Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 26, 2019

Corpus sweep!

Round Rock 10, Iowa 8

W- Colin McKee (3-3)
L- Colin Rea (11-3)
S- Dean Deetz (1)

RR home runs: Derek Fisher (13, 2-run in 1st), Taylor Jones (18, 2-run in 5th)

The E-Train came out on top of this slugfest as eight of their twelve hits went for extra bases.

Derek Fisher opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the 1st inning. Nick Tanielu scored when Jamie Ritchie grounded into a double play in the 2nd. Round Rock got four in the 5th as Jack Mayfield ripped a two-run double and then he came around to score when Taylor Jones launched a home run. Alex De Goti lashed an RBI double in the 6th and Mayfield brought him in with his second double of the night. Tanielu capped off the evening with an RBI double in the 7th.

All three of Tanielu's hits were doubles. Mayfield also had three hits on the night; two of his were doubles. Jones and De Goti had two hits apiece.

Ryan Hartman went four innings and allowed five runs on eight hits (three solo homers), walked two, and struck out four. Colin McKee was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he allowed three runs on three hits, walked three, and struck out two in 1.2 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. was next; he allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out in 1.1 innings. Dean Deetz allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out three over two scoreless to get the save.

Brandon Bielak gets the start in game two. First pitch is at 7:08.

Corpus Christi 18, Northwest Arkansas 6

W- Tommy DeJuneas (2-5)
L- Holden Capps (0-2)

CC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (17, 2-run in 3rd)

The Hooks led 7-6 entering the 8th. And then they turned it up to 11. Sorry, I'll delete it later. With that 11-run 8th, Corpus turned this game into a laugher and earned the sweep in this series.

Everyone in the lineup scored at least one run. Stephen Wrenn went 0-4 but he still managed to score a couple of runs and stole a base (19).

Brett Adcock went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits, walked three, and struck out six. Tommy DeJuneas got two innings and he allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, walked one, and struck out three. Erasmo Pinales and Andre Scrubb both pitched a scoreless inning; Pinales allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two in the 8th, and Scrubb, in his first appearance as a member of the Astros organization, walked one and struck out two in the 9th.

The Hooks will begin a series in Springfield tonight at 6:10. Yohan Ramirez will take on Johan Oviedo in game one.

Fayetteville 3, Carolina 0

W- J.P. France (4-6)
L- Christian Taugner (4-7)
S- Riley Cabral (7)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers got virtuoso performances from their pitchers as they opened this series with a victory.

J.P. France allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out nine over seven shutout innings and Riley Cabral struck out all six batters he faced to earn the save.

All three Fayetteville runs came in the 5th as Miguelangel Sierra hit a sac fly and Enmanuel Valdez and Jonathan Arauz ripped RBI doubles. Scott Manea finished 2-3.

Shawn Dubin goes up against Matt Smith in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Peoria 7, Quad Cities 6

W- Connor Thomas (2-0)
L- José Bravo (1-4)
S- Freddy Pacheco (2)

QC home runs: Carlos Machado (1, 3-run in 9th)

Quad Cities' comeback bid fell just short.

César Salazar put the Banditos on the board with an RBI double in the 4th inning and Grae Kessinger hit an RBI single in the 7th. Salazar walked to lead off the bottom of the 9th and he scored on a single from Trey Dawson. One batter later, Carlos Machado clubbed a three-run home run to cut the deficit to one run. Unfortunately, that was as close as they could get. Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit; Salazar and Machado had two apiece.

José Bravo went four innings and allowed five runs on eight hits, walked one, and struck out six. Hunter Martin was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and he allowed two runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 2.1 innings; both runs were inherited runners that scored. Devin Conn didn't allow any runs of his own in 2.2 innings, but the runners he inherited from Martin both scored. Conn allowed three hits and struck out four.

Lupe Chavez will take the mound as the Banditos open up a series in Beloit. He'll take on Rafael Kelly at 6:30.

Tri-City 3, Connecticut 2

W- Valente Bellozo (4-0)
L- Zac Shepherd (0-3)
S- Juan Pablo Lopez (1)

TC home runs: None.

The Tigers got two in the top of the 6th to tie the game at 2, but the ValleyCats were able to regain control as they got one of those runs back in the bottom half.

Nathan Perry hit a two-run single in the 1st and Juan Paulino scored on a passed ball in the 6th. Paulino finished 3-4 on the night; he scored two of Tri-City's three runs in this one and also stole a base (8). Perry, Preston Pavlica, and Luis Guerrero all had two hits in this game.

Ronel Blanco threw two perfect innings to start, striking out one. Valente Bellozo took over for four innings and he allowed two runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out six. Juan Pablo Lopez allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out four over the last three innings to earn the save.

Tri-City and Connecticut will continue this series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 1, GCL Astros 0

W- Joander Suarez (1-0)
L- Kevin Holcomb (0-2)
S- Robert Colina (1)

GCL home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game and it did not belong to the Palm Beach 'Stros.

Sean Mendoza had two of the GCLstros' three hits in this one.

Kevin Holcomb and Heitor Tokar both pitched four innings; Holcomb allowed the game's only run on three hits and struck out three and Tokar allowed three hits while striking out one in a scoreless outing.

DSL Astros 13, DSL Athletics 10

W- Fabricio Reina (1-3)
L- Carlos Leandro (0-6)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros scored 13 runs in six innings and they withstood a six-run 9th from the A's to win this game.

Ricardo Toro (3B, 3 RBI), Yohander Martinez (2 RBI, 3 R), and Sebastian Grullón (3B, 3 R) all finished with three hits on the day.

Fabricio Reina got the win; he pitched 2.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits, walked four, and struck out three.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yohander Martinez, IF, DSL Astros: 3-5, 2 RBI, 3 R
Ricardo Toro, C, DSL Astros: 3-6, 3B, 3 RBI
Sebastian Grullón, IF, DSL Astros: 3-5, 3B, 3 R

GCL Astros pitchers: L 1-0 @ GCL Mets
Kevin Holcomb: L (0-2), 4 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 K
Heitor Tokar: 4 IP, 3 H, K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Corpus Christi Hooks: W 18-6 @ Northwest Arkansas

18 R, 17 H, E

Scored 11 runs in 8th inning (led 7-6 entering inning)

All players in the lineup scored at least one run.

Bryan de la Cruz: 4-5, 2 RBI, 5 R

Ronnie Dawson: 4-4, 2 2B, 2-R HR (17), 3 RBI, 4 R

Abraham Toro: 3-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, R

Seth Beer: 2-5, 3 RBI, R

Andre Scrubb: IP, BB, 2 K; made Astros organizational debut

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 3-0 vs. Carolina

9 IP, 2 H, BB, 15 K

J.P. France: W (4-6), 7 IP, 2 H, BB, 9 K

Riley Cabral: Save (7), 2 IP, 6 K; perfect outing

Carlos Machado, OF, and César Salazar, C, Quad Cities

Machado: 2-4, 3-R HR (1)
Salazar: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R

Juan Paulino (kneeling, 2nd from right), C, and Nathan Perry (raising right arm), C, Tri-City

Paulino: 3-4, 2 R, SB (8)

Perry: 2-3, 2 RBI

Juan Pablo Lopez, LHP, Tri-City

Save (1), 3 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Jack Mayfield, IF, Nick Tanielu, IF, and Taylor Jones, 1B/OF, Round Rock

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

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

Jones: 2-4, 2-R HR (18)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 31, 2019

How were things down on the farm on the final day of May?

