Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Albuquerque 6, Fresno 4 in 10 innings

W- Brian Schlitter (1-2)
L- Jordan Jankowski (2-3)

Fresno home runs: None.

Old friend Brandon Barnes smacked a 2-run homer in the first extra frame, allowing the Isotopes to walk off with the win.

Brady Rodgers went 5.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits (solo and 2-run homers, both hit by Tom Murphy), walked 2, and struck out 4. Brendan McCurry was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen; he threw 1.2 scoreless, allowing a hit and fanning 3. James Hoyt allowed a hit and struck out 3 over 2 innings, and Jordan Jankowski allowed Barnes' walk-off homer with one out in the 10th. He allowed one other hit, and the out was recorded via strikeout.

Danny Worth put Fresno on the board with an RBI double in the 4th inning. The Grizzlies scored 3 in the 6th to take the lead; D.J. Fisher brought in two of those runs with a double, and he wound up scoring on a single from Max Stassi. Worth went 3-4 on the evening, while Stassi finished 2-4.

The Grizzlies are back home to begin their final home series of the season: a 4-game set with Sacramento. César Valdez will face Chris Stratton at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, Midland 2

W- Kent Emanuel (5-3)
L- Kris Hall (1-3)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald 2 (16; solo in 3rd, 3-run in 6th)

The Hooks started off their final homestand of the regular season with a bang, thanks to a pair of homers from Chase McDonald. They also broke a 2-2 tie with 5 runs in the 6th inning.

McDonald led off the 3rd with his first home run of the night, which put Corpus on the board. Mott Hyde followed by drawing a walk. He then advanced to 2nd on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a double from Drew Ferguson.

Garrett Stubbs doubled to lead off the 6th and came around to score on a J.D. Davis single. Davis advanced to 3rd on a single from Ramon Laureano and scored on a Conrad Gregor single. Although Nick Tanielu went down on strikes for the first out of the inning, McDonald came through, whacking a 3-run homer to bring in the last 3 Hooks runs. Everyone in the Hooks' lineup had a hit; McDonald and Laureano had 2 apiece.

Kent Emanuel went 6.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 5. In his Texas League debut, Ryan Deemes allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 1.2 innings, and Ryan Thompson threw a 1-2-3 9th; he induced three groundball outs to finish the game.

Cy Sneed will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Ben Bracewell at 7:05.

High Desert 10, Lancaster 4

W- Adam Quintana (7-5)
L- Josh James (9-5)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks took off and led 3-0 after the 1st inning, but the Mavericks ended up finishing the game on a 10-1 run.

Lancaster opened the bottom of the 1st with five straight singles; the last three, which were hit by Kyle Tucker, Bryan Muñiz, and Aaron Mizell, drove in runs. Tucker, who finished a home run shy of the cycle, smacked an RBI triple in the 2nd inning. Marc Wik went 3-5, and Myles Straw (2 R) and Brooks Marlow had 2 hits apiece.

Josh James went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Kevin McCanna and Ralph Garza Jr. followed with 2 innings apiece out of the bullpen; McCanna allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3, and Garza allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 1.

Lancaster and High Desert will play a doubleheader tonight with game 1 starting at 5:05 Pacific. Jose Luis Hernandez will face David Ledbetter in game 1, and Akeem Bostick takes on Brett Martin in game 2.

Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Williams Ramirez (3-1)
L- Justin Ferrell (4-6)
S- Anthony McIver (10)

QC home runs: Hector Roa (6, solo in 2nd)

For a second consecutive night, the Banditos couldn't get their offense going.

Hector Roa's solo homer in the 2nd represented their only scoring play. Bobby Wernes finished 2-4 with a double.

Matt Bower allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 5, and struck out 4 in 5.1 innings of work. Justin Ferrell pitched 2.2 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4.

In game 3 of this series, Framber Valdez will face Sean Poppen. First pitch is at 6:35.

Auburn 2, Tri-City 0

W- Dane Dunning (2-1)
L- Tyler Britton (0-1, 3-2 season)
S- A.J. Bogucki (1)

TC home runs: None.

Once again, the ValleyCats' offense was silenced. They only mustered up one run across two games as Hudson Valley swept them in a twinbill, and they got blanked in the first game of a new series.

In his Tri-City debut, Andy Piñeda went 2-3 and stole 2 bases. He stole 16 in the Gulf Coast League, so that gives him 18 on the season.

Tyler Britton and Salvador Montaño pitched 3 innings apiece; Britton allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3, and Montaño allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Kevin Hill allowed 3 hits and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless innings.

Abdiel Saldaña will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Burlington 6, Greeneville 1

W- David McKay (3-2)
L- Forrest Whitley (0-1, 1-2 season)

Greeneville home runs: None.

Both teams had 9 hits in the game, but the Appy Astros only had one run to show for that hit total.

Carlos Machado finished 2-4 and spoiled the shutout bid with an RBI single in the 9th. Connor MacDonald and Ruben Castro also finished with 2 hits in the game.

Forrest Whitley went 2.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Colin McKee was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen, and in 1.2 innings, he allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Carlos Hiraldo pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out 3. Dariel Aquino allowed an unearned run after an error that followed a single, which was the only hit that he allowed in the 8th. He walked 1 and struck out 1.

The Appy Astros are headed home to start a 3-game series with Danville tonight at 7:00 Eastern. Ricardo Castro will take on Joey Wentz.

From August 6: DSL Astros Blue 11, DSL Athletics 1

W- Jose Bravo (2-1)
L- Santiago Rodriguez (1-4)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team ran wild in a game that had to be finished up.

César Cortez went 4-4 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI, and scored 2 runs. Norberto Castellanos came on after play resumed and finished 2-2 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Anibal Sierra, Nicolás Miranda, and Enmanuel Valdez also scored 2 runs.

Jose Bravo threw a complete game; a runner stole home against him in the 1st inning. He allowed 6 hits and struck out 9 in 7 innings.

DSL Astros Blue 3, DSL Athletics 3

This game was called after 8 innings due to rain.

Nicolás Miranda finished 2-4 and scored a run. The Blue team's three runs all came in the 1st as Anibal Sierra hit an RBI single, Carlos Canelon got plunked with the bases loaded, and Angel Tejeda grounded into a force out that scored Sierra.

Johsson Arias allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and walked 3 in 2.2 innings. Robert Corniel struck out 9 over 4.1 perfect innings, and Adoni Kery allowed 3 hits and walked 1 in a scoreless 8th; he allowed a one-out single, and the pinch-runner was caught stealing 2nd.

From August 22: DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Mets2 4

W- Miguel Matos (3-1)
L- Joel Romero (1-5)
S- Humberto Castellanos (1)

Orange home runs: None.

Once play resumed, the Orange team pushed across 2 runs in the 6th to break a 4-4 tie. Kelvin Perez hit a sac fly, and Samir Caraballo added an RBI single.

Yohan Ramirez went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Miguel Matos, who ended up getting the win, allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4 innings. Humberto Castellanos got the save by allowing a hit and striking out 3 over the final 3 innings.

