Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 23, 2019

Fayetteville sweep!

Round Rock 8, Iowa 3

W- Cionel Pérez (1-1)
L- Colin Rea (8-2)

RR home runs: Josh Rojas (4, 12 season; solo in 1st)

The E-Train busted out for three in the 4th and three in the 5th to seize control of this one.

Josh Rojas led off the game with a homer. A.J. Reed ripped a two-run double in the 4th and he came home on Chas McCormick's sac fly. Reed drew a bases-loaded walk in the 5th and Garrett Stubbs followed with a two-run single. Jack Mayfield capped off the afternoon with an RBI single in the 8th. Nick Tanielu, Taylor Jones, and Mayfield all finished with two hits on the day.

Corbin Martin and Cionel Pérez both pitched four innings with varying results. Martin allowed three runs on six hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out five. Cionel allowed three hits and struck out four in a scoreless outing. Felipe Paulino, in his return to the Astros organization, struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Brandon Bielak will get the start in the fifth and final game of this series. First pitch is at 12:08.

Springfield 12, Corpus Christi 5

W- Roel Ramirez (2-1)
L- Yohan Ramirez (0-2, 1-4 season)

CC home runs: Colton Shaver 2 (2, 8 season; solo in 4th, 3-run in 6th), Lorenzo Quintana (5, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks, doing business as the Raspas like they usually do on Sundays, were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as the Cardinals got six in the 6th to seize control.

Yohan Ramirez went four innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits, walked four, and struck out four. J.B. Bukauskas was the first man out of the bullpen and he, unfortunately, bore the brunt of that big 6th inning from Springfield. Let's just leave it at that. Justin Ferrell threw 2.2 innings and he allowed three hits, one of which was a two-run homer, walked one, and struck out one. Tommy DeJuneas was the only Corpus pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing as he struck out the side in order in the 9th.

Both teams scored a run in the 2nd; the Raspas got theirs on a solo homer from Lorenzo Quintana. Colton Shaver launched a solo shot in the 4th and then whacked a three-run homer in the 6th. He and Osvaldo Duarte both finished 2-4 on the evening.

The Hooks have now reached their All-Star break. The 2019 Texas League All-Star Game will take place Tuesday in Tulsa. Bryan Abreu, Carlos Sanabria, Colin McKee, and Abraham Toro will represent Corpus Christi.

Corpus returns to action Thursday.

Fayetteville 3, Myrtle Beach 2

W- Austin Hansen (1-0, 5-1 season)
L- Alexander Vargas (1-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Michael Papierski (5, solo in 3rd), Marty Costes (3, 5 season; 2-run in 4th)

Two big swings of the bat and a pair of fine pitching performances carried the Woodpeckers to a sweep of their first series in the second half.

Michael Papierski smacked a solo homer in the 3rd and Marty Costes launched a two-run homer in the 4th. Papierski, Jacob Meyers, and Miguelangel Sierra all had two hits on the day.

Nivaldo Rodríguez pitched four innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out three. Austin Hansen tagged in for the last five innings and he allowed a solo homer, walked two, and struck out six.

The Woodpeckers will begin a three-game series in Salem at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities and Beloit was postponed

Due to rain rendering the field unplayable. This game will be made up during Quad Cities' next trip to Beloit, which will be from July 27-29.

After a day off on Monday, the Banditos will begin a four-game series with the Burlington Bees that's split between Burlington and the Quad Cities. The first two will be in Burlington.

Vermont 7, Tri-City 6 (11 innings)

W- Jorge Martinez (1-1)
L- Luis de Paula (0-1)

TC home runs: Nathan Perry (1, solo in 6th), Zach Biermann (2, solo in 8th)

The Lake Monsters nipped the ValleyCats in extras to avoid the sweep.

Peyton Battenfield struck out four over three perfect innings. Manny Ramirez was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and he got two outs in the 4th via strikeout, but he also allowed three runs on two hits and walked three. Hansel Paulino got Ramirez out of a bases-loaded predicament by getting the final out of the 4th with a strikeout. Paulino ended up going 2.1 innings and he allowed two hits, one of which was a solo homer, and struck out four.

Julio Robaina was next and he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked two, and struck out three in two innings. Garrett Gayle allowed the runner that he inherited from Robaina to score on a sac fly that tied the game at 6 in the 9th inning. He also allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one. Luis de Paula pitched the final two innings and allowed what turned out to be the game-winning sac fly and struck out two.

Tri-City got back in the game when Korey Lee hit a two-run single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 4th. Luis Santana doubled to lead off the 5th and he scored the tying run on an error that allowed E.P. Reese to reach. Nathan Perry clubbed a solo homer in the 6th and Zach Biermann put the ValleyCats in front by whacking a two-run homer in the 8th. Reese (R, SB), Grae Kessinger (2B, 2 R), Korey Lee (2 RBI), and Santana (2B, R) all had two hits on the night.