Round Rock 8, Iowa 1

W- Rogelio Armenteros (2-4)
L- Trevor Clifton (1-4)
S- Gabriel Valdez (1)

RR home runs: Lorenzo Quintana 2 (2, 6 season; 2-run in 3rd, solo in 8th)

A Cuban player went off. It was not Yordan Alvarez, who went 0-2 and was intentionally walked three times. Instead, it was Yordan's compatriot, Lorenzo Quintana, who went off as he blasted his first two home runs at the Triple-A level. I'll get to that in a moment.

Rogelio Armenteros, another member of the Cuban contingent, went off on the mound as he allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out seven in six innings of work. Gabriel Valdez walked one and struck out two over the final three innings.

Quintana opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the 3rd inning. Kyle Tucker scored on a wild pitch in the 5th inning. Round Rock got a pair of RBI singles from Alex De Goti and Drew Ferguson in the 6th and they tacked on three more runs in the 8th for good measure as Quintana led off the inning with his second homer of the evening and then they got a couple of bases-loaded walks from Taylor Jones and Nick Tanielu. Quintana was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

José Hernández-Urquidy will take on Adbert Alzolay in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Frisco 6, Corpus Christi 5 (12 innings)

W- Locke St. John (3-2)
L- Layne Henderson (0-1)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (10, grand slam in 8th)

The Hooks got back into this game with a grand slam before ultimately walking off with the loss in extras.

J.B. Bukauskas pitched 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out six. Hunter Martin was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and the two runs he allowed in his 1.2 innings came on a homer. Martin also allowed two other hits and struck out one. Nick Hernandez and Colin McKee followed with two innings apiece. Hernandez struck out one in a perfect outing, while McKee allowed a run on two hits and walked two, one intentionally. Layne Henderson pitched a scoreless 11th inning but failed to record an out in the 12th, where the Roughriders scored the winning run against him. Henderson allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

Corpus couldn't get anything going offensively until the 8th when they suddenly found themselves in a tie game when Abraham Toro launched a grand slam to put them on the board. Osvaldo Duarte started the 10th in scoring position and scored on Stephen Wrenn's double. Luis Santana led off the 12th at second base and advanced to third on an Alfredo Angarita sac bunt, but they couldn't push him across. Wrenn finished 2-6 on the evening.

Bryan Abreu gets the start for game two of this series and he'll go up against Tyler Phillips at 7:05.

Wilmington 5, Fayetteville 3

W- Daniel Tillo (4-4)
L- Chad Donato (3-6)
S- Tad Ratliff (12)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

Both teams scored in the same number of innings, but the difference here was the Blue Rocks putting up a pair of crooked numbers.

Jonathan Arauz extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a base hit in the 1st, put Fayetteville on the board with a sac fly in the 3rd, and scored on Michael Papierski's single in the 6th. Papierski drew a walk in the 9th and eventually scored on a single from Enmanuel Valdez. No one in the Woodpeckers lineup had more than one hit; Miguelangel Sierra's double was their only extra-base hit of the night.

Chad Donato went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out four. Yohan Ramirez allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out eight over the final four innings.

Brett Conine will start the series finale and he'll face Daniel Lynch at 5:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 13, Burlington 10 (10 innings)

W- Riley Cabral (1-0)
L- Mayky Pérez (0-2)

QC home runs: Michael Wielansky (2, 2-run in 2nd), David Hensley (3, 2-run in 4th)

The Banditos came out on top to open this series between the top two teams in the Midwest League's Western Division as they scored more runs in one extra inning than they did in the nine regulation innings.

Michael Wielansky opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the 2nd and the Banditos got two more runs in the inning on a Carlos Machado RBI triple and an RBI single from Austin Dennis. David Hensley launched a two-run homer in the 4th. Let's fast-forward to the 10th.

Dennis started the 10th at second base and he didn't have to wait long to score because Jeremy Peña led things off with an RBI single. Freúdis Nova walked and then Ruben Castro ripped an RBI double to bring Peña home. Wielansky followed by adding a two-run triple to his ledger. Trey Dawson proceeded to draw a walk. Ross Adolph went down on strikes for the first out, but Machado came through with a two-run single. Dennis capped off the assault with an RBI single.

Everyone in the original starting nine scored at least once. Peña, who now has a 13-game hitting streak, finished 4-6 on the night. Machado finished 3-5, while Dennis and Wielansky had two hits apiece.

R.J. Freure got the start and the one run he allowed in his four innings came on a solo homer. Freure also allowed three other hits, walked four, and struck out eight. Manny Ramirez came on for the 5th but he only got one out via the strikeout. He allowed three runs (two earned, one inherited runner charged to him) and walked three.

Felipe Tejada was the next man up and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer. He also allowed one of Ramirez's runners to score, but the solo homer was the only run that he allowed and was charged to him. Overall, Tejada pitched 3.1 innings and allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out nine. Riley Cabral allowed a run on two hits and walked one in 1.1 innings, and things got a bit nervy in the bottom of the 10th as the Bees got four runs off of Cody Deason; three of them were earned. Deason allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out two.

Deason is listed as the starter for game two of this series but his appearance in the 10th inning nixed that. Whoever gets the start for Quad Cities will take on Luis Alvarado at 6:30.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 8-1 vs. Iowa

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

Rogelio Armenteros: W (2-4), 6 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Gabriel Valdez: Save (1), 3 IP, BB, 2 K

Lorenzo Quintana, C, Round Rock

2-3, 2 HR (2, 6 season), 3 RBI, 3 R

Yohan Ramirez, RHP, Fayetteville

4 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 8 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Corpus Christi

Game-tying grand slam (10) in 8th inning

Nick Hernandez, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, K; perfect outing

R.J. Freure, RHP, and Felipe Tejada, RHP, Quad Cities

Freure: 4 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 4 BB, 8 K

Tejada: 3.1 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Austin Dennis, OF, Jeremy Peña, SS, Michael Wielansky, IF, and Carlos Machado, OF, Quad Cities

Dennis: 2-6, 2 RBI, R

Peña: 4-6, RBI, R; 13-game hitting streak

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

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

Astros August/September MiLB Standouts

The regular season may have come to a close on Monday, but the top five Astros minor league teams aren't quite finished as they head to the postseason. Here are a few of the players who have helped contribute to the success of their teams in August/September. I have highlighted a few of the more outstanding stats in red.

Note: If a player played at multiple levels during August/September, he is listed under his current level, but his stats are cumulative.