DSL Mets2 3, DSL Astros Orange 1

W- Brian Batista (1-2)
L- Luis Castro (3-3)
S- Jhoander Chourio (3)

Orange home runs: None.

Euclides Chavez smacked an RBI triple in the 2nd, which was the Orange team's only scoring play and only hit of this game.

Luis Castro allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 3 scoreless, and Christopher Javier walked 1 in a scoreless 6th.

Tuesday's Stars

Jose Bravo, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: W (2-1), CG, 6 H, ER, 9 K
Robert Corniel, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4.1 IP, 9 K

Otro santeño firmó el día de ayer - Cesar Cortez consigue firma con los Astros de Houston, viajó hoy a R.Dominicana pic.twitter.com/pcvfPkQY4Z

— Enazuero.com (@enazuero) July 7, 2015

César Cortez, OF, DSL Astros Blue

4-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R 

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 HR (16), 4 RBI

Kent Emanuel (far right), LHP, Corpus Christi

W (5-3), 6.1 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 5 K

Kyle Tucker, OF, Lancaster

3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R; finished HR shy of cycle

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 7, 2016

Fresno 3, El Paso 1 in 10 innings

W- Jordan Jankowski (2-2)
L- Derek Eitel (4-1)
S- Jandel Gustave (3)

Fresno home runs: Colin Moran (8, 2-run in 10th)

Colin Moran's 2-run home run in the first extra frame made him the hero on Sunday. The top third of the Fresno lineup accounted for all 7 hits; Moran picked an ideal time to get his first hit of the evening, while Jon Kemmer and Danny Worth had 3 hits apiece and stole a base. Kemmer stole home in the 4th inning to put the Grizzlies on the board first.

Mike Hauschild allowed 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5 over 6.2 shutout innings. Kevin Chapman got the final out of the 7th and the first two outs of the 8th; he allowed a hit and walked 1. El Paso scored the tying run on Jordan Jankowski in the 9th inning; Jankowski went 1.1 innings and also allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Jandel Gustave walked 1 in the 10th inning, but he was able to close it out.

In game 2 of this series, Brad Peacock will face Frank Garces. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 3, Midland 1

W- Francis Martes (8-4)
L- Daniel Gossett (3-5)
S- Jacob Dorris (1, 11 season)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks earned the split thanks to fine start from Francis Martes.

Martes allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 7 innings of work. In his Hooks debut, Jacob Dorris pitched the final two innings and got the save, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 3.

Chase McDonald opened up the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd inning. He finished 3-4 on the day and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 4th. In the 7th, McDonald scored on a single from Tony Nuñez. Conrad Gregor scored 2 of Corpus Christi's 3 runs in this game.

The Hooks have today off; they'll begin a 3-game series with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals tomorrow.

Modesto 12, Lancaster 10

W- Helmis Rodriguez (3-8)
L- Brock Dyhxhoorn (7-4)
S- Luis Niebla (9)

Lancaster home runs: Yulieski Gurriel (1, grand slam in 6th), Jason Martin (18, 2-run in 7th), Osvaldo Duarte (5, 8 season; solo in 8th)

The JetHawks were foiled in their attempt to sweep the series as the Nuts jumped out to a 10-1 lead. To Lancaster's credit, they fought back and nearly erased this deficit, but it proved to be too much to overcome.

All of the JetHawks' runs in this game were driven in by Osvaldo Duarte, Yulieski Gurriel, and Jason Martin. Gurriel opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 1st inning. Martin hit a sac fly in the 6th. Later in the inning, Duarte drew a bases-loaded walk, and Gurriel followed with a grand slam, his first home run in American baseball. Martin launched a 2-run home run in the 7th, and Duarte led off the 8th with a home run.

In his final game before heading to Corpus Christi, Gurriel finished 2-4. Johnny Sewald, Duarte, and Drew Ferguson scored 2 runs apiece. Ferguson and Trent Woodward also finished the game with 2 hits.

It was not the greatest day at the office for Brock Dykxhoorn, and I will leave it at that. Fortunately, his line of work allows him to have a fresh start every time he steps on the mound. He's a good pitcher, and he'll bounce back. Alex Winkelman was the first man out, and in 1.1 innings, he allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Kevin McCanna allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 2.2 scoreless.

The JetHawks will begin a 3-game series in Inland Empire on Tuesday.

Quad Cities 2, Burlington 1 in 10 innings

W- Juan Carlos Santos (1-0, 2-1 season)
L- Andrew Vinson (0-2)

QC home runs: None.

Kyle Tucker sent the River Bandits fans home happy with a walk-off single in the first extra frame. Little Tuck, who finished 3-5, also tripled in the 6th inning and wound up scoring the Banditos' first run of the day on a Randy César single. Dex McCall finished 2-5; he doubled to lead off the 10th and scored the winning run. César and Kristian Trompiz also had 2 hits on the day.

Albert Abreu went 5 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6. Franklin Perez tagged in to throw 4 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and fanning 4. Juan Carlos Santos threw a 1-2-3 10th inning, striking out 1.

Yoanys Quiala will start game 3 of this series. He'll face Luis Peña at 7:00.

Tri-City 18, Brooklyn 4

W- Ryan Hartman (2-0)
L- Erik Manoah (5-2)
S- Tyler Britton (1)

TC home runs: Spencer Johnson (4, 6 season; 2-run in 5th)

The ValleyCats stormed out to an 8-0 lead after the 1st inning and wound up setting a franchise record for runs in a single game.

- Spencer Johnson now has 30 home runs in this calendar year; he led Division I with 24 home runs at Missouri State this past season, and he's added 6 more between Greeneville and Tri-City.
- Every position player who appeared for the ValleyCats had a hit and scored a run.

Kevin Hill, Ryan Hartman, and Tyler Britton pitched 3 innings apiece. Hill got the start and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Hartman allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, and Britton allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and fanned 4.

Austin Nicely will take the mound as the ValleyCats look for the sweep. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Pulaski 8, Greeneville 7

W- Miles Chambers (2-1)

L- Luis Ramirez (0-1, 2-2 season)

Greeneville home runs: Jonathan Arauz (2, solo in 4th)

The Yankees scored 4 in the 6th to take a 6-4 lead. The Appy Astros responded with 3 in the 7th to take the lead, but Pulaski tied in the 8th and walked off with the win in the 9th.

Jonathan Arauz led off the 4th inning with a home run to put Greeneville on the scoreboard. In the 5th, Vicente Sanchez hit an RBI single and Jonathan Matute drew a bases-loaded walk. Oscar Campos hit an RBI single in the 6th. Frankeny Fernandez, who scored on Campos' single, hit a 2-run single in the 7th and came around to score on a single from Reiny Beltre. Arauz and Beltre had 2 hits apiece.

