Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 29, 2019

Let's play two in Lowell!

Round Rock 6, San Antonio 1

W- Brandon Bielak (11-4)
L- Trey Supak (1-2)

RR home runs: Kyle Tucker (34, solo in 2nd)

The Express took three of four from the Missions, giving them a three-game lead heading into the final series of the regular season.

Brandon Bielak allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out six over six shutout innings. Josh James walked one and struck out three in two innings and the Missions spoiled the shutout with a solo homer off Cionel Pérez in the 9th. Cionel allowed one other hit, walked one, and struck out one.

Kyle Tucker got things started by launching a homer to lead off the 2nd. They loaded the bases with one out in the 4th and got three runs out of it: Ronnie Dawson got plunked to bring in Nick Tanielu and then Chas McCormick hit a sac fly and Myles Straw legged out an RBI bunt single. Taylor Jones ripped an RBI double in the 8th and he wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Straw, Tucker, and Tanielu all finished with two hits on the night.

Round Rock will wrap up the 2019 regular season with four games in Omaha. Rogelio Armenteros will start game one and he'll take on Jake Kalish at 7:05.

Arkansas 8, Corpus Christi 6

W- Austin Adams (1-1)
L- Tommy DeJuneas (3-7)
S- Sam Delaplane (4)

CC home runs: Colton Shaver (21, 2-run in 3rd), Jake Adams (21, 2-run in 5th)

The Hooks were eliminated from playoff contention with this loss.

Colton Shaver opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and then he launched a two-run homer in the 3rd. Jacob Meyers hit an RBI single in the 5th but got picked off after Shaver drew a walk. Jake Adams had to settle for a two-run home run instead. Unfortunately, the Travs finished on a 5-0 run, scoring in each of the last four innings.

Shaver reached in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with a couple of walks and scoring twice. Adams also finished with two hits on the night.

Brett Adcock pitched four innings and allowed three runs on four hits (two solo homers), walked one, and struck out four. Nick Hernandez was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he went two innings, allowing two runs on three hits and walking one. Tommy DeJuneas allowed a run in the 6th and failed to get an out in the 7th; he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked two, and struck out two. Justin Ferrell was next; he allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out one in 1.2 innings. Carlos Sanabria struck out the only man he faced for the final out of the 9th.

Corpus will conclude its season with a four-game series against Tulsa starting tonight at 6:15. Bryan Abreu gets the start in game one and he'll face Josiah Gray.

Fayetteville 5, Carolina 0

W- Cody Deason (9-6)
L- Nelson Hernandez (11-10)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

Fly On. pic.twitter.com/2VAeRDsTjm

— 🐦 Fayetteville Woodpeckers (@WoodpeckersNC) August 30, 2019

Three Fayetteville pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout as the Woodpeckers clinched a Carolina League playoff berth in their first season as the Woodpeckers; they are the defending Carolina League champions, which they won as the Buies Creek Astros.

Austin Hansen allowed a hit, walked three, and struck out eight in 4.1 innings of work. Cody Deason tagged in for 3.2 innings, allowing two hits and striking out five. Humberto Castellanos walked one and struck out one in the 9th to complete the shutout.

David Hensley opened the scoring by hitting a sac fly that eventually turned into a double play. He and Cal Stevenson both ripped two-run doubles in the 5th inning. Stevenson finished 3-5 on the night.

Fayetteville will conclude the regular season with a five-game set against their divisional-round opponents, the Down East Wood Ducks. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 3, Cedar Rapids 2

W- Jonathan Bermúdez (6-3)
L- Tyler Palm (3-10)
S- Felipe Tejada (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos scored three in the 1st and that was all for them on offense. Fortunately, those three runs held up in the end and they came out on top in their penultimate road game of the 2019 regular season.

Oscar Campos and Freúdis Nova hit RBI singles and Alex Holderbach drove in the third run with a groundout. Alex McKenna finished 2-4 on the evening.

Jonathan Bermúdez allowed two runs on a pair of solo homers, one other hit, and struck out seven in six innings. Felipe Tejada finished things off with three scoreless, allowing a hit, walking three, and striking out four.

