Astros Farm Report: 1/29

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

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Dex McCall - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

1-29: 1B Dex McCall (24)
1-30: RHP Dariel Aquino (22)
1-31: SS Juan Pineda (20)
2-2: RHP Brad Peacock (30)
2-2: OF Ramiro Rodriguez (20)
2-3: LHP Javier Navas (20)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

These are the only recent posted transactions, aside from the non-roster invitees which are covered below.

Jon Singleton - April 2017

Photos by Jayne Hansen

1-23: 1B Jon Singleton suspended 100 games for a third positive test for a drug of abuse
1-23: RHP Dean Deetz suspended 80 games for a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug
1-22: LHP Buddy Boshers claimed off waivers from Minnesota

Boshers is being added to the mix (along with Tony Sipp and Rule 5 Draft pickup Anthony Gose) as a possible lefty reliever. Drafted by the Angels in the fourth round in 2008, Boshers has pitched in 100 major league games, compiling a 4.54 ERA and 1.274 WHIP. In 2016, lefties slashed .241/.267/.293 against him; in 2017, they hit .224/.258/.397 against him.

I would like to add a personal word about the suspension of Dean Deetz. I've had the opportunity to talk to and observe Deetz several times over the last three seasons and I have come to admire his humility and his professionalism. Following the suspension, Deetz released the statement below and he has given me no reason to doubt him. I'm sure many of you will think that I'm just being naive, but I'm going to go with my gut here. Other players have been just as adamant that they didn't know how the same banned substance Deetz tested positive for got into their system. Again, I may be naive, but I'm going to give Deetz the benefit of a doubt.

"Let me say first and foremost that I have never knowingly taken a performance enhancing substance of any kind," Deetz said in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association. "I come from a small town, and know how fortunate I am to call myself a professional baseball player. I would never jeopardize that opportunity, or betray those who have supported me along the way, by trying to cheat in order to gain an advantage. As I explained to the arbitrator in my appeal, I have no idea how I could possibly have tested positive and although I am disappointed with the outcome, I will abide by his decision."

Several additional players were extended non-roster invitations to Spring Training this week. The complete list is here. One interesting invitee is 3B Randy Cesar. As I wrote in my post last week on third base depth, Cesar has been pretty steady at third base the last couple of seasons, but he has yet to play above High A going in to his seventh season in the system. It appears that the Astros intend to be aggressive with him in order to determine what his ceiling may be before he is lost to minor league free agency. All of the other invitees have played at AA or higher, although OF Myles Straw only played in 13 games with the AA Corpus Christi Hooks at the end of the season.

You can check the cumulative Astros offseason transaction list here to see if you've missed any of the posted moves this offseason.

FALL AND WINTER LEAGUE UPDATES

The winter leagues are all but over with only the Australian Baseball League postseason and Caribbean Series left to play. The final updates for the ABL regular season and LBPRC are below.  For the final stats for players having participated in the Arizona Fall League, Venezuelan Winter League, Mexican Pacific Winter League and the Dominican Winter League, please visit my Farm Report from 1/1. The Caribbean Series will start on Friday; information on the series can be found here.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (ABL)

Since Rodrigo Ayarza's team was in dead last at the end of the regular season, he will not be playing in the postseason. But Ayarza is sure to have left a good impression on his Australian hosts with a very solid season. In his final four games, he was 5-for-18 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base.

Adelaide Bite
Rodrigo Ayarza - 40G .292/.324/.476 11-2B 1-3B 6HR 15RBI 8BB:34SO 6SB:2CS

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LBPRC)

The stats below carry over from last week as neither Ruben Castro nor Carlos Sierra appeared in the final regular season games. Castro had only one plate appearance in the postseason, going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter and Sierra did not appear in postseason play. The Cangrejeros de Santurce lost 0-3 to the Criollos de Caguas.

Cangrejeros de Santurce
RHP Carlos Sierra - 5G 3.1IP 5.40 ERA 3.900 WHIP 1SO:7BB
C Ruben Castro - 5G .500/.545/.600 1-2B 1RBI 1BB:3SO

NEWS AND LINKS

Kyle Glaser at Baseball America has this great article about players who take the opportunity to play in Korea and Japan. [Insider only]

Connor MacDonald - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Former Astro Connor MacDonald, a first baseman who signed with the Astros in 2012 as the first signing out of Australia in 20 years, was released by the Astros during the 2017 season but is getting a second chance with the Pirates as a pitcher. We at WTHB wish Connor all the best!

The Greeneville Reds, formerly the  Greeneville Astros, unveiled their logo this week. (I will miss visiting beautiful Pioneer Park at Tusculum College.).

Prospect ranking season continues with Kyle Tucker ranked by MLB Pipeline as the #5 outfield prospect. Last week, they had Forrest Whitley as second on their list of right-handed pitching prospects, behind only Shohei Ohtani.

And over the weekend, MLB Pipeline came out with their Top 100 overall prospect list and it included RHP Forrest Whitley (#9), OF Kyle Tucker (#17) and RHP J.B. Bukauskas (#76). In addition, former Astros RHP Franklin Perez (#39) and RHP Albert Abreu (#74) were also ranked. Notably missing from MLB Pipeline's list was Yordan Alvarez who was ranked #62 by Baseball America. Jonathan Mayo breaks down the Top 100 for you.

As a reminder, here is Baseball America's Top 100 Prospect Rankings list which came out last week, with RHP Forrest Whitley (#10), OF Kyle Tucker (#15), 1B/OF Yordan Alvarez (#62) and RHP J.B. Bukauskas (#76) all earning a nod. In addition, former Astros RHP Franklin Perez (#35), RHP Albert Abreu (#77), OF Brett Phillips (#80) and RHP Jorge Guzman (#87) were also ranked. BA included tool rankings for all 100 here.

Baseball America also posted an article about breakout prospects for 2018 who didn't quite make the Top 100 and included the Astros Freudis Nova.

When MLB Pipeline posts their 2018 pre-season prospect list, Baseball America releases their 2018 Prospect Handbook and FanGraphs weighs in with their Top Prospect list, I'll do a consensus prospect list. In the meantime ...

In case you missed it, I started a "Beyond the Top 30" series, looking at both those Astros players who are considered Top 30 prospects and others at each position who may not be top talents (or may grow to be), but will be interesting to watch nonetheless. So far we've looked at ...

Shortstops
Second Basemen
First Basemen
Third Basemen

Center Field - Coming this week

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, June 26, 2017

Happy Gulf Coast League Opening Day!

Also, the Astros' A clubs blasted their counterparts from the Brewers.

Fresno 7, Albuquerque 6 in 10 innings

W- Brian Holmes (2-2)
L- Shane Carle (1-4)

Fresno home runs: Max Stassi (8, 2-run in 5th), Colin Moran (17, solo in 8th)

The Grizzlies couldn't hold a 6-2 lead, but fortunately, they were able to rectify this by literally walking off with the win in the first extra frame.

David Martinez allowed a run on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 6 innings. Ashur Tolliver was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and got 2 outs in the 7th, allowing a run on a bases-loaded walk and a double. Overall, Tolliver issued 3 walks. Aaron West got him out of his predicament without further incident. He threw 1.1 innings, walking 1 and striking out 2. Jordan Jankowski only got one out in the 9th; he had 3 inherited runners charged to him, walked 1, and allowed 2 hits. Dayan Diaz got the final two outs of the 9th, but not before the Isotopes tied the game off of him with a sac fly, a wild pitch, and a 2-run single. The game-tying 2-run single was the one hit that Diaz allowed; he also walked 1 and struck out 1. Brian Holmes struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 10th.