Nathan Thompson only got 2 outs in the first inning, both by strikeout. He also allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and walked 2. Lucas Williams got the final out of the 1st inning and proceeded to throw 3 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 2. Salvador Montaño went 1.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 1, Luis Ramirez pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2. Reggie Johnson came on with 1 out in the 9th, and he walked a batter and uncorked a wild pitch that resulted in the winning run for Pulaski.

Jorge Alcala will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 2, GCL Astros 0 in 5 innings

W- Franyel Casadilla (3-2)

L- Juan Robles (1-1)

GCL home runs: None.

This game was called due to rain.

Edgar Lorenzo, Randy Vasquez, and Juan Piñeda hit singles on offense.

Juan Robles allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer) and struck out 3 in 5 innings. Lupe Chavez came on for the 6th and walked the only batter he faced before the rain came.

Sunday's Stars

Francis Martes, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (8-4), 7 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 7 K

Mike Hauschild, RHP, Fresno

6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Colin Moran, 3B, Fresno

Go-ahead 2-R HR (8) in 10th

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Follow Yulieski Gurriel on Twitter: el_yuly10

Yulieski Gurriel, IF, Lancaster

2-4, 2B, grand slam (1), 5 RBI

.@KTuck30 triple pic.twitter.com/nPTdHfQyp1

— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) August 8, 2016

 Photos by Rich Guill

Kyle Tucker, OF, Quad Cities

3-5, 3B, walk-off RBI single in 10th, R

Franklin Perez, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page

Tri-City ValleyCats: W 18-4 vs. Brooklyn

Spencer Johnson: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (4, 6 season), 5 RBI

Taylor Jones: 2-4, 4 R, 3 BB

All position players who appeared in game recorded a hit and scored a run.

Photo by Bryan Green

Jonathan Arauz, IF, Greeneville

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

Photo from MiLB.com

Lucas Williams, RHP, Greeneville

3.1 IP, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Let's finish up one game that started two months ago and play another one in San Jose!

Albuquerque 5, Fresno 3

W- Harrison Musgrave (2-1)
L- Joe Musgrove (2-1, 4-2 season)
S- Jason Gurka (2)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies couldn't overcome a 5-0 deficit as they dropped the first of 4 to the Isotopes.

Joe Musgrove went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (3-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 1. Chris Cotton was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen; he allowed a run on 3 hits in 2 innings. Jandel Gustave threw a 1-2-3 8th, getting a lineout, a flyout, and a groundout.

The Grizzlies scored their 3 runs in the 7th, and all of them came with 1 out in the inning. Danny Worth drew a walk and advanced to 3rd on an A.J. Reed double. Matt Duffy put the Grizz on the board with an RBI single, and Jon Singleton followed with a 2-run double. Singleton finished 2-5, while Andrew Aplin went 3-5 at the top of the lineup.

In game 2 of this series, Brady Rodgers will face Tyler Anderson. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 4, Arkansas 3

W- Eric Peterson (1-1, 2-1 season)
L- D.J. Johnson (0-3)
S- Brendan McCurry (10)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks started off their tour of Arkansas with a win that they snatched from the jaws of defeat. They scored 3 in the top of the 9th to erase a 3-1 deficit.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a 2-out double in the 6th and scored the Hooks' first run following an error that allowed Alex Bregman to reach base and advance to 2nd. That run tied the game at 1. The Travs broke the tie with 2 runs after stretch time, and that's where the game stood heading into the 9th.

Bregman drew a walk to lead off the inning, and D.J. Fisher followed with an infield single. J.D. Davis hit an RBI single to score Bregman. Fisher and Davis both advanced on a wild pitch, but James Ramsay went down on strikes for the first out. Chase McDonald, however, put the Hooks in front with a 2-run single that turned out to be the game-winner. Teoscar finished 3-4, while Fisher finished 2-3.

Cy Sneed allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Michael Freeman was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen, and in 2.2 innings, he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and walked 2. Eric Peterson struck out 2 over 1.1 perfect innings, and Brendan McCurry fanned 2 in a 1-2-3 9th to close it out.

Keegan Yuhl will be on the mound for Corpus in game 2 of this series. He'll face Troy Scribner at 7:10.

Lancaster 9, San Jose 4

W- Matt Bower (1-0, 2-1 season)
L- Sam Coonrod (5-2)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin (8, solo in 5th), Aaron Mizell (1, 3 season; solo in 6th)

This game began on April 8. Yes, this was originally supposed to be the 2nd game of the season, but rain washed out 3 of the 4 games, so the JetHawks and Giants made up 2 of the 3 rained-out games on Tuesday. This game resumed with Lancaster up 4-1 heading into the 5th.

After play resumed, Jason Martin added a solo homer to go with the double that he hit two months ago. In his California League debut, Aaron Mizell smacked a solo homer in the 6th. Tony Nuñez stole home in the 7th, and later in the inning, Ramon Laureano hit an RBI single. Bobby Boyd scored the final run of this game on a wild pitch in the 9th.

Laureano (3B, 2 RBI, R, SB [23]) and Boyd (3B, 2 R, 2 SB [25]) both finished 3-5. Nick Tanielu, who was promoted to Corpus two weeks ago, finished 2-2. Nuñez's steal of home gives him 3 stolen bases since joining Lancaster and 12 on the season.

Andrew Walter, who is currently on the DL, allowed just the solo homer to Jose Vizcaino Jr., walked 3, and struck out 6 in 3.2 innings. Eric Peterson, who is now with Corpus, got the final out of the 4th with a strikeout. Matt Bower came on after play resumed and went 4.2 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits (solo homer), walking 1, and striking out 8. Ryan Deemes got the final out of the game.

San Jose 4, Lancaster 1

W- D.J. Snelten (3-4)
L- Alex Winkelman (0-1, 5-2 season)

Lancaster home runs: None.

This game was originally scheduled to be played on April 9, but it was rained out.

The 4 runs that Alex Winkelman allowed in the 4th all came on a grand slam, and all of them were unearned. In his 4 innings, he allowed 5 other hits, walked 3, and struck out 1. Yeyfry Del Rosario pitched 2 perfect innings out of the bullpen.

Drew Ferguson went 2-3 and put Lancaster on the board first with an RBI double in the 3rd inning.

The JetHawks and Giants still have to play the last game of their season-opening series. They'll do that on July 14. In the meantime, Lancaster will begin June with a new series. Rogelio Armenteros will start the first of 3 against Inland Empire. He'll face Justin Anderson at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities and Clinton was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled for today, with game 1 starting at 5. Albert Abreu will go first; he'll take on Art Warren. Makay Nelson will start game 2, and he'll go up against Zack Littell.

Six Stars (in four)

4.

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno

2-5, 2B, 2 RBI

3.

Eric Peterson and Brendan McCurry, RHPs, Corpus Christi

Peterson: W (1-1, 2-1 season), 1.1 IP, 2 K

McCurry: Save (10), IP, 2 K

2.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

Go-ahead 2-RBI single in 9th

1. 

Bobby Boyd and Ramon Laureano, OFs, Lancaster

Both finished 3-5 in the game that was resumed.