Matt Ruppenthal will take on Andrew Cabezas in Quad Cities' road finale. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tri-City

The ValleyCats split a doubleheader with Lowell, taking game one by a final of 6-3 and losing the second game 7-2.

Game 1: W 6-3

W- Edgardo Sandoval (2-3)
L- Ryan Fernandez (3-1)

TC home runs: None.

Tri-City erupted for five runs in the 6th to take control of this game.

Kyle Serrano allowed an unearned run on a bases-loaded walk, a hit, issued another walk, and struck out one in the 1st. Edgardo Sandoval went six innings and allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out eight.

Nate Perry opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. All five of the ValleyCats' runs in that big 6th came with two outs. Luis Santana hit an RBI single and then Korey Lee and Perry drew bases-loaded walks. Joe Perez capped things off with a two-run single. Lee finished 2-2 in game one with a triple and scored twice.

Game 2: L 7-2

W- Yasel Santana (3-4)
L- Manny Ramirez (0-3)

TC home runs: Korey Lee (3, 2-run in 4th)

The Spinners went off for five in the opening inning to cruise to the win in the second game of the twinbill.

Lee's two-run shot in the 4th represented the ValleyCats' only scoring play of this game.

Yeremi Ceballos allowed a solo homer and struck out six in three innings of relief; he was the third pitcher to appear for the ValleyCats in game two.

Juan Pablo Lopez will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 5-0 @ Carolina

9 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 14 K

Austin Hansen: 4.1 IP, H, 3 BB, 8 K

Cody Deason: W (9-6), 3.2 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Humberto Castellanos: IP, BB, K

Cal Stevenson's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Cal Stevenson, OF, and David Hensley, IF, Fayetteville

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

Hensley: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 3-2 @ Cedar Rapids

9 IP, 4 H (2 solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K

Jonathan Bermúdez: W (6-3), 6 IP, 3 H (2 solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 7 K

Felipe Tejada: Save (1), 3 IP, H, 3 BB, 4 K

Korey Lee, C, Tri-City

2-2, 3B, RBI, 2 R in game one of doubleheader

1-2, 2-R HR (3) in game two of doubleheader

Edgardo Sandoval, RHP, Tri-City

W (2-3), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 8 K in game one of doubleheader

Yeremi Ceballos, RHP, Tri-City

3 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 6 K in game two of doubleheader

Colton Shaver, 3B/C, and Jake Adams, 1B, Corpus Christi

Shaver: 2-2, 2-R HR (21), 3 RBI, 2 R

Adams: 2-4, 2-R HR (21)

Kyle Tucker, OF, Round Rock

2-4, solo HR (34), 2 R

Brandon Bielak, RHP, and Josh James, RHP, Round Rock

Bielak: W (11-4), 6 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K

James: 2 IP, BB, 3 K in rehab appearance

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 11, 2019

Fayetteville sweep!

Albuquerque 6, Round Rock 5

W- Yency Almonte (2-3)
L- Brendan McCurry (3-3)

RR home runs: Jamie Ritchie (5, solo in 7th), Drew Ferguson (10, 2-run in 7th)

Hard to believe that the E-Train had a no-hitter through seven innings. The Isotopes scored five in the 8th to tie and walked off with the win in the 9th.

Rogelio Armenteros walked four and struck out four over 6.1 shutout and no-hit innings. Cy Sneed got an inning-ending double play after coming on for Armenteros in the 7th. Brad Peacock and Brendan McCurry had rough nights at the office.

Garrett Stubbs ripped an RBI double in the 5th and he came around to score on an error following a Jamie Ritchie single. Ritchie smacked a solo homer in the 7th and Drew Ferguson launched a two-run homer later in the inning. Everyone in the Round Rock lineup recorded a hit; Ritchie finished with two.

Framber Valdez goes up against Jeff Hoffman in game three. First pitch is at 6:35 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 8, Midland 2

W- Cristian Javier (7-3)
L- James Naile (6-7)
S- Bryan Abreu (2)

CC home runs: Jacob Meyers (9, 2-run in 5th), Jake Adams (16, solo in 7th), Colton Shaver (18, 3-run in 8th)

The Hooks bashed three home runs on Sunday as they avoided the sweep in West Texas.

