Happy Birthday - 8/16

Happy Birthday to ~

Astros 1st round draft pick Brady Aiken. Wait. What? Never mind.

2B Delino DeShields (22)
The Astros first round draft pick from 2010 has spent this season with the Corpus Christi team, hitting .235/.343/.340 with 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 46 RBI and 47 stolen bases in 98 games. According to Baseball-Reference, DeShields is over three years younger than the league average.

2B Juan Santana (20)
Santana was signed by the Astros as an NDFA from the Dominican Republic at the end of 2010 and is currently playing in Tri-City following his mid-July promotion from Greeneville. Between the two venues, he is hitting .327/.353/.442 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 24 RBI in 41 games.

Two former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

RHP Xavier Hernandez (49)
Originally drafted by Toronto in the fourth round in 1986, Hernandez came to Houston via the Rule 5 draft in December 1989. Hernandez played for the Astros from 1990 to 1993 and again in 1996. In 273 games, he was 22-19 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.234 WHIP.

OF Roger Cedeno (40)
Cedeno came to Houston in a December 1999 trade with the Mets and spent one season in the Astros organization before being traded to Detroit. In 74 games with the Astros, he hit .282/.383/.398. His best season was in 1999 when he hit .313/.396/.408 for the Mets with 66 stolen bases.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 9, 2014

Believe in DeShields.





Oklahoma City 3, Memphis 2

W- Bobby Doran (1-2)
L- Boone Whiting (0-5)
S- Kevin Chapman (1)

OKC home runs: None.

For the first time this season, the RedHawks have won a home series. Before that, they lost 3 of 4 in one series (to Nashville) and split the other 2 (Round Rock and New Orleans).

After Audry Perez put Memphis on the board first with a sac fly in the top of the 2nd, Robbie Grossman put OKC on the board by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning. Ronald Torreyes had the only extra-base hit for the RedHawks, but it was a big one, as his 2-run double in the 3rd proved to be the difference.

Bobby Doran and 3 relievers held the Redbirds to 3 hits in this one. Well, Doran allowed everything, but the relievers kept Memphis at bay. Doran went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Raúl Valdés got the first 2 outs of the 7th, striking out 1. Josh Fields, in his first outing since being optioned, pitched a scoreless inning (final out of the 7th, first 2 outs of the 8th) and walked 1. Kevin Chapman got the 4-out save; he worked around a walk to Randal Grichuk to lead off the 9th. He erased Grichuk by getting  double play and struck out Stephen Biscotti Piscotty to end it.

The RedHawks will welcome Colorado Springs to Bricktown for 4 beginning at 7:05. Rudy Owens (2-1, 4.32) will start the opener against Pedro Hernandez (1-0, 8.34).

Frisco 6, Corpus Christi 2

W- Alec Asher (3-3)
L- Kyle Smith (0-2, 4-2 season)

CC home runs: Delino DeShields 2 (4, solo in 1st, solo in 3rd)

Well, the Hooks got dropped by the Roughriders. But, the story of the night was Delino DeShields, who was playing in his first game since April 18, when he was drilled in the face in Frisco.

In his first game back at the scene of the crime, DeShields was the Hooks offense. He kicked off the game by taking Alec Asher deep, and he took Asher deep again in the 3rd. Corpus Christi also had 3 singles from Andrew Aplin, Preston Tucker, and Joe Sclafani.

Kyle Smith went 3.2 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 6. Alex Sogard was the first man out of the bullpen and went 1.2 innings, giving up 2 runs (both inherited runners that were charged to him) on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1. Pat Urckfitz got the final 2 outs of the 6th and allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Sogard to score on a bases-loaded walk and a sac fly. Michael Dimock allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless.

The Hooks will look to get on the board in this series as they send out Tommy Shirley (3-2, 1.60) to face a rehabbing Joe Saunders (0-0, 4.50) in game 3. First pitch is at 7:05.

High Desert 5, Lancaster 3

W- Scott DeCecco (2-2)
L- Vince Velasquez (4-1)
S- Grady Wood (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks were once again stymied by the lefty, DeCecco, but they did get to him with 3 in the 7th. They also hit into 4 inning-ending double plays (including the game-ender) and didn't strand any baserunners.

Tony Kemp posted his 4th straight multi-hit game, going 3-4 with a double and a run scored. He led off the 7th with a single, then moved to 3rd on a Teoscar Hernandez double. Carlos Correa finally unshackled the JetHawks from DeCecco's grasp with a 2-run double. Rio Ruiz would bring him in with a single one batter later. With that double, Hernandez is now on an 8-game hitting streak, which ties a season-best. He had an 8-game streak from April 13-22. Correa has a 7-game hitting streak of his own; he's got a hit in 12 of his last 13 contests.

Vince Velasquez went 3 innings and the only hit he allowed was a solo homer to Jordy Lara in the 2nd. He walked 1 and struck out 4. Kyle Westwood pitched 5 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Westwood also induced 12 groundouts. Entering this game, Westwood had a 66.7% groundball rate, according to MLBFarm.com.

In the middle game of this series, Kent Emanuel (0-0, 9.64; 0-2, 3.71 season) and Lance McCullers (1-2, 3.86) will take on Dylan Unsworth (2-2, 4.80) at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Beloit 1

W- Adrian Houser (1-1)
L- Chris Lamb (0-1)
S- Chris Cotton (1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits won the series behind a strong performance from Adrian Houser, who got his first win since August 18, 2012, when he threw 5 shutout innings for Greeneville against Burlington. They've won this series.

Houser tossed 6 shutout innings and allowed 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Albert Minnis got 2 outs in the 7th (both via strikeout), but a hit and 2 walks knocked him out of the game. Tyler Brunnemann came on and got the Bandits out of the inning by striking out Tyler Marincov, who had a golden sombrero. He went 2 innings and the only run he allowed came in the form of a solo homer by Sam Roberts. That snapped a 16.1 inning scoreless streak that Brunnemann was on; he hadn't allowed a run since Opening Day. He allowed one other hit, walked 3, and struck out 3. Brunnemann left the bases loaded for Chris Cotton, who struck out Jaycob Brugman to end it.

