Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 27, 2018

Not a fun night in the Astros organization.

Omaha 15, Fresno 4

W- Arnaldo Hernandez (2-0)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (5-2, 7-2 season)

Fresno home runs: D.J. Fisher (10, solo in 1st), Jack Mayfield (11, solo in 2nd)

No comment.

Midland 5, Corpus Christi 3

W- Brian Howard (1-2)
L- Akeem Bostick (1-4)
S- Kyle Finnegan (7)

CC home runs: Carmen Benedetti (5, 3-run in 9th)

Carmen Benedetti's blast got the Hooks back in this, but it's a little tough for a team to win when they only have three hits in a game.

Benedetti accounted for two of those hits; the other one belonged to Randy César.

Akeem Bostick went four innings and allowed four runs on five hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out eight. Kit Scheetz tagged in for two innings, allowing a run on three hits, walking one, and striking out three. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed a hit and struck out three over three scoreless to give Corpus a chance.

Jorge Alcala was scheduled to start tonight's game and today also happens to be his birthday, but he is now a member of the Minnesota Twins organization. Whoever gets the nod will take on Logan Shore at 7:05.

Buies Creek and Wilmington was postponed

Due to rain. Today's doubleheader is scheduled to start at 4:30 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Burlington 7 in 11 innings

W- Willy Collado (1-2)
L- Zack Kelly (2-1)

QC home runs: Scott Schrieber (1, solo in 5th)

This game started on Thursday but was suspended because the lights went out. Quad Cities wrapped this one up quickly so they could start the regularly scheduled contest in a timely fashion.

Colton Shaver started the top of the 11th in scoring position and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.

Seth Beer went 3-4 with an RBI single and he also scored twice. Scott Schreiber smacked a homer to lead off the 5th inning; he finished 2-6 and also scored twice. The homer was his first as a pro.

The Quad Cities bullpen finished with 7.2 scoreless innings. Humberto Castellanos walked one and struck out four over 3.2 no-hit frames. Brendan Feldmann and Willy Collado both threw two innings; Feldmann allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out three, while Collado fanned four in a perfect outing.

Burlington 4, Quad Cities 2

W- Michael Santos (2-1)
L- Edgardo Sandoval (0-1, 0-3 season)
S- Austin Krzeminski (4)

QC home runs: None.

The Bees stung the Banditos with three runs in the 5th inning to take the lead and foiled Quad Cities' attempt to sweep the series.

J.B. Bukauskas and Edgardo Sandoval ended up with the exact same lines, although Bukauskas pitched 4.1 innings and Sandoval was on for the final 3.2 innings. They both allowed two runs (well, Bukauskas' second run was an inherited runner that was charged to him) on three hits, walked two, and struck out seven. I can't remember the last time that this occurred.

David Hensley was involved in both Quad Cities scoring plays in this game; he hit an RBI single in the 1st and grounded into a double play in the 3rd that also resulted in Marty Costes scoring.

Bryan Abreu will start the opener of a four-game series with Cedar Rapids; the first two games will take place in Cedar Rapids. He'll face Blayne Enlow at 6:35.

Tri-City and Staten Island was postponed

Due to rain. It's the third time this week that the ValleyCats have had games suspended or postponed by the weather. A doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 5:00 Eastern. The first game originally started last Sunday in Staten Island so they'll get that one done with. These two teams will play another doubleheader on Sunday.

GCL Nationals 13, GCL Astros 7

W- Fray Perez (2-1)
L- Bryan Solano (2-1)

GCL home runs: Hector Martinez (1, 3-run in 2nd)

The Palm Beach Stros scored seven runs in a three-inning span; unfortunately, their complex mates responded with nine in a separate three-inning span.

Hector Martinez launched his first homer of the season, a three-run shot in the 2nd inning. Wilyer Abreu went 2-4 with a couple of doubles, drove in a run, and scored twice. Ronaldo Urdaneta went 2-2 and scored a run.

Jonathan Bermúdez was the only pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing; he walked one and struck out two over 2.1 no-hit frames.

DSL Astros 9, DSL Athletics 6

W- Jairo Lopez (1-2)
L- Yorlenis Noa (0-1)
S- Ronny Garcia (2)

DSL home runs: None.