Cristian Javier, well... he continued to do what he's done all season, namely, not give up hits. He allowed one hit, walked three, and struck out eight over five shutout innings. Bryan Abreu pitched the last four innings and he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked four, and struck out six. Abreu crossed the century mark in strikeouts in this outing; he's the 11th pitcher in the system to reach 100 strikeouts this season.

Osvaldo Duarte opened the scoring when he ripped an RBI double in the 5th. Aníbal Sierra added a sac fly and then Jacob Meyers launched a two-run homer. Jake Adams led off the 7th with a homer and Colton Shaver put the finishing touches on this game by whacking a three-run homer in the 8th. Everyone in the Corpus lineup recorded a hit; Adams went 2-4 and scored twice. He scored the other run on Sierra's sac fly in the 5th.

The Hooks will begin a four-game series with Frisco at 6:15.

Fayetteville 4, Winston-Salem 2

W- Jojanse Torres (9-0)
L- Taylor Varnell (0-1)
S- Humberto Castellanos (5)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers earned the sweep thanks to a three-run 5th that gave them the lead.

Chandler Taylor opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 3rd inning. Scott Schreiber provided the decisive hit in the 5th, a two-run triple that turned into a Little League home run. Corey Julks finished 3-4 with a couple of doubles and scored on Schreiber's triple. David Hensley went 2-4.

Jojanse Torres went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out three. César Rosado was the first man out of the Fayetteville bullpen and he went 2.2 innings, allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out four. Humberto Castellanos got the four-out save, striking out one.

Fayetteville has Monday off. They'll start a three-game set with Down East on Tuesday.

Quad Cities 3, Wisconsin 2

W- José Bravo (6-5)
L- Tyler Gillies (3-2)

QC home runs: Oscar Campos (2, solo in 6th)

The Banditos edged out the Timber Rattlers behind a fine relief performance from José Bravo.

Alex McKenna opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 5th. After Wisconsin took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the 5th, Oscar Campos tied the game with a solo blast in the 6th. Orlando Marquez put Quad Cities back in front with a sac fly in the 8th. McKenna finished 2-5 on the afternoon.

Brett Daniels went 4.2 innings and he allowed two runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out three. Bravo stranded the two runners he inherited from Daniels to end the 5th and he went on to throw 4.1 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out three.

Guadalupe Chavez will get the start in the series finale as the Banditos look for the sweep. He'll go against Adam Hill at 12:05.

Tri-City 5, Connecticut 1

W- Valente Bellozo (6-0)
L- Cristhian Tortosa (1-3)

TC home runs: Luis Santana (1, solo in 9th)

The ValleyCats stunned the Tigers as they scored four in the 8th and tacked on one more in the 9th for good measure.

Juan Pablo Lopez allowed a run on four hits, walked one, and struck out two in five innings. Valente Bellozo shut it down in the last four innings as he allowed just one hit and struck out eight.

A.J. Lee got plunked and Nate Perry walked to lead off the 8th. Jordan Brewer came in to pinch-run for Perry; he and Lee both advanced on C.J. Stubbs' flyout and then Korey Lee got a free pass to first to load the bases for Joe Perez, who promptly sent everyone home with a triple. Perez trotted home on a single from Luis Guerrero. Luis Santana capped off the evening when he launched a homer to lead off the 9th. Santana finished 3-4 in this one.

The ValleyCats and Tigers will continue this series at 7:05 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 2, GCL Astros 1

W- Nathanael Heredia (5-1)
L- Misael Tamarez (3-4)
S- Luis Tena (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach 'Stros had ten hits but they only had one run to show for it.

Jayson Schroeder allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, walked two, and struck out two in two innings. Misael Tamarez was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed an unearned run on three hits, walked one, and struck out three in three innings. Alfredi Jimenez struck out four over two perfect innings and Alex Palmer walked one and struck out one in a scoreless 8th.