After a day off, the ValleyCats will hit the road to kick off a three-game series against the Lowell Spinners.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Colton Shaver, IF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 HR (2, 8 season), 4 RBI

Felipe Paulino's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Round Rock Express bullpen

5 IP, 3 H, 5 K

Cionel Pérez: W (1-1), 4 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Felipe Paulino: IP, K

"WOODPPECKERS"

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 3-2 @ Myrtle Beach

9 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

Nivaldo Rodríguez: 4 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Austin Hansen: W (1-0, 5-1 season), 5 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Michael Papierski, C, Fayetteville

2-5, solo HR (5)

Peyton Battenfield not pictured.

This is Korey Lee's mugshot on MiLB.com.

Peyton Battenfield, RHP, and Korey Lee, C, Tri-City

Battenfield: 3 IP, 4 K

Lee: 2-5, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, April 25, 2019

Fayetteville sweep!

Round Rock 2, New Orleans 0

W- Corbin Martin (1-1)
L- Hector Noesí (2-1)
S- Reymin Guduan (1)

RR home runs: Kyle Tucker (4, solo in 5th)

One night after giving up 11 in a span of four innings, the Express kept New Orleans off the board despite being outhit 8-5 in this game.

Kyle Tucker launched a solo homer in the 5th and Myles Straw hit an RBI single in the 8th. Drew Ferguson went 2-3 with a double.

Corbin Martin allowed six hits, walked one, and struck out six over five shutout innings; he also picked off two runners. Cionel Pérez tagged in for three innings and allowed a hit while striking out two, and Reymin Guduan completed the shutout by allowing a hit and striking out one in the 9th.

Rogelio Armenteros will take on former Astros farmhand Elieser Hernández in game three. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 4, Northwest Arkansas 3

W- Brandon Bielak (1-0)
L- Conner Greene (2-1)
S- Colin McKee (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks scored in just one inning on Thursday but it was enough for them to win the game and the series.

J.B. Bukauskas has struggled to open 2019 and I am definitely putting it lightly when I say that. However, he turned in what was easily his best outing of the season as he went four innings and allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, a double, walked two, and struck out nine. Brandon Bielak was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and went 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits, walking three, and striking out two. Colin McKee got the final four outs of the game to earn the save; he walked two and struck out one.

All four of Corpus Christi's runs in this game came in the 6th inning. Ronnie Dawson led off the inning by drawing a walk and then he moved to second on a bunt single from Stephen Wrenn. They both advanced on a wild pitch and Dawson scored the Hooks' first run on a single from Abraham Toro. Granden Goetzman ripped a double to bring Wrenn home. J.J. Matijevic struck out, but Chas McCormick followed with a two-run single that put the Hooks in front. McCormick, Wrenn, and Toro all finished with two hits on the night.

José Hernández-Urquidy will start the opener of a four-game series with Tulsa at 7:15. Bryan Abreu is also scheduled to appear for his Texas League debut.

Fayetteville 7, Frederick 1

W- Enoli Paredes (1-0)
L- Cameron Bishop (0-1)

Fayetteville home runs: Bryan de la Cruz (2, solo in 3rd), Seth Beer (4, solo in 3rd), Jake Adams (4, solo in 7th), Jacob Meyers (1, solo in 8th)

The Woodpeckers bashed four home runs on their way to sweeping a series at SEGRA Stadium for the first time.

Jonathan Arauz opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd inning. Bryan de la Cruz smacked a homer to lead off the 3rd and Seth Beer launched a solo shot of his own later in the inning. Beer added a sac fly to his ledger in the 5th and Jake Adams also struck with an RBI single. Adams whacked a solo homer in the 7th and Jacob Meyers capped off the evening with a solo blast in the 8th inning. Meyers went 3-4 and scored twice, while Adams and Arauz both finished with two hits apiece.

Enoli Paredes allowed just one hit, walked two, and struck out seven over 5.1 shutout innings. Jacob Billingsley, in his season debut, went 2.1 innings and allowed an unearned run on an error, walked one, and struck out six. Hunter Martin allowed a hit and walked one over the final 1.1 innings.

Next up for the Woodpeckers is the first edition of the Lone Star Series in North Carolina in 2019 as they travel to Kinston for a three-game series with the Down East Wood Ducks. Whoever gets the start for Fayetteville will take on Reid Anderson at 7:00 Eastern.

Clinton 7, Quad Cities 2

W- Tyler Jones (1-1)
L- Joey Gonzalez (0-1, 0-2 season)

QC home runs: None.

The LumberKings scored five runs in the final two innings to bust open what had been a 2-2 game.

Brett Conine had another strong outing as he allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and struck out nine in six innings of work. Joey Gonzalez bore the brunt of Clinton's late-inning assault and I'll just leave it at that. Devin Conn got the last out of the 9th with a strikeout, but the damage was done.