Javier Bermúdez, Jose Mendoza, and Enmanuel Morillo all finished with two hits on the day; Morillo and Abraham Castillo drove in two runs apiece.

Jairo Lopez allowed two hits and struck out three over three scoreless as the first man out of the bullpen.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jairo Lopez, RHP, DSL Astros: 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K
Enmanuel Morillo, IF, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Jonathan Bermúdez, LHP, GCL Astros: 2.1 IP, BB, 2 K
Wilyer Abreu, OF, GCL Astros: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen: W 8-7 (11 innings) @ Burlington

7.2 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 11 K

Humberto Castellanos: 3.2 IP, BB, 4 K

Brendan Feldmann: 2 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 3 K

Willy Collado: W (1-2), 2 IP, 4 K; perfect outing

Seth Beer, LF/1B, and Scott Schreiber, OF/1B, Quad Cities

Beer: 3-4, RBI, 2 R

Schreiber: 2-6, 2B, solo HR (1), 2 R

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3-R HR (5)

Ralph Garza Jr., RHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, H, 3 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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, May 12, 2018

Fresno 7, Salt Lake 4

W- Trent Thornton (3-2)
L- Greg Belton (0-1)
S- James Hoyt (1)

Fresno home runs: Kyle Tucker (3, 2-run in 5th), A.J. Reed (5, 2-run in 8th)

The Bees made it a one-run game in the 8th, but A.J. Reed smacked a home run to give Fresno some much-needed breathing room.

Trent Thornton went 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on six hits, walked one, and struck out six. Buddy Boshers got the final out of the 7th and the first out of the 8th, both via strikeout; he allowed an unearned run, which was an inherited runner charged to him, on two hits. James Hoyt allowed the run that was charged to Boshers to score when he committed a balk in the 8th. It was a rather drama-free outing for Hoyt outside of the balk as he retired all five Bees he faced, striking out one. Boshers also had to bat for himself because Drew Ferguson and Kemp both got tossed in the 5th inning and Jon Kemmer, who was serving as the DH, had to move in to play right field, so Fresno had to relinquish the DH after the ejections. It also meant that Tim Federowicz made his first career appearance at second base in his ten-year professional career.

Reed walked to lead off the 2nd and wound up scoring the first run of the evening on an Alejandro Garcia single. Eduardo de Oleo followed by ripping an RBI double, and Tony Kemp extended his hitting streak to 18 with an RBI triple. Kyle Tucker launched a two-run homer in the 5th and Reed capped off the evening by whacking a two-run home run of his own in the 8th inning. Tucker finished 3-4.

Cy Sneed faces Ivan Pineyro in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 1:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 9, Midland 3

W- Ryan Hartman (2-1)
L- Corey Walter (2-4)

CC home runs: None.

Corpus stormed out of the gate with a touchdown in the first inning and they also recorded a safety as they cruised to a Saturday night victory.

Myles Straw and Josh Rojas led off the 1st with singles and they successfully performed a double steal. Taylor Jones walked to load the bases for Carmen Benedetti, who opened the scoring with a two-run double. Randy César followed with an RBI single and Ryne Birk got plunked to re-load the bases for Nick Tanielu, who came through with an RBI single. César scored on a passed ball, but Jamie Ritchie walked to load the bases once more. Alex De Goti grounded into a double play, but Birk scored, and Straw hit an RBI single in his second plate appearance of the inning. De Goti hit an RBI single in the 5th and Benedetti smacked an RBI double in the 6th.

Benedetti, Tanielu, and Rojas all finished with three hits on the evening. Straw, who went 2-5, now has 21 stolen bases on the year, while Rojas has 15.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on three hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out two. Ryan Hartman shut it down over the final 4.1 innings as he allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out five in a scoreless outing.

Corbin Martin will get the start in game 3. First pitch is at 2:05; this will be the last 2:05 Sunday start this year at Whataburger Field.

Buies Creek 9, Myrtle Beach 3

W- Carson LaRue (2-1)
L- Jose Paulino (0-5)
S- Kit Scheetz (3)

BC home runs: None.

This time, the Carolina Stros jumped out with a nice lead out of the gate.