Albuquerque scored a run in the 5th and the 7th; each time, Fresno responded with 2 runs in the bottom half. Max Stassi put them on the board with a 2-run blast in the 5th, while Tyler White hit an RBI single and Tony Kemp scored on an error that allowed Preston Tucker to reach in the 7th. Colin Moran led off the bottom of the 8th with a homer and Kemp added a sac fly later in the inning. The Grizzlies won via shrimp in the bottom of the 10th as Tyler White drew a bases-loaded walk.

White (2 RBI), Moran (solo HR), Stassi (2-R HR, 4 R), and Alejandro Garcia (2B) all finished with 3 hits on the evening.

It's Tuesday, and it's a Fresno home game, so you know what that means: Taco Tuesday!!!

Charlie Morton will make his second rehab appearance as he continues to work his way back from a lat strain. He'll take on Matt Flemer at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi is off until Thursday


The Texas League All-Star Game will take place tonight in Frisco. The Hooks' contingent consists of Josh James, Rogelio Armenteros, Garrett Stubbs, Jon Singleton, Drew Ferguson, J.D. Davis, and Jack Mayfield. Kyle Smith was also named a Texas League All-Star; he has since been promoted to Fresno.

The Hooks return to action on Thursday and they'll start off the 2nd half with a tour of Arkansas.

Buies Creek 8, Carolina 1

W- Jorge Alcala (2-3, 4-3 season)
L- Marcos Diplan (4-4)
S- Hector Perez (1)

BC home runs: Anibal Sierra (3, solo in 3rd)

Jorge Alcala and Hector Perez made quick work of the Mudcats on Monday. The Carolina Stros really blew it open with 4 in the 6th.

Alcala has had some issues with walks lately, but he turned in a nice outing. According to Patrick Obley of the Fayetteville Observer, Alcala hit 100 on a few occasions before settling into the mid-90s. He allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Hector Perez went 4 innings and allowed a run on an infield single, one other hit, walked 3, and struck out 5. Perez faced a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 7th, but emerged with the Mudcats only getting one run against him.

Anibal Sierra opened the scoring with a solo blast in the 3rd inning. Later in the frame, Jake Rogers ripped an RBI double and Yordan Alvarez added a sac fly. Buies Creek got three straight singles to open the 6th, and Alex De Goti scored on an error that also allowed Myles Straw to reach; Straw was credited with an RBI on the play. The bases remained loaded for Ryne Birk, who promptly cleared them with a triple. Birk drove in the last run of the evening with a groundout in the 7th inning.

Sierra finished 3-3 with the homer and scored twice. Straw went 3-5 with a double and scored twice as well. Birk (3B, 4 RBI), Rogers (2B, RBI), and Jones (2 R) all had 2 hits on the night.

Matt Bower faces Jordan Yamamoto in game 2 of the series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Wisconsin 2

W- Abdiel Saldaña (3-1)
L- Jordan Desguin (4-4)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos scored in four of the first five innings and cruised to a win.

Cionel Perez went 4.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 7. Abdiel Saldaña was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and threw 3.2 hitless innings, walking 2 and striking out 6. Salvador Montaño struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Wander Franco got things started with a 2-run double in the 2nd inning. Quad Cities got 2 in the 3rd on an RBI single from Daz Cameron and a Troy Sieber RBI double. Ray Henderson hit a sac fly in the 4th and Sieber added an RBI single to his ledger in the 5th inning. The Banditos scored the last 2 runs of the game in the 7th: Chuckie Robinson came home on a balk and Marcos Almonte had an RBI single. Sieber finished 3-4 on the evening, while Almonte was 2-5 with a run scored and a stolen base (9).

Gabriel Valdez gets the start in game 2 of this series. He'll take on Victor Diaz at 12:05.

Tri-City 8, Vermont 5

W- Ben Smith (1-0)
L- Jose Mora (0-1)
S- Robert Corniel (1)

TC home runs: Connor MacDonald (1, 2-run in 1st), Jake Adams (2, solo in 6th)

Tri-City scored in fewer innings. No matter. They managed to avoid getting swept at home.

Jake Adams opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st. Abraham Toro-Hernandez followed with an RBI single, and Connor MacDonald whacked a 2-run shot. The Lake Monsters managed to tie the game with 2 runs in the 5th, but the deadlock didn't last too long as the ValleyCats hit back for 4 in the 6th.

Adams led off the bottom of the 6th with a homer. Carlos Canelon hit a sac fly, then Andy Piñeda hit an RBI single and wound up scoring on a wild pitch. MacDonald (2-4) and Adams (1-2) both homered and drove in 2 runs.

Patrick Sandoval went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Parker Mushinski took ownership of the 5th, walking 2 and striking out 2. Ben Smith struck out the side in order in the 6th inning. Hunter Martin allowed 2 hits, had an inherited runner charged to him, and walked 1 in the 7th; he only got 1 out. Robert Corniel pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 4.

Tri-City has Tuesday off; they'll start a new series in Connecticut with a doubleheader on Wednesday.

Greeneville 4, Bristol 2

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (1-0)
L- Hunter Stratton (0-1)
S- Felipe Tejada (1)

Greeneville home runs: Joan Mauricio (1, 2-run in 4th)

Both teams scored 2 runs in an inning. The Appy Astros did it twice to top the Pirates on Monday.

The bottom third of the order drove in all 4 Greeneville runs. In the 2nd, Ruben Castro hit an RBI single and Wilson Amador grounded into a force out that scored Joan Mauricio. Mauricio whacked a 2-run homer in the 4th. Gilberto Celestino finished 3-3 with a walk and scored on Castro's single.

Noel Pinto allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in his first two innings as a professional baseball player. Bristol got their 2 runs on a homer off Leovanny Rodriguez in the 5th. Rodriguez went 5 innings, allowing 3 other hits and fanning 5. Felipe Tejada allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 2 over the final 2 innings to earn the save.

The Appy Astros will look to sweep the series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 10, GCL Cardinals 4

W- Juan Corniel (1-0)
L- Winston Nicacio (0-1)
S- Francisco Villegas (1)

GCL home runs: Vicente Sanchez (1, 2-run in 4th)

The GCL Astros won their first game in their new digs.

Juan Piñeda scored the first run of the day on an error following a Jose Benjamin single in the 1st inning. Vicente Sanchez smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th and Bernardo Heras added another run by scoring on a wild pitch.

Enmanuel Valdez doubled to lead off the 5th and scored on a Carlos Machado triple. Machado came home on a sac fly from Hector Martinez. In the 7th, Piñeda hit an RBI single and Valdez drew a bases-loaded walk. Piñeda finished 3-6 and capped off the afternoon with a 2-run single in the 8th. Sanchez (2-R HR, 3 R), Benjamin, and Heras all finished with 2-hit games.

Maikel Sepulveda went 1.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (both on a 2-run homer) 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Juan Corniel allowed a run on a solo homer, 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Francisco Villegas allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 3 innings of work.

DSL Astros Blue 7, DSL Red Sox 1

W- Nivaldo Rodriguez (2-0)
L- Rafael Gomez (0-1)
S- Fredis Guerrero (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team busted this one open with 5 runs in the 8th.

Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. The Red Sox spoiled the shutout when Rafael Rincones homered off Fredis Guerrero in the 9th. That was the only hit that Guerrero allowed in his 4 innings, and he also struck out 3.