QC got on the board first with a pair in the 1st. James Ramsay walked to lead off the inning, stole 2nd (9), and scored on an RBI double from Chase McDonald. Brian Holberton added an RBI single to bring McDonald home. Thomas Lindauer singled to begin the 5th, stole 2nd (1), and scored all the way from 2nd on a Chan-Jong Moon fielder's choice. After Ramsay drew a 1-out walk in the 7th, he scored on a Moon triple. White brought Moon home for the final Bandits run of the night on a sac fly. McDonald and Holberton had 2 hits apiece. Moon also added a steal (10).

The River Bandits will go for the sweep as Andrew Thurman (2-2, 5.40) takes on Dylan Covey (2-2, 3.97). First pitch is at 6:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Quad Cities

2-3, 2B, RBI, R

2.

Tony Kemp, 2B, Lancaster

3-4, 2B, R; 4 straight multi-hit games

1.

Delino DeShields, CF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 solo HR (4); first game since April 18

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Bobby Doran, RHP, Oklahoma City

W (1-2), 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 3 K

2.

Vince Velasquez, RHP, Lancaster

L (4-1), 3 IP, H (solo HR), ER, BB, 4 K

1.

Adrian Houser, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-1), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 7 K

Tweet of the Day

Last night, Corpus Christi Hook @linodeshields got hit was a 90 mph fastball. Today, he's back at the field. At 10 pic.twitter.com/IAtgGbPkI4
— Julie Fine (@JulieFineNBC5) April 20, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 13, 2014

Let's play 2 in Midland, Michigan!

Oklahoma City 4, New Orleans 3

W- Josh Zeid (2-0)
L- Chris Hatcher (0-2)

OKC home runs: Jon Singleton (4, solo in 6th), Domingo Santana (1, solo in 9th)

The RedHawks walked off with the victory as Domingo Santana played hero late. After dropping the opener, they've taken the next 2 games.

Jon Singleton and Domingo Santana had all the RBIs today. Singleton was first up; he finished a triple shy of the cycle (in 4 at-bats) and opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, and after the Zephyrs tied the game in the top of the 6th, he untied it with a solo blast in the bottom of the inning. New Orleans took the lead with a 2-run double from Kyle Jensen in the 8th, and Chris Hatcher was on to close it out in the 9th. Santana had other ideas; he tied the game at 3 by taking Hatcher deep to begin the inning, and he had the last laugh by delivering the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 10th. Austin Wates went 2-3 with 2 walks and a stolen base (5). Carlos Perez was 2-4, and Ruben Sosa was 2-3 with 2 steals (2).

After getting knocked around in his first appearance on the year, Nick Tropeano has settled in a bit, throwing 8 scoreless innings since then. He threw 5 shutout innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Collin McHugh went 2 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits. Jason Stoffel was victimized by the 2-run double in the 8th; he walked 1 and struck out 1. Josh Zeid got the win by throwing 2 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking 2, and fanning 2.

In the series finale, David Martinez and Bobby Doran will face Bryan Evans. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 9, Springfield 1

W- Aaron West (2-0)
L- Jonathan Cornelius (0-2)

CC home runs: Preston Tucker (2, solo in 5th), Jio Mier (2, 3-run in 5th), Delino DeShields (2, solo in 8th)

The Hooks opened up this series with a bang as they battered the Cardinals with 14 hits and scored the game's first 9 runs. 5 of the starting 9 had multi-hit games, led by DeShields and Tucker, who had 3 each. Jio Mier, Leo Heras, and Andrew Aplin had 2 apiece. Aplin opened the scoring in the 1st with an RBI single that brought DeShields home. Jio reached on a fielder's choice in the 2nd, and an error allowed 2 to score on the play. Heras stole home on a double steal in the 4th. Tucker and Mier delivered the haymakers in the 5th with their blasts, and DeShields provided the cherry with his shot in the 8th.

David Rollins issued a lead-off walk and that was the end of his day.

Word is David Rollins left his #cchooks start today with an oblique injury.
— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) April 13, 2014

Jordan Jankowski came out in Rollins' stead and threw 3 scoreless, allowing only 1 hit, walking 1, and striking out 2. Aaron West tagged in and got the victory with 5 scoreless. He allowed a hit and struck out 2. Travis Ballew allowed a solo homer to James Ramsey in the 9th, but that was all the Cardinals got.

In the middle game of this series, Luis Cruz and Ross Seaton will face Kurt Heyer at 7:10.

Lake Elsinore 3, Lancaster 2 in 11 innings

W- Chris Nunn (1-1)
L- Dan Minor (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks couldn't finish off the sweep as they were left to rue the miscues and missed opportunities in this game. They were just 2-15 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. In the process, they snapped a 7-game winning streak. 2 errors resulted in 2 unearned runs, including the tying run in the bottom of the 8th.

Down 1-0 in the 6th, Danry Vasquez hit a 2-run double that gave the JetHawks the lead. He, Rio Ruiz, Carlos Perdomo, and Tony Kemp all went 2-5.

Josh Hader went 5 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. That was Hader's first walk issued of the year. The unearned run came as Teoscar Hernandez misplayed a ball that was hit by Gabriel Quintana in the 1st. Chris Devenski pitched 4 innings and also allowed an unearned run on 3 hits and walked 1. Vasquez called off Kemp to catch a popup from Corey Adamson and dropped it. Adamson wound up coming home with the tying run. Dan Minor came on for the 10th and worked around a single and a walk to strike out 2 in a scoreless frame, but Diego Goris took him deep to begin the 11th to end the game.

The JetHawks will now travel to High Desert to open a 3-game set with the Mavericks. Mark Appel and Mike Hauschild will take the mound for Lancaster, and they'll take on TBA. First pitch will be at 7:05 Pacific.

Game 1: Quad Cities 11, Great Lakes 0

W- Andrew Thurman (1-2)
L- Luis Chirinos (1-1)

QC home runs: None.

Quad Cities ran roughshod over the Loons in the early afternoon, sealing the deal with an 8-0 assault over the final 3 innings. Everyone had a hit except for Jack Mayfield, who was 0-4 with a sac fly in the 5th. 8 of the 9 River Bandits in the lineup had at least 1 RBI, except for Chan-Jong Moon, who was 3-4 with 2 runs scored.