Gerry Castillo finished 3-4 and he scored the GCLstros' only run of the day on a double from Rolando Espinosa in the 5th inning.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Alfredi Jimenez, RHP, GCL Astros: 2 IP, 4 K; perfect outing

Cristian Javier, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (7-3), 5 IP, H, 3 BB, 8 K

Jake Adams, 1B, and Colton Shaver, 3B/C, Corpus Christi

Adams: 2-4, solo HR (16), 2 R

Shaver: 1-3, 3-R HR (18)

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 5-1 @ Connecticut

9 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 10 K

Juan Pablo Lopez: 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 2 K

Valente Bellozo: W (6-0), 4 IP, H, 8 K

Luis Santana, IF, and Joe Perez, 3B, Tri-City

Santana: 3-4, solo HR (1)

Perez: 1-3, go-ahead 3-run triple in 8th

Fayetteville Woodpeckers bullpen

4 IP, H, BB, 5 K

César Rosado: 2.2 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Humberto Castellanos: Save (5), 1.1 IP, K

Corey Julks, OF, Fayetteville

3-4, 2 2B, R

José Bravo, RHP, Quad Cities

W (6-5), 4.1 IP, H, 3 K

Jamie Ritchie, C, Round Rock

2-4, solo HR (5)

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Round Rock

6.1 IP, 4 BB, 4 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 28, 2019

Let's play two in Beloit!

Round Rock and Carolina sweep!

Round Rock 13, Iowa 9

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (7-1)
L- Danny Hultzen (0-1)

RR home runs: Drew Ferguson (9, 2-run in 1st), Kyle Tucker (27, solo in 1st), Alex De Goti (10, solo in 4th)

The E-Train earned a sweep on the road as they put up double digits in all three games.

Round Rock got a pair of home runs in the opening inning as Drew Ferguson launched a 2-run shot and Kyle Tucker sent another one out for a solo homer. In the 4th, Alex De Goti smacked a solo homer and Austin Dennis ripped an RBI double. Dennis added a sac fly to his ledger in the 6th inning and then Josh Rojas ripped an RBI double. Ferguson proceeded to bring Rojas in with a single. Jack Mayfield hit a sac fly in the 8th. After Iowa tied the game with a run in the bottom of the 8th, the Express regained control in the top of the 9th.

Chas McCormick drew a one-out walk, advanced to third on a Nick Tanielu single, and scored when De Goti laced a double. Tanielu scored on a wild pitch and then Dennis and Rojas walked to load the bases for Mayfield, who walked De Goti in. Dennis scored the final run of the evening on another wild pitch. Ferguson and Jamie Ritchie (2B, 3 R) both finished with three hits on the day, while De Goti had two hits. Everyone in the lineup scored a run; De Goti and Ritchie scored three apiece.

Rogelio Armenteros got roughed up in his two innings and let's leave it at that. Akeem Bostick tagged in for four innings and he allowed two runs on a homer, six other hits, walked one, and struck out four. Ralph Garza Jr. was next; he allowed a run on two hits, walked one, and struck out four in two innings. Felipe Paulino allowed a hit and walked one in a scoreless 9th.

Round Rock has Monday off as they head home; they'll start a three-game series with Fresno on Tuesday.

Springfield 6, Corpus Christi 5

W- Connor Jones (1-1)
L- Willy Collado (1-5)

CC home runs: Colton Shaver (14, solo in 4th), Seth Beer (23, solo in 6th)

The Hooks fought back from an early 4-0 deficit and finally tied the game in the 8th... only to see the Cardinals walk off with the victory.

Chad Donato pitched five innings and he allowed five runs, all of which scored on home runs. He allowed seven hits, which include a pair of two-run homers and a solo home run, walked one, and struck out six. Willy Collado pitched 3.2 innings but couldn't get the out that would have sent this game into extra innings. He allowed the winning run, which was an inherited runner that scored and was charged to him on two hits and struck out three. Andre Scrubb allowed the walk-off RBI single.

Colton Shaver put Corpus on the board with a solo blast in the 4th and Seth Beer launched one in the 6th. Stephen Wrenn hit an RBI single in the 7th and Chuckie Robinson ripped a two-run double in the 8th that tied the game at 5. Wrenn finished 3-5 on the night; Shaver had two hits and scored two runs on the evening.

J.B. Bukauskas takes on Tommy Parsons in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:30.

