Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, June 6, 2018, and Thursday, June 7, 2018

Wednesday's games are first.

Fresno

It all unraveled late on Wednesday for the Grizzlies as they fell 6-1 to Colorado Springs.

W- Bubba Derby (3-3)
L- James Hoyt (0-3)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (11, solo in 2nd)

A.J. Reed smacked a solo homer in the 2nd that turned out to be the only Fresno run of the evening. Garrett Stubbs went 3-3.

Brock Dykxhoorn allowed a run on just three hits while striking out six in his seven innings of work. Unfortunately, James Hoyt bore the brunt of the Colorado Springs assault in the 8th inning as he allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits (three-run homer) and walked one. He did strike out the side, so I suppose that qualifies as a silver lining. Jacob Dorris allowed an unearned run on a sacrifice fly in the 9th. He also hit two batters in the inning.

The Grizzlies, doing business as the Fresno Raisin Eaters on Thursday as they paid homage to Fresno's first Pacific Coast League ballclub, got out to a quick start and came out with a 6-2 win to even their series with the Sky Sox.

W- Cy Sneed (6-2)
L- Corbin Burnes (2-4)
S- Buddy Boshers (1)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (11, 2-run in 7th)

The Raisin Eaters scored twice in three separate innings. A.J. Reed and J.D. Davis singled to start the 2nd, but it looked like they'd be stranded after D.J. Fisher and Eduardo de Oleo followed by going down on strikes. Jon Kemmer came through, however, as he poked a ground ball right back up the middle to bring Reed in for the game's first run. Davis moved to third on the base hit and ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Drew Ferguson walked and Kyle Tucker smacked a ground-rule double to lead off the 3rd. They both ended up scoring on sacrifice flies; Tyler White brought Ferguson in and Reed hit another one to score Little Tuck. White whacked a two-run homer in the 7th. Tucker finished 2-4 and also stole a base, his 7th of the season.

Cy Sneed allowed five hits and struck out eight over six shutout innings. Reymin Guduan was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in two innings. Ralph Garza got two outs in the 9th via the strikeout, but he also allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and left the bases loaded for Buddy Boshers, who ended the game by striking out Kyle Wren.

The Grizzlies welcome Oklahoma City to the Central Valley this weekend. Mike Hauschild will start game one and he'll face Daniel Corcino at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi

The Hooks topped Frisco by a final of 4-2 on Wednesday.

W- Chris Nunn (3-0)
L- Jeff Springs (2-2)

CC home runs: Stephen Wrenn (6, 3-run in 8th)

Stephen Wrenn was the hero on Wednesday as his three-run blast in the 8th proved to be the difference.

Randy César set a new club record when he doubled to lead off the 4th, which extended his hitting streak to 28 games. He scored the first run of the evening on a single from Ryne Birk. Wrenn, Birk, and Chas McCormick all finished 2-4 on the evening.

Akeem Bostick allowed a hit and struck out four over three scoreless innings in his return from the disabled list. Kit Scheetz, Cionel Perez, and Chris Nunn all threw two innings apiece out of the bullpen and they all struck out two. Scheetz allowed two hits in a scoreless outing. Cionel allowed two runs on three hits, and Nunn walked one.

Both teams scored in the 4th. However, Frisco scored more in their half, so they came away with a 2-1 victory on Thursday.

W- Richelson Peña (4-3)
L- Framber Valdez (2-3)
S- Reed Garrett (4)

CC home runs: None.

Framber Valdez turned in a decent outing but was forced to take the loss. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out six in six innings of work. Alex Winkelman walked one and struck out two over two scoreless, and Riley Ferrell emerged unscathed despite loading the bases in the 9th. He allowed a couple of hits, walked one, and struck out two.

Chas McCormick's sac fly in the 4th brought in the only Corpus run. Taylor Jones and Randy César both went 2-4; César's hitting streak now stands at 29 games.

Forrest Whitley will make his long-awaited season debut in the finale of this series. He'll take on Ariel Jurado at 7:05.

Buies Creek

Buies Creek mounted a comeback bid in the 9th on Wednesday but it fell short, and they ended up dropping a 4-3 decision to Myrtle Beach.

W- Alex Lange (4-2)
L- Brandon Bailey (1-6)
S- Casey Bloomquist (1)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros' comeback bid fell short.