David Hensley went 3-4 and he scored the first run of the afternoon when Alex Holderbach grounded into a double play in the 2nd inning. Holderbach, who finished 2-4, hit an RBI single in the 6th.

Cody Deason takes on Alberto Guerrero in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:35. Finally, the River Bandits will have a game at Modern Woodmen Park for the first time this season.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 2-0 vs. New Orleans

9 IP, 8 H, BB, 9 K

Corbin Martin: W (1-1), 5 IP, 6 H, BB, 6 K

Cionel Pérez: 3 IP, H, 2 K

Reymin Guduan: Save (1), IP, H, K

Brett Conine, RHP, Quad Cities

6 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 ER), 9 K

Alex Holderbach, C, Quad Cities

2-4, RBI

Enoli Paredes' photo taken by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, and Jacob Billingsley, RHP, Fayetteville

Paredes: W (1-0), 5.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K

Billingsley: 2.1 IP, unearned run, BB, 6 K in season debut

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Jake Adams, 1B, and Jacob Meyers, OF, Fayetteville

Adams: 2-4, solo HR (4), 2 RBI

Meyers: 3-4, solo HR (1), 2 R

J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, Corpus Christi

4 IP, H, unearned run, 2 BB, 9 K

Chas McCormick, OF, Corpus Christi

2-3, go-ahead 2-RBI single in 6th

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Corpus Christi with the sweep!

Fresno 5, Sacramento 0

W- Cy Sneed (8-4)
L- Jordan Johnson (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (13, solo in 3rd)

The Grizzlies earned the split with a shutout.

Cy Sneed, Buddy Boshers, and Riley Ferrell joined forces to keep the RiverCats off the scoreboard. Sneed allowed four hits, walked three, and struck out seven over 6.1 frames. Boshers and Ferrell did not allow anyone to reach during their time on the mound. Boshers got the final two outs of the 7th and threw a 1-2-3 8th, striking out one. Ferrell recorded a strikeout in a 1-2-3 9th to complete the shutout.

Myles Straw doubled to lead off the evening and scored the first run of the night on a single from J.D. Davis. Fresno got a couple more runs in the 2nd on outs as Tony Nuñez hit a sac fly and Jack Mayfield scored when Kyle Tucker hit into a force out. Jon Kemmer whacked a home run to start the 3rd inning, and Nick Tanielu capped off the evening with an RBI double in the 8th. Kemmer and Garrett Stubbs both finished with two hits on the night; Stubbs also drew a couple of walks and scored twice.

The Grizzlies kick off a five-game series with Las Vegas tonight at 6:35 Pacific. Mike Hauschild will take on Drew Gagnon in game one.

Corpus Christi 4, Northwest Arkansas 1

W- Cionel Perez (6-1)
L- Foster Griffin (3-10)
S- Carlos Sierra (2, 4 season)

CC home runs: Lorenzo Quintana (5, 3-run in 1st)

The Cubans left their mark on this game as the Hooks concluded their tour of Arkansas with a sweep in Northwest Arkansas.

Lorenzo Quintana started things off with a bang by launching a three-run homer in the opening inning and Yordan Alvarez added another run with a base hit in the 3rd. Quintana went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with more than one hit.

Cionel Perez went seven innings and allowed a run on five hits, walked one, and struck out four. Carlos Sierra allowed a hit over two scoreless innings to earn the save.

Corpus will now welcome the Arkansas clubs to Whataburger Field. Jorge Alcala will take on Nathan Bannister in the first game of a three-game set with the Arkansas Travelers at 7:05.

Carolina 4, Buies Creek 2

W- Daniel Brown (3-3)
L- Tyler Ivey (0-3, 1-6 season)
S- Luke Barker (10)

BC home runs: None.

Buies Creek dropped the last two games of this series after taking the first two.

Tyler Ivey went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on five hits (three-run homer), walked two, and struck out four. Colin McKee two hits, walked one, and struck out two ove 1.2 scoreless, and Adam Bleday struck out two in a 1-2-3 8th inning.

The Carolina Stros' two runs came on a pair of RBI doubles from Ronnie Dawson and Osvaldo Duarte in the 3rd inning. Corey Julks finished 3-4 and was a home run shy of the cycle. Duarte, who now has a nine-game hitting streak, went 2-4 with a couple of stolen bases (16).

Buies Creek will welcome Myrtle Beach to Campbell University for a five-game series starting at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities and Beloit was suspended

Due to power issues. This game was tied at 1 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning before the game was suspended. Quad Cities' run came in the 2nd on an RBI double from David Hensley.

Jairo Solís allowed a run on two hits, walked three, and struck out eight in five innings before play was halted.

This game will be completed as part of a doubleheader during the Banditos' next visit to Beloit, which will occur from August 8-10. Quad Cities and Beloit will have a regularly scheduled game at 6:35.

Vermont 1, Tri-City 0

W- Abdiel Mendoza (2-1)
L- Mark Moclair (0-2)
S- Clark Cota (1)

TC home runs: None.

