Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, June 9, 2017

El Paso 14, Fresno 12

W- Jason Jester (2-0)
L- Dean Deetz (0-2, 4-4 season)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (9, solo in 6th), Tony Kemp (2, 2-run in 9th)

The Grizzlies nearly clawed their way back from a 14-5 deficit. Unfortunately... no cigar.

Reid Brignac hit an RBI single in the 2nd to put Fresno on the board. In the 3rd, Tyler White hit into a fielder's choice and an error on the play allowed two runs to score. White, who advanced to 2nd on the miscue, scored on Preston Tucker's double.

A.J. Reed launched the comeback bid by whacking a homer to lead off the 6th. The elder Tucker added a sac fly, Juan Centeno hit a 2-run single, and Reed hit a 2-run single in his second plate appearance of the inning. Tony Kemp smacked a 2-run homer in the 9th to 2. White and Tucker followed Kemp's blast with singles, but they were both stranded to end the game.

Big Tuck finished 4-5 on the evening. Centeno was 3-5 with a double, his 2-run single, and scored twice. Kemp (2-R HR, 2 R), White (2 R), Reed (solo HR, 3 RBI), and Jon Kemmer (2B, 3 R) all posted 2-hit nights.

Dean Deetz got roughed up in his 3+ innings as he allowed 5 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. The Chihuahuas had 8 straight reach base to begin the 4th before the Grizzlies could record an out. Ashur Tolliver was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen but failed to record an out. He got tagged for 6 runs (3 inherited runners charged to him). allowed 3 hits, and walked 2. Tyson Perez went 2 innings, and the 3 runs that were charged to him came on a homer hit by Jabari Blash in the 5th. Perez allowed 3 other hits and walked 1. Brian Holmes stopped the bleeding with 3 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 2.

Trent Thornton faces Matt Magill in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Frisco 3, Corpus Christi 1

W- Yohander Mendez (4-3)
L- Framber Valdez (0-1, 0-4 season)
S- Reed Garrett (5)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks couldn't get much off of Arlington's top prospect, Yohander Mendez, on Friday night and had to settle for a split in the series.

Framber Valdez went 6 innings in his Corpus debut and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. The one hit that Sean Stutzman allowed in his 2 innings was a solo homer to Michael O'Neill in the 7th. Stutzman also walked 1 and fanned 3. Riley Ferrell worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Jamie Ritchie's RBI single in the 6th was the Hooks' only scoring play. An error on the play allowed Garrett Stubbs to advance to 3rd, but he was stranded there to end the frame.

Corpus heads up I-37 to take on San Antonio. Kyle Smith will start the opener against Brett Kennedy at 7:05.

Buies Creek 7, Wilmington 4

W- Justin Ferrell (6-3)
L- A.J. Puckett (5-5)
S- Andrew Walter (1)

BC home runs: Jake Rogers (4, 10 season; solo in 1st)

The Carolina Stros jumped out to a 5-0 lead, then saw it get whittled down to one run. Fortunately, they managed to score a couple of crucial insurance runs to come away with the win.

Jake Rogers launched a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring. Buies Creek got 4 in the 4th on a 2-run single from Rodrigo Ayarza and RBI singles from Ryne Birk and Spencer Johnson. Rogers, who finished 3-5 with a stolen base (3, 4 season), scored on a wild pitch in the 8th and capped off the evening with an RBI infield single in the 9th. He now has a 9-game hitting streak. Birk and Randy César also finished with 3 hits on the evening.

Justin Ferrell allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and fanned 2 in 5 innings of work. Carlos Sierra was the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Andrew Walter got the save with 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 2.

Hector Perez takes on Cristian Castillo in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Quad Cities 8, Beloit 3

W- Gabriel Valdez (1-0)
L- Matt Milburn (2-5)
S- Cionel Perez (1)

QC home runs: Chuckie Robinson (6, 2-run in 7th)

The Banditos scored 4 in the 7th to create some separation between them and the Snappers. They're just one game out of a playoff spot with 9 games to go in the first half of the Midwest League season.

Gabriel Valdez pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Cionel Perez pitched the last 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on an error, a double, and struck out 4.

Carmen Benedetti ripped a 2-run double in the 3rd to put Quad Cities on the board. Wander Franco smacked an RBI double in the 4th, and Jonathan Arauz scored on a wild pitch in the 5th. Arauz drew a 1-out walk in the 7th and eventually scored on an error that allowed Benedetti to reach. Later in the frame, Yordan Alvarez hit a sac fly, and Chuckie Robinson launched a 2-run homer to bring in the last of the Banditos' runs.

Arauz (3 R, BB), Ronnie Dawson (2 2B, R), Osvaldo Duarte (2B, R), and Benedetti (2B, 2 RBI, R) all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Carlos Sanabria gets the start in game 2. He'll go up against Dalton Sawyer at 7:00.

DSL Astros Blue 9, DSL Red Sox 1

W- Antonio Pujols (1-0)
L- Alejandro Rodriguez (0-1)

Blue home runs: Ronny Rafael (3, 2-run in 3rd)

Team Blue swept the Red Sox in their first encounter. They got out to a 5-1 lead and tacked on 4 more in the 9th for good measure.

Ronny Rafael's 2-run blast in the 3rd opened the scoring. Rhandall Sanchez scored on an error in the 4th. César Cortez tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the 5th, and Kendy Moya had an RBI single in the 6th.

The Blue team parlayed a bases-loaded, 1 out situation into 4 runs in the 9th as Anthony Rodriguez hit an RBI single, Sanchez had a sac fly, and Ronaldo Urdaneta ripped a 2-run triple. Rafael finished 2-5 on the day.

Angel Macaure allowed 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless innings. Oscar Severino allowed a run on a groundout, a double, and struck out 1 in the 5th, and Antonio Pujols allowed 4 hits while striking out 4 over 4 scoreless.

The Blue team will face the Marlins at 10:30 AM Eastern.

DSL Dodgers2 3, DSL Astros Orange 1

W- Antonio Hernandez (1-0)
L- Diosward Gonzalez (0-1)
S- Leowis Blanco (1)

Orange home runs: None.