Brandon Bailey was the tough-luck loser in this one as he allowed a run on three hits and struck out four in five innings. Unfortunately, he received zero runs to support his outing. The three runs that Brett Adcock allowed in his four innings of work came on a home run in the 9th. Adcock allowed one other hit, walked one, and struck out five.

All three Buies Creek runs came in the 9th. Abraham Toro hit an RBI single to put them on the board and Ronnie Dawson followed with a groundout to bring J.J. Matijevic home. Jake Adams followed with a walk and Luis Payano kept things moving with an RBI base hit. Sadly, he and Adams were both stranded to end the game as Chuckie Robinson grounded out. Payano went 2-4 on the night.

Buies Creek got a two-run shot from Abraham Toro in the 4th inning of their contest against the Pelicans on Thursday, which tied the game at 2. Myrtle Beach responded with two runs of their own in the 5th to regain the lead and that was the difference as they took the finale by a score of 4-2.

W- Cory Abbott (1-0)
L- Jesús Balaguer (3-3)
S- Ryan Kellogg (3)

BC home runs: Abraham Toro (9, 2-run in 4th)

Toro finished 3-3 on the night and accounted for three of Buies Creek's five hits.

Tyler Ivey went four innings and allowed two runs on four hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out three. Jesús Balaguer allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him), a solo homer, walked one, and got two outs (one via strikeout) in the 5th. Abdiel Saldaña allowed four hits and struck out five in 4.1 innings.

The Carolina Stros will spend the weekend in Kinston as round four of the Lone Star Series in North Carolina begins at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities

The Banditos scored three in the top of the 5th against Wisconsin... but the Timber Rattlers scored twice in two separate innings, giving them the 4-3 win on Wednesday.

W- Michael Petersen (1-0)
L- Yohan Ramirez (4-5)
S- Gabe Friese (5)

QC home runs: None.

Alfredo Angarita went 2-3 and ripped a two-run triple to open the scoring in the 5th and then he trotted home on Jonathan Lacroix's single. Bryan de la Cruz also finished 2-3 and scored on Angarita's three-bagger.

Enoli Paredes went 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits and struck out five. Yohan Ramirez pitched the last 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on two hits, walked one, and struck out four.

There was only one run scored on Thursday. Unfortunately, it belonged to Wisconsin and Quad Cities ended up getting swept out of Appleton.

W- Carlos Herrera (1-3)
L- Cristian Javier (2-2)
S- Rodrigo Benoit (7)

QC home runs: None.

Cristian Javier allowed the only run on a single from Demi Orimoloye in the opening frame. He allowed one other hit, walked two, and struck out six. It's the first time that Javier did not record more strikeouts than innings pitched this season. Humberto Castellanos allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out two in two scoreless innings.

Mike Papierski doubled for Quad Cities' only extra-base hit.

The Banditos will look to get back on track as they begin a four-game series in Peoria at 7:00. Parker Mushinski will take on Johan Oviedo in game one.

DSL Astros

Once again, a big 2nd inning doomed the Academy as they got swept by the Rays by a score of 6-4.

W- Yosmer Curbata (1-0)
L- Jose Antonio Hernandez (0-1)
S- Bryan Herrera (1)

DSL home runs: None.

Yimmi Cortabarria went 2-2 with a sac fly in the 2nd and a couple of RBI singles in the 6th and the 8th. Enmanuel Morillo scored on a wild pitch in the 6th inning and Rolando Espinosa went 2-3 with a double and scored two runs. Well... they had their chances, but the Academy went 2-16 with runners in scoring position in this game.

Jose Antonio Hernandez went two-plus innings and allowed six runs (two earned, one inherited runner charged to him) on seven hits, walked one, and struck out one. The bullpen picked Hernandez up with seven scoreless, although one of Hernandez's runners scored after he left. Ernesto Jaquez allowed three hits and struck out five in four innings. Cristofer Mezquita went two innings and allowed a hit while striking out three, and Ronny Garcia worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

The Academy's tough start to 2018 continued with an 8-6, 10-inning loss to the A's on Thursday.