Team Blue got 2 runs in the 3rd on RBI singles from Anthony Rodriguez and Nerio Rodriguez. Ronaldo Urdaneta hit an RBI single in the 8th, and Rhandall Sanchez landed the knockout blow with a bases-clearing double. Sanchez scored the Blue team's last run on a single from Luis Coronel. Sanchez (2B, 3 RBI, R) and Yorbin Ceuta (2 R) both finished with 2 hits on the day.

DSL Dodgers2 8, DSL Astros Orange 4

W- Jose Martinez (1-1)
L- Jose Alberto Rivera (1-1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Dodgers 2 got 3 runs in the 8th to create some separation between them and Team Orange.

Luis Barajas put the Orange team on the board with a sac fly in the 2nd inning. Jose Carrillo hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and Renaigel Martis scored on an error following a Fildex Perfecto groundout in the 5th. In the 7th, Martis ripped a double, advanced to 3rd on the ensuing error, and stole home. He and Freudis Nova both finished 2-3.

Christian Mejias allowed 2 unearned runs, 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 in 4 innings. Jose Alberto Rivera was the first man out of the bullpen and went 1.1 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him), a hit, walking 2, and striking out 3. Ronny Garcia went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 2. Fredy Medina struck out 2 in 1.2 innings.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Renaigel Martis, OF, DSL Astros Orange: 2-3, 2 2B, 2 R, stole home (4th SB of season)

Follow the Buies Creek Astros on Twitter!

Buies Creek Astros: W 8-1 vs. Carolina

Jorge Alcala: W (2-3, 4-3 season), 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Hector Perez: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Ryne Birk: 2-5, 3B, 4 RBI, R

Anibal Sierra: 3-3, solo HR (3), 2 R

Myles Straw: 3-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R

Troy Sieber, 1B, Quad Cities

3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Photos from MiLB.com

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen

4.2 IP, 2 BB, 7 K

Abdiel Saldaña: W (1-1), 3.2 IP, 2 BB, 6 K

Salvador Montaño: IP, K

Connor MacDonald, 1B, Tri-City

2-4, 2-R HR (1), 2 R

Juan Piñeda's photo taken by Bryan Green

Vicente Sanchez, OF, and Juan Piñeda, 2B, GCL Astros

Sanchez: 2-5, 2B, 2-R HR (1), 3 R

Piñeda: 3-6, 3 RBI, R, SB (1)

David Martinez, RHP, Fresno

6 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 7 K

Colin Moran, 3B, Max Stassi, C, and Tyler White, IF, Fresno

Moran: 3-5, solo HR (17)

Stassi: 3-4, 2-R HR (8), 4 R

White: 3-5, 2 RBI; walk-off RBI BB in 10th

Meet the 2017 Tri-City ValleyCats

The Houston Astros' short-season affiliates are getting ready to start their campaigns. First up... the Tri-City ValleyCats.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

The Tri-City ValleyCats are members of the New York-Penn League and play at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, New York. The Tri-City moniker derives from its location in New York's Capital District, which consists of Troy, Schenectady, and New York's capital city, Albany. Why ValleyCats? That's because they are located in the Hudson River Valley.

This franchise began play in 1977 as the Little Falls Mets. The club relocated to Pittsfield in 2001, which was the first year that it became a minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros. In 2002, the club moved to Troy, so they're celebrating their 15th anniversary this year.

Joe Bruno Stadium will host the 2017 New York-Penn League All-Star Game on August 15.

The ValleyCats' website was recently updated with a new roster; this is what it looks like right now. Expect some 2017 draftees like Peter Solomon, Jake Adams, Corey Julks, and Parker Mushinski to enter the fold soon.

2016 5th-round pick Abraham Toro-Hernandez is making the transition behind the plate after playing third base in his draft year. Miguelangel Sierra burst onto the scene with 10 homers in Greeneville before hitting a bump after getting promoted to Tri-City late in the season. Connor MacDonald, the Aussie, also began to flash some power with the Appy Astros last season and he'll look to continue to build on a nice 2016 season.

There will be plenty of speed in the outfield with Frankeny Fernandez and Andy Piñeda; Fernandez stole 20 in 52 games with Greeneville, while Piñeda swiped 18 in 40 games between the GCL and Tri-City.

Cristian Javier has put up outstanding numbers in the complex leagues and Greeneville. Felipe Tejada had a breakout of sorts with the DSL Blue team and the GCL club and even spent a little time with Quad Cities to start the season, although he didn't get into a game. César Rosado also turned in a nice 2016 in the complex leagues and now he'll make the leap to upstate New York. Ben Smith continues to work his way back from Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The ValleyCats were supposed to open their season tonight in Connecticut, but that game got rained out. It'll be made up as part of a doubleheader on June 28.

So, I've rambled on long enough. Let's meet the 2017 Tri-City ValleyCats (for right now)!

Bold - player bats/throws left-handed
Italics - player is a switch-hitter

COACHING STAFF

The always-exuberant Morgan Ensberg will manage a team for the first time in his coaching career after spending the last four years as a special assignment coach and a roving instructor for the Astros. He will be joined by pitching coach Bill Murphy, who was at Greeneville last season. Hitting coach Jeremy Barnes is new to the Astros organization.

Barnes, a native of Garland, spent four seasons in the Phillies system after they drafted him in the 11th round in 2009 out of Notre Dame. The bulk of his time as a Phillies farmhand was spent in Class A, and he appeared in two games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2012, his final season in the system. He then moved on to independent ball and also had two stints in the Australian Baseball League with the Canberra Cavalry.

Manager: Morgan Ensberg
Pitching Coach: Bill Murphy
Hitting Coach: Jeremy Barnes
Athletic Trainer: Daniel Cerquera

PITCHERS

Diogenes Almengo - International free agent (DR), 2014; played with Greeneville in 2016
Humberto Castellanos - International free agent (Mexico), 2015; DSL Orange
Ricardo Castro - International free agent (Mexico), 2015; mostly with Greeneville, with 2 appearances in Tri-City and 1 with Quad Cities
Robert Corniel - International free agent (DR), 2012; DSL Blue
Carlos Hiraldo - International free agent (DR), 2013; Greeneville in 2016, made 3 appearances for Corpus Christi in May
Cristian Javier - International free agent (DR), 2015; GCL/Greeneville in 2016, made 1 appearance for Buies Creek on May 25
Reggie Johnson - Undrafted free agent (Hampden-Sydney College, VA), 2016; GCL/Greeneville in 2016, made 5 appearances with Quad Cities in April/May
Colin McKee - 18th round (Mercyhurst, PA), 2016 draft; Greeneville
Luis Ramirez - International free agent (Venezuela), 2014; Greeneville/Tri-City/1 appearance with Quad Cities
Leovanny Rodriguez - International free agent (DR), 2015; DSL Blue/GCL
César Rosado - International free agent (DR), 2014; DSL Orange/GCL
Patrick Sandoval - 11th round (Mission Viejo HS, CA), 2015 draft; Greeneville, made 1 appearance for Buies Creek on May 14
Ben Smith - 17th round (Coastal Carolina), 2014 draft; Tri-City/Greeneville
Felipe Tejada - International free agent (DR), 2015; DSL Blue/GCL
Nathan Thompson - 27th round (Oklahoma Baptist), 2016 draft; Greeneville