There was one run in this game. Unfortunately, it belonged to the Lake Monsters.

Jeremy Peña had two of Tri-City's three hits on the afternoon and he also stole his first base of the season.

Mark Moclair went 1.2 innings and allowed the one run on two hits, walked two, and struck out three. Nivaldo Rodriguez was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out four over 4.1 scoreless innings, and Riley Cabral threw two perfect innings.

These two teams will play another three-game series, this time in Troy. The Fourth of July game will start at 6:30 Eastern.

GCL Mets 5, GCL Astros 1

W- Ramon Guzman (3-0)
L- Jose Bravo (0-2)
S- Ronnie Taylor Jr. (1)

GCL home runs: None.

Rough day in the field for the Palm Beach Stros as they committed four errors.

Hector Martinez went 2-3 with a double and scored the GCLstros' only run of the game on a balk.

Jose Bravo allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in 2.2 innings. Jonathan Bermúdez retired all four Mets he faced, striking out one. Fredy Medina and Joey Gonzalez threw two innings apiece; Medina allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out three, and Gonzalez allowed an unearned run, a hit, walked one, and also struck out three. Bryan Solano struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

DSL Astros 6, DSL Dodgers Robinson 4

W- Diosmerky Taveras (2-1)
L- Stiven Gutierrez (0-1)
S- Jojanse Torres (1)

DSL home runs: None.

Both of these teams had an inning in which they scored a run and an inning in which they scored three runs. The Astros had an inning in which they scored twice and that was the difference in this game.

Victor Mascai opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. He and Franklin Pinto scored on an error that also allowed Rolando Espinosa in the 3rd. Mascai scored again in the 5th on a balk and Jeury Castillo, who was at the plate at the time, followed with a two-run double. Castillo, Pinto, and Jose Alvarez all finished with two hits on the day.

Jairo Lopez went three innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and struck out two. Diosmerky Taveras was the first man out of the Academy's bullpen and allowed a run, a hit, walked three, and struck out three. Jojanse Torres allowed a hit and struck out four over 3.2 scoreless innings.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jeury Castillo, 2B, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Jojanse Torres, RHP, DSL Astros: Save (1), 3.2 IP, H, 4 K

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 5-0 @ Sacramento

9 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 9 K

Cy Sneed: W (8-4), 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Buddy Boshers: 1.2 IP, K

Riley Ferrell: IP, K

Jon Kemmer, OF, and Garrett Stubbs, C, Fresno

Kemmer: 2-5, solo HR (13)

Stubbs: 2-2, 2 BB, 2 R

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 4-1 @ Northwest Arkansas

9 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Cionel Perez: W (6-1), 7 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Carlos Sierra: Save (2, 4 season), 2 IP, H

Lorenzo Quintana, C, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3-R HR (5)

Corey Julks' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, and Corey Julks, OF, Buies Creek

Duarte: 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 SB (16)

Julks: 3-4, R; finished home run shy of cycle

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jairo Solís, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 8 K

This game still hasn't been completed, but it's not likely that he'll return to pitch in it, even if it is scheduled to be completed a month from now.

This is Nivaldo Rodriguez's mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen

6.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Nivaldo Rodriguez: 4.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Riley Cabral (not pictured): 2 IP; perfect outing

Astros May 2018 MiLB Standouts

With the calendar turning from May to June, the minor league standings find all four of the active Astros minor league affiliates in either first or second place in their respective divisions with the second place teams lagging by only one game (Corpus Christi) and a half game (Quad Cities). Quad Cities was particularly impressive, having overcome a really rough start to their season. Here are a few of the players who have helped contribute to the success of those teams in May. I have noted a few of the more outstanding accomplishments in red.

Note: If a player played at multiple levels during the month of May, he is listed under his current level, but his stats are cumulative.

FRESNO: 15-15 in May (32-23 overall); 1st place

A.J. Reed - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Starters

• RHP Rogelio Armenteros: 3-0 in 5 starts, 2.70 ER, 1.125 WHIP, 8 BB:25 K in 26.2 IP
• RHP Trent Thornton: 1-2 in 4 starts, 3.22 ERA, 0.985 WHIP, 4 BB:25 K in 22.1 IP

Relief

• RHP James Hoyt: 0-2 with 3 saves in 11 games, 2.25 ERA, 0.750 WHIP, 3 BB:16 K in 12 IP
• RHP Matt Ramsey: 1-0 in 9 games, 2.25 ERA, 1.063 WHIP, 4 BB:25 K in 16 IP
• LHP Reymin Guduan: 2-0 in 10 games, 2.70 ERA, 1.050 WHIP, 6 BB:22 K in 13.1 IP
• LHP Buddy Boshers: 0-1 in 10 games, 3.37 ERA, 0.937 WHIP, 1 BB:14 K in 10.2 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• 1B A.J. Reed: 29 games, .283/.424/.576, 4 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 25 BB:23 K (note that Reed had only 11 walks to 23 strikeouts in his 23 games in April)
• IF Tyler White: 28 G, .353/.460/.480, 7 2B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 18 BB:15 K
• OF Jon Kemmer: 26 G, .267/.345/.465, 6 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 11 BB:24 K, 1 SB:0 CS
• OF Kyle Tucker: 27 G, .257/.341/.459, 7 2B, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 15 BB:24 K, 4 SB:0 CS
• SS Antonio Nunez: 13 G, .286/.348/.405, 3 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 4 BB:11 K, 2 SB:1 CS

