Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Astros 2, Rangers 0 down on the farm.

Round Rock 4, Albuquerque 2

W- José Urquidy (6-4)
L- Chris Rusin (1-4)
S- Felipe Paulino (7)

RR home runs: None.

The E-Train got out to a fast start as they earned the split in this series.

José Urquidy pitched six innings and allowed a run on a solo homer, one of five hits that he allowed during his evening. He walked one and struck out nine. Dean Deetz took over for two innings and allowed a run on a wild pitch, a hit, walked three, and struck out three. Felipe Paulino worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Round Rock scored three in the 1st thanks to a Kyle Tucker sac fly and a two-run single from Nick Tanielu. Abraham Toro finished 3-5 with an RBI single in the 5th inning. Tanielu, Taylor Jones, Drew Ferguson, and Jamie Ritchie all finished with two hits on the night.

Round Rock has Wednesday off. They'll start a four-game series with Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 2

W- Chad Donato (5-10)
L- Tyler Phillips (5-9)

CC home runs: Jonathan Arauz (10, solo in 4th), Colton Shaver (19, solo in 5th), Jake Adams (18, 2-run in 5th)

A show of power propelled the Hooks to the victory.

Jonathan Arauz launched a solo homer in the 4th to open the scoring. Corpus scored three in the 5th thanks to a pair of homers from Colton Shaver (solo) and Jake Adams (two-run). In the 7th, Bryan de la Cruz hit a sac fly and Arauz grounded into a force out allowed Osvaldo Duarte to score. Adams finished 2-3 and went deep for the third game in a row.

Chad Donato allowed two runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out five in 5.2 innings. Nick Hernandez tagged in for 2.1 scoreless innings and allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out four. Erasmo Pinales allowed a hit and walked one in a scoreless 9th.

Brandon Bailey will take on Richelson Peña in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:15.

Fayetteville 5, Down East 3

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (7-2)
L- Sal Mendez (6-1)
S- Humberto Castellanos (6)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

Some timely hitting early on proved to be the key for the Woodpeckers as they came away with game one of this series.

Corey Julks kept the 1st inning alive by drawing a walk and Chandler Taylor joined him on the bases after getting plunked. Michael Papierski and Scott Schreiber both followed with RBI singles. Jeremy Peña ripped a double to extend the 2nd inning, Miguelangel Sierra drew a walk, and Julks followed with an RBI single. In the 4th, Sierra hit a sac fly and Julks added another RBI single to his ledger. Julks, Cal Stevenson, and David Hensley all had two hits on the night.

Parker Mushinski went four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked three, and struck out six. Leovanny Rodriguez was the first man out of the Fayetteville bullpen and he went 2.2 innings, allowing a run on two hits and fanning three. Riley Cabral followed with 1.1 scoreless innings; he allowed two hits and got all four of his outs via the strikeout. Humberto Castellanos worked around a walk in the 9th to close out the game.

Luis Garcia takes the mound for game two of this series and he'll go against Reid Anderson at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will kick off a three-game series with Beloit at 6:35. Jonathan Bermúdez gets the start in game one and he'll face Reid Birlingmair.

Connecticut 2, Tri-City 0

W- Keider Montero (2-1)
L- Jairo Lopez (3-2)
S- Kory Behenna (4)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats' bid to sweep the series was quashed as they were shut out.

Bryan Arias had a couple of base hits and he also drew a walk.

Kyle Serrano allowed a hit and walked one in a scoreless 1st inning. Jairo Lopez tagged in for 4.2 innings and he allowed two runs (one inherited runner scored and was charged to him), a hit, walked five, and struck out three. Christian Mejías allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out two in 2.1 innings.

The ValleyCats are back home and they'll begin a three-game series with Aberdeen at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 9, GCL Marlins 3

W- Jacob Billingsley (1-2)
L- Miguel De Los Santos (1-6)

GCL home runs: Gerry Castillo (1, 2-run in 1st), Yimmi Cortabarria (3, 3-run in 5th)

Both teams had nine hits, but the Palm Beach 'Stros got a couple of multi-run homers to propel them to victory.