Both teams had 7 hits... the Orange team scored fewer runs. They threatened in the 9th but left the bases loaded to end the game.

Michael Garcia went 2-4 and spoiled the shutout with an RBI single in the 9th. Ramiro Rodriguez also went 2-4.

Diosward Gonzalez went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 5. Carlos Perdomo pitched the final 5 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits and struck out 3.

Team Orange will take on the Cubs 1 at 10:30 AM Eastern.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ronny Rafael, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-5, 2-R HR (3), 2 R
Angel Macuare, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 K
Antonio Pujols, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: W (1-0), 4 IP, 4 H, 4 K

Carlos Perdomo, LHP, DSL Astros Orange: 5 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 3 K

Jake Rogers, C, Buies Creek

3-5, solo HR (4, 10 season), 2 RBI, 3 R, SB (3, 4 season)

.@CionelP pic.twitter.com/sJnkhCRqWI

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) May 29, 2017

Photo by Rich Guill

Cionel Perez, LHP, Quad Cities

Save (1), 4 IP, H, unearned run, 4 K

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Quad Cities
2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Andrew Walter, RHP, Buies Creek

Save (1), 2.1 IP, H, BB, 2 K

Brian Holmes, LHP, Fresno

3 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Juan Centeno's photo taken by Bryan Green

A.J. Reed, 1B, Preston Tucker, OF, and Juan Centeno, C, Fresno

Reed: 2-5, solo HR (9), 3 RBI

Tucker: 4-5, 2B, 2 RBI

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 7, 2017

Colorado Springs 7, Fresno 3

W- Brandon Woodruff (5-0)
L- Edison Frias (1-3)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (6, solo in 8th)

The Grizzlies were done in by a couple of big innings from the Sky Sox offense and a lackluster offensive showing on their end.

Fresno didn't get on the board until the 8th when Jon Kemmer hit a sac fly and Preston Tucker launched a solo homer. Jack Mayfield finished 3-4 with a couple of doubles; he led off the 8th with one and scored on Kemmer's sac fly and drove in a run with the second double in the 9th inning. D.J. Fisher singled to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Reid Brignac finished 2-4.

Edison Frias and Brian Holmes both pitched 4 innings with dramatically different results. Frias allowed 7 runs on 9 hits (2 solos and a 2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 3. On the other hand, Holmes allowed a hit, walked 2, struck out 5, and kept Colorado Springs off the scoreboard.

Francis Martes returns after getting his last start skipped. He'll face Josh Hader at 6:40 Mountain.

San Antonio 7, Corpus Christi 1

W- Kyle Lloyd (3-3)
L- Josh James (2-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks dropped their sixth straight to fall to .500. They were in this same situation last year and managed to right the ship and win the first half.

Mott Hyde opened the scoring with an RBI infield single in the 2nd. Unfortunately, that was Corpus Christi's only scoring play of the afternoon.

Josh James went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Riley Ferrell was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in the 5th. Michael Freeman pitched 2.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jacob Dorris struck out 3 over 1.2 perfect innings.

The series continues at 7:05 as Rogelio Armenteros faces Barry Enright.

Buies Creek 12, Myrtle Beach 6

W- Matt Bower (2-0)
L- Ryan Kellogg (1-2)

BC home runs: Jason Martin 3 (5; solo in 1st, 3-run in 2nd, solo in 4th), Kyle Tucker 2 (8; solo in 2nd, 2-run in 6th), Anibal Sierra (1, 3-run in 1st), Pat Porter (3, solo in 6th)

Sunday Funday for Buies Creek as they lit up Myrtle Beach's pitchers to the tune of seven home runs. All 12 of their runs scored on those big flies.

Jason Martin wasted little time in getting things started as he sent one out to start the game. Later in the 1st, Anibal Sierra whacked a 3-run homer. Martin launched a 3-run homer in the 2nd to give him two in as many innings. Kyle Tucker followed by cranking a solo shot later in the frame. Martin led off the 4th inning with his 3rd homer of the day, his second solo blast. Little Tuck turned in a second consecutive multi-homer game when he smacked a 2-run homer in the 6th. Pat Porter followed up that dinger by clubbing a solo homer. Porter and Martin both finished with 3 hits on the day. Tucker and Dex McCall both finished 2-4 at the plate.

Matt Bower allowed 4 runs on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 5 innings. Ryan Deemes and Nick Hernandez pitched 2 innings apiece out of the bullpen. Deemes allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and fanned 4, while Hernandez struck out one over a pair of spotless frames.

Buies Creek has Monday off. They'll return to action on Tuesday to start a 3-game series with the Salem Red Sox. Framber Valdez will face Dedgar Jimenez at 7:00 Eastern.

Lake County 3, Quad Cities 1

W- Tanner Tully (1-1)
L- Ryan Hartman (3-1)
S- Ryder Ryan (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos' bats were silenced in the series finale. Both teams scored a run in the 5th inning, but the Captains quickly broke the tie with a couple of runs in the 6th.

Taylor Jones' sac fly in the 5th was Quad Cities' only scoring play. Stephen Wrenn, who scored that run, went 2-3 with a double.

Ryan Hartman went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Lucas Williams didn't allow any runs that were charged to him in his 3 innings of work, but he allowed the two runners he inherited from Hartman to score in the 6th. Williams also allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Kevin Hill worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 2.

The River Bandits will be on the road this week to take on a couple of Eastern Division clubs. Their first stop is Bowling Green, Kentucky, where they'll begin a 3-game set with the Hot Rods at 6:35. Enoli Paredes will start game 1.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jason Martin, OF, Buies Creek

3-5, 3 HR (5), 5 RBI

1st career 3-HR game

Kyle Tucker, OF, Buies Creek

2-4, 2 HR (8), 3 RBI, 3 R

2nd straight multi-HR game

Pat Porter, OF/1B, Buies Creek

3-5, solo HR (3), 2 R

Nick Hernandez, RHP, Buies Creek

2 IP, K

Jacob Dorris, RHP, Corpus Christi

1.2 IP, 3 K

Jack Mayfield, IF, Fresno

3-4, 2 2B, RBI, R

Brian Holmes, LHP, Fresno

4 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 5, 2016

El Paso 10, Fresno 6

W- Michael Dimock (1-0)
L- César Valdez (2-1)

Fresno home runs: Max Stassi (2, 2-run in 5th)

The Grizzlies trailed 10-0 after 3.5 innings as they got bludgeoned by an El Paso attach that churned out 23 hits.