Brian Holberton opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd, although he got thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Tanner Mathis hit an RBI single of his own in the inning, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on a force out, and scored on an error as the Loons tried to pick him off. Mayfield put up the first run of the 5th with his sac fly, then they got a 2-run double from Conrad Gregor, who scored on a Tyler White double. James Ramsay hit a sac fly in the 6th, and in the 7th, Jon Kemmer added another RBI double. He would score on a Ramsay single, and Brett Phillips finished it off with an RBI single.

After a rough start to his season, Andrew Thurman got himself going with 5 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits and striking out 5. Tyler Brunnemann completed the shutout; he went 2 innings and allowed 2 hits and fanned 2.

What would game 2 hold in store for Quad Cities?

Game 2: Great Lakes 5, Quad Cities 4 in 9 innings

W- Jacob Rhame (1-0)
L- Pat Christensen (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits walked off with a loss, but they still took 2 of 3 to finish with a .500 record on their first roadtrip of the year.

Chris Lee went 4.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Zach Morton pitched 3.1 scoreless and gave up 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Pat Christensen got a groundout from the first batter he faced, but the next 3 guys all reached on him, the culminaiton of which was a walk-off single from Kyle Farmer.

Brett Phillips was 2-4 with a bases-clearing triple in the 3rd. Conrad Gregor was also 2-4; he added an RBI single in the 6th.

The River Bandits will now head home, where they will host the West Michigan Whitecaps for 3 at Modern Woodmen Park. In the opener, Kent Emanuel and Jandel Gustave will take on Jeff Thompson at 7:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Brett Phillips, CF, Quad Cities

Game 1: 2-4, RBI, R

Game 2: 2-4, 3B, 3 RBI

2. Hooks sink Springfield

Delino DeShields, CF, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2B, solo HR (2), 2 R

Preston Tucker, LF, Corpus Christi

3-5, solo HR (2)

Jio Mier, SS/3B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3-R HR (2)

1 (tie). ALL THE RUNS BATTED IN!!!!!!!!!

Domingo Santana, LF, Oklahoma City

2-4, game-tying solo HR (1) in 9th, walk-off RBI single in 10th

Jon Singleton, 1B, Oklahoma City

3-4, 2B, solo HR (4), 2 RBI

Honorable Mentions: Austin Wates, Leo Heras, Danry Vasquez, Conrad Gregor, Andrew Aplin


Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Andrew Thurman, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-2), 5 IP, 4 H, 5 K

2.

Nick Tropeano, RHP, Oklahoma City

W (1-1), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

1.

Aaron West, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (2-0), 5 IP, H, 2 K

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Jankowski, Tyler Brunnemann, Josh Zeid, Josh Hader, Zach Morton, Chris Devenski

Tweet of the Day

This traffic is ridiculous.
— Delino DeShields (@LinoDeShields) March 8, 2014

Tweet of the Day

When you come home and sit on the couch and can't move for the rest of the day, you know you put in that good work! @gspringer_4 #WorkHard
— Delino DeShields (@LinoDeShields) February 23, 2014

Top 100 Prospect List

When Jonathan Mayo published his Top 100 Pre-Season Prospect List in 2013, there were four Astros players among them:

27. Jon Singleton
30. Carlos Correa
57. George Springer
89. Jarred Cosart

This year's list includes seven Astros, with three repeating and Cosart graduating to the big leagues.

8. Carlos Correa
17. Mark Appel
21. George Springer
50. Jon Singleton
52. Lance McCullers
54. Mike Foltynewicz
66. Delino DeShields


Only one team, the Red Sox with nine, has more players in the Top 100 than Houston. The Cubs tie Houston with seven in the Top 100. They are followed by the Pirates with six and the Twins with five. And here is how the AL West stacks up:

Astros - 7
Rangers - 5
Mariners - 2
A's - 1
Angels - 0

The Angels are the only team with zero in the Top 100, followed by the Brewers and A's with one each.

Tweet of the Day

Who Let Jack Frost out? IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!
— Delino DeShields (@LinoDeShields) January 4, 2014

A Final Look at the Arizona Fall League Astros

Although the Arizona Fall League isn't technically over as the Championship Game between Mesa and Surprise will be played on Saturday at 2:10 (and televised on the MLB Network), the season is over for the "Astros Eight" who played for the Peoria Javelinas. First a look at how the pitchers performed:



It's hard to take much away from these small sample sizes, but I would like to point out a few items of interest. RHP Matt Heidenreich saved his best performance for last. In his final start, he allowed only one hit in his four innings. He struck out an AFL season high of six batters and didn't walk anyone. His fall numbers definitely compared favorably to a season in which he struggled to put up an 8.23 ERA and a 1.811 WHIP in 25 appearances in Corpus Christi and which saw him spending time on the DL and on a rehab assignment.

RHP Jonas Dufek made the Fall Star team and continued to exhibit his 2013 regular season effectiveness. RHP Andrew Robinson was a victim of small sample size, one particularly rough outing and questionable defense (only five of his 13 runs allowed were earned). Unlike Heidenreich, LHP Alex Sogard saved his worst for last. Back out his final outing and he had a 1.46 ERA and a 1.216 WHIP.



Now, a few tidbits about the participating position players. From everything I've read about 1B Japhet Amador, he definitely has light tower power, but he is still a bit raw. Much has also been written about his weight. Interestingly enough, an insider article posted by Jose de Jesus Ortiz today at Baseball Amerca indicates that the Astros put him on a weight management program and he has definitely dropped a few.

CF Delino DeShields, another Fall Star team member, was at the center of conflicting reports about his effort level, but he definitely put up decent numbers. I heard from more than one person that he was being overly aggressive on the basepaths. SS Nolan Fontana just simply didn't have a very good fall campaign. He only managed two hits in his last 10 games and his OBP was far below his normal eye-popping numbers.

3B Jonathan Meyer, originally a member of the taxi squad, ended up as a starter toward the end of the season as one of the other players had to leave the team for personal reasons. From all accounts, Meyer shone defensively at third base and also put up very good offensive numbers. To top that off, according to this article from Jim Callis, Meyer was nominated for the AFL's Stenson Award for sportsmanship.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Thursday's Games

Round Rock over Oklahoma City 12-3
With 11 games to go, Oklahoma City's magic number to clinch a division championship and a playoff berth stalled at six with the loss to second place Round Rock.