Alfredo Angarita reached on an error to begin the game and scored the first run of the night on an Abraham Toro double. Buies Creek got four in the 2nd to open things up a bit.

Chas McCormick walked and Kristian Trompiz reached on an error to lead things off, and Carlos Canelón brought McCormick in with a single. Luis Payano scored when Angarita grounded into a force out. Ronnie Dawson ripped an RBI double to score Angarita and Toro added an RBI single to his ledger. Toro grounded into a force out that scored Canelón and Osvaldo Duarte added a two-run single in the 4th inning. Duarte hit an RBI single in the 6th to bring in the last Buies Creek run of the game.

Duarte (3 RBI), Dawson (2B, RBI, 3 R, SB), Toro (2B, 2 RBI), and Canelón (RBI, R) all had two hits on the night. Angarita went 0-4 but managed to score three runs.

Carson LaRue went 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on six hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out five. Kit Scheetz allowed four hits and struck out five over 3.2 scoreless to record the save.

Brandon Bailey will face Keegan Thompson in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:05 Eastern.

Lake County 5, Quad Cities 3

W- Kyle Nelson (3-0)
L- Robert Corniel (0-1)
S- Tommy DeJuneas (1)

QC home runs: Colton Shaver (2, solo in 5th)

The Captains scored the last five runs of the game to take this series.

Patrick Sandoval allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out six over five shutout innings. César Rosado was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out three in two innings of work. Robert Corniel came on for the 8th and recorded two outs, allowing three runs on four hits, walking one, and striking out one. Carlos Sanabria allowed a hit and struck out two in 1.1 innings of work.

Colton Shaver went 2-4 and drove in two of Quad Cities runs; he hit an RBI single in the 2nd and whacked a home run to lead off the 5th. Jake Adams also finished 2-4 and opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the 2nd and came home on Shaver's single. Jake Meyers and Jonathan Arauz both went 2-4 as well.

Quad Cities has Sunday off. They'll be on the road this upcoming week and they'll start with five in Cedar Rapids beginning Monday.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Kyle Tucker, OF, Fresno

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

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Corpus Christi

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

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Corpus Christi

W (2-1), 4.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Osvaldo Duarte, OF, and Abraham Toro, 3B, Buies Creek

Dawson: 2-3, 2B, RBI, 3 R, SB (12)

Duarte: 2-4, 3 RBI

Toro: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Kit Scheetz, LHP, Buies Creek

Save (3), 3.2 IP, 4 H, 5 K

Patrick Sandoval, LHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Colton Shaver, 1B, Quad Cities

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 4, 2018

Everyone won, it was a good day.

Fresno 11, Sacramento 2

W- Kent Emanuel (3-1)
L- Jose Flores (0-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

After being held for the first four innings, the Grizzlies roared to life and scored the last eleven runs of the night to bury the RiverCats.

Kent Emanuel turned in a solid outing as he allowed two runs on eight hits, walked two, and struck out six in 6.2 innings of work. Buddy Boshers allowed a hit and struck out three in 1.1 innings, and James Hoyt threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out one.

Fresno loaded the bases with two outs in the 5th and came through with three runs. Drew Ferguson got them on the board, but getting plunked with the bases loaded probably wasn't how he envisioned driving in a run. Kyle Tucker followed with a two-run single to put the Grizz in front for good. Garrett Stubbs scored on an error following a Jack Mayfield single in the 6th inning. Tyler White smacked a two-run ground-rule double to spark a four-run 7th. A.J. Reed followed with... an RBI triple. Yes, that's exactly what happened. Reed ended up scoring on a J.D. Davis single. Fresno loaded the bases again in the 8th and got three runs out of it. Tony Kemp scored on an error that allowed White to reach and Reed and Davis finished it off by drawing bases-loaded walks.

Ferguson was the only player in the Fresno lineup without a hit, but he still contributed by scoring a couple of runs to go along with his bases-loaded hit by pitch. Tony Kemp went 3-4 with two stolen bases and three runs; he now has 12 stolen bases this season. Tucker, Davis, Stubbs, and Mayfield all had two hits on the night.