Gerry Castillo launched a two-run homer in the 1st to open the scoring. Nerio Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch in the 4th and Yimmi Cortabarria whacked a three-run homer in the 5th. Colin Barber hit an RBI single in the 6th and they got a pair of RBI singles from Rainier Rivas and Rolando Espinosa in the 7th. Rivas and Barber both finished 2-4 on the day.

Cionel Perez allowed two hits and struck out two in the 1st inning. Jacob Billingsley and Heitor Tokar both pitched two scoreless innings; Billingsley allowed a hit and fanned three while Tokar allowed two hits and struck out one. Ryan Gusto was next; he pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two runs (one earned), a hit, walked three, and struck out three. Julio Robaina allowed a run on three hits and struck out one over the final 2.1 innings.

DSL Athletics 4, DSL Astros 2

W- Dangiover Gonzalez (2-3)
L- Ricardo León (1-3)
S- Stiven Montilla (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Astros held the A's to one scoring inning. Problem is... the A's scored four in that one inning.

Yohander Martinez ripped an RBI double in the 1st and Roilan Machandy scored on a wild pitch in 5th. Machandy stole three bases, giving him 11 in 17 games.

Fabricio Reina walked two and struck out six over four scoreless innings. Ricardo León got the 5th but he only got one out via strikeout; he allowed three runs (all inherited runners that scored) and walked three. Luis Vega allowed an unearned run of his own on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 3.2 innings.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fabricio Reina, RHP, DSL Astros: 4 IP, 2 BB, 6 K

Jake Adams, 1B, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2-R HR (18), 2 R; HR in three consecutive games

Nick Hernandez, RHP, Corpus Christi

2.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

José Urquidy, RHP, Round Rock

W (6-4), 6 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 9 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Round Rock

3-5, 2B, RBI, R

Photo from his Perfect Game profile

Colin Barber, OF, GCL Astros

2-4, RBI, 2 R

Jacob Billingsley, Fayetteville (currently rehabbing in GCL)

W (1-0), 2 IP, H, 3 K

Corey Julks, OF, Fayetteville

2-3, 2 RBI, R

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 Monday, June 24, 2019

Round Rock 6, Iowa 4

W- Brandon Bielak (1-3, 4-3 season)
L- Trevor Clifton (2-7)
S- Felipe Paulino (1)

RR home runs: Josh Rojas (5, 13 season; grand slam in 6th)

A one-man show on offense was good enough for the E-Train as they took this five-game series from the Cubs.

Both teams put up five zeroes apiece until Josh Rojas clubbed a grand slam in the 6th inning to break the 0-0 tie. He added an RBI single in the 8th and Drew Ferguson drove in Round Rock's final run with an RBI single in the 9th. Rojas, Ferguson, and Taylor Jones finished with two hits on the afternoon; Rojas has now homered in four consecutive games.

Brandon Bielak was outstanding as he allowed just one hit, walked one, and struck out nine over seven shutout innings. The bullpen was a bit shaky but they were able to close it out. Kent Emanuel got two outs in the 8th, both via strikeout, but he also allowed three runs on three hits and walked two. Felipe Paulino got Round Rock out of the 8th with the lead and ended up pitching the 9th to get the save. He allowed two hits, one of which was a solo homer, and struck out one.

The E-Train is heading back down to Texas as they'll start a four-game set in San Antonio at 7:05.

Texas League All-Star Break

The 2019 Texas League All-Star Game will take place tonight in Tulsa. Bryan Abreu, Carlos Sanabria, Colin McKee, and Abraham Toro will represent Corpus Christi.

The Hooks return to action Thursday in Amarillo.

Fayetteville 3, Salem 2 (7 innings)

W- J.P. France (2-5)
L- Enmanuel De Jesus (4-6)
S- Tanner Duncan (1)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

This game was called due to rain. One scoring play turned out to be enough for the Woodpeckers, who have won five straight to open the second half.

Corey Julks finished 2-3 and his bases-clearing triple in the 3rd constituted all of the runs for Fayetteville in this one.

J.P. France went five innings and he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on four hits, walked three, and struck out three. Tanner Duncan got the last two innings and allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out two.

Jojanse Torres will take on Dylan Thompson in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will start a four-game series with Burlington, with the first two games taking place in Burlington. Matt Ruppenthal will take on Kyle Tyler at 6:30.