In addition, these three players hit the following prior to their recall/callup to Houston:

• IF/OF J.D. Davis: 17 G, .470/.520/.773
• C Tim Federowicz: 18 G, .270/.352/.492
• 2B/OF Tony Kemp: 14 G, .344/.375/.459

Also, C Garrett Stubbs was sidelined on the DL for a good chunk of May; in his 10 games for the month, he is hitting .353/.410/.559.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 17-12 in May (32-21 overall); 2nd place

Randy Cesar - April 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Starters

• LHP Cionel Perez: 3-0 in 6 games/5 starts, 1.35 ERA, 0.900 WHIP, 8 BB:38 K in 26.2 IP
• RHP Corbin Martin: 1-1 in 6 games/5 starts, 2.96 ERA, 1.151 WHIP, 9 BB:23 K in 24.1 IP
• RHP Jorge Alcala: 1-1 with a save in 6 games/3 starts, 3.00 ERA, 0.917 WHIP, 7 BB:27 K in 24 IP (Alcala had a 2.57 ERA and 0.810 WHIP with Buies Creek in 5 games in May)
• LHP Ryan Hartman: 3-1 in 5 games/4 starts, 3.16 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, 4 BB:33 K in 25.2 IP

Relief

• RHP Ralph Garza: 6 games, 2.25 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4 BB:11 K in 12 IP
• RHP Justin Ferrell: 2-1 with 1 save in 7 games, 3.07 ERA, 1.159 WHIP, 3 BB:15 K in 14.2 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• 1B Taylor Jones: 28 G, .356/.469/.615, 6 2B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 18 BB:29 K, 2 SB:0 CS
• 3B Randy Cesar: 26 G, .385/.412/.615, 5 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 5 BB:29 K (Cesar is currently in the midst of a 23-game hitting streak)
• UTIL Josh Rojas: 27 G, .339/.398/.560, 9 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 12 BB:14 SO, 7 SB:1 CS
• OF Stephen Wrenn: 26 G, .284/.393/.505, 7 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 14 BB:25 K, 9 SB:1 CS
• OF Myles Straw: 28 G, .367/.457/.413, 5 2B, 5 RBI, 17 BB:14 K, 18 SB:4 CS (Straw led the Astros minors with 25 runs scored in May)
• OF Carmen Benedetti: 19 G, .312/.346/.416, 6 2B, 3B, 12 RBI, 4 BB:17 K, 1 SB:0 CS (currently on the DL)

OF Yordan Alvarez has been on the DL most of the month, but in the six games he appeared in, he hit .360/.393/.680.

BUIES CREEK: 14-15 in May (30-23 overall); Tied for 1st place

Kit Scheetz - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Starters

• LHP Brett Adcock: 2-2 in 6 games/5 starts, 2.54 ERA, 0.988 WHIP, 13 BB:30 K in 28.1 IP
• RHP Tyler Ivey: 1-1 with 2 saves in 6 games/4 starts, 3.00 ERA, 1.037 WHIP, 9 BB:32 K in 27 IP (Ivey had a 2.63 ERA and 0.958 WHIP in 5 games with Quad Cities in May)
• RHP Brandon Bielak: 1-1 with a save in 5 games/3 starts, 3.72 ERA, 1.138 WHIP, 6 BB:25 K in 19.1 IP

Relief

• LHP Kit Scheetz: 0-0 with 3 saves in 7 games, 0.90 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4 BB:26 K in 20 IP
• RHP Ronel Blanco: 1-1 in 6 games, 1.35 ERA, 0.675 WHIP, 3 BB:14 K in 13.1 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• OF J.J. Matijevic: 23 G, .337/.354/.641, 7 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 4 BB:28 K, 1 SB:2 CS
• OF Luis Payano: 14 G, .362/.455/.468, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB:13 K, 1 SB:1 CS
• 3B Abraham Toro: 29 G, .264/.352/.436, 7 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 15 BB:22 K, 1 SB:0 CS
• OF/2B Osvaldo Duarte: 29 G, .298/.331/.421, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 5 BB:23 K, 6 SB:5 CS

QUAD CITIES: 20-12 (30-24 overall); Tied for 2nd place

Patrick Sandoval - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

It is little wonder that Quad Cities had such a good record in May; their starting rotation was on fire!! 🔥🔥🔥