David Paulino faces Tyler Beede in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Midland 3

W- Kevin Hill (1-1)
L- Joel Seddon (2-2)
S- Alex Winkelman (1)

CC home runs: None.

After the Hounds made it a one-run game with a couple of runs in the 6th, the Hooks got a little breathing room by responding with two of their own in the 7th.

No Corpus pitcher threw more than three innings in this game. Cionel Perez went the furthest. He allowed a run on four hits and walked two in 2.2 innings. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out three in 2.1 scoreless. Brendan Feldmann and Alex Winkelman threw two innings apiece; Feldmann allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits (solo homer) and walked one, while Winkelman walked two and struck out three to earn the save.

Myles Straw singled to lead off the game and scored on an error that allowed Yordan Alvarez to reach. Alvarez came home on a Ryne Birk single and Taylor Jones, who drew a walk, scored when Nick Tanielu grounded into a force out but managed to beat a double play attempt. Carmen Benedetti tripled to lead off the 5th and scored on an Alvarez single. Benedetti singled with one out in the 7th and Jones brought him in with a single. Birk drove in the final run of the evening with a sac fly. Benedetti finished 3-4 on the night, while Alex De Goti went 2-4 with a double out of the #9 spot in the order.

Josh James will start the first of a four-game series in San Antonio at 7:05. He'll face Jerry Keel.

Buies Creek 10, Winston-Salem 6

W- Jorge Alcala (1-3)
L- Tanner Banks (0-2)
S- Kit Scheetz (1)

BC home runs: Aníbal Sierra (3, 2-run in 8th)

The Carolina Stros got out to a fast start and a late homer and a fine relief effort secured the win.

Alfredo Angarita doubled to lead off the 3rd and scored the first run of the evening on an error that allowed Aníbal Sierra to reach and advance to second base. Ronnie Dawson drew a walk and they both advanced a base on a Chas McCormick sac bunt. Abraham Toro followed with an RBI single and Troy Sieber added another run on a sac fly. Toro stole second and scored on Osvaldo Duarte's triple. Duarte came home on Kristian Trompiz's single. McCormick tripled to start the 5th and scored when Sieber hit into a fielder's choice. Duarte followed with a single and Trompiz walked to load the bases for Carlos Canelón, who hit a sac fly. Trompiz stole second and Duarte scored on the errant throw down. The Dash got closer thanks to a four-run 7th that cut Buies Creek's lead to two, but Aníbal Sierra provided some breathing room with a two-run blast in the 8th.

McCormick (3B, R), Sieber (2 RBI, R), Duarte (3B, RBI, 2 R), and Sierra (2B, 2-R HR, 2 R) all finished with two hits on the night.

Abdiel Saldaña went 4.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out five. Jorge Alcala allowed a run, which was an inherited runner that was charged to him, on two hits and walked one in 1.1 innings; his night ended early because he got tossed after hitting Joel Booker with a pitch to start the 7th inning. Jesús Balaguer came on in Alcala's stead but failed to record an out. He allowed three runs on two hits and walked two. Kit Scheetz came in and restored order by throwing three scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out three.

Brandon Bielak will look to rebound from his toughest outing of the year. He'll face Bernardo Flores at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Lansing 7

W- Luis Garcia (1-1)
L- Colton Laws (0-2)
S- Tanner Duncan (3)

QC home runs: Jonathan Arauz (3, solo in 1st), Mike Papierski (1, solo in 1st)

The Banditos got out to a fast start but had to hang on to get the win in Michigan's capital city.

Jonathan Arauz and Mike Papierski opened the scoring by smacking back-to-back solo homers in the 1st inning. Bryan de la Cruz struck out for the second out of the inning, but Jake Adams kept the line moving with a single and Adrian Tovalin ripped an RBI double to bring him in. Marcos Almonte followed with an RBI single. Arauz walked with two outs in the 2nd and scored on a single from de la Cruz, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Tovalin drew a leadoff walk in the 3rd, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Colton Shaver single. Shaver rumbled home on a Corey Julks double, and Arauz brought Julks home with an RBI single.

Shaver went 3-4 on Friday night, while Arauz (solo HR, 2 RBI, 2 R), Papierski (solo HR), de la Cruz (RBI single), and Tovalin all had two hits.