W- Gabriel Delgado (1-0)
L- Jherson Pereira (0-1)
S- César Díaz (1)

DSL home runs: Carlos Hurtado (1, solo in 4th)

Carlos Hurtado finished 2-5 with his first career home run. He also drove in two more runs on a groundout in the 8th and a double in the 10th. Abraham Castillo went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 2nd and Rolando Espinosa also had two hits on Thursday. Sebastian Grullón tied the game with a pinch-hit RBI single in the 9th.

Alfredi Jimenez allowed three runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out three in 2.1 innings. Franny Cobos was the first man out of the DSL bullpen and he allowed one hit while striking out three in 4.2 scoreless innings. Jherson Pereira went two innings and allowed three runs (one earned, one inherited runner charged to hin) on four hits, walked one, and struck out two. Flaer Gonzalez allowed two runs of his own on two hits and walked two after taking ownership of the 10th inning.

The Academy will take on the A's again at 11:30 Atlantic.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, DSL Astros: 2-2, 3 RBI
Rolando Espinosa, SS, DSL Astros: 2-3, 2B, 2 R, SB (1)
Cristofer Mezquita, LHP, DSL Astros: 2 IP, H, 3 K; professional debut

Stephen Wrenn, OF, Corpus Christi

2-4, go-ahead 3-R HR (6) in 8th

Akeem Bostick, RHP, Kit Scheetz, LHP, and Chris Nunn, LHP, Corpus Christi

Bostick: 3 IP, H, 4 K

Scheetz: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K

Nunn: W (3-0), 2 IP, BB, 2 K

Brock Dykxhoorn, RHP, Fresno

7 IP, 3 H, ER, 6 K

Alfredo Angarita, IF, Quad Cities

2-3, 3B, 2 RBI, R

Brandon Bailey, RHP, Buies Creek

L (1-6), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 4 K

Thursday's Stars

See disclaimer above.

Carlos Hurtado, C, DSL Astros: 2-5, solo HR (1), 3 RBI

Franny Cobos, RHP, DSL Astros: 4.2 IP, H, 3 K

Humberto Castellanos' picture is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: L 1-0 @ Wisconsin

Cristian Javier: L (2-2), 6 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Humberto Castellanos: 2 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Buies Creek

3-3, 2-R HR (9)

Cy Sneed, RHP, Fresno

W (6-2), 6 IP, 5 H, 8 K

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: L 2-1 vs. Frisco

Framber Valdez: L (2-3), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K

Alex Winkelman: 2 IP, BB, 2 K

Riley Ferrell: IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 27, 2018

El Paso 2, Fresno 0

W- Eric Yardley (2-0)
L- Trent Thornton (3-3)
S- Luis Castillo (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies were held in check on Sunday.

Trent Thornton turned in a solid outing, but unfortunately for him, he did not receive any kind of run support. Thornton went six innings and allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out eight. Buddy Boshers struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th, and Matt Ramsey allowed two hits and struck out one over two scoreless innings.

Cody Bohanek went 2-4 out of the #9 spot in the order. Fresno drew six walks and only struck out twice on offense, but they couldn't get much of anything going.

Rogelio Armenteros will take on Jesse Scholtens in game four of this series. First pitch is at 4:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 3

W- Alex Winkelman (2-2)
L- Mitchell White (0-2)
S- Erasmo Pinales (2)

CC home runs: Taylor Jones (8, solo in 1st), Randy César (6, solo in 6th)

Both teams had innings in which they scored either one run or two runs. Corpus had two pairs of these innings while Tulsa had just one.

The one run that Alex Winkelman allowed in his five innings came on a solo homer hit by D.J. Peters in the 1st. He allowed one other hit, walked four and struck out seven. Chris Nunn allowed two hits and struck out four over two scoreless innings. Ralph Garza Jr. was next out of the bullpen and in 1.1 innings, he had an unearned run charged to him and struck out two. It got a little challenging in the 9th as Erasmo Pinales allowed a run of his own on three hits, along with one of Garza's runs, but he was able to get the last two outs of the game, one via strikeout.

Both teams got a run in the 1st inning via the home run; Taylor Jones demolished a Mitchell White offering to put Corpus Christi on the board. Ryne Birk walked to lead off the 2nd. He then stole second and scored on a Stephen Wrenn double. Jamie Ritchie joined Wrenn on the bases by drawing a walk, and then they proceeded to advance a base by stealing them. Aníbal Sierra brought Wrenn in with a groundout. Randy César extended his hitting streak to 20 games by launching a solo home run in the 6th inning. The Hooks got a couple of runs in the 7th on a pair of RBI singles from Alex De Goti and Myles Straw. Jones, Ritchie, and De Goti all finished with two hits on the evening. César is the second player in the system to have a 20-game hitting streak; Tony Kemp had a 20-game hitting streak from April 23 to May 14.