Starters

• RHP Leovanny Rodriguez: 2-0 in 3 games/2 starts, 0.64 ERA, 0.714 WHIP, 4 BB:17 K in 14 IP
• RHP Yohan Ramirez: 3-2 in 6 starts, 1.59 ERA, 1.129 WHIP, 13 BB:23 K in 28.1 IP
• LHP Patrick Sandoval: 3-0 with a save in 6 games/4 starts, 1.86 ERA, 0.931 WHIP, 6 BB:34 K in 29 IP
• LHP Parker Mushinski: 2-0 in 5 games/4 starts, 1.93 ERA, 1.371 WHIP, 14 BB:23 K in 23.1 IP
• RHP Cristian Javier: 1-1 in 6 games/3 starts, 1.98 ERA, 0.915 WHIP, 9 BB:49 K(!) in 27.1 IP
• RHP Peter Solomon: 2-0 in 6 games/3 starts, 2.19 ERA, 1.095 WHIP, 9 BB:28 K in 24.2 IP
• RHP Cesar Rosado: 1-1 with a save in 6 games/4 starts, 2.45 ERA, 1.247 WHIP, 10 BB:21 K in 25.2 IP

Relief

• LHP Adam Bleday: 0-1 with a save in 6 games, 1.38 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 8 BB:22 K in 13 IP
• RHP Enoli Paredes: 0-2 with 2 saves in 7 games, 2.04 ERA, 1.302 WHIP, 12 BB:22 K in 17.2 IP
• RHP Carlos Sanabria: 1-0 with 2 saves in 9 games, 2.84 ERA, 1.105 WHIP, 1 BB:17 K in 12.2 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• SS Jonathan Arauz: 30 G, .325/.403/.521, 8 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 15 BB:25 K, 3 SB:2 CS
• OF Jake Meyers: 30 G, .311/.364/.541, 12 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 9 BB:23 K, 5 SB:3 CS
• 1B Jake Adams: 30 G, .279/.347/.505, 8 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 11 BB:31 K, 1 SB:1 CS
• 3B Colton Shaver: 25 G, .267/.313/.533, 6 2B, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 6 BB:21 K, 2 SB:0 CS
• OF Corey Julks: 30 G, .286/.370/.438, 7 2B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 13 BB:19 K, 8 SB:2 CS
• SS/2B Miguelangel Sierra: 22 G, .292/.315/.483, 6 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 3 BB:33 K, 1 SB:1 CS

Arguably, Corey Julks had one of the more dramatic turnarounds at the plate between April and May. He hit only .198/.261/.321 in 21 games in April. (Julks is from the Houston area and was drafted out of the University of Houston so I may or may not be rooting for him just a little bit harder than some.)

Here are the 2018 April Standouts

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 31, 2018

Albuquerque 5, Fresno 4

W- Keith Hessler (2-1)
L- Kent Emanuel (2-2)
S- Jerry Vasto (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Isotopes got three runs in the 8th to snatch this game from the Grizzlies' grasp.

Cy Sneed allowed two runs on eight hits, walked one, and struck out six in seven innings. Albuquerque tagged Kent Emanuel for three runs on a pair of home runs in the 8th. Emanuel allowed one other hit and struck out one.

Derek Fisher doubled with one out in the 5th inning. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the Grizzlies' first run on a Kyle Tucker groundout. Fisher hit an RBI single in the 7th and then he and Tucker scored on a Jack Mayfield single. Mayfield and Jon Kemmer both finished 2-4; Fisher went 2-5.

Game three of this series starts at 6:35 Mountain. Mike Hauschild will face Jeff Hoffman.

Corpus Christi 9, Springfield 8 in 12 innings

W- Chris Nunn (2-0)
L- Landon Beck (2-2)

CC home runs: Stephen Wrenn 2 (5, solo in 2nd, 2-run in 12th), Randy César (7, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks encountered some serious turbulence late, but they took the Cardinals' best shots and left Missouri with a sweep.

Cionel Perez turned in yet another fine outing as he allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out seven in five shutout innings. Jorge Alcala cruised through his first two innings... and then the Cards wrecked his debut by scoring three off of him in the 8th to tie the game. Two of the runs were earned; Alcala allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out four in his three innings. Sean Stutzman and Chris Nunn threw two innings apiece and they both allowed two hits and walked two. Stutzman allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out three, while Nunn allowed two unearned runs (leadoff runner scored) and struck out two.

Randy César opened the scoring when he smacked a solo home run in the 2nd to extend his hitting streak to 23 games. Two batters later, Stephen Wrenn launched a solo shot of his own. Lorenzo Quintana got plunked with the bases loaded in the 6th to bring in another run. The rest of the Hooks' runs in this game all came in extra innings, and what normally would be a 4-3, or 5-4, or 6-4 game under normal extra-inning rules somehow turned into a 9-8 game because of this bright idea to have a man on second in every extra inning.