César Valdez basically took one for the team in his 5 innings. He allowed 10 runs on 18 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 3. Jordan Jankowski and Reymin Guduan both threw 2 scoreless innings; Jankowski allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3, and Guduan allowed a hit.

Jon Singleton put Fresno on the board with an RBI single in the 4th. Later in the inning, Jack Mayfield ripped a 2-run double, and he eventually scored when Preston Tucker grounded into a force out. Max Stassi hit his 2nd homer of the season, a 2-run homer in the 5th. Preston Tucker and Jon Kemmer had 2 hits apiece.

Joe Musgrove will be on the hill for game 3 of this series. He'll face Daniel McCutchen at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 3, Northwest Arkansas 2

W- Brian Holmes (4-2)
L- Ashton Goudeau (1-2)
S- Brendan McCurry (12)

CC home runs: James Ramsay (3, solo in 4th)

The Hooks finished their first tour of Arkansas with a 5-1 record; they swept the Travelers and took 2 of 3 from the Naturals.

Brian Holmes had an excellent day on the mound, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out a season-high 8 over 5 shutout innings. Cy Sneed tagged in for 3 innings; he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits (6 singles and a double) and struck out 2. Brendan McCurry struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to record his 12th save of the season.

Corpus was outhit 10-7, but they outscored Northwest Arkansas, and that's what matters most. D.J. Fisher opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd. James Ramsay led off the 4th with a solo blast. Alfredo Gonzalez followed with a double and came around to score on an RBI single from Alejandro Garcia. Teoscar Hernandez went 2-4 and extended his hitting streak to 6 games.

The Hooks have Monday off; they'll start a 4-game series with Midland on Tuesday.

Lancaster 15, Modesto 8

W- Matt Bower (2-1, 3-1 season)
L- Ryan Castellani (1-6)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin 2 (10; 2-run in 2nd, 2-run in 5th), Bobby Boyd (5, solo in 1st), Bryan Muñiz (6, solo in 7th), Ramon Laureano (2, 2-run in 8th)

The JetHawks went nuts with the home run stroke on Sunday, launching 5 of them.

Bobby Boyd led off the bottom of the 1st with a solo shot. In the 2nd, Jason Martin hit his first 2-run homer of the day and Garrett Stubbs later added a 2-run single. Boyd walked to start the 5th and dashed home on a Stubbs double. Later in the inning, Martin clubbed his second 2-run shot. In the 6th, Stubbs hit another 2-run single and Boyd scored on a double play. Bryan Muñiz led off the bottom of the 7th with a homer, and Ramon Laureano drove in Lancaster's final runs of the day with a 2-run homer.

Boyd reached in all 5 of his plate appearances; he singled, homered, walked 3 times, scored 5 runs, and stole 2nd base (26) as part of a double steal with Johnny Sewald in the 2nd. Stubbs (2B, 5 RBI, R) and Muñiz (HR, 2 RBI, 3 R) both had 3 hits, while Laureano (2-R HR), Martin (2 2-R HR), and Tony Nuñez (2B, R, SB [4, 13 season]) had 2 hits on the day. Johnny Sewald scored twice; while Boyd took 2nd, Sewald took 3rd. That stolen base makes Sewald the 4th player in the system to steal 20 bases this season.

Matt Bower went 6.1 innings and allowed 7 runs on 12 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jacob Dorris pitched the final 2.2 innings, and the only run he allowed was a solo homer to Josh Fuentes in the 9th. Dorris allowed one other hit and struck out 6.

The series continues tonight at 6:35 Pacific as Dean Deetz faces Yency Almonte.

Burlington 5, Quad Cities 4

W- Tyler Watson (1-0)
L- Kevin McCanna (2-3)
S- Zach Hartman (7)

QC home runs: Connor Goedert (4, solo in 3rd)

The Banditos suffered the sweep as they dropped yet another one-run game despite outhitting the Bees 11-7. Quad Cities manager Omar Lopez.... was not pleased. (QC Times, via Astros County's Monday Morning Hot Links)

The Bees scored 5 in the 5th to take a 5-3 lead. The Banditos managed to pull a run back in the 9th, but they couldn't get over the hump. They left two runners in scoring position to end the 4th, runners on the corners to end the 8th.

Christian Correa put Quad Cities on the board first with a 2-run single in the 1st. Connor Goedert ripped a solo homer in the 3rd, his 4th of the year. Myles Straw led off the bottom of the 9th with a triple and scored on an 1-out RBI single from Kyle Tucker, who was stranded there to end the game. Straw, Tucker, and Correa all finished 2-4 on the day. Little Tuck also stole his 23rd base of the season.

Kevin McCanna went 4.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him), 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 8. Adam Whitt got the final out of the 5th with a strikeout, but not before allowing the runner he inherited from McCanna and a run of his own to score. Whitt allowed 3 hits. Franklin Perez finished the game with 4 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 6.

The River Bandits have today off. They will begin a 3-game series with Beloit tomorrow.

From Saturday: DSL Astros Blue 5, DSL Dodgers2 3

W- Juan Cuevas (1-0)
L- Johan Mena (0-1)
S- Jheyson Caraballo (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team took control with 4 runs in the 6th. They only put 2 balls in play that entire inning and drew 5 walks.

Alfredo Angarita and Ozziel Sanchez-Galan walked, and Cesar Cortez singled to load the bases. Angarita scored the Blue team's first run on a wild pitch, and Jose Benjamin followed with a sac fly that scored Sanchez-Galan. Cortez scored on a wild pitch, as did Orlando Marquez. Cortez grounded into a force out in the 7th that allowed Angel Tejeda to score.