Tri-City was off

Christian Mejías will take on Kelvin Sanchez in the first of a three-game series in Lowell. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

GCL Marlins 8, GCL Astros 6

W- Leudy Martinez (1-0)
L- Daniel Bello (0-1)
S- Jesús Sanchez (1)

GCL home runs: Yorbin Ceuta (1, 2-run in 2nd)

The Palm Beach Stros dropped their first game of 2019 a five-run 7th inning from the Marlins sent them to their doom.

Yorbin Ceuta drove in the GCL squad's first two runs of the year by launching a home run in the 2nd inning. Sean Mendoza walked to lead off the 3rd, advanced to third on a Ronaldo Urdaneta single, and stole home. Yefri Carrillo scored when José Álvarez grounded into a double play in the 6th. Álvarez ripped an RBI triple in the 8th and he wound up scoring on a wild pitch. He and Urdaneta both finished 2-4 on the afternoon.

Cole McDonald pitched two perfect innings in his pro debut, striking out two. Heitor Tokar was the first man out of the Palm Beach 'Stros pen and he allowed three runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out two. Daniel Bello pitched three innings and allowed five runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on four hits, walked three, and struck out two. Danny Cody got the last 2.1 innings, allowing a hit and striking out two. The one hit was a two-run single that resulted in both of Bello's runners scoring.

The Palm Beach 'Stros will take on their complex mates, the Nationals, at noon Eastern.

DSL Astros 10, DSL Athletics 2

W- Carlos Calderón (1-0)
L- Stiven Montilla (0-2)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros allowed two runs... while pitching a no-hitter.

Reimy Beltre went three innings and those two runs, which were unearned, scored on a sac fly and an error. He walked four and struck out four. Carlos Calderón walked one and struck out four in four innings, and Jaime Melendez finished off the no-hitter by striking out four over two perfect innings.

Yohander Martinez stole second as part of a double steal in the 1st and he ended up scoring the first run of the day on an errant throw. Carlos Hurtado hit an RBI single in the 3rd and then Sebastian Grullón grounded into a force out that allowed Martinez to score. Hurtado scored on a wild pitch in the 5th. Freddy Guilamo followed with a two-run single and he came around to score on Martinez's base hit. Another wild pitch in the 7th allowed Andrés Monzón to score and the DSL squad got two more on a couple of groundouts from Martinez and Omar Díaz.

Martinez finished 3-4 on the afternoon while Guilamo and Hurtado had two hits apiece.

The Astros will host the Braves at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

DSL Astros pitchers: W 10-2 vs. DSL Athletics
9 IP, 2 unearned runs, 5 BB, 12 K
Reimy Beltre: 3 IP, 2 unearned runs, 4 BB, 4 K
Carlos Calderón: W (1-0), 4 IP, BB, 4 K
Jaime Melendez: 2 IP, 4 K

Yohander Mendez, SS, DSL Astros: 3-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (10)
Freddy Guilamo, C, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R

Cole McDonald, RHP, GCL Astros: 2 IP, 2 K
José Álvarez, C, GCL Astros: 2-4, 3B, RBI, 2 R

Brandon Bielak, RHP, Round Rock

W (1-3, 4-3 season), 7 IP, H, BB, 9 K

Joshua Rojas, UTIL, and Drew Ferguson, OF, Round Rock

Rojas: 2-3. Grand Slam (5, 13 season), 5 RBI

Ferguson: 2-3, RBI, 2 R, SB (10)

Corey Julks, OF, Fayetteville

2-3, 3B, 3 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 13, 2019

Let's play two in Cedar Rapids!

Round Rock 5, Oklahoma City 2

W- Kent Emanuel (2-1)
L- Kevin Quackenbush (1-2)
S- Ronel Blanco (1, 3 season)

RR home runs: Jack Mayfield (8, solo in 1st), Garrett Stubbs (3, solo in 7th), Nick Tanielu (4, solo in 8th)

The Express scored twice in the 7th to take the lead and got one more in the 8th to nip the Dodgers.

The two runs that Cionel Pérez allowed in his five innings came off a pair of solo home runs in the 4th inning. Overall, he allowed four hits (including the homers), walked two, and struck out five. Kent Emanuel struck out one over three perfect innings and Ronel Blanco earned the save in his Triple-A debut by allowing a hit and striking out two in the 9th.