Fayetteville 7, Carolina 2

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (6-2)
L- Matt Hardy (7-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Jeremy Peña (7, solo in 5th)

The Woodpeckers put up five in the 5th and tacked on two more in the 8th as they swept the Mudcats out of SEGRA.

Austin Hansen allowed a run on three hits, walked four, and struck out seven in four innings. Leovanny Rodriguez tagged in to throw three scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out one. Nivaldo Rodriguez got the last two innings and he allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out four.

Jeremy Peña got things started in the 5th when he launched a solo homer that put Fayetteville on the board. Jonathan Arauz and Jacob Meyers followed with singles and they both advanced on Corey Julks' groundout. Chandler Taylor drew a walk to load the bases for Ross Adolph, who walked in Arauz. Scott Manea promptly brought everyone home with a double. Arauz hit a sac fly in the 8th and an error on the play allowed Enmanuel Valdez to score an additional run. Peña, who left the game with an apparent injury, finished 2-3 on the night.

The Woodpeckers have Monday off. They'll start a three-game series in Wilmington tomorrow.

Game 1: Beloit 4, Quad Cities 1

W- Rafael Kelly (4-3)
L- José Alberto Rivera (5-4)
S- Charlie Cerny (6)

QC home runs: David Hensley (6, solo in 3rd)

The Snappers took control of game one thanks to a three-run 5th inning.

David Hensley's homer to lead off the 3rd represented Quad Cities' only scoring play in this game. Hensley finished 2-3 in game one.

José Alberto Rivera went five innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, walked four, and struck out five. Layne Henderson struck out two in a 1-2-3 6th.

Game 2: Beloit 4, Quad Cities 3 (8 innings)

W- Josh Reagan (3-1)
L- Garrett Gayle (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

Quad Cities tied this game with a run in the 7th and took the lead with a run in the top of the 8th... only to see Beloit walk off with the win and the sweep of the twinbill with a pair in the bottom of the 8th.

Jonathan Bermúdez allowed a run on six hits, walked one, and struck out seven in five innings of work. Garrett Gayle pitched 2.1 innings and he allowed two hits, both of which were home runs. The first homer was a solo shot in the 6th and he also allowed the walk-off two-run homer with one out in the 8th. Gayle walked one and struck out three during his time on the mound.

Freúdis Nova smacked an RBI double in the 4th inning. Ramiro Rodriguez tied the game with a sac fly in the 7th and Freúdis added an RBI single to his ledger in the 8th. Nova finished 3-4 while Michael Wielansky had two hits.

Matt Ruppenthal will start the series finale and he'll face Reid Birlingmair at 6:30.

Connecticut 3, Tri-City 0

W- Jack O'Loughlin (2-2)
L- Christian Mejías (1-2)
S- Kory Behenna (3)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats were not only kept off the run column... they were also kept off the hit column. That's right... they were no-hit.

Nathan Perry drew two walks.

Kyle Serrano struck out two in a 1-2-3 1st inning. Christian Mejías and Jairo Lopez both pitched four innings; Mejías allowed two runs on five hits and struck out two while Lopez allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out three in his Tri-City debut.

After getting Monday off, the ValleyCats will wrap up July and begin August with a three-game series with the Batavia Muckdogs starting on Tuesday.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Drew Ferguson, OF, Round Rock

3-4, 2-R HR (9), 3 RBI, 2 SB (19)

David Hensley, IF, Quad Cities

2-3, solo HR (6) in game one of doubleheader

Freúdis Nova, IF, Quad Cities

3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI in game two of doubleheader

Jonathan Bermúdez, LHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 7 K in game two of doubleheader

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jairo Lopez, RHP, Tri-City

4 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Leovanny Rodriguez, RHP, Fayetteville

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

Jeremy Peña, SS, Fayetteville

2-3, solo HR (7)

Stephen Wrenn, OF, and Colton Shaver, 3B/C, Corpus Christi

Wrenn: 3-5, RBI

Shaver: 2-4, solo HR (14), 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, June 27, 2019

This will be a little abridged as I'm on my way to College Station today.

San Antonio 3, Round Rock 0

W- Burch Smith (6-3)
L- Rogelio Armenteros (3-5)
S- Taylor Williams (3)

RR home runs: None.

Josh Rojas' double was Round Rock's only hit in this game.