Paul Clemens (5IP 6H 8R/7ER 2BB 4SO HR) only gave up one run in the first five innings and then this happened to him in the sixth with a little help from Jose Cisnero (1IP 3H 3R BB SO HR).

Round Rock Bottom of the 6th

• Engel Beltre reaches on a missed catch error by first baseman Jonathan Singleton, assist to pitcher Paul Clemens.
• Yangervis Solarte singles on a ground ball to right fielder Trevor Crowe. Engel Beltre to 3rd.
• Joey Butler hit by pitch. Yangervis Solarte to 2nd.
• Alex Buchholz reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by third baseman Brandon Laird. Engel Beltre scores. Yangervis Solarte to 3rd. Joey Butler to 2nd.
• Chris McGuiness hits a grand slam (10) to center field. Yangervis Solarte scores. Joey Butler scores. Alex Buchholz scores.
• Robinson Chirinos singles on a ground ball to third baseman Brandon Laird.
• Aaron Cunningham hit by pitch. Robinson Chirinos to 2nd.
• Pitching Change: Jose Cisnero replaces Paul Clemens.
• Brendan Harris singles on a line drive to right fielder Trevor Crowe. Robinson Chirinos scores. Aaron Cunningham to 3rd.
• Jim Adduci singles on a ground ball to right fielder Trevor Crowe. Aaron Cunningham scores. Brendan Harris to 3rd.
• Engel Beltre homers (6) on a fly ball to right field. Brendan Harris scores. Jim Adduci scores.
• Yangervis Solarte flies out to center fielder Che-Hsuan Lin.
• Joey Butler walks.
• Alex Buchholz strikes out swinging.
• Chris McGuiness flies out to center fielder Che-Hsuan Lin.

Rhiner Cruz pitched an uneventful seventh and Pat Urckfitz allowed the final run in the eighth, but the 10-run sixth was too much to overcome. All of the RedHawks runs came via the long ball - Marc Krauss with a solo shot in the fifth and Brandon Laird (2x4) with a two-run homer in the sixth. George Springer was 0-fer again, but drew two walks and stole two bases. He is now at 36/41 in his attempt to join the 40/40 club.

Midland over Corpus Christi 4-3
As a reminder, the Hooks have already made the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half.

David Rollins threw the first four and a third, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk and was charged with the loss. He struck out five. Cameron Lamb followed with two and two-thirds scoreless frames. T.J. Geith allowed the final run across in the eighth and Kyle Hallock followed with a perfect ninth. Ronald Torreyes led off the third with a triple and was singled in by Kike Hernandez. Hernandez advanced to second on a wild pitch and then scored from second on an Erik Castro (3x4) single. The only other run came in the eighth on a Jonathan Meyer (2x4) home run.

Lancaster over Lake Elsinore 12-4
As a reminder, the JetHawks have also made the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half.

Mike Hauschild (7IP 7H 2R 2BB 2SO HR) put up a solid start to earn the win. Jordan Jankowski tossed a scoreless eighth and Travis Ballew allowed the final two Lake Elsinore runs in the ninth. The 'Hawks scored two in the first on a Tyler Heineman double, two in the second on a throwing error, one in the third on a Dan Gulbransen sac fly and one in the fourth as Delino DeShields scored on the catcher's throw to first on a swinging strikeout. Lancaster then put up a six-spot in the ninth, with DeShields scoring from third on a wild pitch and RBI from Tyler Heineman (sac fly), Brandon Meredith (double), Dan Gulbransen (single), Joe Sclafani (triple) and culmating in an RBI single from DeShields. In all, 11 men came to the plate in the frame. DeShields, Heineman, Meredith, Sclafani and Gulbransen all had multi-hit games.

Quad Cities over Cedar Rapids 7-1
Quad Cities is in second place for the second half (with the second place team advancing to the playoffs) and gained back a game over the third place team (Clinton) who they now lead by three and a half games with 11 games left to play.

Chris Devenski (7IP 9H 1R 8SO) got the win on a very nice start in which he allowed only one extra-base hit and no walks while striking out eight batters. Zach Morton pitched the final two, allowing two hits and striking out one. The Bandits first run came in the fourth as Teoscar Hernandez (2x5 2R SB) singled, stole second, advanced on a ground out and scored on a Danry Vasquez sac fly. Four runs scored in the fifth on RBI singles from Jordan Scott and Tony Kemp and a two-RBI double from Carlos Correa (1x3 2B BB 2RBI). The final two runs came in the seventh on a Terrell Joyce bases loaded walk and Teoscar Hernandez scoring from third on a fielding error. Roberto Pena was two-for-four and scored a run.

Tri-City at Vermont (postponed due to wet grounds)
Tri-City actually gained a half game on Lowell in the standings by virtue of Lowell's loss and now lead the division by one game with 14 left to play. They are also still very much in the hunt for the wild card (if they fall out of first place) where they trail Jamestown by a half game.

Danville over Greeneville 7-6
The bad news is that Greeneville fell out of first place with the loss. The good news is that the second place team still qualifies for the playoffs, but Elizabethton only trails Greeneville by one game for second place. The four-game losing streak they are on needs to end. Soon!

Enderson Franco got the start and allowed four runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk over three innings and was followed by scoreless outings from Sebastian Kessay and Austin Chrismon. Raul Rivera was charged with the blown save and the loss as he allowed three unearned runs to score in the ninth. Greeneville didn't have any big innings, but scored consistently throughout the game with runs coming across in the third, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth. Alfredo Gonzalez went four-for-five and scored a run. Ariel Ovando, Thomas Lindauer and Parker Hipp all had multi-hit games, with Hipp and Juan Santana also driving in two runs each. Lindauer had the only extra-base hit of the game, a double.

Astros over GCL Yankees1 7-6
Eliminated from the playoffs, the team still has an outside chance of putting up a winning record with six games left to play.