The Hooks have today off. They'll begin a three-game series in Springfield tomorrow evening.

Buies Creek 1, Lynchburg 0

W- Brandon Bielak (4-3)
L- Justin Garza (2-2)
S- Hector Perez (1)

BC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game and it belonged to Buies Creek.

J.J. Matijevic singled to lead off the 2nd and scored the only run of the day on a double from Chas McCormick, which was the only extra-base hit from either side.

Brandon Bielak allowed two hits and struck out six over five shutout frames and Hector Perez completed the shutout by not allowing a hit over the final four innings. Perez walked two and struck out three during his stint on the mound.

Carson LaRue will start the series finale. He'll face Sam Hentges at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Peoria 3

W- Parker Mushinski (2-0)
L- Alvaro Seijas (1-3)

QC home runs: Mike Papierski (2, 2-run in 1st), Colton Shaver (5, 2-run in 8th)

The Banditos got out to a fast start and had to withstand a bit of a run from the Chiefs, but a three-run 8th inning gave them the breathing room they needed.

Corey Julks opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and on the ensuing error, Bryan de la Cruz was able to score another run. It took a little while, but Julks managed to come home when Mike Papierski smacked a home run. Roman Garcia added an RBI single in the 3rd inning. Papierski led off the 8th with a single and one batter later, Colton Shaver launched a homer. After Garcia went down for the first out of the inning, Jonathan Lacroix walked. He moved to third on a Jake Meyers double and scored the final run of the night on a single from de la Cruz.

Meyers went 3-5 and hit two doubles. Julks, de la Cruz, Papierski, Shaver, and Lacroix all finished with two hits.

Parker Mushinski went five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, walked two, and struck out three. The bullpen shut it down over the last four innings. Adam Bleday walked one and struck out four in three innings, and Carlos Sanabria worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Leovanny Rodriguez will start the series finale for Quad Cities. He'll face Zach Prendergast at 5:15.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 1-0 vs. Lynchburg

9 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K

Brandon Bielak: W (4-3), 5 IP, 2 H, 6 K

Hector Perez: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 BB, 3 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

L (3-3), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Alex Winkelman, LHP, and Chris Nunn, LHP, Corpus Christi

Winkelman: W (2-2), 5 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Nunn: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi

2-4, solo HR (8)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Adam Bleday, LHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, BB, 4 K

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Mike Papierski, C, and Colton Shaver, 1B, Quad Cities

Papierski: 2-2, 2-R HR (2), 3 R, BB

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 28, 2018

Let's play two in the Quad Cities!

Tacoma 7, Fresno 3

W- Ariel Miranda (1-0)
L- Mike Hauschild (2-2)
S- Shawn Armstrong (1)

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

A three-run 5th inning got the Grizz back into this game, but the Rainiers managed to re-establish their advantage to secure the victory.

Mike Hauschild allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits (solo homer), walked three, and struck out five in five innings of work. Jacob Dorris allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked one, and struck out one in the 6th, and Buddy Boshers pitched the last three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits (solo homer), walking one, and striking out two.

Tony Kemp singled to lead off the 5th and Tyler White joined him on the bases after drawing a walk. Kemp stole third and scored on an error, and A.J. Reed, who was at the plate, eventually launched a two-run home run. Kemp finished 2-5; the stolen base was his 8th of the season.

Francis Martes will start the fifth and final game of this series. He'll take on Rob Whalen at 12:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 1

W- Chris Nunn (1-0)
L- Brett Martin (0-3)

CC home runs: Randy César (1, 3-run in 6th)

Corpus used a 5-run 6th inning to seize the momentum on Saturday night.

Cionel Perez allowed an unearned run on six hits, walked one, and struck out five in 4.2 innings. Chris Nunn tagged in to throw 4.1 scoreless, allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out three.

Both teams scored a run in the 4th; the Hooks got theirs on a Randy César RBI single. Moving on to the 6th...