Rogelio Armenteros allowed five hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked one, and struck out six in 4.1 innings. Kent Emanuel allowed a run on two hits in 1.2 innings and Brady Rodgers allowed a solo homer and struck out two in two innings.

Cionel Pérez faces Zach Brown at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 3, Amarillo 2

W- Cristian Javier (4-2, 6-2 season)
L- Kyle Lloyd (2-5)
S- Willy Collado (1, 4 season)

CC home runs: Colton Shaver (3, 9 season; solo in 5th), Chuckie Robinson (4, solo in 5th), Ronnie Dawson (12, solo in 5th)

Three solo home runs proved to be enough for the Hooks as they opened up the second half with a win in the Panhandle.

Colton Shaver and Chuckie Robinson led off the 5th with solo homers and Ronnie Dawson launched one of his own with two outs in the inning. Shaver, Robinson, and Seth Beer had two hits apiece.

Cristian Javier allowed two runs on two hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked four, and struck out seven in 6.2 innings. Willy Collado struck out three over the final 2.1 innings to earn the save.

J.B. Bukauskas gets the start in game two. First pitch is at 7:05.

Salem 12, Fayetteville 6

W- Erich Uelmen (2-2)
L- Brett Conine (3-2, 6-4 season)

Fayetteville home runs: Jacob Meyers (7, 2-run in 6th), Chandler Taylor (5, grand slam in 8th)

The Pelicans stormed out to a 9-0 lead and Fayetteville... well, they weren't really in this one.

Jacob Meyers hit a two-run homer in the 6th and Chandler Taylor launched a grand slam in the 8th, but Myrtle Beach had this game locked up long ago. Taylor and Corey Julks had two hits apiece.

Brett Conine hit a rare speed bump as he allowed six runs on nine hits (grand slam), walked one, and struck out one in 3.2 innings. Leovanny Rodríguez was the first man out of the Woodpeckers' bullpen and he allowed three runs on four hits (two solo homers) and struck out one in two innings. Humberto Castellanos took over for 2.1 innings and he allowed a run on four hits while striking out three, and Jacob Billingsley allowed two runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out two in the 9th.

Shawn Dubin takes on Erick Leal in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 10, Burlington 2

W- Felipe Tejada (3-0)
L- Robinson Pina (4-3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos were all over the Bees early as they jumped out to a 7-2 lead after the first two innings.

Felipe Tejada allowed two runs on four hits, walked four, and struck out four in five innings. Devin Conn and Joey Gonzalez finished it off with two scoreless innings apiece. Conn walked three and struck out two, while Gonzalez walked two and fanned four.

Quad Cities busted this game open immediately by turning a bases-loaded situation into five runs. Oscar Campos started it off with an RBI single and then David Hensley brought everyone home with a double. He wound up scoring on a single from Jonathan Lacroix. In the 2nd inning, Campos grounded into a force out that allowed Ross Adolph to score and an error on the play allowed Ramiro Rodríguez to score another run.

Hensley smacked an RBI triple in the 4th and he strolled home on Freúdis Nova's double. César Salazar capped off the evening by grounding into a force out that scored Rodríguez. Hensley finished 4-5 and was a home run shy of the cycle. Lacroix, Campos, and Rodríguez all had two hits on the evening.

Jonathan Bermúdez makes the first start of his career tonight at 6:35. He'll take on Cole Duensing.

Lowell 7, Tri-City 3

W- Yusniel Padrón-Artilles (2-0)
L- Angel Macuare (0-2)

TC home runs: Nathan Perry (2, solo in 5th)

The ValleyCats were swept out of northern Massachusetts after the Spinners went off for six in the 2nd.

Angel Macuare allowed those six runs; he went four innings and allowed five hits, walked three, and struck out seven. Luis de Paula threw a 1-2-3 5th, and Valente Bellozo allowed an RBI single, walked two, and struck out three in three innings.

Nathan Perry launched a homer to lead off the 5th. A.J. Lee ripped an RBI double in the 8th and he ended up scoring on an error that allowed Preston Pavlica to reach. Wilyer Abreu went 2-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Tri-City will head home to start a weekend series with Aberdeen. Juan Pablo Lopez will get the start in game one; first pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 3, GCL Astros 2

W- Inohan Paniagua (1-0)
L- Jervic Chavez (0-1, 1-1 season)
S- Roy Garcia (1)

GCL home runs: None.