FRESNO

Kyle Tucker - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Position Players

• OF Kyle Tucker: 19 G, .449/.522/.897/1.419, 3 2B, 3B, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 6 SB:1 CS, 12 BB:14 K
• 3B J.D. Davis: 21 G, .351/.435/.740/1.175, 3 2B, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 2 SB:0 CS, 12 BB:14 K
• 3B Nick Tanielu: 22 G, .384/.413/.570/.983, 7 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB:7 K
• 2B Jack Mayfield: 30 G, .288/.348/.512/.860, 11 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB:2 CS, 8 BB:29 K
• OF Yordan Alvarez: 26 G, .282/.362/.456/.818, 6 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 13 BB:28 K
• C Jamie Ritchie: 14 G, .277/.393/.426/.818, 4 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB:0 CS, 7 BB:12 K
• SS Alex De Goti: 29 G, .297/.360/.406/.766, 8 2B, HR, 12 RBI, 3 SB:1 CS, 10 BB:16 K

OF Myles Straw stole 16 bases in 27 games (1 caught stealing) to end the regular season with 70 stolen bases (9 caught stealing).

Pitchers

• RHP Dean Deetz: 2-0 in 12 games, 1.29 ERA, 0.952 WHIP, 9 BB:26 K in 21 IP
• RHP Matt Ramsey: 0-1 in 14 games, 1.50 ERA, 0.944 WHIP, 7 BB:12 K in 20 IP
• RHP Akeem Bostick: 1-1 with 1 save in 6 games/4 starts, 2.51 ERA, 0.907 WHIP, 8 BB:37 K in 28.2 IP

CORPUS CHRISTI

Ryan Hartman - April 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Position Players

• OF Ronnie Dawson: 28 G, .288/.336/.514/.850, 5 2B, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 6 SB:3 CS, 5 BB:33 K
• 3B Abraham Toro: 27 G, .281/.333/.438/.771, 10 2B, 3B, HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB:0 CS, 6 BB:25 K
• C Eduardo de Oleo: 14 G, .319/.319/.404/.723, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB:10 K

Pitchers

• RHP Erasmo Pinales: 0-0 with 2 saves in 8 games, 0.93 ERA, 0.724 WHIP, 2 BB:15 K in 9.2 IP
• RHP J.B. Bukauskas: 3-0 in 6 starts, 1.32 ERA, 0.853 WHIP, 15 BB:39 K in 34 IP
• LHP Kit Scheetz: 1-0 with 2 saves in 10 games, 2.03 ERA, 0.750 WHIP, 3 BB:15 K in 13.1 IP
• LHP Ryan Hartman: 2-1 in 6 games/3 starts, 2.08 ERA, 0.659 WHIP, 2 BB:40 K in 30.1 IP
• RHP Brandon Bielak: 0-3 in 5 starts, 2.48 ERA, 0.931 WHIP, 8 BB:30 K in 29 IP
• RHP Brandon Bailey: 1-0 with 1 save in 6 games/2 starts, 3.03 ERA, 0.980 WHIP, 10 BB:31 K in 32.2 IP

BUIES CREEK

Chad Donato - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Position Players

• OF Corey Julks: 27 G, .305/.373/.543/.916, 10 2B, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 4 SB:1 CS, 12 BB:26 K
• OF J.J. Matijevic: 28 G, .261/.352/.559/.910, 9 2B, 8 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB:3 CS, 16 BB:34 K
• 1B Jake Adams: 22 G, .316/.357/.474/.831, 3 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 SB:2 CS, 6 BB:20 K
• OF Bryan de la Cruz: 24 G, .313/.389/.398/.787, 5 2B, 3B, 15 RBI, 3 SB:0 CS, 10 BB:18 K
• C Chuckie Robinson: 16 G, .293/.364/.414/.777, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB:1 CS: 6 BB:13 K
• OF Seth Beer: 26 G, .272/.316/.456/.774, 4 2B, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 0 SB:1 CS, 4 BB:21 K
• C Carlos Canelon: 16 G, .302/.345/.377/.722, 2B, HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB:1 CS, 2 BB:20 K

Pitchers

• RHP Chad Donato: 6-0 in 6 starts, 1.23 ERA, .0.709 WHIP, 7 BB:46 K in 36.2 IP
• RHP Carson LaRue: 3-1 in 6 games/4 starts, 1.61 ERA, 0.929 WHIP, 12 BB:24 K in 28 IP
• RHP Brendan Feldmann: 0-1 with 2 saves, 1.80 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, 7 BB:20 K in 15 IP
• RHP Abdiel Saldana: 0-0 in 5 games/3 starts, 2.05 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, 4 BB:23 K in 22 IP
• RHP Enoli Paredes: 4-0 in 6 games, 2.08 ERA, 0.808 WHIP, 3 BB:14 K in 8.2 IP
• RHP Peter Solomon: 1-0 in 4 games/2 starts, 2.37 ERA, 0.789 WHIP, 3 BB:21 K in 19 IP
• RHP Jose Luis Hernandez: 2-2 in 6 games/5 starts, 2.43 ERA, 1.020 WHIP, 4 BB:28 K in 33.1 IP
• RHP Tyler Ivey: 1-0 with 1 save in 5 games/4 starts, 2.70 ERA, 1.114 WHIP, 8 BB:23 K in 23.1 IP
• RHP Colin McKee: 2-1 with 2 saves in 7 games, 2.92 ERA, 1.216 WHIP, 5 BB:21 K in 12.1 IP

QUAD CITIES

Parker Mushinski - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Position Players

• OF Alex McKenna: 19 G, .329/.388/.534/.922, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 2 SB:0 CS, 6 BB:20K
• OF Jonathan Lacroix: 28 G, .308/.339/.523/.863, 6 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 1 SB:1 CS, 5 BB:28 K
• OF Marty Costes: 23 G, .268/.388/.463/.851, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB:2 CS, 8 BB:14 K

Pitchers

• LHP Parker Mushinski: 0-0 with 2 saves in 8 games, 0.00 ERA, 0.628 WHIP, 4 BB:28 K in 14.1 IP
• RHP J.P. France: 1-0 with 1 save in 6 games, 0.69 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4 BB:21 K in 13 IP
• RHP Luis Garcia: 4-0 in 6 starts, 1.16 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 9 BB:30 K in 31 IP
• RHP Humberto Castellanos: 2-0 with 2 saves in 9 games, 1.84 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, 3 BB:20 K in 14.2 IP
• RHP Willy Collado: 0-2 with 2 saves in 8 games, 2.13 ERA, 0.632 WHIP, 2 BB:16 K in 12.2 IP
• RHP Bryan Abreu: 1-1 with 1 save in 5 games/4 starts, 2.61 ERA, 1.113 WHIP, 11 BB:37 K in 20.2 IP
• RHP Tanner Duncan: 2-0 with 1 save in 8 games, 2.84 ERA, 1.184 WHIP, 7 BB:17 K in 12.2 IP

TRI-CITY

Carlos Machado - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Position Players

• OF Carlos Machado: 28 G, .355/.385/.473/.857, 8 2B, 3B, HR, 14 RBI, 2 SB:1 CS, 6 BB:13 K
• OF Andy Pineda: 20 G, .288/.382/.441/.823, 4 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 6 SB:3 CS, 7 BB:13 K
• 3B Enmanuel Valdez: 27 G, .272/.342/.466/.808, 8 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 5 SB:3 CS, 10 BB:17 K
• C Oscar Campos: 19 G, .271/.307/.486/.792, 6 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 2 BB:9 K

Pitchers

• RHP Joey Gonzalez: 1-1 with 1 save in 8 games, 0.79 ERA, 0.529 WHIP, 2 BB:12 K in 11.1 IP
• RHP R.J. Freure: 0-0 in 7 games/3 starts, 0.96 ERA, 1.125 WHIP, 9 BB:22 K in 18.2 IP
• RHP Brett Daniels: 2-0 in 6 games/2 starts, 0.92 ERA, 0.864 WHIP, 6 BB:22 K in 19.2 IP
• RHP Brett Conine: 0-0 in 6 games/2 starts, 2.08 ERA, 1.096 WHIP, 7 BB:19 K in 17.1 IP
• RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez: 3-0 with 1 save in 6 games/3 starts, 2.55 ERA, 0.973 WHIP, 9 BB:27 K in 24.2 IP

RHP Ernesto Jacquez had a 0.89 ERA and a 0.787 WHIP in 6 appearances in August; however, his one September start did not go quite so well (vast understatement).