Nick Tanielu drew a one-out walk and Carmen Benedetti, who scored Corpus Christi's first run of the evening, followed by hitting a single. César delivered a haymaker with his three-run homer that broke the tie. Ryne Birk was next and he forced a pitching change by ripping a double. He stole third while Lorenzo Quintana was at the plate; Quintana eventually worked a walk and proceeded to steal second. Arturo Michelena hit into a fielder's choice where Birk was thrown out at home, but Myles Straw capped off the offensive assault with a two-run triple.

Birk finished 3-4 with a couple of doubles and a couple of stolen bases (4). César (3-R HR, 4 RBI), Straw (3B, 2 RBI, SB), and Benedetti (2B, 2 R) all had two hits on the night. Straw now has 13 stolen bases on the season, which breaks a tie at the top of the system with Josh Rojas.

Framber Valdez will take on Richelson Peña in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 2:05.

Buies Creek 9, Frederick 4

W- Abdiel Saldaña (3-0)
L- Ofelky Peralta (1-2)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros stormed out to an 8-0 lead on the strength of two big early innings.

Chas McCormick singled to lead off the bottom of the 1st and scampered home with the first run of the evening when Josh Rojas smacked a double. Buies Creek opened things up a little with a 4-run 3rd inning, which started when they loaded the bases. Osvaldo Duarte reached on an error that allowed Aníbal Sierra and McCormick to score, while he was able to advance to second and Rojas made it to third. Duarte and Rojas eventually scored on a Kristian Trompiz single. Rojas added an RBI single to his ledger in the 4th and Abraham Toro ripped a two-run double later in the frame. Trompiz capped off the evening when he smacked an RBI triple in the 7th.

Rojas finished 3-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored. McCormick (2 R) and Trompiz (3B, 3 RBI) had two hits apiece.

Jorge Alcala and Abdiel Saldaña both pitched four innings with contrasting results. Alcala had a scoreless outing in which he allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out four. On the other hand, Saldaña didn't have his greatest outing as he allowed his first three runs of the season on seven hits. He also issued a couple of walks and struck out one. Jesús Balaguer walked the bases loaded in the 9th but managed to emerge unscathed.

Brandon Bielak will take the mound as Buies Creek looks for a sweep. He'll face Jhon Peluffo at 2:00 Eastern.

Game 1: Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Randy Dobnak (2-0)
L- Luis Garcia (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Kernels nipped the Banditos in game 1 with a run in the 3rd that broke a 1-1 tie.

Adrian Tovalin went 2-3 and his RBI single in the 1st was Quad Cities' only scoring play in the first game.

Luis Garcia went 5.1 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits, walked one, and struck out four. Cole Watts allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one in 1.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Game 2: Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 1

W- Cristian Javier (1-0)
L- Melvi Acosta (0-1)
S- Carlos Sanabria (2)

QC home runs: Jonathan Arauz (1, 2-run in 5th)

Quad Cities put up a couple of crooked numbers to earn the doubleheader split.

Cristian Javier allowed a run on four hits, walked one, and struck out eight in five innings to get the win while Carlos Sanabria closed it out by striking out three over two perfect innings.

The Banditos got two in the 4th on an RBI double from Corey Julks and an RBI single from Bryan De La Cruz. They got two more in the 5th on Jonathan Arauz's first home run of the season. Julks, who stole a base in game 1, finished 2-3 in game 2.

The Banditos and Kernels will wrap up their series at 1:15 as Parker Mushinski faces Bryan Sammons.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Randy César, 3B/1B, and Myles Straw, OF, Corpus Christi

César: 2-4, 3-R HR (1), 4 RBI

Straw: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, SB (13)

Cionel Perez, LHP, and Chris Nunn, LHP, Corpus Christi

Perez: 4.2 IP, 6 H, unearned run, BB, 5 K

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jorge Alcala, RHP, Buies Creek

4 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Josh Rojas, IF, and Kristian Trompiz, IF, Buies Creek

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

Trompiz: 2-4, 3B, 3 RBI

Luis Garcia's and Cole Watts' photos are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: L 2-1 and W 4-1 vs. Cedar Rapids

Game 1: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 5 K

Luis Garcia: L (0-1), 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 4 K

Cole Watts: 1.2 IP, H, BB, K

Game 2: 7 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 11 K

Cristian Javier: W (1-0), 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 8 K

Carlos Sanabria: Save (2), 2 IP, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 8, 2018

Let's play two in Salem!