Boyd: 3B, 2 R, 2 SB (25)

Laureano: 3B, 2 RBI, R, SB (23)

Honorable Mentions

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Corpus Christi: 3-4, 2B, R

- Teoscar traded off his power for a more contact-oriented approach, and it has really paid off for him. 

Yeyfry Del Rosario, RHP, Lancaster: 2 IP
- Del Rosario has had a couple of outings in which he's gotten shelled, but he's largely held his own in the California League.

Drew Ferguson, OF, Lancaster: 2-3, RBI in 7-inning game
- Ferguson has turned in a solid season for the JetHawks.

Jason Martin, OF, Lancaster: 2-5, 2B, solo HR (8)
- Martin has matched his home run total from 2015 in 64 fewer games.

Astros Farm Report: 5/16

A lot of star performances over the past week, but first things first ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

5-16: RHP Robert Kahana (23)
5-17: RHP Jordan Jankowski (27)
5-18: C Christian Correa (23)
5-18: RHP Angelo Serrano (24)
5-20: IF Jose Fernandez (23)

Tomorrow's Birthday Boy Jordan Jankowski

Photo by Jayne Hansen

TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

In addition to the moves I posted on Friday, there have been a few more to report over the last few days.

5-16: OF Preston Tucker optioned to Fresno from Houston
5-15: RHP Edison Frias placed on the Corpus Christi 7-day DL
5-15: 1B Conrad Gregor activated from the temporary inactive list

Gregor was away from the team for a couple days for good reason ...

I did it!!! This one is for you Mom and Dad! Thanks to everyone who helped me along the journey! What a great day! pic.twitter.com/5GsPTXeb29

— Conrad Gregor (@conradgregor55) May 13, 2016

5-14: C Roberto Pena assigned from Fresno to Corpus Christi
5-13: C Richard Gonzalez assigned to Lancaster from extended Spring Training
5-13: IF/OF Marc Wik placed on the restricted list after testing positive a second time for a drug of abuse

STANDINGS

Fresno has slipped to third place in their division, going 2-4 since my last standings post and are now 5.5 games behind the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) and one game behind the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks). The Hooks, however, are on a 6-game win streak and have climbed from eight games behind Frisco (Rangers) to only three games behind the the first place team thanks in large part to the Hooks sweep of the RoughRiders over their last four games. The Hooks are now tied with Midland (Oakland) for second. Lancaster has been mostly treading water (3-3 over their last six) and remains in 4th place with Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers) and High Desert (Rangers) tied for first, 9.5 games ahead of the JetHawks. Quad Cities has gained a half a game on league leaders Clinton (Mariners), but otherwise remains mostly unchanged in the standings over the past few days.

AAA Fresno 3rd 15-21 .417 5.5GB L2

AA Corpus Christi T2nd 20-15 .571 3.0GB W6

A+ Lancaster 4th 14-20 .412 9.5GB L1

A- Quad Cities 7th 15-20 .429 5.5GB W1

NEWS AND LINKS

Since I first saw man mountain Chase McDonald in Greeneville in 2013, the year he was drafted in the 12th round out of East Carolina University, I have been intrigued. With his massive frame, the first baseman has always shown a great aptitude for power, but there's always been a question (for me) as to whether or not he would be able to control the strikeouts. As with most power hitters, strikeouts will be a part of the trade-off, but finding a good balance makes that power hitter so much more valuable to a team.

With that said, McDonald seems to be figuring out that balance. Through his first 29 games last season, McDonald hit .248/.306/.450 with seven doubles and five home runs, walking 10 times and striking out 40 times. In 29 games this season, he is hitting .232/.350/.505 with three doubles and eight home runs, and has drawn 18 walks while striking out only 28 times. Prior to the season, I had said that a good season from McDonald would land him on Baseball America's Top 30 prospect list next year. That prediction is looking better and better.

Chase McDonald - April 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

OF prospect Kyle Tucker is looking terrific in his first full season.

Derek Fisher, another top prospect, likes to go yard.

On the pitching side of things, there have been some stellar performances of late ...

Alex Winkelman got some love from MiLB.

Matt Bower kicked some bootie in his California League debut as did Evan Grills in his Texas League debut.

Chris Murphy tossed his first career shutout for the River Bandits.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Sweep!

Fresno 2, Reno 0

W- Brady Rodgers (1-2)
L- Matt Buschmann (0-3)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (6, solo in 4th)

The Grizz only mustered up 2 runs.... wait, Reno didn't score any? That's great, then!

Brady Rodgers went the distance for the first time in his professional career. He allowed 4 singles, struck out 9, and needed just 86 pitches (70 strikes) and 1:57 to dispatch the Aces.

For Rodgers, the 9 strikeouts ties a career-high; when he was with Lancaster, he struck out 9 in a start against Rancho Cucamonga on August 30, 2013. Rodgers is now sporting a 23:2 K:BB ratio in 30 innings this season.

Tony Kemp opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd, and A.J. Reed clubbed a solo shot in the 4th, his 6th home run of the season.

Game 3 of this series is a matinee. Mike Hauschild will be on the mound for Fresno; he'll face Tyler Wagner at 12:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, Midland 6

W- Brian Holmes (1-1)
L- Ryan Doolittle (1-1)
S- Brendan McCurry (2)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (1, 2-run in 5th), Chase McDonald (8, solo in 8th), Teoscar Hernandez (2, solo in 9th)

The Hounds scored 3 in the 7th to take a 5-3 lead, but the Hooks responded with 2 in the 8th to tie and 2 more in the 9th to snatch the victory.

Mott Hyde opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd. J.D. Davis hit his first Texas League home run in the 5th; it was a 2-run shot that gave Corpus a 3-2 lead.

Chase McDonald continues to terrorize Texas League pitchers; he led off the top of the 8th with a solo blast. This was his 3rd straight game with a home run, and he's homered in 5 of his last 6 contests. Davis followed that up by smacking an RBI double, and he scored the tying run on an RBI single from James Ramsay. Teoscar Hernandez put the Hooks in front with a solo homer in the 9th, and Davis drove in the final Corpus run with an RBI single.

McDonald reached base in all 5 of plate appearances; he went 2-2, drew 3 walks, and scored 2 runs. Davis finished a triple shy of the cycle, scored 2 runs, and drove in 3. D.J. Fisher and James Ramsay (RBI, R SB) had 2 hits apiece.

Francis Martes went 3.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Aaron West was the first man out; he faced 4 RockHounds and struck out 3 of them. Brian Holmes tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Brendan McCurry did allow a solo homer to Viosergy Rosa in the 9th, which made it a 1-run game, but he was able to close it out without further incident. The homer was the only hit that McCurry allowed, and he struck out 2.

In game 3 of this series, Cy Sneed will get the start. He'll take on Raúl Alcantara at 7.

Also, in case you missed it, here is the link to Jayne's interview with Cy Sneed.