Jack Mayfield smacked a solo homer in the 1st and Kyle Tucker tripled and stole home in the 2nd inning. Garrett Stubbs led off the 7th with a homer that broke a 2-2 tie. Alex De Goti followed with a double and came around to score on Derek Fisher's double. Nick Tanielu capped off the evening with a solo shot in the 8th. He and Stubbs both went 2-3 from the bottom of the order; Stubbs also stole two bases (4) and Tanielu stole his first base of the season.

Brady Rodgers will get the start as the Express look for the sweep. He'll take on Rob Zastryzny at 11:35.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 2

W- Carlos Sanabria (1-0, 3-0 season)
L- Esmerling Vásquez (0-2)
S- Kit Scheetz (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks were outhit 8-6 but had more in the column that ultimately matters.

Brandon Bailey pitched 4.2 innings and allowed two runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out three. He left with the bases loaded in the 5th and Carlos Sanabria was summoned to extract him from this predicament, which Sanabria did successfully. Sanabria ended up pitching 2.1 innings, walking three and striking out one. Kit Scheetz allowed two hits and struck out three to earn the save.

Osvaldo Duarte led off the 1st with a walk. He proceeded to steal second, advanced to third on a deep flyout from Abraham Toro, and scored the first run of the night on a wild pitch. Lorenzo Quintana kept the 2nd inning alive by drawing a walk and he scampered home on a double from Aníbal Sierra. Frisco tied the game with a couple of runs in the 5th but Corpus managed to regain control by getting those two runs back in the 6th.

Josh Rojas got plunked to lead off the 6th; he then stole second, advanced to third on the errant throw down, and scored the go-ahead run on a Stephen Wrenn sac fly. Quintana walked again and advanced to third on Sierra's single; Sierra moved up to second on the throw from the outfield. Duarte popped out in foul territory but Chas McCormick kept things going by drawing a walk to load the bases for Ronnie Dawson, who walked in Quintana for the game's final run. Sierra finished 2-4, while Quintana walked twice and scored twice despite going 0-2.

Brandon Bielak goes up against Tyler Phillips at 6:15.

Salem 13, Fayetteville 6

W- Kutter Crawford (3-1)
L- Chad Donato (3-4)

Fayetteville home runs: Seth Beer (9, solo in 6th)

A couple of huge innings from the Red Sox sent the Woodpeckers to their doom; Salem only scored in two of the nine innings in this game, but they put up four in the 3rd and nine in the 7th to take game one of this series.

Seth Beer opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. He then led off the 6th with a homer that cut Salem's lead to 4-2. Corey Julks ripped a two-run double and Jonathan Arauz drove in another run with a groundout in the 7th. Jake Adams smacked an RBI double in the 9th. Adams finished 3-5 on the night. Beer (solo HR, 2 RBI, 2 R), Julks (2 2B, 2 RBI), and Michael Papierski (2B, 2 R) all had two hits.

Chad Donato went five innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, walked three, and struck out eight. Salem teed off on Nick Hernandez and Jacob Billingsley. We'll just leave it there. Leovanny Rodríguez was technically the only Fayetteville pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing, but he also allowed the two runners he inherited from Billingsley to score. In 2.1 innings, Leovanny allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out four.

The Woodpeckers will try to recover from this beatdown at 7:00 Eastern.

Game 1: Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 4

W- Josh Winder (2-1)
L- R.J. Freure (1-1)

QC home runs: Alex Holderbach (2, 2-run in 2nd)

After getting an entire weekend off due to circumstances beyond their control, the Banditos returned to action and saw their nine-game winning streak come to a close. Well, they had a four-day layoff, so there was probably some rust that needed to be shaken off.

Alex Holderbach launched a two-run homer in the 2nd and Enmanuel Valdez hit an RBI groundout and Jeremy Peña hit an RBI single in the 7th. Holderbach finished 2-3 in game one; he's finished with exactly two hits five times in his last ten games.

After a dominating start to his season, R.J. Freure hit the wall hard for the first time in 2019 as his ERA went from 0.49 to 3.74. Yeah, it was that kind of night for him. Again, we'll leave it there. Joey Gonzalez pitched the last 2.2 innings and technically had a scoreless outing, but the two runners he inherited from Freure both scored. Gonzalez allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out two.

