelievable. The Astros scored five in the top of the 9th to take a 7-3 lead... and then the Red Sox walked off with the win after scoring five of their own in the bottom of the 9th.

Cristian Gonzalez hit an RBI single in the 4th inning to put the Dominican 'Stros on the board. Andrés Monzón hit an infield single in the 7th and an error on the play allowed Tomás Ramirez to score another run. The Astros turned a bases-loaded situation in the 9th into five runs. Yohander Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Monzón, who struck out but reached base safely. Two batters later, Gonzalez brought everyone in with a triple and he scored on a wild pitch for good measure. Gonzalez and Monzón both finished with two hits on the day.

Juan de los Santos pitched four innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits, walked two, and struck out two. José Nodal was the first man out of the DSL Astros bullpen and he allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings. Carlos Calderón was next and he allowed two unearned runs on two hits and walked two in 1.2 innings. José Betances couldn't close it out; he got two outs in the 9th and allowed five runs (three inherited runners charged to him), walked four, and struck out one. Marcos Eusebio issued a bases-loaded walk and the Red Sox hit a game-winning two-run double off of him.

The Astros will take on the Dodgers 1, or the Dodgers Bautista team at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Cristian Gonzalez, SS, DSL Astros: 2-4, 3B, 4 RBI, R, SB (2)

J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, and Brandon Bailey, RHP, Corpus Christi

Bukauskas: 6 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 10 K

Bailey: 2.2 IP, H, BB, 6 K

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 1-0 vs. Myrtle Beach

9 IP, 3 H, 12 K

Brett Conine: W (2-1, 5-3 season), 6 IP, 3 H, 7 K

César Rosado: 2 IP, 3 K

Jacob Billingsley: Save (1), IP, HB, 2 K

Round Rock Express bullpen

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

Kit Scheetz: 2.2 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: W (5-1), 2.1 IP, 2 K

Nick Tanielu (left), IF, and Drew Ferguson, OF, Round Rock

Tanielu: 4-5, 3B, walk-off RBI single, 2 RBI, R

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