Leovanny Rodriguez allowed a run on 5 hits and struck out 7 in 4.1 innings. Juan Cuevas threw 1.2 perfect innings, striking out 1, and Jheyson Caraballo allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and struck out 5.

Six Stars (in no particular order)

Brian Holmes, LHP, Corpus Christi

W (4-2), 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 8 K

Franklin Perez, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 2 H, 6 K

Garrett Stubbs, C, Lancaster

3-5, 2B, 5 RBI, R

Bobby Boyd, OF, Lancaster

2-2, solo HR (5), 5 R, 3 BB

Jason Martin, OF, Lancaster

2-4, 2 2-R HR (10)

Bryan Muñiz, 1B, Lancaster

3-4, solo HR (6), 2 RBI, 3 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 17, 2016

Alex Bregman continues his reign of terror in the Texas League.

Las Vegas 3, Fresno 0

W- Sean Gilmartin (1-0)
L- Brady Rodgers (0-1)
S- Chasen Bradford (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies' bats went silent for the first time this season.

Colin Moran finished 2-4.

Brady Rodgers had a solid outing, but with the offense MIA, he could only take the loss. Rodgers allowed a run on 7 hits and struck out 4 in 6 innings of work. Kevin Chapman allowed 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 1.1 innings, and Jandel Gustave struck out 1 in 1.2 innings.

Mike Hauschild will get the start in the final game of the series. He'll face Stolmy Pimentel at 12:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 3, Springfield 2

W- Yeyfry Del Rosario (1-0)
L- Josh Lucas (0-1)
S- Aaron West (1)

CC home runs: Alex Bregman (5, 2-run in 7th)

How about that Alex Bregman. His 2-run blast proved to be the difference as Corpus came out on top in game 1 of this series.

The only hit that Brian Holmes surrendered in 5.2 innings of work was a 2-run homer from Harrison Bader in the 3rd. Other than that, he was fantastic, walking 1 and striking out 5 in that timeframe. Yeyfry Del Rosario struck out 2 over 1.1 perfect innings to get the W in his season debut. Aaron West got into a bit of a predicament in the 9th when Springfield had runners on the corners with 1 out against him, but he buckled down and got the final 2 outs without incident. West, who got the 2-inning save, allowed 3 hits and fanned 3.

The other Corpus run came on a J.D. Davis sac fly in the 6th. Mr. Bregman finished 3-4 and also stole a base (1), while Teoscar Hernandez went 2-5 out of the leadoff spot.

Cy Sneed gets the start in game 2 of this series; he'll take on Mike Mayers at 6:30.

High Desert 7, Lancaster 2

W- Cole Wiper (2-0)
L- Josh James (1-1)
S- Austin Pettibone (1)

Lancaster home runs: Bryan Muñiz (1, solo in 7th)

The JetHawks had to settle for the split as they couldn't keep the Mavericks' bats in check.

Nick Tanielu drove in Lancaster's first run with an RBI double in the 6th, and Bryan Muñiz smacked a solo homer in the 7th. Bobby Boyd and Jason Martin both finished with 2 hits and a stolen base. Boyd now has 5 thefts on the year, while Martin has 3.

Josh James allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3 in 3.1 innings. Ryan Thompson was the first man out, and he struck out 4 over 1.2 perfect innings. Trent Thornton pitched the final 4 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits (solo and 2-run homers) and striking out 7.

The JetHawks will now welcome Rancho Cucamonga to The Hangar for a 3-game series starting at 6:35 Pacific. Brock Dykxhoorn will take on Andrew Sopko.

Kane County 5, Quad Cities 2

W- Junior Garcia (1-1)
L- Kevin McCanna (0-1)
S- Keegan Long (3)

QC home runs: Brooks Marlow (1, solo in 5th)

The Banditos suffered the sweep as they just couldn't get much of anything going on offense. They've been held to less than 5 runs in all but 1 of their games so far. The good news is that it's still early, so they can still get themselves going.

Their 2 runs in this game both came in the 5th, as Brooks Marlow led off the frame with a solo shot, and Osvaldo Duarte later added an RBI double. Dex McCall went 2-3 and scored on Duarte's double.

Kevin McCanna went 3.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 10 hits (8 singles and a double), walked 2, and struck out 3. Andrew Thome was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and went 4 innings, allowing a run on an infield single in the 5th. He walked 1 and struck out 3. Jacob Dorris got the final 4 outs and allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1.

The River Bandits will now embark on a roadtrip. Hopefully that'll give them some time to clear their heads and get some wins. Their first stop: Appleton, Wisconsin, where they'll play 3 against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. In game 1, Alex Winkelman will face Marcos Diplan. First pitch is at 6:35.

Three Stars

3.

Brian Holmes, LHP, Corpus Christi

5.2 IP, H (2-run HR), 2 ER, BB, 5 K

2.

Ryan Thompson, RHP, Lancaster

1.2 IP, 4 K

1.

Embed from Getty Images

Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi
3-4, go-ahead 2-R HR (5) in 7th

Honorable Mentions

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Fresno: L (0-1), 6 IP, 7 H, ER, 4 K
- Good performance despite the tough-luck loss.

Andrew Thome, RHP, Quad Cities: 4 IP, H, ER, BB, 3 K
- Thome continues to be a steady presence in the River Bandits bullpen.

Osvaldo Duarte, SS, Quad Cities: 1-4, 2B, RBI
- Duarte has been a bright spot in a tough start for Quad Cities.

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Corpus Christi: 2-5, R
- Teoscar is off to a nice start as he's looking to put a tough 2015 in the rear-view mirror.

Tweets of the Day

An epic battle ensued last evening in Room 308 in Midland and the stakes were large:

Biggest FIFA game of my life. pic.twitter.com/4MymcCYYfY

— Chris Cotton (@58percentCotton) June 11, 2015

The Booth-Cotton matchup is 0-0 at half #mulletgame

— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) June 11, 2015

It's so hard to sleep knowing the #mulletgame is being played right now. So much on the line.