Javier Lozano was charged with two runs over his three and two-thirds innings with two of those being inherited runners allowed to score by Samil de los Santos. De los Santos didn't record an out and was charged with one run. Jorge Perez pitched the next four, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk. Justin Hess earned his first pro win pitching the final one and a third scoreless innings. It was a bit of a messy boxscore for the pitching staff, but they did combine to strikeout 10 batters. The Astros got the scoring started early with three in the first on a Javaris Reynolds solo homer, a Mesac Laguna RBI single, and culminating in a double-steal with Laguan stealing second and Ydarqui Marte stealing home. Another three scored in the fifth on a two-RBI triple from Jose Fernandez and an RBI single from Yonathan Mejia (2x4 RBI). Jason Martin scored what would ultimately be the winning run on a Laguna sac fly in the bottom of the eighth. Alex Gonzalez was two-for-four and scored a run.

DSL Astros over DSL Athletics 3-1
The DSL team has also been eliminated from the playoffs, but is now assured of a winning record with two games left to play.

Harold Arauz didn't allow his one hit until the fifth inning, cruising to his fifth win of the season. Cristhopher Santamaria only allowed one hit in his three innings as well. Kristian Trompiz (3x4) had an RBI single in the third and scored in the sixth after his lead-off triple. Oliver Toribio tripled and scored in the seventh on a Jarico Reynoso single.

Player of the Day: Delino DeShields went three-for-five, stole two bases (his 46th and 47th) and drew a walk. He scored from second on a throwing error, as well as scoring from third on a catcher's throw and a wild pitch. He was also involved in two double plays. Phew! Busy night for the second baseman.

Pitcher of the Day: Harold Arauz really needs to get a bit more attention. He only allowed one single (and two walks) in his start on Thursday and came very close to getting a shutout, as the only run scored against him came across before his team could finish converting a double play. In 16 appearances (12 starts) this season, he is 5-0 with a 1.91 ERA and a 0.894 WHIP.

Happy Birthday - 8/16

RHP Justin Hess (23)
Hess is one of our newer Astros, having only signed with Houston as a non-drafted free agent at the end of July. He has only made one appearance for the GCL team since then. For more on the college career of the former George Southern Eagle, go here.

2B Delino DeShields (21)
The Astros first round draft pick from 2010 has had a very good season with Lancaster, despite scuffling with injuries early on in the year. In 97 games, he has hit .309/.392/.448 with 23 doubles, ten triples, four home runs and 44 stolen bases.

2B Juan Santana (19)
Santana was signed by the Astros as an NDFA from the Dominican Republic at the end of 2010 and is currently playing in his first season in Greeneville, having graduated from playing in the GCL last season. In 47 games, he has compiled a .241/.292/.335 batting line.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Xavier Hernandez (48)
Originally drafted by Toronto in the fourth round in 1986, Hernandez came to Houston via the Rule 5 draft in December 1989. Hernandez played for the Astros from 1990 to 1993 and again in 1996. In 273 games, he was 22-19 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.234 WHIP.

OF Roger Cedeno (39)
Cedeno came to Houston in a December 1999 trade with the Mets and spent one season in the Astros organization before being traded to Detroit. In 74 games with the Astros, he hit .282/.383/.398. His best season was in 1999 when he hit .313/.396/.408 for the Mets with 66 stolen bases.

Checking in with Lancaster 2B Delino DeShields

As you may recall, Delino DeShields has agreed to check in from time-to-time throughout the season. It's been way too long since our last chat, but I talked to him over the weekend about The Futures Game, commuters and how his season is going.

WTH: Tell me a little about your Futures Game experience.

DD: It was a great opportunity for me and it was something that you dream of. It was one of my big goals coming up through the minor leagues. To be selected for that, it's a great honor and I was real blessed. It just showed how all the hard work paid off and I went up there and had fun. It was my first time visiting New York. I enjoyed the two days I was there. It was fun.

WTH: I don't think most minor league fans understand how tough "commuters" are, those out-of-town trips deemed too short for an overnight hotel stay. Now that you've experienced almost a full season with Lancaster, what do you think about commuters?

DD: They're terrible. You get on the bus every day and drive an hour and a half on a hot bus, getting home at 2:00 [in the morning] and have to get back on a bus at 2:00 in the afternoon. Getting home at 2:00 in the morning and having to shut it down, [and then] wake up and do it all over again. It's tough, man. It's really tough, but everybody has to go through it at some point so you just wear it.

WTH: You recently went through a 26-day stretch with no days off. How do you get through something like that?

DD: That was a long stretch, but we did the best we could to stay healthy. Our Manager did a great job of keeping our bodies fresh and not wearing us out. That was a long stretch, but we got through it and it was all good.

WTH: You had an extraordinary month in July (.349/.407/.500 with 19 stolen bases). What has been the key to that terrific stretch? [Note: DeShields has carried that over into August, hitting .556/.600/.944 with three doubles, two triples and three stolen bases in the first four games of the month.]

DD: I don't know. I guess I figured some stuff out. I'm seeing the ball really well, being more aggressive at the plate and on the bases, probably putting a bit more pressure on defense. I'm just continuing to go out there and have fun and enjoy the game that I love to play and not worrying about what the outcome will be at the end of the day. Just going out there and [playing] hard. Play hard and things will work in your favor. That's all. It's the same game as it was yesterday or 10 years ago or 60 years ago. It's the same game. You've just got to be consistent. Go out there, enjoy yourself and great things will come. Great things will happen.

I have no doubt that we will continue to see many great things from Delino before the season ends. Thank you for your time, Delino, and the best of luck as you head toward the playoffs.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Saturday's Games

Greeneville Astros 3, Bristol White Sox 4 
Greeneville scored three runs before Bristol answered back Saturday and once they did Greeneville fell behind. Troy Scribner took the start for the Astros and threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks as he struck out four. Krishawn Holley (3-1) tossed the final six outs and earned his second blown save and the loss. Holley gave up two runs on two hits, walked one and struck out one. Chase McDonald (1X4 R HR RBI SO) scored Greeneville's last run of the game when he hit a solo knock in the sixth inning. Tanner Mathis went nothing-for-one at the plate but scored a run in the fifth after drawing a walk, one of three he drew in the game.