CATCHERS

Carlos Canelon - International free agent (Venezuela), 2014; DSL Blue
Ruben Castro - 19th round (Puerto Rico Baseball Academy), 2014 draft; Greeneville (throws right-handed)
Abraham Toro-Hernandez - 5th round (Seminole State, OK), 2016 draft; Greeneville
Randy Vasquez - International free agent (DR), 2015; GCL

INFIELDERS

Connor MacDonald - International free agent (Australia), 2012; Greeneville
Joan Mauricio - International free agent (DR), 2013; GCL (throws right-handed)
Troy Sieber - 24th round (St. Leo, FL), 2016 draft; GCL/Greeneville
Miguelangel Sierra - International free agent (Venezuela), 2014; Greeneville/Tri-City
Kristian Trompiz - International free agent (Venezuela), 2013; Lancaster/Quad Cities in 2016, spent May with Corpus Christi

OUTFIELDERS

Frankeny Fernandez - International free agent (DR), 2013; Greeneville
Luis Payano - International free agent (DR), 2012; Greeneville
Andy Piñeda - International free agent (DR), 2014; GCL/Tri-City
Vicente Sanchez - International free agent (DR), 2014; Greeneville

Astros Farm Report: 11/10

Fall/winter league info, a reminder about the Rule 5 and Laureano gets some love, but first things first ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

11-9: OF Juan Infante (20)
11-11: 2B Ryne Birk (22)
11-11: OF Andy Pineda (20)
11-11: OF Johnny Sewald (23)
11-13: RHP Chris Devenski (26)
11-14: LHP Nathan Thompson (23)

Ryne Birk - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

I started up the cumulative 2016-2017 off-season transaction post which you can find here. I'll pin this to the sidebar and keep it updated throughout the off-season.

FALL/WINTER LEAGUE UPDATES

Here is how your Astros have fared thus far in fall/winter league play:

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE (AFL)

OF Alejandro Garcia: .231/.375/.231 in 4 games (replaced Laureano on the roster)
OF Jason Martin: .300/.481/.450 w/3-2B 1RBI 8R in 7 games
OF Ramon Laureano: .295/.340/.477 w/ 4-2B 2-3B 8RBI 5SB 12R in 12 games
C Garrett Stubbs: .179/.303/.286 w/ 3-2B 1HR 5RBI 12R in 16 games
IF Nick Tanielu: .333/.355/.400 w/ 2-2B 1RBI 4R in 8 games

RHP Francis Martes: 0-1 in 4 starts with a 4.73 ERA/1.500 WHIP in 13.1IP
RHP Jacob Dorris: 1-1 in 7 games with a 0.00 ERA/2.429 WHIP in 7.0IP
RHP Rogelio Armenteros: 0-0 (1SV) in 6 games with a 14.29 ERA/2.118 WHIP in 5.2IP
RHP David Paulino: 0-0 (1SV) in 3 games with a 0.00 ERA/0.667 WHIP in 3.0IP

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LIDOM)

OF Andrew Aplin: .133/.229/.133 in 10 games
OF Osvaldo Duarte: .000/.000/.000 in 2 games
C Max Stassi: .400/.400/.400 in 2 games (last played 10/22)

RHP Edison Frias: 0-0 in 2 games with a 4.50 ERA/0.500 WHIP in 2.0IP
LHP Reymin Guduan: 0-1 in 6 games with a 7.71 ERA/1.715 WHIP in 2.1IP
RHP Mike Hauschild: 0-1 in 4 starts with a 2.95 ERA/1.364 WHIP in 18.1IP
RHP Jordan Jankowski: 0-1 in 7 games with a 4.50 ERA/1.667 WHIP in 6.0IP
RHP Cesar Valdez (Free Agent): 0-1 in 3 starts with a 4.40 ERA/1.395 WHIP in 14.1IP

MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE (LMP)

OF Leo Heras: .256/.350/.456 w/4-2B 4-3B 2HR 10BI 17R in 25 games

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE (LVBP)

SS Miguel Sierra: .333/.333/.444 w/1-2B 3RBI in 3 games

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LBPRC)

C Roberto Pena (Free Agent): .200/.226/.300 w/3-2B 2RBI 3R in 8 games

LHP Evan Grills (Free Agent): 2-0 in 2 starts with a 1.64 ERA/0.909 WHIP in 11.0IP
RHP Juan Santos: 0-0 in 1 game with a 9.00 ERA/2.000 WHIP in 1.0IP (last played 10/29)

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (ABL) - starts regular season 11/17

NEWS AND LINKS

Friend of the Blog Ian Madden came up with this report about how current and former Aussie Astros did in the U23 World Baseball Cup:

As you may be aware the U23 World Baseball cup was just played in Monterrey Mexico. Just to update you, Australia won Silver beaten by Japan. In the Australian side was Connor MacDonald who won the home run award -- he had a great competition belting 2 home runs in the game against Panama, and 4 in total for the duration. Others to mention were ex-Astros Jared Cruz and Lachlan Madden. It was good to see both current and past Astros in a very good Australian side that came into the competition as the under dogs making it through to the Gold Medal match only to come up against the number 1 ranked Japanese side.

MacDonald was also named the tournament's All-World Team first baseman.

Bobby DeMuro of the Knuckleball Blog has a serious man-crush on Astros up-and-coming OF Ramon Laureano.

And speaking of Ramon Laureano, MiLB released their all-organization Astros minor league team with Laureano as a member. Three of the players named made their major league debuts in 2016.

As a reminder, the deadline for protecting player's in advance of December's Rule 5 draft is November 18th this year (as the 20th falls on a weekend). Here is my primer on the draft, along with the Astros players who will be eligible.

Getting to Know Greeneville Astros 1B Connor MacDonald

Greeneville Astros 1B Connor MacDonald isn't all that comfortable talking about himself, but Greeneville Manager Josh Bonifay certainly didn't mind helping out. Bonifay has worked with MacDonald since he was 17 years old, shortly after MacDonald signed with the Astros as the first Australian player inked by the team in over 20 years.

Connor MacDonald - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Bonifay first encountered MacDonald when managing in extended Spring Training in 2013 and has worked with him on and off ever since. Bonifay shared his insight into MacDonald with me. "I love that guy. He's just a really awesome kid. He's improved so much defensively from where he started. He's outstanding in the clubhouse.

"He spent a year down in the Dominican, playing in the DSL and he was MVP there. And it really helped him communicate. It really helped him understand where a lot of our kids come from and they love him. They call him 'Pollo,' like MacChicken. He's really awesome. I can't say enough good things about him.

"He's come out of his shell this year and he's made a lot of strides. He hit for the cycle this year which was just awesome, in Princeton. I've never seen anything like it. There was a ball hit to centerfield. He was at second base and he just kept on coming. He slid in (to third). They called him safe and I was so happy for him. It was a big night for him. All the kids, they wanted to do something special, so they all signed the line-up card, all signed the baseball, and it was really neat.

"But MacDonald's just a phenomenal person. He works. He grinds. He's just awesome to have on the ball club."

I asked MacDonald about that time he and a few other fellow Aussies spent playing in the Dominican Summer League. "Lachlan Madden ... was already down there. I flew down to the Dominican with a lot of Latino players and just walking through the Dominican airport was an experience. I didn't know where to go. Lucky, my teammates helped me out. Just seeing how people live down there ... it's an eye-opener to see how lucky we are to live in the countries that we do."