— Morgan Ensberg (@MorganEnsberg) June 11, 2015

#mulletgame still 0-0 going into overtime. Golden Goal will be in effect

— Tyler White (@twhite409) June 11, 2015

Booth got a red card down a man

— Tyler White (@twhite409) June 11, 2015

The mood is somber in room 308 as @58percentCotton scores in the 112th minute to beat Brett Booth. A tweet cannot encompass Booth's effort.

— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) June 11, 2015

Unfortunately Cotton has won the #mulletgame 1-0 in the 112th min. Great game, Booth just couldn't overcome the red card.

— Tyler White (@twhite409) June 11, 2015

Scariest FIFA game of my life. But I'm taking home a pair of BAMAvsLSU football tix thanks Brett Booth

— Chris Cotton (@58percentCotton) June 11, 2015

Never been this distraught over a Fifa game and I wasn't even playing. The disappointment I feel is overwhelming. #mulletgame

— Tyler White (@twhite409) June 11, 2015

Right now I feel like I just scored the winning goal for USA in Russia to win 2018 FIFA World Cup #mulletgame

— Chris Cotton (@58percentCotton) June 11, 2015

@ImBallewDabaDi it's going to be a glorious day when a BAMA alum give me free tickets to an LSU game. Even better after we win!!

— Chris Cotton (@58percentCotton) June 11, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 1, 2015

Their opponents got to them late....

Tacoma 2, Fresno 0

W- Forrest Snow (1-1)
L- Tyson Perez (0-1)
S- Lucas Luetge (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

Well, the Grizz had nothing going for them on offense as they were held to 2 hits. Preston Tucker and Matt Duffy both went 1-3.

Luis Cruz started it off with 5 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 3, and striking out 3. The Rainiers got their 2 runs off of Tyson Perez in the 6th inning; Perez went 2 innings and allowed 3 hits while striking out 2. Darin Downs worked around 2 hits to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 1.

Brady Rodgers will take the mound in game 3; he'll face Sam Gaviglio at 5:05 Pacific.

Frisco 5, Corpus Christi 4

W- Francisco Mendoza (1-0)
L- Jandel Gustave (0-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks scored 2 in the bottom of the 8th as they rallied to take a 4-3 lead, but that lead would be short-lived as the Roughriders re-took the lead with 2 of their own in the top of the 9th inning.

Corpus got on the board first as Carlos Correa drew a 2-out walk, stole his way to 3rd, and scored on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Jon Kemmer. Tony Kemp doubled with 1 out in the 5th and came home on a Tyler White single. Roberto Peña's 2-run single in the 8th inning put the Hooks on top, but they wouldn't be on top for long. Kemp finished 2-5.

Mike Hauschild pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits (7 singles and a double) and struck out 5. Dan Minor was the first man out; he walked 1 and struck out 2 over 1.1 scoreless. Jonas Dufek tossed 2 scoreless, walking 1 and striking out 1. Frisco cracked Jandel Gustave in the 9th; he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the inning; the go-ahead run scored when he uncorked a wild pitch.

In game 2 of this series, Lance McCullers will face Alec Asher. First pitch is at 7:05.

Modesto 3, Lancaster 2

W- Carlos Estevez (3-0)
L- Edison Frias (2-2)

Lancaster home runs; A.J. Reed (4, solo in 4th)

The Nuts got 1 run in each of the final 3 innings as they walked off with the victory in the series opener.

Mr. Golden Spikes constituted the entire JetHawks offense as he drove in both runs. A.J. Reed opened up the scoring in the 1st with a sac fly, then led off the 4th with his 4th homer of the season. Brett Phillips stole his 2nd base of the season, while Danry Vásquez and Jose Fernandez both finished 2-4; Fernandez extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Brian Holmes was excellent as he allowed just 1 hit, walked 1, and struck out 7 over 5 shutout innings. Edison Frias pitched 3.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 earned, including the game-winner) on 4 hits and struck out 3.

Michael Feliz will be on the mound for game 2. He'll face Konner Wade at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, Wisconsin 1

W- Chris Lee (1-2)
L- Cy Sneed (1-2)
S- Ryan Thompson (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got the win despite getting outhit 9-5; to me, they converted on just one more scoring opportunity.

In his season debut, Jason Martin was the River Bandits offense. He drew a bases-loaded walk in the 4th to tie the game at 1 and hit an RBI single in the 6th to put QC ahead. Everyone in the lineup drew a walk except for D.J. Fisher.

Chris Lee allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 4 over 5 innings to get the victory. All but one of the hits he allowed were singles. Keegan Yuhl tagged in for 2.2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4. The Closer, Ryan Thompson, shut it down; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and fanned 3 as he got the final 4 outs of the game.

The other 2 games in the series will start at 1:05. In game 2 of this series, Kevin Comer will face Zach Hirsch.

Three Stars: Position Players

Slim pickings here, so I'll just go with the guys who drove in 2 runs.

3.

Roberto Peña, C, Corpus Christi

2-run single in 8th inning

2. 

A.J. Reed, 1B, Lancaster

1-3, solo HR (4), 2 RBI

1. 

Jason Martin, OF, Quad Cities

1-3, 2 RBI

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Jonas Dufek, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, BB, K

Dan Minor, RHP, Corpus Christi

1.1 IP, BB, 2 K

2. 

Luis Cruz, LHP, Fresno

5 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K

1. 

Brian Holmes, LHP, Lancaster

5 IP, H, BB, 7 K

Astros Minor League Weekend Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 25, 2015 and Sunday, April 26, 2015

Welcome to the WTHB Weekend Recap! Let's play 2 in Frisco on Saturday and 2 in Davenport on Sunday!

Corpus Christi with the...

*I'm sorry for all the 2-in-one-day recaps, but I have been absolutely swamped as of late with the end-of-semester crunch. These recaps won't be what you'll normally get from me, so I apologize for that as well.