GCL Astros 7, GCL Phillies 8

The Astros held a seven to two lead entering the ninth inning and allowed six runs to score in the bottom of the ninth, resulting in a loss. Jorge Perez and Joe Musgrove both pitched in the ninth inning and only Perez (.1 IP 2H 4ER 2BB) recorded an out. Together they allowed six runs on six hits and two walks. Musgrove (0-3), who allowed the final two runs, picked up the loss and his first blown save. Yonathan Mejia (2X5 R 2B HR 2RBI SO) began the scoring in the first inning with a two-run shot that scored Javaris Reynolds (2X3 2R 2BB SO). Jose Solano and Joel Silfa both went two-for-four in the game with a run scored. Solano also picked up his 21^st RBI of the season.

DSL Astros 7, DSL Indians 2

The DSL Astros nearly shut out their opponent on Saturday before giving up a pair of runs in the ninth inning. Joselo Pinales (2-0) picked up the win, going the first five innings on the mound and giving up just a hit and walk while he was there. Pinales struck out six. Luis Payano closed out at one-for-four batting with a couple walks, a strike out and a pair of RBI and run scored. Payano hit a triple in the fourth that plated the first two runs for Astros. Kristian Trompiz also hit one-for-four, but collected three RBI and a walk in the game. Payano and Trompiz accounted for six of their team’s seven runs on the day.

Tri-City Valley Cats 2, Aberdeen IronBirds 6

The Valley Cats scored first and last, but at one run an installment it was not enough for the win. It might have been had Tri-City not committed three errors which led to four unearned runs in the game. Chris Cotton strode to the hill first and worked four and a third, recording five runs (2ER) on seven hits (HR) and four Ks. Cotton (3-3) would take the loss.  Brett Booth and James Ramsay split four of Tri-City’s seven hits, both going two-for-four. Ramsay scored a run and hit a triple while Booth hit a two-bagger and struck out once.

Quad Cities River Bandits 5, Cedar Rapids Kernels 2

Starting pitcher Joe Bircher went seven innings on Saturday allowing just a run on a pair of hits and essentially slowed the Kernels offense down to just a trickle. Bircher (3-1) also struck out two on route to the win. While Bircher was working his magic the Quad Cities bats were busy. The River Bandits had 11 hits in the game and Carlos Correa and Austin "Catfish" Elkins were responsible for seven of them. Correa finished at four-for-five batting with a pair of RBIs and a strikeout while Elkins went three-for-four with two runs scored and an RBI, ending up a double short of cycling. Saturday's win is Quad Cities' seventh consecutive and moves them to half a game back in the second half standings (behind the Kernels).

High Desert Mavericks 9, Lancaster JetHawks 12

The JetHawks were down nine to three headed into the fifth inning. Through the fifth and sixth Lancaster scored nine uncontested runs and rode that rally to the win, marking their sixth double-digit score in a row. MP Cokinos (1X2 R HR 2RBI 2BB) and Luis Alvarez (2X3 2R 3B HR 2RBI BB) helped with the comeback, both hitting two-run homers in the sixth inning. Andrew Aplin (2X3 3R 2B 3RBI 2BB) also helped, batting in a run in the fifth and two in the sixth. Aplin stole a base too. Delino DeShields didn't have any RBIs but managed to keep himself in scoring position, hitting four-for-five in the game with three doubles and a triple, scoring three runs and striking out once. Kyle Smith, in his debut with the Houston organization, made it only two outs into the game, allowing four runs on four hits (HR) and walking a trio. Tyson Perez, who pitched the fifth through eighth, picked up the win, tallying three hits and a walk in his four innings of work. Travis Ballew earned his 18th save after completing the ninth with one hit, a walk and a K.

Midland RockHounds 8, Corpus Christi Hooks 1

The Hooks had two hits and one run in their loss at home on Saturday. The run came by way of a two out, Preston Tucker (1X2 R HR RBI BB) solo shot in the fourth inning. Ronald Torreyes (1X4) singled in the sixth inning for the only other hit of the game. Tucker also drew the only Hooks walk of the game. Kyle Hallock, who took the loss, (0-1) pitched the first four and a third, recording five runs, four hits (HR), four walks and four Ks.

Colorado Springs Sky Sox 5, Oklahoma City RedHawks 24

Sometimes the best offense is not a good defense. Sometimes the best offense is simply having tons of offense. The latter is certainly the strategy the RedHawks employed on Saturday at home as they won their ninth game in a row. Bobby Doran started on the mound and worked four and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, a pair of walks, while striking out three. Eric Berger (4-3) clocked in for the next one and a third, keeping it scoreless, allowing a hit, walking one and striking out three to pick up the win. Jon Singleton hit a grand slam in the first inning and Brandon Laird followed in the second with a three-run knock. Seven players had multiple hits for Oklahoma City and three had more than four RBI. There were 20 hits all told and they scored no less than three runs in five separate innings. Only one RedHawk struck out the game. Here's a look at the box score chronicling the RedHawks Saturday slug fest:

Player of the Day: The baseball gods shone on the Astros farm Saturday and so WTHB will shine as well. There were several outstanding performances yesterday and that means five guys are going to have to share the honor today.

First, Jon Singleton for his Grand Salami—a guarantee of the honors any day.

Next there is Brandon Laird who hit a three run homer and collected seven RBI on the day. That is rare and slightly intimidating.

Third, we have Carlos Correa, who was on fire, batting four-for-five Saturday to bring his RBI total to 63—pretty sweet.

Fourth is Mr. Delino DeShields. DeShields hit three doubles and a triple Saturday! How is that not honor worthy?

Last, but certainly not least, is "Catfish" Elkins who came up a double short of hitting for the cycle—another solid game.

So, in summation, if you think any of these guys doesn't deserve the honors today take it up with him. Just remember, they all know how to swing a bat.

Pitcher of the Day: Joe Bircher personified the expression "to be in the driver's seat" Saturday. For seven innings he slowed Cedar Rapids to a crawl and allowed his team get out ahead for the win. Nicely done.

WTHB Pitcher and Player of the Month for July

I have tallied the results of all of the WTHB Players and Pitchers of the Day for July in order to determine Player and Pitcher of the Month. A whopping 71 players received shoutouts during the month (including honorable mentions) with numerous players receiving multiple honors. With that said, here are the July winners.