In speaking about his 2016 season, MacDonald told me, "I feel that my power numbers have been better this year than last year. Obviously, hitting more home runs is good. More RBI's. That's my job as a first baseman. That's a production position and that's what I was trying (to do). I'm always working to improve ... obviously, trying to take better at-bats with runners in scoring position, become more consistent with that." MacDonald hit .267/.322/.441 with eight doubles, one triple and six home runs in 43 games in 2016. With two outs and runners in scoring position, he hit a whopping .304/.360/.696.

He's also working on cutting down on the strikeouts, a common theme for hitters with developing power. "That's something I'm confident I can improve on. This year I was a lot better. I think I had a lot more hard contacts than last year. In the zone, I'm confident. I don't miss too much in the zone, but I just need to minimize my chases. Once I improve that ... working in the offseason, just still try to make more quality at-bats ... that's going to be exciting. I'm looking forward to it," said MacDonald.

Asked to give a scouting report on himself, MacDonald said, "I think I play the game hard. That's something I take pride in. I definitely think I've got a bit of pop. Again, I just have to improve my plate discipline." Of his defense, he told me, "Being 6'5" and being bigger than a lot of people, I've just got to make sure I keep my feet moving. Sometimes, I get anchored up and get bad hops, but I take pride in my defense and I think I'm good. I've just got to keep my feet moving."

Which of his Greeneville teammates would he least like to face in the batter's box? "Any kids that throw 100. The least pitcher would be [Jorge] Guzman. He throws 103, 104. That wouldn't be too fun so probably him," said MacDonald.

Another Greeneville teammate who stood out for MacDonald was Miguel Sierra, a shortstop who had been promoted to Tri-City at the time of our interview. Of Sierra, MacDonald said, "I really like him as a baseballer. I feel like he's mature. He handles failure well. He hit 11 homers. He swings it well. He came up big a lot for us and he plays defense really well too."

After spending a lot of time in Kissimmee during his first pro seasons, Greeneville was a nice change of scenery for MacDonald, literally. "Greeneville's nice. I drove up with one of me teammates. That was a really nice drive. You're used to Florida. It's flat as a biscuit. There's nothing to see. (Then) you're driving through these really nice mountains." He's also enjoyed the opportunity to play under the lights in front of crowds. "This has been my most enjoyed year of baseball because of that because in the Dominican, no one comes to watch and same in the GCL."

If he didn't play baseball, MacDonald would probably be working with his uncle back home in Queensland. "He's a sheet metal fabricator, welding and making stuff out of steel. I help him out a bit in the offseason, but I'd probably get my apprenticeship there if I wasn't playing baseball. Me best mates back home, they're doing their apprenticeships there. They're starting their degrees and I'm playing a game that I love, travelling, seeing the States. You've got to pinch yourself sometimes. I've got it pretty good."

Asked if baseball is becoming more popular in Australia, MacDonald replied, "I think so. Since they brought the Australian Baseball League back, I definitely think it's gotten more popular. More people are coming to the games. The game seems to get more media attention back home, which is good. They televise the ABL All-Star game and the Championship series on ESPN. So I think so.

"It was funny. There was a brawl (a couple years back) that was all over social media. Sports Center posted it, ESPN and all that, and I was just reading through the comments and Australians were commenting, 'damn, I didn't even know we had baseball in Australia!' I think people heard about it and it's getting out there."

MacDonald has been playing in the ABL since he was 16 and plans to play for the Brisbane Bandits again this offseason. But he also hopes for the opportunity to play for Australia in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. "That would be an awesome achievement," said MacDonald.

My final question to MacDonald elicited an unusual response. Asked for something that most people don't know about him that might surprise them, MacDonald offered this, "I've got a fake tooth. I play a lot of party tricks. I lost my front tooth when I was 10 or 11 and I play a lot of tricks on people."

I will leave my readers with that note and with this photo of MacDonald's glorious coiffure.

Thank you for your time, Connor, and best of luck with the Bandits (and hopefully the WBC)!

 

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 25, 2016

Fresno 7, Albuquerque 3

W- Joe Musgrove (5-3, 7-4 season)
L- Christian Bergman (1-3)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (12, 2-run in 6th)

A.J. Reed had a big night as he looks to get himself back to Houston. His first stint with the Astros was not a good first impression, but plenty of top prospects have done well for themselves in the Majors after poor first impressions.

On the mound, Joe Musgrove logged another solid start. The two runs he allowed in his 7 innings came on a home run hit by Chris Nelson in the 5th inning. He allowed 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Josh Fields and Kevin Chapman pitched an inning apiece; Fields allowed a hit and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless 8th, and Chapman allowed two hits in the 9th, one of which was a solo home run hit by Tom Murphy.

Tyler White singled to lead off the bottom of the 6th, and one batter later, Reed launched his home run and sparked a 5-run inning. Tyler Heineman added an RBI single, and an error on the play allowed Jon Kemmer to score another run. Heineman, who advanced to 3rd base on the miscue, scored on an Andrew Aplin single. Reed narrowly missed his second homer of the night in the 7th inning; he settled for an RBI double. He'd come around to score on a single from Teoscar Hernandez.

All three of Reed's hits on the night went for extra bases (2 2B, 2-R HR). White (2 R) and Heineman (RBI, R) had two hits apiece.

Tonight, the Grizzlies will assume their alter ego, the Fresno Tacos, as they get set to start a 4-game series with Vegas. In game 1, César Valdez will take on Robert Gsellman. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

San Antonio 10, Corpus Christi 4 in 7.5 innings

W- Kyle Lloyd (5-4)
L- Cy Sneed (4-4)

CC home runs: D.J. Fisher (15, solo in 1st), Danry Vásquez (3, 2-run in 7th)

This game was called in the middle of the 8th due to rain. The Hooks fired the first salvo in this game, but the Missions responded with an assault that gave them a 7-1 lead after four innings of play.

D.J. Fisher's solo home run in the 1st inning opened the scoring. Danry Vásquez doubled to lead off the 5th inning and scored on a Ramon Laureano triple. Danry, who finished 2-3, added a 2-run home run to his ledger in the 7th inning.

Cy Sneed went 4 innings and allowed 7 runs on 9 hits (2 solos and a 3-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 3. Albert Minnis was the first man out, and in 2 innings, he allowed 2 hits and struck out 2. Michael Freeman pitched the 7th and allowed 3 runs on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

Trent Thornton will make his Texas League debut tonight. He'll take on Seth Simmons at 7:05.

Lake Elsinore 4, Lancaster 3

W- Enyel De Los Santos (2-3)
L- Jose Luis Hernandez (0-1, 3-3 season)
S- Phil Maton (6)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks mounted a late rally that fell just short. The tying run was stranded 90 feet away to end the game.

In his California League debut, Jose Luis Hernandez pitched 6.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5. Jacob Dorris pitched 1.2 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, one of which was a 3-run home run that allowed the 2 runners he inherited from Hernandez to score, and struck out 1.

Bobby Boyd scored Lancaster's first run in the 8th on a wild pitch. Jamie Ritchie walked to lead off the 9th and advanced to 3rd on a double from Aaron Mizell. Keach Ballard added a sac fly, and Boyd ripped an RBI double to cut the deficit to one run. Boyd advanced to 3rd on a passed ball, but he was left there, as Jason Martin struck out to end the game. Boyd finished 2-5, while Drew Ferguson stole his 24th base of the season.

In game 2 of this series, Josh James will take on Zech Lemond. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Bowling Green 4, Quad Cities 3

W- Eduar Lopez (2-0)
L- Albert Abreu (2-8)
S- Tim Ingram (2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as their comeback bid fell one run short.