That first win continues to elude the Palm Beach 'Stros.

Kyle Serrano, who was assigned to Quad Cities and then promptly sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment, walked one and struck out two in his first inning of the season. Jervic Chavez took over for five innings and he allowed three runs on five hits (two solo homers), walked one, and struck out one. Franny Cobos allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out two in three scoreless innings of work.

The GCL squad got their two runs in the 6th on a sac fly from Sean Mendoza and a Luis Guerrero RBI double. Guerrero went 2-4 on the afternoon.

The Palm Beach 'Stros will have Friday off and they'll get back to it Saturday morning at the Marlins complex.

DSL Astros 9, DSL Red Sox1 2

W- Jeremy Molero (2-0)
L- Gabriel Jackson (0-3)

DSL home runs: None.

A four-run 2nd inning propelled the Dominican 'Stros to the victory. Eleven walks suggest that the pitching was... spotty, but then again, they did allow only two runs and two hits.

Ricardo León and Jeremy Molero started things off with three innings apiece. León walked five and struck out four over three hitless and scoreless innings. Molero allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, walked three, and struck out six. Miguel Padilla walked two and struck out two in two innings and José Betances allowed an RBI single, walked one, and struck out one in the 9th.

Jesús Liranzo opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the 2nd inning. Frank Pérez brought him in with a single, Yohander Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk, and Junior Marte hit a sac fly. Marte hit another sac fly in the 4th and then an error in the 5th allowed Ricardo Toro to score. Marte ripped an RBI double in the 6th and finally, Freddy Guilamo smacked an RBI triple and scored on Pérez's sac fly in the 7th. Martinez finished 3-4 on the day while Pérez went 2-3 and scored on both of Marte's sac flies.

These two teams will play again at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jeremy Molero, RHP, DSL Astros: W (2-0), 3 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Yohander Martinez, SS, DSL Astros: 3-4, 2B, RBI, R
Junior Marte, IF, DSL Astros: 1-2, 2B, 3 RBI
Frank Pérez, OF, DSL Astros: 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R

Luis Guerrero, OF, GCL Astros: 2-4, RBI

Chandler Taylor, OF, Fayetteville

2-3, grand slam (5)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Valente Bellozo, RHP, Tri-City

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

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 3-2 @ Amarillo

9 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K

Cristian Javier: W (4-2, 6-2 season), 6.2 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Willy Collado: Save (1, 4 season), 2.1 IP, 3 K

Colton Shaver, UTIL, Corpus Christi

2-3, solo HR (3, 9 season)

David Hensley, IF, and Oscar Campos, C, Quad Cities

Hensley: 4-5, 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R; finished home run shy of cycle

Campos: 2-5, 2 RBI, R

Getting to Know Astros 3B/1B/C/DH Colton Shaver

3B/1B/C/DH Colton Shaver has been wearing a lot of hats this season as the Astros work diligently to keep his bat in the lineup. He has played mostly third base and first base so far in his pro career, but he has started to catch this season as well. As Fayetteville Manager Nate Shaver puts it, "Putting Shaver behind the dish is another option to get him to the big leagues. If he can hit .280 with (power), be a good catcher and be able to hit like that, he's got a really good shot to get there. He enjoys it. When he first had a meeting with Pete (Putila) in Player Development, he was all for it. 'I can do this. I want to do it.' And he enjoys it. He builds a good rapport with the pitchers and the pitchers like to pitch to him, calls a good game. So just being able to get him those reps in High A at a high level, it's good for him to catch every third day and be able to do that. It's really good for his development. He's earned the respect of his teammates back there. They trust him. He's not just thrown back there as just an experiment. That's what he's going to be able to do. Having that flexibility with him ... he can play both corners, he can DH, he can catch. It's really good for him."