Game 2: Quad Cities 7, Cedar Rapids 0

W- Matt Ruppenthal (2-0)
L- Austin Schulfer (3-2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos turned the tables on the Kernels in game two to earn the split.

Matt Ruppenthal allowed three hits, walked two, and fanned eight over 5.1 shutout innings and Jonathan Bermúdez struck out four over 1.2 perfect innings to complete the shutout.

Jeremy Peña opened the scoring with a two-run triple in the 3rd and scored when David Hensley hit into a fielder's choice. Hensley walked to lead off the 6th, advanced to third on a César Salazar single, and scored on a wild pitch. Marty Costes, who was just activated from the IL, ended up drawing a walk, and Ross Adolph followed by smacking a two-run triple. Peña tripled to lead off the 7th and scored the last run of the night on a Jonathan Lacroix sac fly. Both of Peña's hits in game two were triples; Austin Dennis went 2-4 and scored a run from the leadoff spot.

Cody Deason will take on Luis Rijo in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:35.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen: W 4-2 vs. Frisco

4.1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K

 Carlos Sanabria: W (1-0, 3-0 season), 2.1 IP, 3 BB, K

Kit Scheetz: Save (2), 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 5-2 vs. Oklahoma City

9 IP, 5 H (2 solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Cionel Pérez: 5 IP, 4 H (2 solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Kent Emanuel: W (2-1), 3 IP, K; perfect outing

Ronel Blanco: Save (1, 3 season), IP, H, 2 K; PCL debut

Nick Tanielu, IF, and Garrett Stubbs, C, Round Rock

Tanielu: 2-3, solo HR (4), SB (1)

Stubbs: 2-3, solo HR (3), 2 SB (4)

Jeremy Peña (second from left), SS, and Alex Holderbach (far right), C, Quad Cities

Peña: 1-4, RBI in game 1 of doubleheader; 2-4, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R in game 2 of doubleheader

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

No photo available for Jonathan Bermúdez

This is Matt Ruppenthal's mugshot on MiLB.com.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 7-0 @ Cedar Rapids (game 2)

Matt Ruppenthal: W (2-0), 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K

Jonathan Bermúdez: 1.2 IP, 4 K; perfect outing

Jake Adams' and Corey Julks' photos are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Seth Beer, 1B/OF/DH, Jake Adams, 1B, and Corey Julks, OF, Fayetteville

Beer: 2-3, solo HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 R

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

Julks: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Sweep!

Round Rock was off

The Express will start a five-game series against New Orleans tonight at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 12, Northwest Arkansas 3

W- Tyler Ivey (2-0)
L- Ofreidy Gomez (1-1)
S- Ronel Blanco (1)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (3, solo in 5th), Osvaldo Duarte (3, solo in 8th), J.J. Matijevic (2, 2-run in 8th)

The Hooks banged out 15 hits and went 7-7 in stolen base attempts as they romped to a victory.

Tyler Ivey went five innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out seven. Brett Daniels got the 6th; he walked one, struck out one, and the one hit he allowed was a two-run homer to Khalil Lee. Ronel Blanco finished things off by allowing one hit and striking out five over the final three innings.

Corpus seized control by busting out for four runs in the 3rd inning. Stephen Wrenn hit an RBI single and then stole home. Granden Goetzman and Chas McCormick chipped in with an RBI single and an RBI double, respectively. Abraham Toro smacked a solo homer in the 5th and added a sac fly to his ledger in the 6th. The Hooks then proceeded to bury the Naturals with a six-run 8th.

Osvaldo Duarte led things off with a homer. Ronnie Dawson doubled and Wrenn drew a walk, which prompted a mound visit. Toro followed with a single and an error on the play allowed Dawson to score. Toro advanced to third, but Wrenn was thrown out at the plate. Granden Goetzman followed with an RBI single and then J.J. Matijevic launched a two-run homer. McCormick got plunked but got forced out at second base. Josh Rojas managed to reach base and he scored the final run of the evening on Chuckie Robinson's double.

Everyone in the Hooks' lineup recorded at least one hit. Duarte led the way in that department by finishing 4-4 and scoring three runs from the bottom of the order. Toro finished 3-4 and scored three runs, while Goetzman went 2-5 with a couple of runs scored. Duarte and Wrenn stole two bases apiece; they both have four stolen bases on the season. Rojas (5), Dawson (3), and Toro (1) also stole a base.