Saturday: Fresno 7, Reno 0

Jonathan Villar: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, SB (1)
L.J. Hoes: 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R
Preston Tucker: 2-4, RBI, R
Andrew Aplin: 1-3, RBI, 2 R, BB, SB (4)

Brady Rodgers: W (1-2), 6 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K
Richard Rodriguez: 2 IP, H, BB, K
Tyson Perez: IP, K

Sunday: Fresno 9, Reno 2

Preston Tucker: 3-R HR (7, leads organization)
Domingo Santana: 3-4, 2B, 2 HR (5; 3-run and solo)
L.J. Hoes: 2-2, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB

Tommy Shirley: W (3-0), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

The series continues at 6:35 Pacific. Starter for both sides have yet to be announced.

Saturday Game 1: Corpus Christi 10, Frisco 5

Colin Moran: 3-4, 2B, 5 RBI
Tyler Heineman: 2-4, 2 R
Tyler White: 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Teoscar Hernandez: 0-2, 2 BB, 3 R

Josh Hader: 4 IP, 5 H (solo HR), 4 ER, BB, 5 K
Jonas Dufek: IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB (season debut)
Travis Ballew: W (1-1), 2 IP, 2 BB, K

Saturday Game 2: Corpus Christi 16, Frisco 1

Moran: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Carlos Correa: 3-5, 2-R HR (3), 3 R
Jio Mier: 3-4, 3-R HR (1), 6 RBI, 2 R
Brandon Meredith: 2-5, RBI, 3 R

Chris Devenski: W (2-0), 6.1 IP, 3 BB, 8 K

Sunday: Corpus Christi 5, Frisco 2

Correa: 3-5, 2B, 3-R HR (4), 2 R
Roberto Peña: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R

Mike Hauschild: W (2-1), 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K
Lance McCullers: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, unearned run (1st run allowed this season), 9 K

The Hooks swept the Rangers' AA team in dominating fashion, outscoring them 39-10 over the 4-game set. They will be in Midland tonight as they begin the second leg of this roadtrip. Aaron West will take on Nate Long at 6:30.

Saturday: Lancaster 5, Modesto 4

A.J. Reed: 2-3, 3B, solo HR (3)
Chan-Jong Moon: 2-R HR (1)
Ronnie Mitchell: solo HR (3)
Jobduan Morales: 2-4, RBI
Jack Mayfield: 2-4

Edison Frias: 5 IP, 5 H (2-run HR), 4 R (2 earned), 6 K
Brian Holmes: W (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Sunday: Modesto 10, Lancaster 3

James Ramsay: 1-2, 2B, 3 BB, R
Jack Mayfield: 2-4, 2 RBI
Brian Holberton: 1-2, 2B, RBI

Zach Morton: L (0-1), 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 earned), BB, K
Michael Feliz: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 earned), 2 BB, K

After an off day, the JetHawks will welcome Rancho Cucamonga to The Hangar for 3 beginning on Tuesday.

Saturday: Burlington 7, Quad Cities 2

Jamie Ritchie: 2-4, RBI
Kristian Trompiz: 2-3, solo HR (2)

Josh James: 3 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 5 K
Albert Minnis: 2 IP, H, 2 K

Sunday Game 1: Burlington 4, Quad Cities 2

Nick Tanielu: 2-3, RBI
Jake Nottingham: RBI groundout in 4th

Chris Lee: L (0-2), 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Eric Peterson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Albert Minnis: 0.2 IP, K

Sunday Game 2: Quad Cities 7, Burlington 6 in 12 innings

Bobby Boyd: 3-6, 2B, 2 R, SB (4)
Bryan Muniz: 2-6, 2B, 2 RBI
Alfredo Gonzalez: 2-5, 3B, RBI
Jorge Martinez: 2-4, RBI, SB (1)
Thomas Lindauer: Walk-off sacrifice fly in 12th inning

Kevin Comer: 5.2 IP, 11 H (9 singles, 1 double, 1 solo homer), 6 ER, 2 K
Keegan Yuhl: 2.1 IP, H, 4 BB, 2 K
Ryan Thompson: 3 IP, 2 H, BB
Jose Montero: W (1-0), 2 BB, K

The Bandits avoided the sweep in the doubleheader and the series by walking off with the win in game 2 of the twinbill.

Now that this series is wrapped up, the River Bandits will welcome Cedar Rapids to town beginning on Tuesday. Bryan Radziewski will take the mound in game 1, which is an 11:00 A.M. matinee.

Saturday's Three Stars: Position Players

3. Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi: 3-9, 2-R HR (3), 3 R
2. Jio Mier, IF, Corpus Christi: 3-7, HR (1), 6 RBI, 2 R
1. Colin Moran, 3B, Corpus Christi: 5-8, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 2 R

Saturday's Three Stars: Pitchers

3. Brian Holmes, LHP, Lancaster: W (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K
2. Brady Rodgers, RHP, Fresno: W (1-2), 6 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K
1. Chris Devenski, RHP, Corpus Christi: W (2-0), 6.1 IP, 3 BB, 8 K in game 1 of doubleheader

Sunday's Three Stars: Position Players

3. Bobby Boyd, OF, Quad Cities: 3-6, 2B, 2 R, SB (4)
2. Domingo Santana, OF, Fresno: 3-4, 2B, 2 HR (5), 4 RBI
1. Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi: 3-5, 2B, 3-R HR (4), 2 R

Sunday's Three Stars: Pitchers

3. Mike Hauschild, RHP, Corpus Christi: W (2-1), 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K
2. Tommy Shirley, LHP, Fresno: W (3-0), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K
1. Lance McCullers, RHP, Corpus Christi: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, uinearned run, 9 K

Tweet of the Day

Remove the phrase "moral victory" from your vocabulary
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) February 5, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/30

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Brian Holmes (24)
Drafted by Houston in the 13th round in 2012 out of Wake Forest, Holmes spent his 2014 season pitching for the Advanced A Lancaster team. In 20 appearances (10 starts), he was 5-2 with a 4.53 ERA and a 1.248 WHIP.