All three of their runs came in the 7th inning: Anthony Hermelyn put them on the board with an RBI single, Randy César scored on a wild pitch, and Myles Straw brought Hermelyn in with an infield single. The Banditos left the tying run on 3rd base to end the 8th inning.

Albert Abreu went 3.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, one of which was a 3-run home run, walked 2, and struck out 1. Makay Nelson was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and he struck out 1 in 1.1 perfect innings. Franklin Perez pitched the final 4 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 4.

Yoanys Quiala will start the opener of a 3-game series with Peoria. He'll face Jake Woodford at 7:00.

Tri-City 13, Vermont 1

W- Enrique Chavez (3-0)
L- Brandon Bailey (0-1)

TC home runs: Taylor Jones (5, 2-run in 1st)

Well, that was fun. The ValleyCats stormed out to a 5-0 lead and romped to a victory to take their series with the Lake Monsters.

Taylor Jones only hit two home runs at Gonzaga this past spring, but he racked up a ton of doubles. Now, it looks like he's starting to tap into his power as a pro.

On the mound, Enrique Chavez shackled the Lake Monsters in his 5 innings; he allowed just one hit and struck out 7. Dustin Hunt allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 over 3 scoreless. Vermont spoiled the shutout when Miguel Mercedes hit a solo home run off Howie Brey in the 9th. That was the only hit that Brey allowed in the inning, and he struck out 2.

Ryan Hartman will get the start as the ValleyCats look to sweep the Lake Monsters out of New York's Capital District. He'll take on Dakota Chalmers at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 3, Princeton 2 in 12 innings

W- Devin Raftery (2-0)
L- Alex Estrella (0-1)

Greeneville home runs: Frankeny Fernandez (2, solo in 5th)

The Appy Astros began a new series with a walk-off win.

Connor MacDonald turned in his second consecutive 3-hit performance; he opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. Frankeny Fernandez clubbed a solo homer in the 5th inning. The Rays scored 2 in the 6th inning to tie the game, and that was where this game stood until the 12th inning.

Both teams did have opportunities to take the lead, but neither of them could capitalize. Greeneville stranded a runner at 3rd in the 7th inning and had another thrown out at the plate in the 8th. Fernandez singled with one out in the bottom of the 12th, and one batter later, MacDonald won the game with an RBI double. Fernandez (solo HR, 2R) and MacDonald (2B, 2 RBI) both finished 3-6.

Carlos Sanabria went 5 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Carlos Hiraldo and Angelo Serrano threw 3 innings apiece. Hiraldo allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3, while Serrano allowed a hit and struck out 3. Devin Raftery struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 12th inning.

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

GCL Astros 3, GCL Nationals 1

W- Cristian Javier (3-1)
L- Trevor Gott (0-1)
S- Enoli Paredes (2)

GCL home runs: None.

Cristian Javier and Enoli Paredes shackled the Nationals after Brian Holmes' rehab appearance.

Holmes allowed a solo homer to Tyler Beckwith, which was the Nationals' only run of the day. In 1.2 innings, he allowed three other hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Javier walked 1 and struck out 6 over 3.1 scoreless, and Paredes allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4 innings.

Joan Mauricio hit an RBI single in the 2nd to tie the game at 1. The Kissimmee Stros took the lead in the 4th on a pair of RBI singles from Edgar Lorenzo and Andy Piñeda. Andy Piñeda finished 3-5, while Juan Piñeda finished 2-3 with a double and a run scored. Jonathan Matute scored 2 of the GCLstros' 3 runs in this game.

DSL

The Blue team's game with the Dodgers was suspended due to rain. Both teams are tied at 3.

The Orange team fell 4-1 to the Rays 2 in 6.5 innings. Vicente Mota's solo home run (4) was the Orange team's only scoring play in this game. Gerardo Bojorquez went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Francisco Villegas allowed 2 unearned runs, a single, and walked out 2.

Monday's Stars

Photo from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page

Tri-City ValleyCats: W 13-1 vs. Vermont

Taylor Jones: 3-4, 2 2B, 2-R HR (5), 3 RBI, 4 R

Ronnie Dawson: 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R

Jake Rogers: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Spencer Johnson: 2-5, 2 2B, RBI, R

Enrique Chavez: W (3-0), 5 IP, H, 7 K

Dustin Hunt: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

3-4, 2 2B, 2-R HR (12), 3 RBI, 2 R

Danry Vásquez, OF, Corpus Christi

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

Franklin Perez, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, H, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Carlos Sanabria, RHP, Greeneville

5 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Connor MacDonald, 1B, Greeneville

3-6, 2B, 2 RBI; walk-off RBI 2B in 12th

Photo by Bryan Green

Frankeny Fernandez, OF, Greeneville

3-6, solo HR (2), 2 R

Photo by Bryan Green

Cristian Javier, RHP, GCL Astros

W (3-1), 3.1 IP, BB, 6 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, GCL Astros

Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 24, 2016

Fresno 6, Albuquerque 2

W- Brady Rodgers (9-3)
L- Chris Rusin (0-1)
S- James Hoyt (26)

Fresno home runs: None.

Brady Rodgers turned in another outstanding start for the Grizzlies as they took the lead in their series with the 'Topes.

Rodgers allowed 3 hits and struck out 4 over 7 shutout innings. Brendan McCurry threw a scoreless 8th, but Albuquerque spoiled the shutout by scoring 2 runs in the 9th off of him. In 1.2 innings, McCurry also allowed 4 hits and issued a walk. James Hoyt came in with the bases loaded but was able to record the final out.

Jon Kemmer got things started with a 2-run triple in the 1st inning, and one batter later, Tyler Heineman brought him in with a single. Jon Singleton smacked an RBI double in the 5th, and in the 8th, Andrew Aplin hit an RBI single, and Tony Kemp drove in Fresno's final run of the game with a sac fly.

Heineman finished 4-4; this was his third career 4-hit game. A.J. Reed and Chan-Jong Moon had 2 hits apiece, and they both scored a run. Tyler White drew a couple of walks, scored twice, and stole a base.

Joe Musgrove will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Frisco 7, Corpus Christi 6

W- Jose Valdespina (4-1)
L- Kyle Smith (3-6)
S- John Fasola (4)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (16, solo in 7th)

Well... this one got pretty heated. As for the series, the Hooks had to settle for the split as they were unable to hold a 5-1 lead in the finale.

If you thought that the animosity between the Astros and Rangers was limited to the Major League clubs, you are sorely mistaken.

Danry Vásquez was hit by a pitch to begin the 2nd inning, then immediately charged after Frisco starter Yohander Mendez, who stood his ground..... and then had a sudden change of heart and resorted to throwing his glove at Danry (wtf??????), and it all degenerated from there.

When the dust settled, Vásquez and Mendez, the primary belligerents, were tossed, along with Ramon Laureano, who got into it with Frisco pitching coach Brian Shouse. Roberto Peña also voiced his, um.... displeasure at the Roughriders' actions as he was being pulled away from the fracas.

Here's video from Ian Steele of KIII and Annie Sabo of KRIS, the NBC affiliate in Corpus Christi.