Cristian Javier went four innings and allowed three runs on six hits (two solo homers), walked one, and struck out five. Cole Watts came on for the 5th but failed to record an out; he allowed two unearned runs on two hits and walked one. Luis Garcia took ownership of the 5th and went on to throw 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits (solo homer), walking two, and striking out four. Tanner Duncan got the last four outs of the game, striking out two to earn the save.

Parker Mushinski will take on Yennsy Diaz in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Kevin Hill, RHP, and Alex Winkelman, LHP, Corpus Christi

Hill: W (1-1), 2.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Winkelman: Save (1), 2 IP, 2 BB, 3 K

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R

Aníbal Sierra's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Troy Sieber, 1B, and Aníbal Sierra, SS, Buies Creek

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Kit Scheetz, LHP, Buies Creek

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

Tony Kemp, 2B/OF, and J.D. Davis, 3B/1B/LF, Fresno

Kemp: 3-4, 3 R, 2 SB (12)
Davis: 2-4, 2 RBI

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Fresno

W (3-1), 6.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

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

Jonathan Arauz, IF, and Colton Shaver, 1B, Quad Cities

Arauz: 2-4, solo HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 16, 2018

Fresno sweep!

Fresno 7, Reno 6

W- Mike Hauschild (1-1)
L- Taylor Clarke (1-2)
S- Brendan McCurry (2)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (4, solo in 1st)

Well, things got rather harrowing in the 9th, but the Grizzlies managed to escape, and as a result, they swept the Aces out of the Central Valley.

Mike Hauschild was dealing in his 6.2 innings as he allowed a run on 5 hits while striking out 8. Matt Ramsey got the final out of the 7th with a strikeout and then threw a 1-2-3 8th with a groundout sandwiched in between a couple more strikeouts. Chris Nunn faced three men in the 9th and failed to record an out; instead, he allowed 3 runs on three hits (solo and 2-run homers). Brendan McCurry took ownership of the 9th and managed to close out the game, even though he allowed a two-run homer to Marcus Littlewood that cut Fresno's lead to one run. The homer was the only hit he allowed; he also walked the first man he faced.

Tyler White smacked a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring. All four of his home runs this season have come against the Aces. The Grizzlies got a pair of two-run singles from J.D. Davis and Tim Federowicz in the 3rd to put them in the driver's seat. In the 8th, Federowicz lashed an RBI double and Drew Ferguson drove in the last Fresno run of the afternoon with an RBI single.

Federowicz finished 3-4 and drove in three. Ferguson (RBI, R) and Davis (2B, 2 RBI, 2 R) had two hits apiece; Ferguson is now on a nine-game hitting streak and has recorded a hit in all but one of the games he has played this season.

Trent Thornton will get the start as the Grizzlies start a four-game series in Las Vegas. He'll face A.J. Griffin at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 9, Arkansas 0

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (3-0)
L- Spencer Herrmann (1-1)

CC home runs: Nick Tanielu (1, 2-run in 1st)

The Hooks dominated the Travelers in all facets of the game. Maybe the presence of the World Series trophy was a little extra motivation?

Cionel Perez and Ralph Garza Jr. both threw 4 scoreless innings. Cionel allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6, while Garza allowed a couple of hits and also fanned 6. Erasmo Pinales got two flyouts and a groundball out in the 9th to complete the shutout.

Nick Tanielu kicked things off by launching a two-run homer in the opening inning, his first of the year. Corpus blew this game open by turning a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 3rd into five runs.

After Arkansas starter Spencer Herrmann loaded the bases, the Travs went to their bullpen. Carmen Benedetti greeted the new pitcher, Scott Kuzminsky, with a two-run double. Randy César reached on an error to re-load the bases, and Ryne Birk followed with an RBI single. Lorenzo Quintana grounded into a force out that allowed Benedetti to score, and César scored on an Alex De Goti groundout. Benedetti ripped an RBI double in the 6th and César capped off the evening with an RBI single in the 8th.

Myles Straw went 4-5 with a triple. Yordan Alvarez (2B, 3 R), Benedetti (2 2B, 3 RBI, R), and César (RBI, R) all turned in two-hit games. De Goti was the only player in the lineup to not record a hit, but he still played a role in that big third inning with his RBI groundout.