RHP Dariel Aquino (19)
An international free agent from the Dominican Republic, this was Aquino's second season as a professional, but his first as a pitcher. In 11 appearances, he was 1-3 with a 5.19 ERA and a 2.308 WHIP in 8.2 innings.

Bonus Tweet of the Day

If you are watching the Pro Bowl and not Miss Universe right now, stop.
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) January 26, 2015

Tweet of the Day

Vanna White is 57 and still doing it
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) December 6, 2014

Tweet of the Day

Announcers are blown away when a pitcher is even physically capable of swinging a bat
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) October 26, 2014

Tweet of the Day

I have never seen a more accurate statement. pic.twitter.com/cVZGZs4GjF
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) June 25, 2014

Tweet of the Day

Pitcher conversations are unlike any other type of conversation
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) June 21, 2014

Tweet of the Day

Jethawks are first half Champs baby! All we do is win. I've popped bottles 5 times since I've become an Astro #winsonwins
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) June 12, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Recaps for Saturday, May 31, 2014

Happy Dominican Summer League Opening Day!

Oklahoma City 8, Memphis 6

W- Jorge De Leon (1-0, 2-2 season)
L- Kurt Heyer (0-2, 2-4 season)
S- Jason Stoffel (6)

OKC home runs: Jon Singleton (14, 2-run in 6th)

The RedHawks were down 5-0, but they fought back with 3 in the 3rd and the 4th to take a 6-5 lead. The Redbirds tied it with 1 in the top of the 6th, but Jay Sing quickly untied it by taking Kurt Heyer deep. That blast turned out to be the difference. And so, after dropping the first 3 games of the Omaha series, the RedHawks have now won 3 in a row.

Jake Buchanan got knocked around in his 5 innings; he allowed 5 runs on 9 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Jorge De Leon went 2.2 innings and allowed a run (the tying run in the 6th) on 4 hits and struck out 3. Kevin Chapman came on with 2 outs and a runner on in the 8th and promptly issued 2 walks to load the bases. Nothing came of it as he struck out Scott Moore to end the inning. Jason Stoffel closed the door with a 1-2-3 9th.

The RedHawks' 3 in the 3rd came in the form of a Kiké Hernandez RBI double and a couple of RBI singles from Adron Chambers and Max Stassi. Their 3 in the 4th came off a couple of bases-loaded walks to Chambers and Jon Singleton and a Domingo Santana RBI single. And of course, Singleton's home run turned out to be the game-winning hit. Ronald Torreyes finished 3-4 with a run scored. He's struck out 7 times in 198 plate appearances. That's a 3.5% strikeout rate. Three and a half percent!!!!!!!!!

In game 3 of this series, Paul Clemens will take on Nick Greenwood. First pitch is at 6:05.

Corpus Christi 11, Northwest Arkansas 2

W- Travis Ballew (3-1)
L- Cody Fassold (1-2)

CC home runs: Preston Tucker 2 (13; 2-run in 1st, solo in 7th), Delino DeShields (5, 2-run in 6th), René Garcia (4, solo in 7th)

The Hooks rattled off 9 unanswered after the Naturals tied the game at 2 in the 5th.

Jordan Jankowski had a solid start; he allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5 in 5 innings of work. The bullpen finished it off with 4 scoreless: Travis Ballew and Andrew Robinson worked 2 apiece. Ballew allowed 2 hits and struck out 2, while Robinson issued a walk and fanned 1.

After Northwest Arkansas opened the scoring with a run in the 1st, Preston Tucker gave Corpus the lead with his first homer of the night, a 2-run blast off Sam Selman. Those 2 runs would be the Hooks' only runs of the game until the 6th, when Delino DeShields ripped the 2-run homer that gave them the lead. Corpus got 2 solo shots from Tucker (his 2nd of the game) and René Garcia (4) in the 7th inning, and they buried the Naturals with a 5-run 8th, getting RBI doubles from Nolan Fontana and Jonathan Meyer, a bases-loaded walk from Leo Heras, and a force out from Garcia that allowed Tucker to score. An error also allowed Jio Mier to come home with the final run of the evening. DeShields' blast was his only hit of the night, but he also scored twice and added 2 steals (21). Fontana finished 2-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 walks. Joining him in the 2-hit club was Meyer and Joe Sclafani. Tucker finished 4-5 with a double and 3 runs scored to go along with his 2 blasts.

The Hooks will look for the sweep as Kyle Smith takes on Andy Ferguson. First pitch is at 6:10.

Rancho Cucamonga 16, Lancaster 13

W- Freddie Cabrera (2-1)
L- Mark Appel (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: Roberto Peña (4, 2-run in 4th), Ruben Sosa (1, 3-run in 7th)

The Lancaster Effect was in full force as a 20 MPH wind out to right field led to 6 home runs between the two clubs. However, 4 of them were hit to left field.

To say that Mark Appel was greeted rudely in his return to the California League could be an understatement. But then again, it was his first start back and he entered this game with just 13 innings pitched. He only lasted 1.1 innings and allowed 10 runs on 10 hits (3 homers, all of which were multi-run homers), walked 1, and struck out 2. Yes, it is an appalling line, but the vast majority of his pitches were fastballs, and the slider here and there. I'm not going to speculate on anything here. He'll be fine. We're probably not going to remember this when he just threw a perfect game against the A's on July 12, 2017.

Zach Morton was the first man out of the bullpen; he went 3.1 innings and allowed 5 runs on 8 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 2. Brian Holmes pitched the final 4.1 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 7.

Yeah, it got out of hand early, but the JetHawks still fought.  After they fell behind 16-2, they scored 11 unanswered. No quit, and definitely no lack of effort on this club. Being down 10-0 and 16-2 can really be demoralizing and can really foster a feeling of total and absolute defeat. Well, the JetHawks didn't get that memo, and I'm sure they don't want that memo either. They could've shut up shop and moved on to the next game. But they fought to the end. They found ways to get themselves back in the game. They seriously threatened to tie the game, and maybe even had a chance to win with that 7-run 9th. That's why you're taught to keep playing until they it's over.