Gilberto Celestino started the 10th in scoring position and scored on a single from Taylor Jones, who took Celestino's place at second thanks to an error. Two batters later, Ryne Birk ripped an RBI double and Wrenn brought him in with a single. Unfortunately, the Cardinals matched the Hooks in the bottom half, so on to the 11th they went. This time, Lorenzo Quintana started on second. He moved to third on a sac bunt from Celestino and scored on Myles Straw's single. Once again, however, Springfield also scored in their half of the 11th, so they moved to the 12th. César began the inning at second and advanced on a wild pitch. Birk flew out, but Wrenn whacked his second homer of the game. The Cardinals scored again, but they couldn't push across another run to extend the game.

Everyone but Celestino had a hit in this game; Wrenn finished with three. Jones and Quintana both finished 2-5 on the very long night.

Corpus Christi's roadtrip concludes with a weekend in Tulsa. Framber Valdez will start game one, which will begin at 7:05.

Buies Creek 4, Down East 2

W- Colin McKee (1-0, 4-1 season)
L- Christian Torres (5-3)
S- Tanner Duncan (1, 4 season)

BC home runs: None.

Round three of the Lone Star Series in North Carolina went to the Buies Creek Astros.

Tyler Ivey made his Carolina League debut and the one hit that he surrendered in his three innings was a two-run home run hit by Anderson Tejeda. Ivey also walked four and struck out five during his time on the mound.

The Buies Creek bullpen put up six scoreless innings, starting with Colin McKee, who allowed three hits and struck out four in three innings. Kit Scheetz got the first two outs of the 7th, one via strikeout, but he walked the bases loaded. Tanner Duncan was summoned to extract Scheetz from the inning without any damage and he did so successfully. Duncan went on to throw 2.1 innings without allowing a hit. He walked one and struck out four.

The Carolina Stros took advantage of a bases-loaded, one out situation and scored three in the 5th to take the lead. Ronnie Dawson and Abraham Toro hit RBI singles and J.J. Matijevic squeezed a sac fly in between the two RBI base hits. Dawson hit another RBI single in the 8th. All 14 Buies Creek hits in this game were singles. Osvaldo Duarte had three hits. Chas McCormick, Dawson, Luis Payano, and Chuckie Robinson all finished with two hits.

Buies Creek will begin June with a three-game weekend series against the Potomac Nationals at Campbell. Gabriel Valdez will start the opener, which begins at 6:00 Eastern.

Clinton 5, Quad Cities 2

W- Ryne Inman (3-2)
L- Yohan Ramirez (4-4)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams finished with six hits, but the Lumberkings had more in the column that counts. The big play in this one occurred in the 2nd, in which the Banditos committed two errors on the same play which resulted in three runs scoring for Clinton.

Colton Shaver opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd inning. Jake Meyers scored Quad Cities' only other run on a Miguelangel Sierra groundout in the 8th. Jonathan Arauz finished 3-4, while Bryan de la Cruz went 2-4 with a double.

Yohan Ramirez went 1.2 innings and allowed four runs, all of which came in the 2nd and were all unearned, a hit, walked two, and struck out two. Cristian Javier tagged in for 4.1 innings and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer. He allowed one other hit, walked two, and struck out nine for the third straight appearance. In his last 19.1 innings, Javier has struck out 37. Juan Robles allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out two over two scoreless innings of work.

The Banditos will welcome the Beloit Snappers to the Quad Cities this weekend. Parker Mushinski will start the first game against Ivan Andueza at 6:35.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Stephen Wrenn, OF, Corpus Christi

3-5, 2 HR (5), 4 RBI

Cionel Perez, LHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Buies Creek

2-4, 2 RBI

Tanner Duncan's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Buies Creek Astros bullpen

6 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 9 K

Colin McKee: W (1-0, 4-1 season), 3 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Kit Scheetz: 0.2 IP, 3 BB, K

Tanner Duncan: Save (1, 4 season), 2.1 IP, BB, 4 K

Cristian Javier, RHP, Quad Cities

4.1 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 26, 2018

Fresno 5, El Paso 0

W- Cy Sneed (5-2)
L- Walker Lockett (2-5)

Fresno home runs: Garrett Stubbs (1, solo in 1st), A.J. Reed (9, 2-run in 1st)

Cy Sneed and Reymin Guduan joined forces on a two-hit shutout on Friday.

Sneed allowed just two hits and struck out seven in eight innings of work while Guduan got a strikeout in a 1-2-3 9th inning. Sneed completed eight innings in a start for the second time in his career; he also threw eight shutout innings against Kane County on May 22, 2015, when he was a member of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

A couple of early homers boosted the Grizzlies: Garrett Stubbs led off the 1st by launching a homer and A.J. Reed smacked a two-run shot later in the inning. Stubbs added a sac fly to his ledger in the 2nd, and Drew Ferguson ripped an RBI double in the 6th. Both of Ferguson's hits on Friday were doubles.