Josh James will get the start as the Hooks look for the sweep and he'll be opposed by Chase De Jong. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 3, Myrtle Beach 0

W- Abdiel Saldaña (2-0)
L- Matt Swarmer (0-2)
S- Jorge Alcala (1)

BC home runs: None.

Make it three straight shutouts for the Carolina Stros.

Abdiel Saldaña and Jorge Alcala kept Myrtle Beach off the hit column for 7.1 innings. Saldaña walked two and struck out two over 5 innings, while Alcala allowed the one hit and fanned 7 over the last four innings to complete the shutout.

Ronnie Dawson doubled to lead off the bottom of the 1st and scored the first run of the evening on a Josh Rojas double. Dawson walked with one out in the 8th and eventually scored on an Abraham Toro double. Toro scored the final run of the evening on a Chas McCormick single.

Dawson (2B, 2 R, SB [2]) and Toro (2B, RBI, R) both finished with two hits on the night.

Hector Perez will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Keegan Thompson at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

Hopefully, they'll get to play baseball again. The River Bandits will begin a three-game series in Peoria tonight at 6:35. Cristian Javier will take on Winston Nicacio.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jorge Alcala's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 3-0 vs. Myrtle Beach

9 IP, H, 2 BB, 9 K; third consecutive shutout, no-hitter through 7.1 IP

Abdiel Saldaña: W (2-0), 5 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Jorge Alcala: Save (1), 4 IP, H, 7 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Buies Creek

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

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 9-0 vs. Arkansas

9 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 12 K

Cionel Perez: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: W (3-0), 4 IP, 2 H, 6 K

Erasmo Pinales: IP, 1 GO, 2 FO

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Corpus Christi

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

Mike Hauschild, RHP, Fresno

W (1-1), 6.2 IP, 5 H, ER, 8 K

Tim Federowicz's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

J.D. Davis, 3B/1B/LF, and Tim Federowicz, C, Fresno

Davis: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

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

Astros Farm Report: 4/16

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB news ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Chas McCormick - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

4/16: RHP Nivaldo Rodríguez (21)
4/19: OF Chas McCormick (23)
4/21: RHP Justin Ferrell (24)
4/21: LHP Ryan Hartman (24)
4/21: LHP Cionel Pérez (22)
4/22: RHP Bryan Abreu (21)

TWEET OF THE WEEK

But honestly.....who looks better doing the “maternity” pose? pic.twitter.com/Fvp4tZqDCn

— Brady Rodgers (@Rodg_20) April 14, 2018

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

4/14: LHP Carlos Hiraldo assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/14: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Buies Creek from Fresno
4/13: 1B Yuli Gurriel (Houston) activated from the DL (Corpus Christi rehab assignment)
4/12: RHP Luis Garcia assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/12: RHP Cesar Rosado (Quad Cities) assigned to Tri-City (probably a roster management move)
4/12: 3B/1B J.D. Davis (Houston) optioned to Fresno
4/10: RHP Brendan Feldman assigned to Fresno from extended spring training
4/10: RHP James Hoyt (Fresno) recalled to Houston

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

4/7: C Eduardo de Oleo (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: DH Randy Vasquez (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Jose Luis Hernández (Buies Creek) placed on the 7-day DL

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

1st 8-5 .727 -.-GB W5

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

3rd 5-5 .500 2.0GB W1

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

T2nd 6-5 .545 1.0GB W2

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

8th 2-5 .286 4.0 GB L1
(The River Bandits schedule has taken a hit with all the bad weather. They've already had four postponed games!)

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

Through the first 11 days of the season, there have already been a few players whose work has really stood out ..