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH - DELINO DESHIELDS, CHRIS EPPS AND BRANDON MEREDITH
Yes, it's a three-way tie as each of these Lancaster JetHawks players received three nods during the month of July. 2B Delino DeShields hit .349/.407/.500 in July with nine doubles, two triples, a home run and 19 stolen bases. OF Chris Epps, who largely flies under the radar and shouldn't, hit .314/.408/.480 in July and .410/.419/.641 in his last 10 games. Epps, a left-handed hitter, has always hit lefties very well and this year is no exception. He is hitting .368/.413/.649 off southpaws for the season. OF Brandon Meredith had a slow April, but has been making up for it ever since. Meredith hit .311/.433/.612 with eight doubles, one triple and seven home runs in July, and is hitting .438/.591/.719 in his last 10 games. Nicely done, gentleman.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH - BRAD PEACOCK
Brad Peacock has been quietly going about putting up a very good season for the Oklahoma City RedHawks. In July, he was 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP. In his last 10 games, going back to June 13th, he is 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA and a 1.047 WHIP. He has not thrown enough innings to qualify as a league leader, but his season ERA of 2.73 would put him in second place behind Asher Wojciechowski and his season WHIP of 1.101 would land him in first place, just ahead of Wojo. Not bad at all!

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING TWO PITCHER/PLAYER OF THE DAY HONORS DURING THE MONTH OF JULY:
Nolan Fontana
Preston Tucker
Rio Ruiz
George Springer
Tyler White
Joe Sclafani
Drew Muren
Max Stassi
Vincent Velasquez
Troy Scribner
Jake Buchanan
Mike Hauschild
Zach Morton
Joselo Pinales
T.J. Geith
David Martinez

PREVIOUS WINNERS:
April Player of the Month - Zach Johnson
April Pitchers of the Month - Jake Buchanan, Travis Ballew and Vincent Velasquez
May Player of the Month - Andrew Aplin
May Pitcher of the Month - Jake Buchanan with honorable mention to David Martinez
June Player of the Month - M.P. Cokinos
June Pitchers of the Month - Asher Wojciechowski and Luis Cruz

Astros Minor League Recaps

Sunday's Games

Oklahoma City over Iowa 4-3
Asher Wojciechowski got the start and the win as he pitched six innings, allowing two runs on six hits. Philip Humber and Jorge de Leon each pitched an inning of scoreless relief, and Josh Zeid got his 13th save despite adding one to the run column in the ninth. The RedHawks got one across in the second on a Marwin Gonzalez (2x3) RBI double, but the rest came via the long ball ... a solo shot from Jon Singleton in the fifth and a two-run bomb from the bombardier himself, George Springer (2x4), in the sixth. It was Springer's 29th of the season. Jimmy Paredes was two-for-three and stole a base.

Corpus Christi over Midland 5-2
R.J. Alaniz (6H 4BB 2SO) allowed the only two Midland runs in his six innings before he gave way to two scoreless frames from Carlos Quevedo. Andrew Robinson got his second save of the season with a perfect ninth. Robinson is quietly going about having a nice stretch; in his last 10 games, he has a 1.64 ERA and a 0.818 WHIP. The Hooks scored three in the first inning, starting with Drew Muren scoring from third on a wild pitch and the other two coming on an Erik Castro double and a Jonathan Meyer (2x4) single. The fourth run came in the third on Domingo Santana's 17th home run of the season, and Rene Garcia (2x4) singled in Jio Mier for the final run of the game.

Rancho Cucamonga over Lancaster 11-10
This was one that got away. Luis Cruz (7H 5R 1BB 6SO) got hit hard, giving up two doubles and two home runs in his five frames. Tyson Perez and Kenny Long followed, allowing two runs each in their outings and were followed by a perfect three-strikeout eighth from Blair Walters. In the top of the ninth, the JetHawks re-took the lead. Unfortunately, Travis Ballew couldn't hang on to it in the bottom of the frame and allowed two runs, only to be charged with a blown save and a loss. Matt Duffy (1x3 BB 2R) drew first blood, scoring on a wild pitch in the third. Two more came across in the fifth on a Delino DeShields (3x4 3B HR 5RBI R) triple, one more in the sixth and three in the seventh on a three-run DeShields home run. Two more scored in the eighth on a Joe Sclafani (2x4 2B 3B 2RBI 2R) triple and a Chris Epps (3x3 RBI 2R) sac fly, and one more in the ninth on a M.P. Cokinos single.

Quad Cities over Beloit 9-1
Joe Bircher had a terrific outing in only his second start with Quad Cities after coming back from a rehab assignment. In seven scoreless innings, he only gave up three hits and two walks while striking out a pair. Mitch Lambson kept the shutout going through the eighth, but ultimately allowed one run in the ninth. Quad Cities roughed up the Beloit starting pitcher early, collecting five runs in the first inning. Teoscar Hernandez (3x5 2B HR RBI 3R) got it started with a solo homer and was followed by two-run doubles from both Rio Ruiz (3x5 2B 3RBI R) and Terrell Joyce (2x5 2-2B 2RBI). Two more came across on a Carlos Correa (2x4 2B 2RBI R) sac fly and a Dan Gulbransen (2x4 2B BB RBI R) single in the second. Correa doubled in another run in the fourth and Ruiz drove in the final run in the ninth.

Connecticut over Tri-City 3-0
Andrew Thurman (5IP 6H 2R 1BB 4SO HR) took the loss and was followed by by one inning from Richard Rodriguez who allowed the final run across in the sixth. Michael Feliz pitched the final three scoreless innings with four hits and four strikeouts. The ValleyCats only collected four hits in the shutout with Tony Kemp and Brett Booth each collecting two hits with a double. Booth also collected the only 'Cats walk of the game. Jon Kemmer was credited with an outfield assist.

Greeneville over Pulaski 10-1
See Appy Astros Eyewitness Account here.

GCL Astros and DSL Astros - Day Off

Pitcher of the Day: Joe Bircher appears to be back from his rehab with a vengeance. It is my honor to honor him for his seven shutout innings.