GULF COAST LEAGUE

Position Players

• OF Juan Ramirez: 16 G, .344/.369/.525/.894, 7 2B, 2 3B, 10 RBI, 3 SB:3 CS, 3 BB:6 K
• SS Freudis Nova: 14 G, .313/.364/.521/.884, 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 4 SB:3 CS, 4 BB:6 K

Pitchers

• LHP Jervic Chavez: 1-0 with 3 saves in 6 games, 0.00 ERA, 0.783 WHIP, 4 BB:3 K in 7.2 IP
• RHP Bryan Solano: 0-0 in 5 games, 1.50 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 5 BB:11 K in 12 IP
• LHP Julio Robaina: 0-1 in 3 games/2 starts, 2.00 ERA, 0.778 WHIP, 2 BB:9 K in 9.0 IP
• RHP Alfredi Jimenez: 0-2 in 4 games/2 starts, 2.12 ERA, 0.882 WHIP, 4 BB:17 K in 17 IP

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE

Position Players

• C Jose Alvarez: 12 G, .367/.459/.500/.959, 4 2B, 4 RBI, 1 SB:1 CS, 6 BB:6 K

Pitchers

• RHP Franny Cobos: 0-0 in 4 games/2 starts, 0.00 ERA, 0.735 WHIP, 2 BB:11 K in 16.1 IP
• RHP Jose Antonio Hernandez: 0-2 in 5 games/2 starts, 0.59 ERA, 0.913 WHIP, 4 BB:20 K in 15.1 IP
• RHP Wender Oberto: 3-1 in 5 games/2 starts, 1.35 ERA, 0.850 WHIP, 1 BB:15 K in 20 IP

July 2018 Standouts
June 2018 Standouts
May 2018 Standouts
April 2018 Standouts

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Fresno 2, Iowa 1

W- Josh James (4-4)
L- Rob Zastryzny (3-2)
S- Brendan McCurry (12)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Tacos scored in more innings than the Cubs and Josh James continues to pile up the strikeouts.

James allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked four, and struck out 11 in his six innings. Riley Ferrell, Ken Giles, and Brendan McCurry all pitched scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Ferrell was first and he struck out two in a 1-2-3 7th. Giles and McCurry both allowed a hit and struck out one in the 8th and the 9th, respectively.

Tyler White opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd inning and Nick Tanielu broke the 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the bottom of the 6th. Tanielu, Jack Mayfield, and Myles Straw all finished with two hits on the evening; Straw also stole a base, which gives him 17 in AAA and 52 on the season.

Cy Sneed takes on Casey Coleman in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.


San Antonio 4, Corpus Christi 3 in 10 innings

W- T.J. Weir (2-0)
L- Alex Winkelman (4-3)

CC home runs: Lorenzo Quintana (10, solo in 3rd)

The Hooks erased an early 3-0 deficit... only to walk off with the loss in extras.

Lorenzo Quintana led off the 3rd with a homer to put Corpus on the board and Taylor Jones tied the game with a two-run single in the 8th. Quintana went 3-4 and scored two of the Hooks' three runs on the evening. Chas McCormick, who scored on Jones' single, went 2-3 and drew a couple of walks.

Brett Adcock shook off a rocky 1st inning in which he allowed three runs and ended up going four innings, allowing four hits, walking four, and striking out three. Hector Perez tagged in to throw five scoreless, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out four. Alex Winkelman got one out in the 10th; he issued an intentional walk, a single, and the winning run with another walk.

Framber Valdez will get the start as the Hooks look to avoid a sweep. He'll take on Chris Paddack at 7:05.

Buies Creek and Potomac was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader will be played Wednedsay with game one scheduled to start at 4:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will start a three-game series in Burlington at 6:30. Leovanny Rodriguez will take on Max Herrmann.

Tri-City 5, Auburn 4 in 10 innings

W- J.P. France (1-0)
L- Tanner Driskill (1-2)

TC home runs: Carlos Machado (1, 3-run in 6th)

The ValleyCats tied it in the 6th and walked off with the win in the first extra frame.

The one hit that Shawn Dubin allowed in his three innings of work was a homer. He struck out five. Mark Moclair's weird debut season continues. He threw 1.1 innings and all four outs he recorded came via strikeout. He also allowed an unearned run on five hits.

Moclair has struck out 24 in just 10.2 innings, but he's also allowed 14 hits, walked eight, and hit four batters. He's not exactly getting shelled but when he's not allowing baserunners in bunches, he's mowing them down with relative ease. Anyway, back to the action.

Hansel Paulino was next and the two runs he gave up in his 3.2 innings came on a homer. He allowed one other hit and fanned five. Tim Hardy walked two and struck out the side in the 9th but walked the first two men he faced in the 10th, which resulted in J.P. France getting summoned to extricate him from this predicament. All France did was strike out the first man he faced and then he induced an inning-ending double play.

Carlos Machado walked to lead off the 3rd and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Oscar Campos wound up reaching on an error and then they both pulled off a double steal. Machado scored Tri-City's first run on a sac fly from Jeremy Peña that turned into a double play. Machado struck again in the 6th when he smacked a three-run homer that tied the game at 4.

Campos started the 10th in scoring position but Austin Dennis took his place. Peña hit a bunt single to move Dennis over and then he took second on defensive indifference. Gilberto Celestino got a free pass to first to load the bases for Alex McKenna.... who went down on strikes. Enmanuel Valdez came through with the winner, however. He poked one through the right side of the infield to bring Dennis in with the winning run. Celestino and César Salazar both finished 2-4.

Tri-City and Auburn will continue their series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros and GCL Cardinals was suspended

This game was suspended after the 4th inning due to rain with both teams tied 0-0.

Angel Macuare allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out four in 3.1 innings and Jonathan Bermúdez got the last two outs of the 4th.

DSL Astros 8, DSL Royals1 2

W- Jose Antonio Hernandez (3-2)
L- Luis Villar (1-1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy busted this one open with four runs in the 5th.

Ernesto Jaquez continues to be absurd, but he turned in his second-worst outing of the year as he allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out seven in four innings. (The one where he allowed an earned run was worse) That was just the second run that he's allowed all season. Flaer Gonzalez allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in the 5th. Jose Antonio Hernandez did not allow a hit over the last four innings; he walked two and struck out two.