FRESNO
OF Drew Ferguson - 10G .405/,522/.595
IF Jack Mayfield - 11RBI in 10G
LHP Kent Emanuel - 0.82 ERA/0.636 WHIP in 2 starts
LHP Reymin Guduan - 0.00 ERA/0.955 WHIP in 4 appearances (7.1IP)

CORPUS CHRISTI
OF Carmen Benedetti - 8G .333/.471/.444
OF Yordan Alvarez - 10RBI in 9G
OF Myles Straw - 8SB and 10BB in 10G
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn - 1.17 ERA/1.174 WHIP in 2 games/1 start (1BB:10K)
RHP Josh James - 2.25 ERA/0.750 WHIP in 2 games/1 start (2BB:16K)

BUIES CREEK
IF Josh Rojas - 11G .289/.426/.447
RHP Carson LaRue - 0.00 ERA/0.828 WHIP in 2 starts
RHP Corbin Martin - 0.00 ERA/0.800 WHIP in 2 starts
RHP Abdiel Saldaña - 0.00 ERA/0.889 WHIP in 2 games/1 start
RHP Justin Ferrell - 0.00 ERA/0.522 WHIP in 3 appearances (7.2IP)
RHP Jesús Balaguer - 0.00 ERA/0.529 WHIP in 2 appearances (5.2IP)
LHP Kit Scheetz - 0.00 ERA/0.923 WHIP in 3 appearances (4.1IP)

QUAD CITIES (only 7 games played due to weather)
OF Bryan de la Cruz - 5G .316/.381/.421
OF J.J. Matijevic - .542 SLG in 6G
RHP Yohan Ramirez - 0.00 ERA/0.800 WHIP in 1 start

PLAYERS TO WATCH

I plan to feature one player each week who bears watching (we'll see how long this lasts when I get super busy with travel and interviews this season). Today's player is LHP Kent Emanuel.

Kent Emanuel - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I missed the boat on Emanuel when writing up my post on left-handers to watch over the offseason. I certainly hadn't given up on Emanuel, but his 2017 season was fairly lackluster (5.72 ERA/1.745 WHIP and 12.8 H/9 in 116.1 innings between AA Corpus Christi and AAA Fresno) so I didn't include him in that post. But apparently, he had a very good Spring Training which opened some eyes and has gotten off to a very good start in Fresno this season as well (0.82 ERA/0.636 WHIP in 2 starts). With an absolute dearth of lefty pitchers in Houston, it will be extremely interesting to see how Emanuel progresses and whether or not his stock continues to rise. Emanuel was drafted by the Astros in the third round in 2013 and he will be 24 in June.

NEWS AND LINKS

This Athletic ($) post on minor league pay was first published on April 4th, but I just now got a chance to read it. It is an excellent and well-dissected piece from Levi Weaver refuting Rob Manfred's stance on minor league pay and (deservedly) calling B.S. on it. Unfortunately, none of the minor league ballplayers who follow me can actually read it because they can't afford the subscription to the Athletic.

Corbin Martin is getting off to a good start.

Will Murphy, who I knew as the Lancaster JetHawks Assistant GM, is writing a great series about his journey working in minor league baseball. Here's Part I on finding his first MiLB job with the Modesto Nuts and Part II on his experiences getting ready for his first MiLB Opening Day. I can't wait for the next installment!!

And for another aspect of the MiLB life, check out this great advice for baseball WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) who are just entering the life.

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

Nick Tropeano - May 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Checking in today with RHP Nick Tropeano. Drafted by the Astros in the 5th round in 2011 out of Stony Brook University (NY), Tropeano was ranked as high as #9 in the Astros system by Baseball America (2013) prior to being traded (along with C Carlos Perez) to the Angels for C Hank Conger in November 2014. Tropeano was working to become an established part of the Angels rotation in 2016 when he was sidelined by Tommy John surgery in August of that year. It was a long slog back for him, but Tropeano made his first appearance for the Angels since July 18, 2016 on April 12th and pitched 6.2 scoreless innings in that start. On a personal note, Nick (or "Sweet Nicky" as I called him back in the day) was one of the nicest, most genuine people I've had the pleasure to meet in my time covering the Astros minors. We at WTHB wish him all the best (except when he's pitching against the Astros).

WE'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR JOBS (WOMEN IN BASEBALL)

Learn about the first girl to play Little League in the 1950's (podcast or transcript if you prefer).

Alyson Footer talks with former USA Women's Baseball team members as part of her coverage of the Trailblazer Series.

Fangirling with two American treasures - Shirley Burkovich and Mae Blair of the AAGPBL. ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/2Mqk8C3new

— Alyson Footer (@alysonfooter) April 14, 2018