Players of the Day: Delino DeShields was a double shy of the cycle and drove in five runs. Teoscar Hernandez was a triple shy of the cycle, scored three runs and contributed an outfield assist to the mix. (He is hitting .317/.370/.610 over his last 10 games.) Rio Ruiz deserves acknowledgement for his three RBI day as well.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Tuesday's Games

Oklahoma City over Albuquerque 4-3
Starter Asher Wojciechowski did not start off well as he walked three and then gave up a two-out bases clearing double in the first inning, but then settled in nicely to put up five additional scoreless innings; and Eric Berger, Jose Valdez and Josh Zeid kept the door tightly shut. [As a side note, it was announced yesterday that Jarred Cosart and Jason Stoffel were named to the All-Star team. I have been a fan of Stoffel and I still am, but I really think Josh Zeid earned that spot with the season he's had.] The RedHawks countered in the bottom of the frame with two runs on RBI singles from George Springer (1x4 2RBI) and Jon Singleton (1x4), and took the lead in the fifth as Brandon Laird (2x4 2B RBI R) doubled in one run and Jonathan Villar (1x3 BB 2R SB) scored a second on a ground out. Jose Martinez was two-for-four and Robbie Grossman was one-for-two with two walks and scored a run.

Corpus Christi - Travel Day

Lancaster over Bakersfield 12-1
The good news is that the tandem rotation is over. The bad news is that the JetHawks haven't announced who will constitute the 6-man rotation yet. The best news is that Lancaster just got their 50th win of the season more than two weeks before they achieved that benchmark last season. Tyson Perez got the start and allowed the only run of the game, an unearned run in the fifth, as he pitched six very strong innings allowing only three hits and one walk. He was followed by two perfect innings from Cameron Lamb and one perfect inning from Michael Dimock. The JetHawks scored early and often with big RBI nights from Delino DeShields (2x3 2B 2BB 2RBI 3R), Nolan Fontana (2x3 2B 2BB 3RBI 2R), Andrew Aplin (1x3 2B BB 2RBI 2R) and M.P. Cokinos (2x5 2B 3RBI).

Quad Cities over Clinton 7-6
The tandem rotation at Quad Cities is over as well. Steve Batterson of the Quad Cities Times reported that the 6-man rotation will consist of Colton Cain, Lance McCullers, Vincent Velasquez, Juan Minaya, Jordan Jankowski and Mike Hauschild. Joe Bircher (rehabbing with the GCL), Brian Holmes and Daniel Minor are all currently on the DL and didn't make the cut.

Lance McCullers had a tough start in this one, allowing six runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out four over only three and two-thirds innings. Two of those runs came across as Juri Perez (3.1IP 2H 1BB 2SO) took the mound in relief of McCullers. John Neely pitched the final two frames (2H 2SO) and was rewarded with a "W" as the River Bandits scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in controversial fashion (h/t to Appy Astros). Down 6-1 at one point, Quad Cities chipped away at the Clinton lead with good performances from Jordan Scott (2x5 2B RBI R), Jesse Wierzbicki (1x3 BB HR 2RBI R), Rio Ruiz (2x4 2B 2R) and Roberto Pena (1x4 2B 2RBI).

Vermont over Tri-City 2-1 in 7 innings (Game 1)
Kyle Westwood got the start and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out four, and was followed by an inning from Albert Minnis (1H 0R 0BB). The bad news is that Tri-City was held to four hits in the game. The good news is that three of those hits were doubles (Tony Kemp, Dan Gulbransen and Ronnie Mitchell). Mitchell scored the lone Tri-City run in the fifth on a ground out.

Tri-City over Vermont 2-1 in 7 innings (Game 2)
Chris Cotton (2IP 1SO), Andrew Walter (4IP 1H 1R 2SO HR) and Patrick Christensen (1IP 3SO) combined on this one-hitter. Unfortunately, that lone hit happened to be a solo home run. The two ValleyCats runs came in the fourth as Dan Gulbransen scored on a Jon Kemmer ground out and Adam Nelubowich drove in Luis Alvarez with a single. Tri-City only managed five hits in this one, two of those being Alvarez doubles.

Greeneville - Off Day

GCL Astros - Postponed

DSL Astros over DSL Athletics 4-1 in 6-1/2 innings (called early due to rain)
Juan Hernandez, Junior Garcia and Juan Delis combined to allow only four hits in the abbreviated win. The Astros put up one in the third courtesy of a Jarico Reynoso home run and then added three more in the top of the seventh before the game was called. Brian Pena and Dariel Aquino (RBI) both went two-for-three. Hector Roa was one-for-three with a triple, RBI and run scored.

Players of the Day: I can't decide between Delino DeShields and Nolan Fontana, so let's go with both! DeShields' bat appears to be heating up as he has been seven-for-fifteen in his last four games. Similarly, since coming back after 10 days out of the line-up, Fontana is hitting .313 with five doubles, eight RBI and eight walks to five strikeouts in his last eight games.

Pitcher of the Day: Tyson Perez gets some love today for a great outing and for transitioning Lancaster into the post-piggyback era.

All-Star Futures Game

The All-Star Futures Game rosters were announced today and Astros farmhands George Springer and Delino DeShields made the cut. There will be a final participant on the U.S. team and the World Team as voted by fans. Carlos Correa is on the ballot for this final spot for the World Team and you can vote for him here. I do not believe that there is a limit to the number of votes you can make so I encourage everyone to vote early and vote often!!! The deadline for voting is Sunday, June 30th.

Tweet of the Day

Delino DeShields ‏@LinoDeShields
Baseball is the most humbling sport In the world. No doubt about it.

Photo Friday - Lancaster Edition

I haven't labeled my Lancaster trip photos yet. I haven't even finished weeding out the bad ones, but if you're game to look through a ton of photos, you can find them here. In the meantime, here are some of my favorites.

 Brady Rodgers 

Chris Devenski

T.J. Geith

Delino DeShields

Luis Cruz

Tyler Heineman

David Rollins

Telvin Nash

Brady Rodgers

Photos by Jayne Hansen

 All Rights Reserved*

*The players featured in these photos are hereby granted permission to use these photos for personal use. All other uses require permission and acknowledgment.

Checking in with Delino DeShields

As you may recall, Delino DeShields has agreed to check in from time-to-time throughout the season. This time, I was able to literally catch up with him in person on Sunday, the day he was activated from the DL.

DeShields hasn't been able to get much momentum going yet this season with injuries to his finger and thumb. According to Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson, Delino's timing was off after the first injury and he was just getting back in stride when he was injured again. Robinson is working with DeShields to make sure he sees some pitches, works the counts and does what a good lead-off man does. If he does that, the hits will follow.