Fresno 9, Reno 4

W- Jacob Dorris (1-0)
L- Jared Miller (0-1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies scored three runs in the 5th and the 6th to seize control of this game and even up their series with the Aces at 2 games apiece.

Rogelio Armenteros went 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 6. Fresno's bullpen picked him up by allowing just one run over the final 4.2 innings. Jacob Dorris struck out 2 over 1.2 perfect frames, Chris Nunn allowed that one run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 innings, and Matt Ramsey worked around a hit in order to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

A.J. Reed singled to lead off the 2nd inning and eventually scored the first run of the afternoon on a Jon Kemmer groundout. This would be the Grizzlies' only run of the game until the 5th inning.

After Alejandro Garcia struck out to start the 5th, Tony Kemp, Drew Ferguson, and Kyle Tucker all drew walks. Kemp ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Tyler White drew yet another walk to re-load the bases, and then Reed followed by walking Ferguson in. Garrett Stubbs followed with a sac fly.

In contrast to the 5th, the Grizzlies used some hits to score in the 6th. Kemmer walked to lead things off and scored on Garcia's RBI double. Kemp followed with an RBI single and then scored on a double play. Super Jack Mayfield ripped an RBI double in the 7th and Reed drove in Fresno's last run of the day with an 8th-inning sac fly. Kemp (RBI, 3 R), Reed (2 RBI, R), Stubbs (RBI, R), and Garcia (2B, RBI, R) all finished with two hits on the afternoon.

Kent Emanuel faces former Astro Jake Buchanan in the finale of this series. First pitch is at 1:05 Pacific.

Arkansas 7, Corpus Christi 5

W- Johendi Jiminian (1-0)
L- Akeem Bostick (0-1)
S- Matt Walker (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks were on the verge of taking a rather ugly loss to start a new series, but they suddenly sprang to life in the final half-inning and legitimately made things interesting before ultimately falling short.

Entering the 9th, Corpus only had two hits on the day. However, Myles Straw and Carmen Benedetti led off the inning by drawing walks and they both advanced on a passed ball. Yuli Gurriel, Yordan Alvarez, and Randy César all followed with RBI singles, and Nick Tanielu ripped a two-run double. All five Corpus Christi runs scored before they made an out. Unfortunately, the next three men went down. Yuli (2B, RBI, R) and Tanielu (2B, 2 RBI) both finished 2-4 on the day.

Akeem Bostick went 3.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits and walked 2 in 1.1 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. pitched the final three innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.

Cionel Perez makes his 2018 debut in the middle game of this series and he'll be opposed by Nathan Bannister. First pitch is at 7:10.

Game 1: Buies Creek 1, Salem 0 in 8 innings

W- Justin Ferrell (1-0)
L- Matthew Gorst (0-1)

BC home runs: None.

There was only one scoring play in this game and it belonged to the Carolina Stros. Unlike Quad Cities on Saturday, Buies Creek was the beneficiary of the new extra-innings rule. It's still stupid and I will not hear any arguments about how it actually is not stupid.

Kristian Trompiz started at second base to start the 8th inning, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the only run of the first game on an Osvaldo Duarte sac fly. Chas McCormick (2B), Luis Payano, and Chuckie Robinson had the only Buies Creek hits in Game 1.

Carson LaRue allowed 3 hits and struck out 3 in 4.2 innings. Justin Ferrell tagged in and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3.1 innings.

Game 2: Salem 2, Buies Creek 1 in 8 innings

W- Algenis Martinez (1-0)
L- Carlos Sierra (0-1)

BC home runs: None.

As if one game featuring that rule wasn't enough... the second game of the Buies Creek-Salem doubleheader also went to extra innings.

Aníbal Sierra led off the third inning with a double, advanced to 3rd base on a wild pitch, and scored the Carolina Stros' only run of game 2 on a Carlos Canelón groundout. The other Buies Creek hit in this game was a Ronnie Dawson double.

In his Astros debut, Brandon Bailey allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 5.1 innings. The Red Sox scored the winning run, which was unearned, off of Carlos Sierra with one out in the 8th inning. In 2 innings, Sierra allowed 2 hits and walked 2.