RAW VIDEO: Fight between Corpus Christi Hooks and Frisco Roughriders. pic.twitter.com/mhuUtR67nJ

— Ian Steele (@IanSteeleKIII) July 24, 2016

EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE: Vasquez storms mound, bench clearing brawl follows. More at 9 and 10. #KRIS6 pic.twitter.com/TXP7g1vfdj

— Annie Sabo (@annie_sabo) July 25, 2016

Nolan Fontana took Danry's spot in the lineup; Vásquez was the DH for this game. D.J. Fisher replaced Laureano and proceeded to draw a walk. Fontana would score the Hooks' first run on a passed ball. In the 4th, Mott Hyde ripped a 2-run triple and scored on a bloop single from Peña. Conrad Gregor added an RBI single in the 5th, and J.D. Davis whacked a solo homer in the 7th inning. Gregor finished 2-4 and was the only player in the Corpus lineup to have a multi-hit game.

Kent Emanuel went 5.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 2. Kyle Smith pitched the final 3.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 4.

The Hooks are in San Antonio tonight to begin a 4-game series. Cy Sneed will take on Kyle Lloyd at 7:05.

Lancaster and High Desert was postponed

Due to safety concerns stemming from the Sand Fire, an active wildfire in Los Angeles County. Info on a makeup game will be disclosed later.

If conditions permit, Lancaster will travel to Lake Elsinore to begin a 4-game series. Jose Luis Hernandez will take on Enyel De Los Santos at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 6, Bowling Green 5 in 14 innings

W- Zac Person (3-1)
L- Elias Torres (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos needed two comebacks in order to walk off with the win.

Their first comeback involved erasing a 3-0 deficit, and they did so by scoring 3 in the 6th to tie, and one more in the 7th to take the lead. Pat Porter hit a 2-run single in the 6th to put Quad Cities on the board, and one batter later, Randy César hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3. Kyle Tucker put the River Bandits in front with a single in the 7th inning.

However, the Hot Rods tied the game with a solo home run in the 9th inning and took the lead with another solo home run in the top of the 14th. But, Quad Cities had another response left in them.

Kristian Trompiz and Kyle Tucker both walked to lead off the bottom of the 14th, and Trompiz scored the tying run on a Dex McCall single. A wild pitch allowed Tucker and McCall to advance a base, and with first base open, Pat Porter drew a walk. César was next, and he sent the remaining fans home happy with an infield single that scored Tucker.

César and Porter drove in 2 runs apiece. Myles Straw (2B, 2 R), Trompiz (2 R), and McCall (RBI, R, 3 BB) all had 3 hits in this game. Everyone in the Quad Cities lineup recorded a hit.

In his Midwest League debut, Hector Perez went 4 innings, and the 3 runs he allowed all scored on a home run hit by Kevin Padlo in the 3rd inning. He allowed two other hits, walked two, and struck out 3. David Schmidt was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen, and in 3.2 scoreless innings, he allowed a hit and issued a walk. Adam Whitt was next; he went 2.1 innings and allowed a solo home run to David Olmedo-Barrera in the 9th inning, which was the only run that scored off of him. He allowed one other hit, issued an intentional walk, and struck out 4. Ralph Garza Jr. and Zac Person pitched 2 innings apiece; Garza allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3, and the one hit that Person allowed was a solo home run to Michael Russell in the 14th inning. He struck out 1.

The Banditos will look for the sweep today as Albert Abreu takes the mound. He'll face Eduar Lopez at 1:00.

Tri-City 6, Vermont 5

W- Juan Carlos Santos (1-0, 1-1 season)
L- Marc Berube (0-1)

TC home runs: Taylor Jones (4, solo in 4th)

The ValleyCats scored 5 of their 6 runs in the final 3 innings, culminating in a 2-run bottom of the 9th that allowed them to walk off with the victory.

Taylor Jones put Tri-City on the board with a solo blast in the 4th inning that also tied the game at 1. Brauly Mejia hit a one-out double in the 7th, advanced to 3rd on a balk, and scored when Stephen Wrenn grounded into a force out. Tyler Wolfe hit a 2-run single in the 8th that tied the game at 4. Vermont scored a run in the top of the 9th to break the tie, and so the ValleyCats had one last opportunity to tie or win.

Alex De Goti and Ryne Birk drew walks to lead off the bottom of the 9th, Wrenn laid down a sacrifice bunt, but an error allowed him to reach and loaded the bases for Carmen Benedetti, who delivered the game-winning 2-run single. He finished 3-5 and was the only player in the TC lineup with a multi-hit game. De Goti and Birk drew 2 walks apiece.

Framber Valdez allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 in 5 innings of work. Edgardo Sandoval tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (solo homer) and struck out 2. Sean Stutzman got 2 outs in the 9th and allowed a run on a sac fly and a double. Juan Carlos Santos got a flyball out to end the 9th.

Enrique Chavez will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Brandon Bailey at 7:00 Eastern. It's Nickelodeon Night at The Joe. SpongeBob will be taking center stage for tonight's promotion.

Bristol 6, Greeneville 2

W- Matt Eckelman (4-0)
L- Ben Smith (0-2, 0-3 season)
S- Adam Oller (2)

Greeneville home runs: Connor MacDonald (3, solo in 8th)

The Appy Astros dropped this series as they couldn't recover from an early deficit.

Connor MacDonald finished 3-4 with a couple of doubles and scored both of Greeneville's runs; Troy Sieber drove him in with a single in the 4th inning, and he clubbed a solo home run in the 8th. Ruben Castro finished 2-3.

In his Appalachian League debut, Jorge Alcala struck out 1 in a scoreless 1st inning. Ben Smith came on to pitch 4 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Luis Ramirez and Devon Carr pitched 2 innings apiece; Ramirez allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, while Carr allowed 2 runs on 3 hits.

Carlos Sanabria will get the start tonight as Greeneville begins a 3-game series with Princeton. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Sunday's Stars

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Fresno

W (9-3), 7 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Tyler Heineman, C, Fresno

4-4, RBI; 4 hits ties career high

Photo from MiLB.com

David Schmidt, RHP, Quad Cities

3.2 IP, H, BB

Dexture McCall, 1B, Quad Cities

3-4, RBI, R, 3 BB

Randy César, 3B, Quad Cities

2-6, 2 RBI; walk-off RBI single in 14th

Carmen Benedetti, 1B/OF, Tri-City

3-5, 2 RBI, R; walk-off 2-run single in 9th

Photo by Bryan Green

Connor MacDonald, 1B, Greeneville

3-4, 2 2B, solo HR (3), 2 R; scored both Greeneville runs

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 8, 2016

Reno 9, Fresno 4

W- Edwin Escobar (5-2)
L- Tommy Shirley (7-5)

Fresno home runs: Tyle White (6, grand slam in 6th)

Tyler White's grand slam got the Grizzlies back in the game, but the Aces put it away with 3 runs in the 8th.

The grand slam was Fresno's only scoring play. Teoscar Hernandez finished 2-3 and scored on the slam.

Tommy Shirley went 4.1 innings and allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 1, and struck out 3. César Valdez was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed a hit and struck out 3 over 1.2 scoreless innings. Kevin Chapman went 1.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 inherited) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Brendan McCurry got the final 2 outs of the 8th, 1 via strikeout, and allowed a run of his own on a 2-run single (1 of those runs was charged to Chapman) and walked 2. Jandel Gustave walked 1 and fanned 1 in a scoreless 9th.

The Grizzlies will close out the series, and the first half, with a doubleheader beginning at 5:05 Pacific. Brad Peacock will face Braden Shipley in game 1, and whoever starts game 2 will take on Cole Johnson.