Lancaster 6, Inland Empire 1

W- Josh James (2-1)
L- Alex Klonowski (1-5)

Lancaster home runs: Nick Tanielu (3, 2-run in 3rd)

The JetHawks jumped out to a 5-0 lead after 3 innings and never looked back.

Josh James allowed 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 over 5 shutout innings. The 66ers spoiled the shutout when they got a run off of Eric Peterson in the 8th. Peterson allowed 2 hits and fanned 1 in 2.2 innings. Angel Heredia pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3.

Bobby Boyd led off the game with a single. He then stole his way to 3rd and scored the first run of the game on the errant throw down to 3rd. Bryan Muñiz hit a 2-run single the 2nd, and Nick Tanielu smacked a 2-run homer in the 3rd, his 3rd of the year. Ramon Laureano scored on a wild pitch in the 7th. He finished 3-5 with a double and 2 runs scored, while Tanielu was 2-4.

Lancaster will go for the series win as Trent Thornton takes the hill. He'll face Justin Anderson at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Great Lakes 3

W- Chris Murphy (2-2)
L- Victor Gonzalez (1-2)
S- Andrew Thome (4)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos avoided the sweep and snapped a 3-game skid thanks to a solid day at the plate for Kyle Tucker.

Brooks Marlow walked to lead off the game, and after advancing to 3rd one base at a time, he scored the first run of the day on an error that also allowed Connor Goedert to reach. In the 3rd, Kyle Tucker ripped an RBI double, and Goedert added a sac fly. Tucker doubled to lead off the 6th, and he came around to score on a single from Pat Porter. Little Tuck drove in Quad Cities' last run of the day on a sac fly in the 7th. He finished 2-4, as did Osvaldo Duarte and Marlow (2B, 2 R). Johnny Sewald stole 2 bases, giving him 10 on the year.

Chris Murphy went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 1. Matt Bower was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen; he allowed a run on a wild pitch in the 7th, a single in the 6th, walked 3, and struck out 4. Andrew Thome allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 to get the save.

The River Bandits are now in Lansing, where they'll start a 3-game series with the Lugnuts tonight at 6:05. Sebastian Kessay will take on Jon Harris.

Three Stars

*All photos are from Jayne unless otherwise noted.

3.

J.D. Davis, 3B, Corpus Christi

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

2.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

2-2, solo HR (8), 3 BB, 2 R

1.

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Fresno

W (1-2), CG, 4 H, 9 K

Honorable Mentions

Josh James, RHP, Lancaster: 5 IP, 5 H, BB, 6 K
- After a bit of a tough start to his campaign, James has had 2 straight scoreless appearances.

Kyle Tucker, OF, Quad Cities: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R
- 2nd straight multi-hit game.

Nick Tanielu, IF, Lancaster: 2-4, 2-R HR (3)
- Nick Tanielu knows how to hit.

A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno: Solo HR (6)
- Reed may be hitting under .250, but he's still producing.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 30, 2016

Fresno 3, El Paso 0

W- Mike Hauschild (2-2)
L- Jeremy Guthrie (0-5)
S- James Hoyt (6)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizz got a fine outing from their hurlers as three of them combined to throw a 5-hit shutout.

Mike Hauschild breezed through 7 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 1, and striking out 1. Jandel Gustave struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th, and James Hoyt bounced back from a loss in his last appearance by working around a hit to shut the door, striking out 2 in the 9th to do so.

Danny Worth opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Fresno's other 2 runs came in the 5th on a Tony Kemp RBI triple and an RBI single from Jake Marisnick. Eury Perez went 2-3 with a triple and scored a run.

Tommy Shirley will start the series finale. He'll take on Daniel McCutchen at 1:05 Pacific.

Frisco 4, Corpus Christi 3

W- Adam Parks (1-0)
L- Brendan McCurry (0-1)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (5, 2-run in 6th)

Teams from the Astros organization, from the Major League club on down, have won a grand total of 1 game against a team from the Rangers organization this season. It's getting a little absurd, really. This latest loss was a walk-off with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.

Chase McDonald put Corpus on the board and in the lead by whacking a 2-run homer in the 6th, his 2nd home run in as many games. But again... to say that the Hooks offense is in a slump in the wake of Alex Bregman's injury is quite the understatement. McDonald's blast was one of just 3 hits that they could muster up. The other Hooks run came in the 9th when James Ramsay scored on an error that allowed Chan-Jong Moon to reach. Ramsay drew 3 walks in this one.

Edison Frias went 5 innings and allowed an unearned run on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Cy Sneed tagged in and allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 over 3 scoreless. Brendan McCurry couldn't close it out as the Roughriders scored 3 in the bottom of the 9th to win. He allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and the 2 outs he recorded in the 9th were both strikeouts.

Keegan Yuhl gets the start for the Hooks today. First pitch is at 4:05.

Lake Elsinore 3, Lancaster 2

W- T.J. Weir (1-1)
L- Riley Ferrell (0-1)
S- Colby Blueberg (3)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The Storm took game 2 by scoring the game's final 3 runs.

Luis Reynoso finished 2-4; both of his hits were doubles, and he scored both of Lancaster's runs. He opened the scoring by stealing home in the 3rd and scored on a Jason Martin single in the 5th. Jason Martin and Alejandro Garcia (2B, SB [5]) also went 2-4.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 5.2 innings and had an inherited runner charged to him on 5 hits, walked 1, and fanned 1. Riley Ferrell had an uncharacteristically poor outing as he allowed a game-tying 2-run homer to Luis Tejada in the 6th. 1 of those runs was charged to Dykxhoorn. Ferrell allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 2. Angel Heredia struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 8th.

Scott Weathersby will start the series finale; he'll take on Chris Huffman at 1:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities and West Michigan was postponed

Due to rain. They'll play a doubleheader today starting at 12:15. Justin Ferrell will make his 2016 debut in game 1 against Beau Burrows, and Albert Abreu will face Eudis Idrogo in game 2.

Three Stars

3.

 

Luis Reynoso, IF, Lancaster, and Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

Reynoso: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, SB (1)

McDonald: 2-R HR (5)

2.

Cy Sneed, RHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

1.

Mike Hauschild, RHP, Fresno

W (2-2), 7 IP, 4 H, BB, K

Honorable Mentions

Brock Dykxhoorn, RHP, Lancaster: 5.2 IP, 5 H, ER (inherited runner charged to him), BB, K
- He survived a month in possibly the toughest environment for pitchers in professional baseball. So far, so good.

James Hoyt, RHP, Fresno: Save (6), IP, H, 2 K
- Who gets to Houston first: James Hoyt, or Jandel Gustave?

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 29, 2016

Astros affiliates split their contests with Padres affiliates on Friday night.

El Paso 6, Fresno 5

W- Derek Eitel (1-0)
L- James Hoyt (0-2)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (5, solo in 3rd)

The Grizzlies rallied to tie the game at 5 with a 3-run 8th inning.... only to see El Paso break the tie with the eventual winning run in the top of the 9th.