In the 4th, Roberto Peña finally put the JetHawks on the board with a 2-run homer (4), his 2nd straight game with a home run. Jordan Scott went 2-5 with 3 RBI; his 1st run batted in came on an RBI single in the 6th. Ruben Sosa added a 3-run homer (1) later on. That was the first ball that he sent out of the park as a professional; his other homer, which came last July 24 when he was with OKC, was of the inside-the-park variety.

They scored a touchdown in the bottom of the 9th. The JetHawks got 4 RBI singles from Rio Ruiz, Danry Vásquez, Conrad Gregor, and Tony Kemp. Scott added a 2-run double, and Carlos Correa grounded into a force out that allowed Kemp to score. Everyone in the lineup had a hit, while Carlos Perdomo was the only member of the starting 9+1 to not score. Rio and Danry had 3 hits apiece. Kemp, Sosa, Correa, Gregor, and Scott had 2 each.

Gonzalo Sañudo will take on Jharel Cotton in the series finale. First pitch is at 2:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 4, Wisconsin 3

W- Evan Grills (2-1)
L- Zach Quintana (0-4)
S- Frederick Tiburcio (2)

QC home runs: None.

That's 5 straight wins for the Banditos as they used a 3-run 4th to take a 4-2 lead and got some solid pitching the rest of the way.

Evan Grills had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 8 hits (solo homer) and striking out 7. Frederick Tiburcio finished with a 3-inning save and allowed 2 hits while striking out 1.

The offense did a great job waiting out the shakiness of the Timber Rattlers' pitching staff and wound up drawing 10 walks. Tanner Mathis put QC on the board in the 3rd with an RBI groundout. In the 4th, Chan-Jong Moon ripped a 2-run triple, and Mathis brought him home with a single. Yup, those two were responsible for all the runs batted in for this game .James Ramsay went 3-4 with a double and scored the first Bandits run of the game on Mathis' groundout. Mathis and Jack Mayfield had 2 hits apiece.

In the middle game of this series, Kevin Comer will take on Victor Diaz at 1:05.

DSL Astros Blue 7, DSL Indians 2

W- Salvador Montaño (1-0)
L- Ramon Tineo (0-1)

Blue home runs: Wander Franco (1, 3-run in 8th)

The Blue team got their 7 runs in the final 2 innings to come out on top in their season opener. Wander Franco, who signed for $575,000 in the previous July 2 signing period, put them on the board and in front with a 3-run homer (1) in the 8th. They tacked on 4 more in the 9th on a pair of RBI singles from Edgar Lorenzo and Franco. An error allowed Connor MacDonald to reach, as Franco and Nestor Tejada scored. Yes, it may be the lowest level of minor league baseball, but Franco emphatically announced his arrival on the pro scene, finishing a triple shy of the cycle, scoring 2 runs, and driving in 4. Marcos Almonte went 2-4 with a double and 2 runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Joan Mauricio, who recieved the largest bonus in the last July 2 period ($600,000), was 2-3 with a pair of triples and scored a run. Nestor Tejada was 1-4 with 2 runs scored.

Albert Abreu started out with 5 shutout innings, allowing just 1 hit, walking 2, and striking out 5. Salvador Montaño went 2 innings and gave up an unearned run on a hit and struck out 1. Jose Rosario got 2 outs (1 via strikeout) in the 8th, but also gave up a run on 2 hits. Josue Uribe struck out the only batter he faced, and Gabriel Pirela worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

How did the Orange team fare in their inaugural game?

DSL Angels 12, DSL Astros Orange 3

W- Junior Pimentel (1-0)
L- Edwin Villarroel (0-1)

Orange home runs: Cristopher Luciano (1, solo in 5th)

As for the other Academy squad, they were the victims of a 9-0 run, which came after they had tied the game at 3 with 2 runs in the 5th inning.

Cristopher Luciano had a pretty good birthday: First game, first home run. He hit an RBI single in the 2nd to get the Orange team on the board. He went deep with 1 out in the 5th. Later in the inning, Osvaldo Duarte added an RBI single. Luciano went 2-3 with a run scored, as did Frankeny Fernandez.

Starlyng Sanchez went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Edwin Villarroel pitched 2 innings and gave up 4 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits and walked 2. Joel Belboder allowed 3 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the 7th. Gabriel Valdez pitched the final 2 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and striking out 1.

The Dominican Summer League has every Sunday off. On Monday, the Blue team will host the Indians, and the Orange team will travel to the Angels' complex.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Jon Singleton, 1B, Oklahoma City

2-4, 2-R HR (14), 3 RBI

2.

Preston Tucker, RF/1B, Corpus Christi

4-5, 2B, 2 HR (13), 3 R

1.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

I would like to say thanks to Mr. Green for allowing me to use his excellent pictures. They've been extremely helpful when I want to put names to faces, especially guys in the GCL or the Academy. 

Wander Franco, 3B, DSL Astros Blue

3-5, 2B, 3-R HR (1), 4 RBI; professional debut

Three Stars: Pitchers


3. I'm glad Jayne got these 3 guys all in 1 picture. #efficiency

Jordan Jankowski (far left), RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K

Travis Ballew (far right), RHP, Corpus Christi

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

Andrew Robinson (2nd from left), RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, BB, K

2.

Brian Holmes, LHP, Lancaster

4.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 7 K

1.

pic.twitter.com/G42QPqz4pS
— Albert abreu (@Albert26Abreu) November 27, 2013

Albert Abreu, RHP, DSL Astros Blue
5 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K; professional debut

Tweet of the Day

The California League, where cacti outnumber humans.
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) May 17, 2014

Tweet of the Day

Law and Order Interviewee 101: "Why, did something happen to him/her?" Uh yeah, that's why you're being interviewed by homicide detectives..
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) April 28, 2014

Tweet of the Day

There is a gordita crunch wrapper in the cup holder of the exercise bike at the hotel gym. I'd say that's a little bit counterproductive.
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) April 7, 2014

Tweet of the Day

I hear the Vegas over/under on the velocity for Nolan Ryan's first pitch tonight is 85. I'm taking the over.
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) April 1, 2014