Springfield 14, Corpus Christi 5

W- Daniel Poncedeleon (5-4)
L- Evan Grills (3-2, 6-3 season)

CC home runs: D.J. Fisher (14, grand slam in 3rd), Garrett Stubbs (1, 7 season; solo in 5th)

The Hooks were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as the Cardinals decided to turn Hammons Field into The Hangar. Well, if you take out the first two innings, it would be a 5-5 tie.

Unfortunately, Evan Grills bore the brunt of Springfield's assault. This is supposed to be a family-friendly site, so I will refrain from posting his line. This is baseball, however, and in this line of work, a night like this can occur for a pitcher. He'll bounce back. Eric Peterson pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 2.

All 5 Hooks runs scored on the two homers: Fisher's slam, and Stubbs' first AA homer. Stubbs finished 2-4 and scored twice.

Kent Emanuel will start the opener of a 3-game series against Tulsa. He'll go up against Chase De Jong at 7:05.

Lancaster 4, Inland Empire 0

W- Rogelio Armenteros (5-2, 5-4 season)
L- Jared Ruxer (0-1)
S- Jacob Dorris (5)

Lancaster home runs: Brooks Marlow (3, 5 season; 2-run in 9th)

Rogelio Armenteros turned in another fantastic start for the JetHawks. Even with the talent that's graduated or on the cusp of the majors, the Astros' farm just keeps rolling along.

Armenteros went 6 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 8. Comer allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 1.1 innings. He left the bases loaded for Dorris, who got him out of trouble in the 8th with a double play. In the 9th, Dorris worked around a walk to complete the shutout, striking out 2.

Trent Woodward opened the scoring by ripping an RBI double in the 1st inning. Tony Nuñez drove in another run with a sac fly in the 5th, and Brooks Marlow provided some insurance with a 2-run blast in the 9th inning. Both of Woodward's hits in this game were doubles. In his first game back from the restricted list, Marc Wik finished 2-4.

In game 2 of this series, Dean Deetz will take on Jake Jewell. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Clinton 1

W- Zac Person (2-1)
L- Nick Neidert (6-2)
S- Justin Ferrell (1)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams scored a run in the 5th, but the Banditos seized control of this game with 3 runs in the 6th. They tacked on 3 more runs in the 7th for good measure.

Their 5th-inning run came in the form of an RBI single from Bobby Wernes. The fun really began in the 6th.

Arturo Michelena led off the 6th with a single and advanced to 3rd on a Dex McCall double. Anthony Hermelyn drew a 1-out walk to load the bases. Quad Cities did not need a ball in play to take the lead, because a couple of wild pitches from Clinton starter Nick Neidert allowed Michelena and McCall to score. Kristian Trompiz added an RBI single to bring in Hermelyn. Quad Cities loaded the bases once again in the 7th, and Hermelyn cleared them with a double in the 7th. Everyone in the lineup had a hit; Wernes finished 2-4.

Franklin Perez allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 3, and fanned 6 over 5 innings. Zac Person allowed a hit in a scoreless 6th, and Justin Ferrell allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 1 over 3 scoreless innings.

Albert Abreu will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Luiz Gohara at 6:00.

Tri-City 7, West Virginia 3

W- Framber Valdez (1-1, 2-1 season)
L- Stephan Meyer (1-2)
S- Juan Carlos Santos (1, 2 season)

TC home runs: Stephen Wrenn (8, 2-run in 4th), Spencer Johnson (1, 3 season; 2-run in 4th)

Both teams had 8 hits in this game, but the ValleyCats' 4-run 4th was the difference in this one.

Those 4 runs in the 4th inning came on a pair of 2-run homers from Stephen Wrenn and Spencer Johnson. In the 6th, Randy César scored on a fielder's choice, and Brauly Mejia and Alex DeGoti added RBI singles. DeGoti (2B, RBI, SB [4]) and Wrenn (2-R HR) both finished 2-5.

Framber Valdez allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 7 in 6 innings. Juan Carlos Santos pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and fanned 7.

Game 2 of this series is at 6:05 Eastern.

Burlington 8, Greeneville 4

W- Travis Eckert (2-0)
L- Carlos Sanabria (0-2)
S- Justin Camp (1)

Greeneville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (6, solo in 6th), Connor MacDonald (2, 2-run in 7th)

The Appy Astros got buried by a 7-run 3rd inning from the Royals.

Carlos Sanabria went 2.1 innings and allowed those 7 runs (6 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits (3-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 4. Carlos Hiraldo inherited a bases-loaded situation from Sanabria and one of those runners scored, but for the most part, he was able to stop the bleeding. In 4.2 innings, he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4. Devon Carr allowed a run on 2 hits and fanned 1 in 2 innings.

Connor MacDonald had a solid night on offense; he hit an RBI single in the 5th to put Greeneville on the board and whacked a 2-run homer in the 7th. In between those two hits, Miguelangel Sierra smacked a solo shot in the 6th, his 6th homer of the year. They both finished 2-4; Bryan De La Cruz also finished 2-4. He led off the 5th with a triple and led off the 7th with a single and came home on both of MacDonald's hits.

Diogenes Almengo will start the first of a 3-game series against the Elizabethton Twins. He'll take on Ryan Mason at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 7, GCL Astros 3 in 10 innings

W- Robbie Gordon (1-1)
L- Jose Ramos (0-1, 2-1 season)

GCL home runs: None.

It all went terribly wrong in the first extra frame for the Kissimmee Stros. The Cardinals tied the game with 2 in the 8th and went off in the 10th.

Carlos Machado opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 5th and Joan Mauricio hit an RBI single of his own in the 7th. Machado and Reiny Beltre both went 2-5.

In his 2016 debut, Agapito Barrios allowed 2 hits and walked 1 over 2 scoreless. Alex Winkleman made his second rehab appearance and allowed 3 hits and fanned 4 in 4 scoreless. César Rosado allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2 in 3 innings, and everything unraveled in the 10th. I'll leave it at that.

DSL Astros Blue 7, DSL Dodgers2 1

W- Yonatan Quintin (2-0)
L- Jasiel Alvino (0-2)
S- Javier Navas (1)

Blue home runs: None.

All the scoring was done by 3 players; Nicolás Miranda scored 3 runs, while Ronny Jimenez and Jose Benjamin scored 2 apiece. Miranda (2B), Jimenez (3B, 2 RBI), Benjamin (2B, RBI), and Angel De Leon (2B, 4 RBI) all had 2 hits in the game.

Juan Corniel, Yonatan Quintin, and Javier Navas all pitched 3 innings. Corniel allowed a hit, walked 3, and fanned 3. Quintin's 3 innings were perfect and he struck out 3, and Navas allowed a run on a single, walked 3, and struck out 7.


DSL Red Sox2 3, DSL Astros Orange 1

W- Jose Gonzalez (4-0)
L- Humberto Castellanos (0-2)
S- Joan Martinez (7)

Orange home runs: None.

Gilberto Celestino finished 2-3, and his RBI single in the 1st was the Orange team's only scoring play. Ronaldo Urdaneta finished 2-3 with a double.

Humberto Castellanos and Luis Castro both pitched 4 innings. Castellanos allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and fanned 6, while Castro allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 5, and struck out 3.

Friday's Stars

Yonatan Quintin, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: W (2-0), 3 IP, 3 K
Angel De Leon, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-4, 2B, 4 RBI

Photo from MiLB.com

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Lancaster

W (5-2, 5-4 season), 6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 8 K

Photo from MiLB.com

Framber Valdez, RHP, Tri-City

W (1-1, 2-1 season), 6 IP, 6 H, ER, 7 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Connor MacDonald, 1B, Greeneville

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