A.J. Reed put Fresno on the board with an RBI double in the 1st. Jon Singleton added another run in the 3rd with his 2nd homer in as many nights. In the 8th, Colin Moran hit a 2-run single, and Singleton struck again, driving in the tying run with an RBI single. Singleton finished 2-4 for the second straight night.

Brady Rodgers allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 3 in 4.1 innings. César Valdez allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 2.1 scoreless. Kevin Chapman got the final out of the 7th with a strikeout. Juan Minaya allowed a run on a double and walked 1 in the 8th. James Hoyt allowed the go-ahead run on a sac fly in the 9th inning.

In game 3 of this series, Mike Hauschild takes on Jeremy Guthrie. First pitch is at 7:05.

Frisco 8, Corpus Christi 7

W- Cody Palmquist (1-0)
L- Francis Martes (1-2)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (4, grand slam in 7th)

The Roughriders spoiled a huge night from Chase McDonald as they went ahead with a 5-run 8th.

McDonald was effectively the Hooks offense as he went 3-4 and drove in 6 of their 7 runs. He opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, added a sac fly in the 3rd, and clubbed a grand slam in the 7th that put Corpus up 7-3 at that point. Alfredo Gonzalez had an RBI groundout in the 4th. D.J. Fisher went 2-4 with a double and scored a run.

Brian Holmes went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Francis Martes will be looking to put a tough first month behind him. He allowed 6 runs (5 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2.1 innings. Michael Freeman got the final 2 outs of the 8th, but not before the go-ahead run that was charged to Martes scored.

Edison Frias will get the start tonight. He'll take on Frank Lopez at 7:05.

Lancaster 1, Lake Elsinore 0

W- Trent Thornton (1-0)
L- Dinelson Lamet (3-1)
S- Josh James (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks took game 1 from the Storm thanks to a combined 1-hitter from Trent Thornton and Josh James.

Thornton allowed the hit and struck out 5 in 5 innings, while James walked 1 and fanned 6 in 4 innings.

Nick Tanielu went 2-3 and drove in the only run of the night with an RBI single in the 1st. Tanielu is currently on a 6-game hitting streak. Bobby Boyd stole 2 bases, making him the first man in the system to reach double digits in stolen bases.

Brock Dykxhoorn will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Thomas Dorminy at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, West Michigan 1

W- Sebastian Kessay (1-2)
L- Toller Boardman (1-3)
S- Andrew Thome (3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos scored the last 2 runs of the game to edge the Whitecaps in game 1. They won despite going 0-13 with runners in scoring position.

Brooks Marlow drove in Quad Cities' first run of the evening on a fielder's choice that scored Christian Correa in the 5th. Connor Goedert hit a single in the 8th, and Kyle Tucker scored the go-ahead run on the ensuing error. Bobby Wernes went 3-3 with 2 doubles, while Correa finished 2-3.

Kevin McCanna went 4 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Ryan Deemes was the first man out, and he worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 5th. Sebastian Kessay allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 over 3 scoreless to get the win, and Andrew Thome shut the door despite allowing 2 hits in the 9th.

In game 2, Justin Ferrell will make his 2016 debut. He'll take on Beau Burrows at 6:00.

Four Stars

3.

Sebastian Kessay, LHP, Quad Cities

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

2.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

3-4, Grand Slam (4), 6 RBI

1.

 

Trent Thornton and Josh James, RHPs, Lancaster

Thornton: W (1-0): 5 IP, H, 5 K

James: Save (1), 4 IP, BB, 6 K

Honorable Mentions

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno: 2-4, solo HR (5), 2 RBI
- Another good performance for Singleton as he's trying to shake off that slow start.

Nick Tanielu, IF, Lancaster: 2-3, RBI
- He's a professional hitter. No matter where's he at, Tanielu has always performed.

Bobby Wernes, 3B, Quad Cities: 3-3, 2 2B
- Wernes is trying to find the form that made him the NYPL batting champion last year. This is a good start.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 16, 2016

Corpus Christi with the....

Las Vegas 7, Fresno 5 in 11 innings

W- Paul Sewald (1-0)

L- James Hoyt (0-1)

S- Jeff Walters (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies rallied from a 5-1 deficit to force extras.... only to see the 51s come out on top in the end.

Tony Kemp tripled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, and he scored Fresno's first run on a Danny Worth sac fly. This would be the only Grizzlies run for a while... in the meantime, Vegas jumped out to a 5-1 lead. That would be the scoreline heading into the bottom of the 9th.

Colin Moran led off the inning with a walk, and he made it to 3rd, thanks to an error that allowed Roberto Peña to reach and advance to 2nd. Andrew Aplin and Tony Kemp then followed with RBI singles to draw Fresno closer. Worth walked to load the bases, but A.J. Reed was the 2nd casualty of the inning when he went down on strikes. However, Matt Duffy came through with a 2-run single to tie the game at 5. Sadly, the offense looked as though they ran out of gas in extras, as they went down in order in both the 10th and the 11th.

Tony Kemp was the only man in the Fresno lineup with a multi-hit game, going 3-6 with the triple, the RBI single, and scoring twice. 

Tough night for Fresno's pitchers as they issued 14 walks in this one. Asher Wojciechowski went 3.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 6, and struck out 3. In what's become a familiar sight in the early going, Edwar Cabrera was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen, and all he did was strike out 3 over 2.2 innings. Jordan Jankowski allowed an unearned run, a hit, walked 3, and all 4 outs he recorded came by way of the strikeout. Juan Minaya allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless. James Hoyt didn't allow a hit, but the 51s' 2 go-ahead runs were charged to him. He walked 4 (1 intentionally) and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. César Valdez came on in a bases-loaded situation and got the final 2 outs of the 11th, but not before he allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Hoyt to score. Valdez allowed a hit and walked 1.

The series continues this afternoon as Brady Rodgers takes on Sean Gilmartin. First pitch is at 1:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 5, Tulsa 4

W- David Schmidt (1-0)

L- Ralston Cash (0-1)

S- Brendan McCurry (1)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (3, solo in 7th)

The Corpus Christi Hooks became the first team in the organization to sweep an opponent in 2016 thanks to a comeback win in the series finale.

They were behind the 8-ball early after Francis Martes got taken deep for a 3-run homer by Alex Verdugo. Fortunately, Martes was able to limit the damage to just that homer. In 4 innings, he allowed 3 other hits, walked 4, and struck out 8. David Schmidt allowed a run on 3 hits in 2 innings, while Reymin Guduan struck out 2 over 2 perfect frames. Brendan McCurry worked around a hit to close it out. 

Alex Bregman put the Hooks on the board with an RBI double in the 5th. After Tulsa got 1 in the bottom of the 5th to push their lead to 4-1, Corpus tied the game with 3 in the 6th thanks to a couple of RBI singles from Bregman and Trent Woodward, and an RBI groundout from Teoscar Hernandez. In the 7th, Chase McDonald came through with what turned out to be the game-winning hit, a solo shot. Woodward (2B, RBI, 2 R) and McDonald both posted 3-hit games, while Bregman has recorded a hit in every game he's played this season. 