Colton Shaver - June 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Shaver was promoted to AA Corpus Christi just a couple of days after I spoke with him earlier this month and has not caught a game yet at the higher level, but he has shown that he has the flexibility to play multiple positions which will serve him well moving forward. But it was his bat that earned him the promotion. Shaver has always exhibited plus power, but this season his elevated batting average and on-base percentage reflected his increased focus on making better swing decisions. In his 58 games with Fayetteville, Shaver hit .270/.365/.464/.829 with six home runs, 33 RBI and a Carolina League-leading 23 doubles. He got off to a little bit of a slow start at the higher level, but collected two home runs in his last game prior to the Texas League All-Star break.

Shaver was on my short list of players I wanted to interview during my time in Fayetteville not only because of the excellent start to his season, but also because having met him briefly in Quad Cities in 2018, I was struck by a personality and a physique that were both somewhat oversized. His physique may be a bit trimmer since losing 25 to 30 pounds, but his personality remains undiminished.

Shaver could ultimately prove to be one heck of a deal for the Astros as a 39th round pick signed out of Brigham Young University in 2017. Shaver signed as a junior and didn't seriously consider going back for his senior year in search of a higher slot because as he put it, "Not too many guys go out of BYU. I just wanted the opportunity and I got it, so I jumped on it."

When asked about his early success, Shaver said, "I feel like I'm just taking each day as a new day. I'm just trying to develop my abilities and be the best that I can be defensively, catcher, first, third. At the plate, I'm trying to hit it, put barrel on a good pitch. That's what Barnes (Astros Hitting Coordinator Jeremy Barnes) has been talking about this year with the hitting ... find a good pitch in the heart of the plate and try to hit it hard. That's what I've been focusing on this year, swing decisions and making sure I don't miss."

In order to keep the momentum going, Shaver is working on a couple of areas, "One big thing is trusting myself defensively. (I've been) playing a lot of new positions. All I did in college was DH so now that I get every day playing defense, I'm still developing that first instinctual trust in myself. I make the right decision, but then I second guess it. So I think that the big next step for me is just making the right decision and then going with it and just letting my body take over from there. And also, just at the plate, just getting more at bats, seeing better pitching, seeing better pitches and just learning how to make the in-game adjustments that are necessary to be successful."

I always like to ask players what a scout might say about them. "I think a big thing a scout would say is I have power. I have a pretty good eye at the plate. I'm still learning my swing. I'm still learning how to be as effective as I can at the plate, but I have a pretty good idea of the plan I want to have and the approach of each at bat. I know a big knock would be my speed. It's one thing I work on every day, my body and my speed and trying to get faster. That will always be a knock on me but I'll work hard and get that fixed to the best of my ability," said Shaver. But there is an intangible quality that a scout might notice in Shaver, one he sees in all his teammates, "I feel like all these guys have the same thing, the one thing that won't show up in the stat line is our work ethic. Each and every one of the guys out here will come out and we bust our tails to be the best that we can be. We don't take any days off. We do everything we can to get better each and every day."

When asked about spending time behind the dish, Shaver told me, "Catching's been fun. That's what I did all growing up until college. I was recruited as catcher but then I just DH'd. Catching isn't easy at this level because it's pro ball, nothing's easy. But it's an easy transition for me to go back to just because I've done it before."

I feel certain that Shaver will enjoy his new digs in Corpus Christi, but he is definitely a fan of Fayetteville and Segra Stadium. "It's a wonderful stadium. They did a good job with it. We get awesome fans. The community, they treat us really really well. I also like that it's a U.S. Army base which is cool because there's a lot of men who sacrifice their lives for us. They come out and have a good old time. We see them out in the city. It's just a whole different environment than what I'm used to and I really like it."

Shaver is different from a lot of the players I talk with. There is an earnestness in what he says, whether talking about the military community in Fayetteville, his closeness to family who he characterizes as "super supportive," or his obvious pride in his sister who plays softball and his brother, a "stellar baseball player" who will be headed to the University of Arizona next year. Even talking about how he and his roommates try to get out and take advantage of the community and experience life rather than sitting around the apartment on their rare off days paints a picture of someone with a positive, upbeat outlook on life, someone who appreciates life's simple pleasures, someone who lacks the cynicism that seems to run rampant these days. Put simply, Shaver is a breath of fresh air.

Thank you for your time, Colton, and best of luck as your season continues to unfold.

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