The DSL squad got a couple of runs in the 3rd on a Jose Mendoza groundout and a Carlos Hurtado double. Junior Marte singled to lead off the 5th and scored on Yefri Carrillo's double. Carrillo scored on a Mendoza base hit; Mendoza advanced to third on Hurtado's second double of the day and scored on an Enmanuel Morillo groundout. Hurtado came home on a double from Abraham Castillo. Abraham Castillo scored on a wild pitch in the 8th and Carrillo's groundout allowed Jeury Castillo to score the final run of the day.

Abraham Castillo finished 3-4 with a double and scored a run. Carrillo, Mendoza, and Hurtado all finished with two hits.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ernesto Jaquez, RHP, and Jose Antonio Hernandez, RHP, DSL Astros
Jaquez: 4 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 7 K
Hernandez: W (3-2), 4 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Carlos Hurtado, C, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, R
Jose Mendoza, IF, DSL Astros: 2-5, 2 RBI, R
Abraham Castillo, OF, DSL Astros: 3-4, 2B, RBI, R
Yefri Carrillo, OF, DSL Astros: 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R

Shawn Dubin not pictured.

Shawn Dubin, LHP, and Carlos Machado, OF, Tri-City

Dubin: 3 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 5 K

Machado: Game-tying 3-R HR (2) in 6th, 2 R, SB (2)

Hector Perez, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Lorenzo Quintana, C, Corpus Christi

3-4, solo HR (10), 2 R

Ken Giles' photo taken by Bryan Green

Fresno Grizzlies (dba Fresno Tacos) pitchers: W 2-1 vs. Iowa

9 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 4 BB, 15 K

Josh James: W (4-4), 6 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 4 BB, 15 K

Riley Ferrell: IP, 2 K

Ken Giles: IP, H, K

Brendan McCurry: Save (12), IP, H, K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 22, 2018

Let's play two on Staten Island!

Fresno 10, Albuquerque 4

W- Trent Thornton (7-7)
L- Brett Oberholtzer (4-9)

Fresno home runs: Jack Mayfield (9, solo in 2nd), Tyler White (14, solo in 7th)

The Grizzlies took two of three from the Isotopes after they were foiled in their bid to sweep a series that occurred seven weeks ago.

Trent Thornton allowed a run on a solo homer, four other hits, and struck out ten in five innings. Buddy Boshers was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen for the 6th but he failed to record an out; he allowed three runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on three hits. Ken Giles took ownership of the 6th and allowed a hit while striking out one. Reymin Guduan worked around a couple of hits to throw a scoreless 7th, striking out one. Dean Deetz pitched the final two innings and allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two.

Jack Mayfield went 3-4 and opened the scoring with a solo homer in the 2nd inning. Garrett Stubbs added another run when Jake Marisnick grounded into a force out in the 3rd and then Fresno opened things up with four in the 4th, as they got RBI singles from Nick Tanielu and Myles Straw with a two-run double from Stubbs sandwiched in between. Tyler White smacked a solo homer in the 7th and finally, D.J. Fisher hit an RBI single in the 8th and White capped off the evening with a run-scoring groundout. Tanielu finished 3-5 and scored twice, while Stubbs finished 2-2.

Fresno has Monday off. They'll begin a series with the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday.

Midland 8, Corpus Christi 4

W- Joel Seddon (5-6)
L- Jorge Alcala (2-3, 3-7 season)
S- Kyle Finnegan (4)

CC home runs: Carmen Benedetti (4, 2-run in 7th)

The Hooks had to settle for the split as the Hounds teed off on Jorge Alcala and Ronel Blanco. Corpus manager Omar Lopez's day ended almost instantaneously as he got run for a dispute over whether Stephen Wrenn beat a double play in the 1st inning.

Akeem Bostick went five innings and allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked one, and struck out six. Alcala came on for the 6th but his time on the mound was short-lived; he got two outs in the inning, one via strikeout, but not before Midland got him for three runs on two hits. Alcala also issued three walks during his stint. Ronel Blanco got the last out of the 6th, but he too would have to bear the brunt of the Hounds' assault as he allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits. Blanco also walked three and struck out two. Erasmo Pinales was the only Corpus pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing; he worked around a couple of walks in the 8th to do so and struck out one.

Josh Rojas scored the first run of the day when he stole home in the 3rd as part of a double steal with Randy César. Carmen Benedetti launched a two-run homer in the 7th to cut the deficit to one run, but the Hooks couldn't get over the hump. Alex De Goti scored when Aníbal Sierra grounded into a force out in the 8th inning. De Goti finished 4-4 with a double and a stolen base (5). Rojas swiped two bases (17, 29 season). César and Benedetti both finished with two hits on the day.

Brandon Bielak will take the mound for the first of a three-game series in San Antonio. He'll take on Jacob Nix at 7:05.

Buies Creek 10, Down East 7

W- Abdiel Saldaña (8-1)
L- Jacob Lemoine (1-4)
S- Colin McKee (4)

BC home runs: Chuckie Robinson 2 (6; grand slam in 3rd, 3-run in 8th)

The Carolina Stros saw a 7-0 lead vanish... and still won.

Chuckie Robinson had a monster afternoon, but I'll get to him in a moment. Those seven runs all came in the 3rd inning.

Jonathan Arauz led things off with a double and he came around to score the first run of the day on a double from Jake Meyers. Meyers advanced to third on a wild pitch and after J.J. Matijevic drew a walk, Osvaldo Duarte brought Meyers in with a base hit. Matijevic scored on Ronnie Dawson's double and Jake Adams got a free pass to first to load the bases for Robinson, who sent everyone home with a grand slam. After the Wood Ducks fought back to tie the game, Robinson whacked a three-run home run in the 8th to put Buies Creek back in front. Robinson and Dawson both went 2-4 on the afternoon.

Patrick Sandoval went five innings and allowed two runs on two hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out four. Abdiel Saldaña had a bit of a tough day as he allowed five runs on nine hits (three-run homer), walked one, and struck out four in three innings. Colin McKee worked around a hit and a walk to close it out, striking out two.

The Carolina Stros will look for the sweep at noon Eastern.

West Michigan 6, Quad Cities 4

W- Billy Lescher (2-0)
L- Tanner Duncan (2-3)
S- Will Vest (4)

QC home runs: Seth Beer (3, 7 season; solo in 3rd)

The Whitecaps scored in more innings than the Banditos did. Quad Cities failed to score in a bases loaded, no out situation in the bottom of the 1st.

Seth Beer put the Banditos on the board with a homer to start the 3rd inning. David Hensley followed by reaching on an error and eventually scored on a single from Colton Shaver. Alfredo Angarita and Ruben Castro both singled with one out in the 6th and they both ended up scoring; Miguelangel Sierra ripped a double to bring Angarita in and Castro scored on a sac fly from Logan Mattix. Shaver, Castro, and Sierra all finished with two hits on the evening.

Chad Donato allowed four runs on a pair of two-run home runs, two other hits, walked two, and struck out six in four innings. Tanner Duncan did not allow a hit in his 2.2 innings, but he had two runs charged to him after Willy Collado allowed a double. He walked four and struck out four. Collado allowed one other hit and struck out three in 2.1 innings.

Peter Solomon will go up against Wilkel Hernandez in the series finale. First pitch is at 1:15.