The Hooks are in Springfield today, where they'll start a 3-game set with the Cardinals. Brian Holmes takes the mound in game 1; he'll take on Corey Baker at 4:10.

Lancaster 3, High Desert 2

W- Kevin Comer (1-1)

L- David Ledbetter (1-1)

S- Angel Heredia (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

In the California League incarnation of the Astros-Rangers rivalry, the JetHawks have taken the first 2 games of this series by flummoxing the Mavericks' bats. 

High Desert managed to chip away at Lancaster's 3-0 lead, but Kevin Comer and Angel Heredia stood firm to secure the win. Akeem Bostick allowed 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3 over 4.2 scoreless. Comer allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 over 2.1 innings, and Heredia allowed a run on a double, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings.

Marc Wik opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd, and Ramon Laureano struck in the 3rd with a 2-run single. The two of them, along with Drew Ferguson, had 2 hits apiece; Wik's other hit was a double, while Laureano also stole a base (2). This was Ferguson's 3rd 2-hit game in a row.

In game 3 of this series, Josh James will take on Cole Wiper. First pitch is at 2:05 Pacific.

Kane County 5, Quad Cities 4

W- Justin Donatella (2-0)

L- Sebastian Kessay (0-2)

S- Cameron Gann (2)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits mounted a furious comeback.... that fell just short.

All 4 Quad Cities runs came in the bottom of the 8th. Tony Nuñez started the rally by drawing a 1-out walk, and he then advanced to 2nd on a Johnny Sewald single. One batter later, Daz Cameron put the Banditos on the board with an RBI double. Osvaldo Duarte followed with a 2-run single, and Anthony Hermelyn ripped an RBI double. Daz finished 2-4, as did Brooks Marlow. 

Sebastian Kessay pitched 2+ innings and allowed 5 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Ryan Deemes put out the fire and went on to throw 4 scoreless, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 3. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed a hit and fanned 3 over 3 scoreless.

Quad Cities will look to avoid the sweep as Kevin McCanna gets the start. He'll take on former Astros farmhand Junior Garcia at 1:15.

Three Four Stars

3.

 

Photos from MiLB.com

Ryan Deemes, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Ralph Garza Jr., RHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, H, 3 K

2.

Trent Woodward, C/1B, Corpus Christi

3-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R

1.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

3-4, go-ahead solo HR (3) in 7th

Honorable Mentions

Tony Kemp, UTIL, Fresno: 3-6, 3B, RBI, 2 R

- It's not impossible to keep Tony Kemp off the bases, but it's highly improbable, because he'll find a way to get there.

Edwar Cabrera, LHP, Fresno: 2.2 IP, 3 K

- Cabrera has allowed just 1 hit in his first 4 outings (6.1 IP).

Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

- So far, he's making AA look effortless. 

Reymin Guduan, LHP, Corpus Christi: 2 IP, 2 K

- 4 scoreless appearances to open the season.

Ramon Laureano, OF, Lancaster: 2-3, 2 RBI, SB (2), BB

Daz Cameron, OF, Quad Cities: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R

- Daz is off to a rather slow start, but that's usually the case with younger players in full-season ball for the first time and in colder weather. Definitely an encouraging outing, and hopefully it gives him some momentum on offense going forward.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 10, 2016

Go away, rain.

Fresno and Las Vegas doubleheader was postponed

Due to rain. The 2 games that were not played will be made up during Fresno's next trip to Vegas, which will be from August 3-6, which makes that series a 6-game series.

The Grizzlies' season-opening roadtrip continues in Salt Lake City. Brady Rodgers will be on the mound for Game 1, which will start at 6:35 Mountain.

Springfield 6, Corpus Christi 4

W- Andrew Morales (1-0)
L- Brian Holmes (0-1)
S- Josh Lucas (1)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (2, 2-run in 1st), Jack Mayfield (1, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks dropped the first of 3 to the Cardinals because even though they bashed 2 homers, they couldn't really get anything going on offense.

Chase McDonald and Jack Mayfield were the Hooks offense in this game; they both drove in 2. McDonald clubbed his 2nd homer in as many games to open the scoring in the 1st, and Mayfield, who finished 2-4, ripped a solo shot in the 2nd and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 9th.

Brian Holmes allowed 5 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5 in 3.2 innings. Brendan McCurry was the first man out of the bullpen, and he allowed a run on 2 hits and walked 1 in 1.1 innings. Finally, Cy Sneed made his organizational debut and allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5 over 4 scoreless innings.

In the middle game of this series, Lance McCullers will make his first rehab start. He will face Chris Baker at 7:05.

Lancaster and San Jose doubleheader was postponed

Due to rain. Makeup dates for these games TBD.

Tonight, the JetHawks will begin a 3-game series in Stockton. Josh James will take the mound for Lancaster, and he'll go up against Casey Meisner, who went to the same high school as me. First pitch is at 7:10 Pacific.

Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 2 in 10 innings

W- Nick Anderson (1-0)
L- Ralph Garza Jr. (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

Not the start that the River Bandits pictured as they were swept by the Kernels in both legs of the away-and-home 4-game series. Both teams scored a run in the 6th and the 9th, but Cedar Rapids got what turned out to be the decisive run in the first extra frame.

Kyle Tucker hit an RBI groundout in the 6th to tie the game at 1, and after Pat Porter tripled to lead off the 9th, Anthony Hermelyn tied the game at 2 with an RBI single. Osvaldo Duarte singled to begin the 10th, but he was left at 3rd to end the game. Duarte finished 3-5, while Hermelyn and Christian Correa had 2 hits apiece.

Matt Bower went 5.1 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Andrew Thome allowed an unearned run on 6 hits in 3.2 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed the eventual game-winning run on an RBI single in the 10th. He walked 1 and struck out 1.

The River Bandits will now hit the road for 3 games in Peoria in search of their first win. In game 1, Kevin McCanna and Sebastian Kessay will take on Junior Fernandez. First pitch is at 6:30.

Three Stars

3.

Photo from MiLB.com

Matt Bower, RHP, Quad Cities

5.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K

2.

Chase McDonald, 1B, and Jack Mayfield, 2B, Corpus Christi

McDonald: 2-R HR (2)

Mayfield: 2-4, solo HR (1), 2 RBI

1.

Photo from MiLB.com

Cy Sneed, RHP, Corpus Christi

4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Honorable Mentions

Osvaldo Duarte, SS, Quad Cities: 3-5
- 2 starts, 2 multi-hit games.

Anthony Hermelyn, C, Quad Cities: 2-3, RBI as the DH
- Came through with a clutch hit late.

Getting to Know Astros/JetHawks 1B Chase McDonald

I've been watching Lancaster 1B Chase McDonald since he was first drafted in the 12th round in 2013 out of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, partly because at 6'4" 265#, he's hard to miss. But mostly because once I saw him for the first time playing for the Appy League Astros in 2013, I knew that he had the chance to develop into quite the power hitter.