Mike Hauschild takes on Miguel Diaz in game two. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Tulsa 2, Corpus Christi 1 in 10 innings

W- Dylan Baker (3-2)
L- Riley Ferrell (1-2)
S- Brian Moran (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks held the Drillers to four hits and tied the game with a run in the 8th... only to see Tulsa push their leadoff runner in the extra inning across. Corpus has dropped an extra-inning game for the second consecutive night. They had the bases loaded in the 10th but could not capitalize.

Josh Rojas ripped a double to lead off the 8th and Taylor Jones took his place at second after Jones brought him in for what turned out to be Corpus Christi's only run of the evening. Randy César finished 3-5 to extend his hitting streak to 18 games. Aníbal Sierra went 2-4 with a double out of the bottom of the order. Myles Straw singled and stole a base, his 30th of the season.

Cionel Perez went 4.2 innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out a career-high tying ten. It's the second time that Cionel has recorded double-digit strikeouts in an outing; he struck out ten for Quad Cities on May 22 last year.

The Ferrells tagged in to take over the rest of the way. Oklahoma Ferrell (Justin) allowed a hit and struck out five over 4.1 scoreless. Texas Ferrell (Riley) allowed the go-ahead run on a sac fly and struck out one in the 10th.

Framber Valdez gets the start for Corpus on Saturday. He'll face Logan Bawcom at 7:05.

Buies Creek 5, Lynchburg 1

W- Brandon Bailey (1-4)
L- Tanner Tully (2-4)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros got three runs in the 6th to gain some separation and got a nice outing from Brandon Bailey.

Bailey allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out four over six shutout innings. Kit Scheetz tagged in to throw two scoreless, allowing four hits and striking out two. The Hillcats spoiled the shutout in the 9th when they got a run off Ronel Blanco on an error following a single. Blanco allowed that one single, walked one, and struck out one in the final inning.

J.J. Matijevic, who was one of three Buies Creek players profiled by Jayne during her first visit with the club since they moved to North Carolina, opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st inning. This was the only scoring play of the game until the 6th; in the meantime, Lynchburg... remained stuck on zero runs.

Osvaldo Duarte and Ronnie Dawson led off the 6th with singles and Abraham Toro ripped a double to bring Duarte in. Dawson tried to score as well, but he was thrown out at the plate. Chas McCormick moved Toro over to third with a single and he moved into scoring position himself following a wild pitch. Luis Payano followed with a two-run single. Kristian Trompiz doubled to lead off the 7th and scored Buies Creek's final run of the night on a wild pitch. Dawson and Toro both went 2-4 on the night.

Jorge Alcala gets the start for Buies Creek in game two of this four-game weekend set. He'll go against Wes Morgan at 5:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 3, Peoria 2

W- Peter Solomon (2-1)
L- Evan Guillory (4-3)
S- Tyler Ivey (2)

QC home runs: None.

Neither team scored more than one run in an inning, so Quad Cities won in the simplest method possible: by scoring in more innings than Peoria.

Jonathan Arauz hit a single with one out in the 1st and scored the first run of the night on Miguelangel Sierra's triple. Mike Papierski walked to lead off the 2nd and scored on a single from Roman Garcia. Arauz led off the 6th with a triple and scored on a single from Sierra.

Sierra's two hits drove in Arauz each time. After going hitless for the fourth straight game on May 20 against Beloit, which dropped his triple slash line to .252/.362/.435, Arauz has responded with a five-game hitting streak and has improved that line to .287/.388/.485 after this 3-4 performance.

Peter Solomon allowed a run on four hits, walked two, and struck out five in five innings of work. Tyler Ivey brought the Banditos home; he allowed an unearned run on three hits and struck out four over the last four innings.

The Banditos and Chiefs will play a doubleheader on Saturday, with game one beginning at 5:35. Yohan Ramirez will take on Paul Balestrieri in game one, while Cristian Javier takes the mound in game two against TBA.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 5-0 vs. El Paso

9 IP, 2 H, 8 K

Cy Sneed: W (5-2), 8 IP, 2 H, 7 K

Reymin Guduan: IP, K

Drew Ferguson, OF, Fresno

2-3, 2 2B, RBI, R

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: L 2-1 vs. Tulsa (10 innings)

10 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 16 K

Cionel Perez: 4.2 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 10 K; tied career high in K

Justin Ferrell: 4.1 IP, H, 5 K

Riley Ferrell: L (1-2), IP, unearned run, K

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 5-1 vs. Lynchburg

9 IP, 9 H, unearned run, 3 BB, 7 K

Brandon Bailey: W (1-4), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Kit Scheetz: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 K

Ronel Blanco: IP, H, unearned run, BB, K

Miguelangel Sierra's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Jonathan Arauz, IF, and Miguelangel Sierra, IF, Quad Cities

Arauz: 3-4, 3B, 2 R

Sierra: 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 3-2 vs. Peoria

9 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 9 K

Peter Solomon: W (2-1), 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Tyler Ivey: Save (2), 4 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 4 K