Game 1: Tri-City 10, Staten Island 1

W- Carlos Hiraldo (2-0, 3-0 season)
L- Shawn Semple (1-3)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats scored in six of the seven innings as they disposed of the Pizza Rats in the first game of the twinbill: they scored one run in each of the first five frames and then put this game away with a five-run 6th.

Jeremy Peña returned to the lineup after a week off and led off the game with a single. He advanced to third on an Alex McKenna double and scored the first run of game one on an Austin Dennis sac fly that turned into an inning-ending double play. César Salazar ripped an RBI double in the 2nd. Peña singled to lead off the 3rd and scored on a base hit from Dennis. Michael Wielansky hit a sac fly in the 4th and Dennis stole third and scored on the errant throw down in the 5th. Things got a bit out of hand in the 6th.

Wielansky walked to lead things off and advanced to third when Peña hit into a botched force out attempt. McKenna was robbed of extra bases but Wielansky managed to score, so no harm done. Peña advanced to third on a wild pitch and then Enmanuel Valdez and Dennis walked to load the bases. Peña was thrown out at home on... a play, but Alex Holderbach walked to reload the bases for Carlos Machado, who came through with a two-run single. Ramiro Rodriguez walked to load the bases yet again for Salazar, who capped off the onslaught with a two-run single.

Salazar finished 3-4 in game one. Peña and Machado both had two hits and they both scored twice.

Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed a run on four hits and struck out one in four innings. Carlos Hiraldo allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two over two scoreless, and Riley Cabral worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 7th.

Game two of the doubleheader was suspended in the top of the 2nd inning. The suspended game will be completed on Saturday in Troy, during the next ValleyCats/Yankees encounter.

Tri-City has Monday off. They'll start a three-game series with the Auburn Doubledays on Tuesday.

GCL Nationals 4, GCL Astros 3

W- Fray Perez (1-1)
L- Jose Bravo (0-3)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros walked off with a loss on Sunday.

Fredy Medina allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out five over five shutout frames. Jose Bravo pitched 3.2 innings and allowed the Nationals' four runs on seven hits and struck out one.

Carlos Diaz went 2-5 and opened the scoring with an RBI bunt single in the 5th. Sean Mendoza drew a bases-loaded walk in the 7th and Freudis Nova hit a sac fly in the 8th. Freudis also finished with two stolen bases (5) on the afternoon.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fredy Medina, RHP, GCL Astros: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, Buies Creek

2-4, 2 HR (6), 7 RBI

César Salazar's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

César Salazar, C, and Carlos Machado, OF, Tri-City

Salazar: 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Machado: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R

Both players' stats are from game one of a doubleheader.

Carmen Benedetti, OF, and Alex De Goti, IF, Corpus Christi

Benedetti: 2-4, 2-R HR (4)
De Goti: 4-4, 2B, R, SB (5)

Akeem Bostick, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 6 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

W (7-7), 5 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 10 K

Nick Tanielu (pictured twice), IF, Garrett Stubbs, C, and Jack Mayfield, IF, Fresno

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

Mayfield: 3-4, 2B, solo HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 R

Stubbs: 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Beyond the Top 30: Right Field

As the old year fades away and the new season approaches, it's time to start looking at those players of interest who are beyond the Top 30. These players may not ever make a Top 30 list (or they may), but a combination of projections, actual results, incremental improvements and intangibles keep them in the mix as interesting players to watch. I am not including any players in these posts who have already made their major league debuts since, presumably, anyone reading my blog is already very familiar with those players.

Note: Many of the 2018 player rankings haven't been released yet so I will be using the MLB Pipeline postseason list, the Baseball Prospectus Top 10+ list and Baseball America's Top 10 list to denote those players who are currently considered Top 30 type players in the Astros system. Once FanGraphs weighs in, Baseball America publishes their Top 30 and MLB Pipeline posts their 2018 pre-season list, I will post a consensus top prospect list.

[UPDATES TO FINAL 2018 PRE-SEASON RANKINGS SHOWN IN RED.

BA= BASEBALL AMERICA, BP = BASEBALL PROSPECTUS,

FG=FANGRAPHS, MLB = MLB PIPELINE]

[NOTE: Almost all of these players have appeared at multiple outfield positions. For the most part, these lists are based upon the primary position the player appeared at in the 2017 season.]

RIGHTFIELDERS IN THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Carlos Machado - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Carlos Machado (R/R) - BP 11+, FG 28+
At this point, Machado is noted as a top prospect on only one list, that of Baseball Prospectus who has him as one of their "Next 10." And, although Kyle Tucker and Myles Straw played a considerable number of games in right field in 2017, Machado is the only listed prospect for whom right field was his primary position. Machado was originally signed by the Astros in August 2014, and 2017 was his third professional season. He did have good success at the plate in 2017, hitting a combined .324/.387/.462 with six doubles, four triples and two home runs between 33 games in the Gulf Coast League and eight games with rookie level Greeneville, but personally I feel that he should have been challenged to higher levels at this point in his development. BP really likes his hit tool and feel for hitting, but tempers their enthusiasm by saying that Machado will either need to hit at an elite level or develop more power in order to be successful. Machado will be 20 in June.

RIGHTFIELDERS BEYOND THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Carmen Benedetti - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Carmen Benedetti (L/L)

Benedetti got off to a slow start in his second professional season in 2017, hitting only .219/.306/.281 in April for Low A Quad Cities, but he made adjustments and by July, he slashed .402/.492/.523 in 28 games, leading to an early August promotion to High A Buies Creek. For the season combined, he hit .268/.341/.415 with 27 doubles, one triple and five home runs. He walked 60 times to 68 strikeouts in 92 games. Benedetti was drafted in the 12th round in 2016 out of the University of Michigan where he was a two-way player. His strong left arm translated into 11 outfield assists in 2017, six of those from right field. Benedetti's plus defense, good on-base skills, great gap power (and plus-plus baseball name) make him one of my favorite follows on this list. He turned 23 in October.

Key: Honestly, Benedetti just needs to keep doing what he's been doing as he climbs the ladder to the higher levels of the organization. With just a little added strength to his already strong frame, I can see some of his gap power translating to more home runs, adding to an already solid portfolio of skills.

Leonardo Gonzalez (L/R)

Gonzalez signed with the Astros out of Venezuela in July 2016 and played his first professional season in 2017. In 59 games in the Dominican Summer League, he hit .226/.355/.249. Gonzalez really showed improvement as the season progressed, finishing with a .302/.446/.302 line in 16 games in August. At the time he signed, he was lauded for his ability to hit for contact, baserunning instincts, plate discipline and ability to hit to all fields. Gonzalez didn't exhibit much in the way of power (four doubles were his only extra base hits), but he did show really good on-base skills, decent baserunning (11 stolen bases; 8 caught stealing) and solid defensive abilities (no errors in 43 games in right plus six outfield assists, four from right). Oh, and he did all of that at the ripe old age of 17. He will not turn 18 until May 27th.

Key: At his age, the only thing he can really do is keep working, keep listening to his coaches/trainers and have fun!