And that is precisely what has happened. In his first season, 7.3% of his plate appearances resulted in an extra base hit. In 2014, that increased to 9.9%. And this year, through Thursday's game, McDonald's XBH% is 13.3%. He has collected 27 doubles, one triple and 28 home runs in 100 games. He is in second place in the organization for home runs, trailing Astros minor league leader A.J. Reed by six, but Reed has played in 31 more games than McDonald too.

And don't attribute all of McDonald's home runs to the "Lancaster effect," a reference to the tendency of the wind in his home ballpark to turn long doubles into home runs. I talked to Lancaster Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson earlier this week about that topic and asked him whether McDonald has legit power. According to Robinson, "Oh my goodness, yes, he does! (People) are going to talk about the ballpark, but I think he may have had one wind-aided home run all season. The ones that he has hit have been home runs, legit! He's got big power."

That is not to say that McDonald doesn't still have some challenges ahead of him as a hitter, but Robinson has seen McDonald's hard work and he thinks Chase can put it all together and find the consistency that he will need in order to get to the next level.

Chase McDonald - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

When I spoke with McDonald last week, I asked him about the Lancaster effect. He told me that a couple hits probably should have been doubles instead of home runs, but added, "But a lot of them, I had pretty good swings on the ball and knew they were going out." The longest ones he remembers hitting this season were one over the light pole to the left of the scoreboard and one over the scoreboard at Lancaster. But he hasn't hit one on the freeway on-ramp ... yet. In any event, McDonald told me, "I don't really keep a tab on them. I'm just happy that I can hit it out and get around the bases."

But when I brought up the home run he hit recently in Lake Elsinore, he remembered that. "That place is ridiculous. I was so surprised when I hit it out," McDonald said. He went on to describe balls that teammate Marc Wik had crushed in batting practice; they reached the wall and then just dropped dead. People tend to think that all of the California League ballparks are hitter-friendly, but that is simply not the case and Lake Elsinore is Exhibit A. Through Thursday's game, 58 home runs have been hit in Lake Elsinore's ballpark as compared to 165 at Lancaster's The Hangar.

Aside from the playing conditions, how has he liked playing in Lancaster this season? McDonald said, "Playing in Lancaster's OK. The boosters are going to be your biggest support out here. They're the most (passionate) fans and they're great people. Coming out here on a Tuesday, there were probably 1500 people out in the stands which is great. The fan base, they love coming out and watching the game. You always hear them heckling the other team up in the stands."

McDonald continued, "Playing out in the desert is a little tough, especially for me. I'm from eastern North Carolina where I'm used to seeing nothing but trees and grass and it's humid. Out here, it's dry. There's not a whole lot of grass. It's quite a culture shock."

When asked what he feels that he's accomplished this season, McDonald said, "I've gotten extra base hits up, and I don't really attribute that to the Lancaster effect. I mainly base that off the different approach I've taken this year. I'm trying to drive the ball in the gaps. If it goes out, it goes out. If it's a double, it's a double." And because of the work he's been doing, McDonald said, "I'm hitting a lot of my home runs now toward center, left center, right center, in that area, not down the lines."

McDonald does have a fairly high strikeout rate, but one adjustment he's working on is to make contact earlier in the count. "I foul a lot of pitches off and I put myself in a position where I've either got to put the ball in play or go for the extra base hit and I strike out. But honestly, I don't let the strikeouts get me down because it's going to happen, especially for a guy that they're looking to hit extra base hits and home runs." As Chase put it, it would be different if he was a "guy that they wanted to slap the ball around and get on all the time."

In describing himself defensively, he said, "I hear people say that I need to work on that, but I feel I'm pretty good at it. I dive for balls and I try to keep balls in front. Every now and then, if I dive, I'll miss one, but I like to say I'm pretty solid. I trust myself playing first base. I've got a pretty good arm. I'm not ever concerned about throwing the ball around the infield. If I turn a double play, I know I'm going to get it there and I'm going to make a good throw on it. I'm pretty solid over there."

As a power hitter, McDonald is often called upon to DH as well. On playing first vs. DH-ing, he told me, "It's completely different. Playing first base, you're in the game the whole time. You're mentally focused. You're out there playing defense and then you come in and it's your time to bat. You're already at that point where you've been focusing on the game. (When you) DH, you're in the dugout just hanging out, waiting for your turn to hit, just hanging out, talking to other guys in the dugout and you've kind of got to get it going again, the mental side. You make the preparation before you go up there and hit. Sometimes it's good to DH. It's kind of a mental break. I enjoy doing either, but I really do like playing first base."

What pitcher in the Astros system would McDonald least like to face? "Honestly, it would be (Jandel) Gustave if anyone in the whole organization because of just how hard he throws and that slider that he throws now. I've faced a few guys this year that have been throwing 95, 98, maybe touching 100, but to sit 100 and possibly hit 102, 103? That's just unheard of," said McDonald.

If he couldn't play baseball, McDonald assumes that he would probably have gone on to play football in college, a sport he also (unsurprisingly) played in high school, or he would have gone into construction management. "I went to school in the beginning as an engineer, but that wasn't going to work out with baseball, with the timing and everything, so I went into construction management and I fell in love doing that. I had a good time in those classes so I would probably be a project manager somewhere right now. And I hunt and fish all the time. Either way I'd be enjoying life," said McDonald.

McDonald definitely looks the part of a football player, so I was curious why he ended up playing baseball instead of football. "I don't know. I guess I just enjoyed being around the guys I was with in high school more than I did playing football. And I was pretty decent at it, and I had some schools call me and offer me some scholarships. I ended up going to East Carolina and I pursued my dream there and I had a lot of fun there as well. It was a great school. I had a great time. I met a lot of life-long friends, and it just happened that I had a good enough season there (that) Houston decided to draft me."

As always, I asked him to tell me something about himself that most people didn't know and might be surprised to hear. And I was surprised with his answer because McDonald isn't exactly built like Michael Phelps. "I was a swimmer in high school for two years. My mom and her sister both swam in college. That whole side of the family, everybody just loves water sports. I grew up on the water. Being around my Dad, we were always out on a boat. If I was with my mom's side of the family, we were always out skiing or doing something out on a boat whenever we were visiting. I guess you could say I'm like a water child."

Something else people may not know is that McDonald got engaged during the last offseason. "Her name is Morgan Squatriglia. People can't ever pronounce it." And, yes, she is taking his last name.

Until last week, I had never sat down and talked with Chase one on one and I really wasn't sure what to expect. But I came away impressed by his quiet confidence, intelligence and good nature. And I like that he understands and appreciates what playing baseball is all about. "I try my best everyday. I play hard. But I'm pretty easy-going during the game. I just feel like I'm playing a game out there. I'm having fun. I'm always enjoying it whenever I'm out there."

Thank you for your time, Chase, and best of luck in the playoffs!