Brandon Bailey takes on Andrés Sotillet in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:15.

Fayetteville 8, Frederick 1

W- Chad Donato (2-2)
L- Brenan Hanifee (1-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (3, 3-run in 1st)

The Woodpeckers scored a touchdown in the first inning to cruise to the win.

Fayetteville led off the 1st by loading the bases on three singles from Bryan de la Cruz, Michael Papierski, and Seth Beer. Jake Adams drove in the first run of the evening, although not in the way he expected to because he got hit by a pitch. Papierski scored when Corey Julks grounded into a force out. Julks then stole second and then Jake Meyers ripped a two-run double. Jonathan Arauz drew a walk and Miguelangel Sierra landed the haymaker in the form of a three-run home run. Beer went 2-4 and hit an RBI single in the 4th inning. Julks (RBI, R, 2 SB) and Papierski (2B, 2 R) had three hits apiece.

Chad Donato has stumbled out of the gate in 2019 but he turned in his best performance of the season by allowing three hits and striking out eight over five shutout innings. J.P. France tagged in for 3.2 innings and allowed a run on six hits, walked one, and struck out four. Tommy DeJuneas got a fly ball out to end the game.

Yohan Ramirez faces Michael Baumann in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Peoria 0

W- Austin Hansen (2-1)
L- Alvaro Seijas (1-2)
S- R.J. Freure (1)

QC home runs: Jonathan Lacroix (1, solo in 4th), David Hensley (1, solo in 4th)

The Banditos busted out for eight runs Tuesday afternoon after getting shut out three times in their previous four contests, so hopefully this signifies the start of a breakout.

Austin Hansen and R.J. Freure also turned in stellar performances on the mound as they combined for a one-hitter. Hansen walked three and struck out five over five innings and Freure finished it off by allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out five over the last four innings.

Scott Schreiber scored the first run of the day on an error following a David Hensley single in the 2nd inning. Hensley and Jonathan Lacroix hit back-to-back solo homers in the 4th. Trey Dawson ripped an RBI double in the 6th and then Quad Cities got a little more insurance in the 9th inning.

Austin Dennis led off the 9th with a single. He then stole second and scored on a Jeremy Peña single. Schreiber hit an RBI single to bring in Enmanuel Valdez and then a wild pitch allowed him and Peña to advance a base. Lacroix hit a sac fly and Hensley capped off the day with an RBI single. Everyone in the Banditos' lineup had a hit in this game; Hensley finished with four, while Dawson had two.

Nivaldo Rodríguez will start the series finale. He'll face Cole Aker at 6:35.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 8-0 @ Peoria

9 IP, H, 5 BB, 10 K

Austin Hansen: W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 BB, 5 K

R.J. Freure: Save (1), 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

David Hensley, IF, and Trey Dawson, IF, Quad Cities

Hensley: 4-5, solo HR (1), 2 RBI

Dawson: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI

Chad Donato, RHP, Fayetteville

W (2-2), 5 IP, 3 H, 8 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corey Julks, OF, Fayetteville

3-4, RBI, 2 SB (3)

Tyler Ivey's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tyler Ivey, RHP, and Ronel Blanco, RHP, Corpus Christi

Ivey: W (2-0), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 7 K

Blanco: Save (1), 3 IP, H, 5 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Granden Goetzman, OF, and Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Corpus Christi

Toro: 3-4, solo HR (3), 2 RBI, 3 R, SB (1)

Goetzman: 2-5, 2 RBI, 2 R

Duarte: 4-4, solo HR (3), 3 R, 2 SB (4)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 13, 2019

Memphis 9, Round Rock 4

W- Harold Arauz (1-0)
L- Brendan McCurry (1-1)

RR home runs: Yordan Alvarez (6, solo in 5th)

The Express got buried by an eight-run 5th inning.

Cionel Pérez allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out three in two innings of work. Brendan McCurry took the loss in 2.1 innings of relief; he allowed five runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on six hits, walked one, and struck out three. Kent Emanuel was next; he went 3.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, walked one, and struck out three. Dean Deetz worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Jack Mayfield put Round Rock on the board with a two-run single in the 3rd. Garrett Stubbs, who scored one of the runs on Mayfield's base hit, added an RBI single of his own in the 4th, and Yordan Alvarez got one of the eight Memphis runs back with a solo shot in the 5th. Mayfield and Stubbs had two hits apiece in this game.