Buies Creek's season-opening roadtrip continues in Lynchburg, Virginia, where they will begin a three-game series with the Hillcats at 6:30 Eastern. Whoever gets the start will go up against Justin Garza.

Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids was postponed again

Due to snow showers in the forecast. This game will be made up at a later date.

Yohan Ramirez, who has definitely waited a while to pitch this season, will take the mound for the River Bandits' home opener. He'll take on Cole Stapler at 6:35.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Brandon Bailey's picture is his official mugshot and his current Twitter avatar.

Follow him on Twitter at BBailey_19

Read his blog here

Carson LaRue: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 K in game 1 of doubleheader

Justin Ferrell: W (1-0), 3.1 IP, H, 3 K in game 1 of doubleheader

Brandon Bailey: 5.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 7 K in game 2 of doubleheader

Nick Tanielu, IF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Tony Kemp, UTIL, and A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

Kemp: 2-5, RBI, 3 R

Reed: 2-3, 2 RBI, R

Chris Nunn's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Matt Ramsey's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Fresno Grizzlies bullpen

4.2 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K

Jacob Dorris: W (1-0), 1.2 IP, 2 K

Chris Nunn: 2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 K

Matt Ramsey: IP, H, K

Astros Transactions: Hot Stove and Rule 5

A few more Astros transactions to report ...

On Wednesday, the Astros agreed to a two-year deal with RHP Joe Smith. (Deadspin weighs in on his uncommonly common name here.) The Astros were looking for a veteran bullpen arm and with 11 seasons worth of experience in MLB for five different teams, Smith qualifies. In 698 games over the years, he has a 44-28 record with 30 saves, a 2.97 ERA and a 1.185 WHIP. In 2017, he appeared in 59 games (54IP) with a 3.33 ERA, a 1.037 WHIP and 10 walks to 71 strikeouts.

In today's Rule 5 Draft, the Astros picked up LHP Anthony Gose from the Rangers. Wait. What?! I thought he was an OF! Well, he was. That was until he wasn't. It seems that when you can throw 100 mph as a lefty, you get the attention of a team looking for lefty bullpen pitching like the Astros. He's only pitched in 11 games competitively, all in the High-A Florida State League. Two rough outings blew up his ERA to 7.59, but he held batters to a .189 batting average in his 10.2 innings of work. Keeping Gose on the 25-man roster for the 2018 season isn't going to be easy, but there is some exceptional upside if he can pull off this whole pitching gig. Gose may sound familiar to you. He was an Astro for a nanosecond in 2010. Baseball is a crazy world.

Elieser Hernandez - August 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

On the other side of the coin, the Astros lost RHP Elieser Hernandez to the Marlins in the Rule 5 draft. The baby-faced 22-year old Venezuelan has never pitched above High-A and has been quite inconsistent at times, but (according to my notes from 2016) has a lively low to mid-90's fastball and a solid changeup to work with. He missed almost two months of the 2017 season, but when he made it back to Buies Creek in the latter part of July, he put up a very strong 2.67 ERA and 1.069 WHIP in his final eight games of the season there. In four starts in Venezuela this winter, he had a 2.20 ERA and a 0.918 WHIP in a very competitive league. If Hernandez can show consistency with the Marlins, he could potentially stick with that team.

In the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, the Astros selected LHP Chris Nunn from the Cubs. After sitting out all of 2016, Nunn appeared in one game for the Independent League Evansville Otters in 2017 before being scooped up by the Cubs and sent to their AA club. In four starts for the Tennessee Smokies, he had a 4.76 ERA and a 1.353 WHIP. Nunn can reportedly throw in the range of 97-98. He was first drafted by the Padres in the 24th round in 2012 out of Lipscomb University and was 27 in October. As a reminder, in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, the player basically becomes the property of the selecting team so there will be no need to offer Nunn back to the Cubs if he doesn't work out.

Also of interest to some of the long-time Astros minor league fans out there, RHP Drew Muren is on the move again. Drafted by the Astros as an outfielder in the 22nd round in 2011, Muren reinvented himself as a pitcher in 2015. After spending time in the Diamondbacks organization, he found himself picked up by the Giants in August. Muren was selected from the Giants by the Blue Jays in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft today.