Corey Julks (R/R)
Drafted in the 8th round in 2017 out of the University of Houston, Julks didn't have the best professional debut, hitting only .176/.311/.235 in 32 games for Tri-City, but he did manage to steal nine bases (two caught stealing) and walk 18 times to only 19 strikeouts. In Baseball America's annual draft report write-up, they called Julks one of the best athletes in the Astros 2017 class, citing his strength, speed and raw power. Prior to the draft, Julks was #500 on BA's Top 500 draft list, but some scouts were concerned about his bat path. All of this tells me that Julks is a work in progress and 2018 will likely be pivotal in defining Julks as a player.
Key: Hone in on the type of player he wants to be and work toward that goal.

Chas McCormick (R/L)
McCormick is one of my "intangibles guys," one whose baseball skills will play up because of his work ethic, intensity, team mentality and other non-baseball skills. McCormick was a senior sign out of Millersville University (PA) in the 21st round in 2017; he held the college record for hits, runs, RBI and triples, and his college coach called him "unbelievably clutch." That translated into a first pro season in which McCormick hit .298/.355/.399 with nine doubles, one triple, two home runs, 22 RBI, six stolen bases (four caught stealing) and 15 walks to only 20 strikeouts in 51 games (the majority of which were at Low A Quad Cities). He also hit .382/.447/.618 with two outs and runners in scoring position. And in nine postseason games, he hit .371/.465/.457 with one double, one triple and seven walks to three strikeouts. Defensively, he was errorless in games at all three outfield positions for the season. He will be 23 on April 19th.
Key: Since McCormick wasn't a top draft pick and, as a senior sign, presumably didn't have a big signing bonus, he doesn't represent a huge financial investment on the part of the Astros. The harsh reality of that is he will have to work twice as hard as higher ranked players to continue moving forward in the organization. But, personally, I think he is up to the job.

Luis Payano (R/R)
The main reason that I'm including Payano on this list is because he was the highest paid international player signed by the Astros in the July 2012 signing period, with a $500,000 pay day, and the Astros will give him every chance to succeed. My main concern with Payano is that he will be entering his 6th season in 2018 and has only played 24 games as high as Low A and has averaged only 46 games per season thus far in his career. In 44 games in 2017 (20 at Tri-City and 24 at Quad Cities), he hit a combined .248/.306/.441 with 11 doubles, one triple and five home runs, peaking at the end of the season (.292/.370/.458 in 21 games in August). At the time he was signed, Baseball America liked Payano for his above average arm, good bat speed and running ability, but thought his raw tools were ahead of his skills. Personally, I have enjoyed watching Payano play. He plays all out and possesses an infectious personality. I would really like to see him succeed.
Key: Payano, who will be 22 on May 12th has to be challenged to higher levels of competition and he will have to show that he is up to the task. And all of that needs to start really accelerating.

Stephen Wrenn (R/R)
Wrenn, drafted out of the University of Georgia in the 6th round in 2016, is definitely one of the stronger defensive players on this list. In 60 games in right field, 45 games in center and 15 games in left in 2017, he was charged with only one error while contributing eight outfield assists. Wrenn hit a combined .258/.332/.365 in 125 games between Quad Cities (42) and Buies Creek (85). It took him a while to catch up with High A pitching, but he did so nicely at the end of the season, hitting .301/.378/.336 in 30 games in August and September. According to Baseball America, Wrenn's swing is geared more for contact than for power and he is a plus runner. His 2017 results reflect that as he collected 17 doubles and six triples to go with his seven home runs, and stole 18 bases (seven caught stealing). He walked 50 times to 112 strikeouts, but his strikeout rate improved in the latter part of the season. Wrenn turned 23 in October.
Key: Work to get the most out of his speed. I can see him collecting more stolen bases, doubles and triples as he finetunes his running game.

Others to Watch:

Bryan de la Cruz (R/R)
Much like Luis Payano, my main concern with de la Cruz is that he hasn't progressed far enough in the system at this point in his career. He ended the season with a decent (but very limited) showing at Quad Cities, but going into his fifth season in 2018, he will need to move much more quickly. He turned 21 in December.

Patrick Mathis (L/L)
Drafted in the 22nd round in 2017 out of the University of Texas, Mathis was hampered by a leg injury in his final year at UT. He put up less than spectacular numbers in his first season, most of which was spent at rookie level Greeneville, but keep an eye out to see what he can do when/if he's completely healthy in 2018. He will be 22 in March.

Ronny Rafael (R/R)
Rafael signed for 1.5 million in July 2014, but after three seasons, he has yet to show that his bat is up to the challenge. Rafael turned 20 in October.

Previous Posts:
Shortstop
Second Base
First Base

Third Base
Center Field

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, June 25, 2017

Fresno 10, New Orleans 3

W- Brendan McCurry (3-0)
L- Tayron Guerrero (0-1)

Fresno home runs: J.D. Davis 2 (3, 24 season; solo in 2nd, grand slam in 8th), Jack Mayfield (2, 16 season; 2-run in 2nd)

The difference in this one was a 7-run 8th from Fresno that broke a 3-3 tie.

J.D. Davis opened the scoring with his first home run of the game, a solo shot in the 2nd inning. After Jon Kemmer went down on strikes, Reid Brignac singled, then Jack Mayfield smacked a 2-run homer to extend the Tacos' lead.

Kemmer led off the big 8th with a single. He moved over to 2nd on a sac bunt from Brignac and scored on Mayfield's double. Juan Centeno walked, then Mayfield advanced to 3rd on a flyball out and scored on an error that allowed Max Stassi to reach. Preston Tucker walked to load the bases for A.J. Reed, who walked to bring Centeno in. Davis capped off the evening with his grand slam. He and Mayfield finished with 2 hits apiece, while Centeno went 3-3 and scored a run from the #9 spot in the order.

Trent Thornton went 6.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits (solo homer) and struck out 3. Brendan McCurry allowed a hit and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings, and Dayan Diaz struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Kent Emanuel goes up against Justin Nicolino in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

San Antonio 6, Corpus Christi 5

W- Brett Kennedy (10-5)
L- Yoanys Quiala (2-3, 7-4 season)
S- Trey Wingenter (14)

CC home runs: Ryne Birk (1, 9 season; 2-run in 2nd), Drew Ferguson (8, solo in 3rd), Kyle Tucker (9, 18 season; 2-run in 9th)

The Hooks made things interesting in the 9th, but they couldn't complete the comeback.

The three home runs accounted for all of their offensive production. Ryne Birk connected for his first Texas League homer in the 2nd inning to put Corpus on the board. Drew Ferguson smacked a solo homer in the 3rd, and Kyle Tucker launched a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to cut the Hooks' deficit to one run. Ferguson finished 2-5 and scored twice.

Yoanys Quiala only lasted 2.1 innings and allowed 6 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits and walked 1. Riley Ferrell allowed a hit and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings, and Brock Dykxhoorn walked 1 and struck out 3 in 5 innings of work.

Framber Valdez takes on Eric Lauer in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 3, Winston-Salem 1

W- Jorge Alcala (4-3, 6-3 season)
L- Alec Hansen (1-3)
S- Carlos Sierra (1)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros only had 2 hits, but they still managed to score more runs than the Dash and that's what matters most.