Today, the Express and Redbirds will transform into the Round Rock Chupacabras and the Memphis Música as part of MILB's Copa de la Diversión program. Rogelio Armenteros goes up against Austin Gomber at 1:05.

Amarillo 5, Corpus Christi 4

W- Tyler Higgins (1-1)
L- J.B. Bukauskas (0-2)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (1, solo in 1st)

The Sod Poodles scored twice in the 8th inning to edge out the Hooks, who have now dropped six straight.

Abraham Toro clubbed a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring. This was Corpus Christi's only scoring play until the 7th; they ended up scoring three runs in the inning as Josh Rojas cleared the bases with a triple. J.J. Matijevic finished 3-4 with a double and stole his first base of the season. Granden Goetzman finished 2-4 and scored a run.

Brandon Bielak went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five. J.B. Bukauskas pitched the last three innings and allowed three runs on five hits, walked four, and struck out four.

Gabriel Valdez will get a shot to stop the Hooks' slide. He'll take on Reggie Lawson at 1:05.

Fayetteville 6, Myrtle Beach 4

W- César Rosado (1-0)
L- Javier Assad (0-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Corey Julks (1, solo in 4th)

The Woodpeckers had a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th and then had to hang on for dear life. Fortunately, the cushion was comfortable enough for them to be able to escape with the win.

Corey Julks finished 2-5 and opened the scoring by smacking a home run to lead off the 4th inning. In the 5th, Julks reached on an error that resulted in Michael Papierski coming in to score; he was credited with an RBI on the play. Jonathan Arauz scored on a wild pitch in the 7th. Fayetteville scored three in the 8th thanks to an RBI single from Scott Manea and a couple of RBI doubles from Colton Shaver and Arauz, who finished 3-4 and had two doubles on the evening.

Peter Solomon allowed a hit, walked three, and struck out three in three innings of work. César Rosado was the first man out of the Fayetteville bullpen; he went 2.2 innings and also walked three and struck out three. Joey Gonzalez walked two and struck out three in his 2019 debut. Tommy DeJuneas got the final out of the game with a strikeout, but the Pelicans decided to mount a bit of an uprising as they scored four runs (three earned runs) on three hits against him.

Cristian Javier takes on Erling Moreno in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, Wisconsin 1

W- Brett Conine (1-1)
L- Reese Olson (0-1)
S- Matt Ruppenthal (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got three in the 3rd inning and held the Timber Rattlers to just three hits on Saturday.

Brett Conine allowed a run on a solo homer, three hits, and struck out six in six innings. Matt Ruppenthal shut it down as he walked one and fanned six in the final three innings.

Jeremy Peña scored the first run of the evening on an error that allowed Scott Schreiber to reach in the 1st inning. Austin Dennis tripled to lead off the 3rd and scored on Trey Dawson's infield single. Enmanuel Valdez followed with a double and Peña struck with a two-run single. Schreiber drew a bases-loaded walk in the 5th and scored the final run of the evening on a double from Jonathan Lacroix. Valdez (2 2B, 2 R), Peña (2 RBI, R, SB), and Schreiber (R, SB) all finished with two hits on the night.

Mark Moclair gets the start as Quad Cities looks for the sweep. He'll face Justin Bullock at 1:05.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Matt Ruppenthal's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 6-1 @ Wisconsin

9 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 12 K

Brett Conine: W (1-1), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 6 K

Matt Ruppenthal: Save (1), 3 IP, BB, 6 K

Jeremy Peña, SS, Quad Cities

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

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

Corey Julks, OF, and Jonathan Arauz, IF, Fayetteville

Julks: 2-5, solo HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R

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

This is his mugshot from Stetson University's Athletics page.

Joey Gonzalez, RHP, Fayetteville

3 IP, 2 BB, 3 K in season debut

Brandon Bielak, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 K

Jack Mayfield, IF, and Garrett Stubbs, C, Round Rock

Mayfield: 2-4, 2 RBI

Stubbs: 2-3, RBI, R