Jorge Alcala turned in yet another fine outing as he allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 5 over 6.1 innings. Carlos Sierra finished it off by allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 3 in 2.2 innings.

Myles Straw was involved in all of Buies Creek's scoring plays. He tripled to lead off the bottom of the 1st and scored the first run of the evening on a Yordan Alvarez sac fly. Straw walked in the 3rd, moved to 2nd base on a passed ball, stole 3rd (29) and scored on the errant throw down. Straw hit an RBI single in the 5th. He went 2-2, scored twice, and stole 2 bases, giving him 30 on the year.

Buies Creek and Winston-Salem will wrap up their series at 7:00 Eastern as Matt Bower faces Dane Dunning.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos start a 3-game series in Clinton at 6:30.

Vermont 11, Tri-City 3

W- Wyatt Marks (1-0)
L- Carlos Hiraldo (0-4)

TC home runs: Adrian Tovalin (3, 7 season; solo in 7th), Abraham Toro-Hernandez (6, solo in 9th), Mike Papierski (1, solo in 9th)

The ValleyCats launched 3 homers, but they fell behind early and ended up getting denied in their bid to sweep the series.

Adrian Tovalin smacked a solo homer in the 7th inning, giving him 3 in his first two games with Tri-City. Abraham Toro-Hernandez and Mike Papierski hit solo shots in the 9th; Papierski went deep for the first time as a pro.

Carlos Hiraldo and Luis Ramirez both threw 2 innings with radically different results. Hiraldo allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3, while Ramirez allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in a scoreless outing. Tyler Ivey went 3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Diogenes Almengo worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 9th.

After a day off, the ValleyCats will start a 3-game series with Staten Island on Thursday.

Greeneville 15, Princeton 2

W- Humberto Castellanos (2-0, 4-0 season)
L- Phoenix Sanders (1-2)

Greeneville home runs: Colton Shaver (6, 2-run in 6th)

As the old saying goes... turnabout is fair play. After being on the wrong end of an 8-run inning on Monday, the Appy Astros turned the tables on the Rays and put up 10 in the 6th in response to Princeton tying the game at 2 in the top of the 6th. They added 3 more in the 8th for good measure.

Felipe Tejada allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 in 5 innings of work. Humberto Castellanos finished the game and allowed 2 hits, one of which was a solo homer hit by Trey Hair. Castellanos struck out 7 in his 4 innings.

Gilberto Celestino put Greeneville on the board with an RBI double in the 4th. He came around to score on an error that allowed Brody Westmoreland to reach.

Celestino singled to lead off the 6th, then stole 2nd. He wound up scoring on Colton Shaver's home run. Roman Garcia and Westmoreland walked and then Oscar Campos singled to load the bases for Cody Bohanek. A balk allowed Garcia to score, and then Bohanek got plunked to re-load the bases. Joan Mauricio kept it going with a 2-run single, and Jose Benjamin followed with an RBI single. Mauricio scored on a wild pitch, then Wilson Amador and Celestino scored on an error after Shaver hit into a fielder's choice. Shaver scored the 10th and final run of the 6th as Westmoreland reached on another Princeton blunder.

In the 8th, Shaver ripped an RBI double and Ruben Castro whacked a 2-run triple. Celestino went 3-4 with a double, a stolen base (6), and scored 4 times. Shaver (2B, 2-R HR, 4 RBI, 3 R) and Jose Benjamin both had 2 hits.

Leovanny Rodriguez will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Nationals 8, GCL Astros 6

W- Nector Ramirez (2-1)
L- Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1, 3-1 season)

GCL home runs: Carlos Machado (2, 2-run in 4th)

The Palm Beach Stros mounted a late rally against their complex mates that fell short.

Carlos Machado tripled to lead off the 2nd and scored the GCLstros' first run on a Vicente Sanchez sac fly. Machado smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th. They turned a bases-loaded, no out situation to start the 9th into 3 runs, but they needed a couple more. Ozziel Sanchez-Galan and Bernardo Heras hit RBI singles and Andres Santana beat out a double play which allowed Sanchez-Galan to score. Machado finished a double shy of the cycle, while Angel Tejeda, Sanchez-Galan, and Heras all finished with 2 hits on the day.

Juan Pablo Lopez went 3.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Nivaldo Rodriguez pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits and struck out 3. Saul Martinez allowed 3 hits in the 9th, one of which was a 3-run homer, and walked 1.

DSL Astros Blue 7, DSL Braves 1

W- Angel Macuare (2-2)
L- Estarlin Rodriguez (1-1)
S- Angel Matos (1)

Blue home runs: None.

Everyone in Team Blue's lineup recorded a hit as they cruised to a win on Tuesday. Ronaldo Urdaneta finished 3-5 with an RBI and scored a run, while Nerio Rodriguez and Anthony Rodriguez both finished with 2 hits and an RBI.

Freylin Garcia allowed 2 hits and struck out 7 over 4 scoreless. Angel Macuare allowed a run on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 3.2 innings, and Angel Matos walked 2 over 1.1 scoreless.

DSL Astros Orange 5, DSL Indians/Brewers 0

W- Miguel Matos (1-2)
L- Daritzon Feliz (0-5)

Orange home runs: None.

Three Orange team pitchers combined on a 2-hit shutout.

Fabricio Reina and Miguel Matos both threw 4 innings and they both allowed a hit. Reina also walked 4 and struck out 3, while Matos struck out 2. Ronny Garcia walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

Jose Carrillo scored the first run of the day when he stole home as part of a double steal with Sean Mendoza in the 2nd inning. Mendoza advanced to 3rd on the errant throw down to 2nd base and subsequently scored on a wild pitch. Renaigel Martis tripled to lead off the 4th and scored on a Deury Carrasco sac fly. Mendoza hit a sac fly in the 7th and Luis Barajas drew a bases-loaded walk. Martis and Carrillo both went 2-4.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Freylin Garcia, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, 2 H, 7 K

DSL Astros Orange pitchers: W 5-0 vs. DSL Indians/Brewers
9 IP, 2 H, 5 BB, 6 K
Fabricio Reina: 4 IP, H, 4 BB, 3 K
Miguel Matos: W (1-2), 4 IP, H, 2 K
Ronny Garcia: IP, BB, K

J.D. Davis, 3B, and Jack Mayfield, IF, Fresno

Davis: 2-5, 2 HR (3, 24 season), 5 RBI; one of the home runs was a grand slam.

Mayfield: 2-3, 2B, 2-R HR (2, 16 season), 3 RBI, 2 R

Jorge Alcala's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 3-1 vs. Winston-Salem

9 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 8 K

Jorge Alcala: W (4-3, 6-3 season), 6.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 5 K

Carlos Sierra: Save (1), 2.2 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Myles Straw, OF, Buies Creek

2-2, 3B, RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (30)

Gilberto Celestino's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Colton Shaver's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Gilberto Celestino, OF, and Colton Shaver, 1B, Greeneville

Celestino: 3-4, 2B, RBI, 4 R, SB (6)

Shaver: 2-5, 2B, 2-R HR (6), 4 RBI, 3 R

Carlos Machado, OF, GCL Astros

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

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

6.2 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Riley Ferrell: 1.2 IP, H, K

Brock Dykxhoorn: 5 IP, BB, 3 K