Meet the Tri-City ValleyCats

Let's meet the 2019 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, Massachusetts in 1989, where it remained a Mets affiliate until 2000. Before the 2001 season, the team switched its affiliation to the Houston Astros. In 2002, the club moved to Troy, where they turned into the ValleyCats.

The ValleyCats are the defending New York-Penn League champions; last year, they swept the Hudson Valley Renegades in the NYPL Championship Series to earn their third NYPL championship in franchise history.

They got swept in their first series of the season up in Vermont but they will open up the home portion of their schedule tonight against Staten Island. Sunday's game was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on August 25.

Now, without further ado... the 2019 Tri-City ValleyCats.

New manager Ozney Guillén is the youngest son of former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén. According to the ValleyCats' press release announcing this year's staff appointments, Guillén recently concluded his playing career, which was mainly spent in the independent leagues and Venezuela. In his first coaching job, he gets to take the reins of a team right out of the gate. He takes over for Jason Bell, who will assume a new role as Fundamentals Coordinator.

New pitching coach John Kovalik spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach at his alma mater, Slippery Rock University, a Division II school in Pennsylvania.

Sean Godfrey, the ValleyCats' new hitting coach, was drafted by the Braves in the 22nd round out of Ball State in 2014 and played in the Atlanta organization until 2016. He spent the last two seasons with the Schaumburg Flyers in the independent Frontier League.

COACHING STAFF

Manager: Ozney Guillén
Hitting Coach: Sean Godfrey
Pitching Coach: John Kovalik
Performance Coach: Jake Buffa
Athletic Trainer: Brandon Zumbach
Strength Coach: Michael Hoffman

This roster is the one that currently appears on MiLB.com. Expect to see some of the 2019 draftees to file in over the next couple of weeks. It's currently an extremely young roster, especially in the outfield, and many of these players were playing in the complex leagues last year,

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

PITCHERS

Jayson Schroeder, last year's 2nd-round pick, headlines the staff. There are plenty of intriguing arms on this staff: Valente Bellozo made 14 appearances last season and 12 of them were scoreless. Manny Ramirez has a mid-90s fastball to pair with a potential wipeout slider.

Angel Macuare signed in the same international free agent class (2016-17) as Jairo Solís and the Astros gave him the second-biggest bonus among the pitchers that they signed during that period; only Cionel Pérez got a bigger bonus. However, Macuare's progress has been a bit of a slower burn than Solís, who was poised to rise through the system before he had to undergo Tommy John surgery. Now that he's out of the complex leagues, Macuare will look to continue his own progress up the ladder.

Guadalupe Chavez was originally acquired from the Blue Jays for Scott Feldman in 2016, but he abruptly retired before the 2017 season. He returned to baseball in 2018 and was subsequently loaned out to Quintana Roo of the Mexican League. Now, Chavez has returned to the Astros system and hopefully, he has been able to resolve whatever issues he had that forced him to step away from baseball.

Valente Bellozo - International free agent, 2017 (Mexico); played with DSL Astros in 2018
Guadalupe Chavez - Acquired via trade with Blue Jays in exchange for Scott Feldman, 2016; Quintana Roo (Mexican League), but was on their reserve team
Jervic Chavez - International free agent, 2016 (Venezuela); GCL Astros
Franny Cobos - International free agent, 2017 (Cuba); DSL Astros
Luis De Paula - International free agent, 2016 (Dominican Republic); Tri-City
Miguel Figueroa - 24th round, 2018 draft (Oklahoma City University); GCL in 2018, appeared in three games for Corpus Christi prior to being assigned to Tri-City
Ernesto Jaquez - International free agent, 2017 (Dominican Republic); DSL/GCL/Tri-City, currently on IL
Angel Macuare - International free agent, 2016 (Venezuela); GCL Astros
Christian Mejías - International free agent, 2016 (Venezuela); DSL/GCL
Hansel Paulino - International free agent, 2014 (Dominican Republic); Tri-City/Quad Cities
Manny Ramírez - International free agent, 2017 (Dominican Republic); GCL/Tri-City, appeared in two games for Quad Cities prior to being assigned to Tri-City
Julio Robaina - International free agent, 2017 (Cuba); GCL Astros, appeared in two games for Quad Cities prior to being assigned to Tri-City
Jayson Schroeder - 2nd round, 2018 draft (Juanita HS, Kirkland, Washington); GCL Astros, appeared in three games (one start) for Quad Cities prior to being assigned to Tri-City

POSITION PLAYERS

2019 first-round pick Korey Lee headlines the squad. Matt Barefoot (6), C.J. Stubbs (10), Zach Biermann (23), Preston Pavlica (24), and A.J. Lee (34) are also with the team, but they haven't been officially added to the roster yet.

Deury Carrasco is a speedster and one of the most exciting athletes in the system. He's certainly capable of making some huge plays with his bat, in the field, and definitely with his feet. Yorbin Ceuta received a $1 million bonus in 2016. He's shown a discerning eye at the plate so far but he'll have to translate some of his potential into on-field results.

Joe Perez appears to have finally received a clean bill of health. A second-round pick in 2017, Perez is a third baseman/former pitcher with legit power potential, but he's fallen behind the curve a bit due to injuries. Perez will need all the at-bats he can get.

Catchers

Korey Lee - 1st round, 2019 draft (Cal); making pro debut
Juan Paulino - 27th round, 2018 draft (Western Oklahoma State College); GCL Astros
Nathan Perry - 5th round, 2017 draft (Bassett HS, Bassett, Virginia); GCL/Tri-City

Infielders

Deury Carrasco - International free agent, 2016 (Dominican Republic); GCL/Tri-City
Yorbin Ceuta - International free agent, 2016 (Venezuela); GCL Astros
Joe Perez - 2nd round, 2017 draft (Archbishop McCarthy HS, Southwest Ranches, Florida); GCL Astros
Juan Piñeda - International free agent, 2014 (Panama); Tri-City; appeared in two games for Fayetteville prior to being assigned to Tri-City.
Yeuris Ramírez - International free agent, 2015 (Dominican Republic); GCL Astros

Outfielders

Yefri Carrillo - International free agent, 2017 (Venezuela); DSL Astros
Yimmi Cortabarria - International free agent, 2017 (Venezuela); DSL Astros
Hector Martinez - International free agent, 2014 (Dominican Republic); GCL Astros; appeared in five games for Corpus Christi prior to being assigned to Tri-City
Franklin Pinto - International free agent, 2017 (Venezuela); DSL Astros
Andrés Santana - 29th round, 2017 draft (Doral Academy, Doral, Florida); GCL/Tri-City

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Fresno 8, Sacramento 3

W- Josh James (3-4)
L- Daniel Camarena (0-5)

Fresno home runs: Jake Marisnick (3, 2-run in 4th)

The Tacos busted this game open with a four-run 3rd inning, it was #JakeDay in the Central Valley, and Josh James racked up the strikeouts once again.

James, however, had to settle for a bare minimum quality start after the Rivercats got to him for three runs in the 6th. He allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out a dozen in probably the most dominant bare minimum quality start I've heard of. Ken Giles, Dean Deetz, and Buddy Boshers all turned in scoreless innings. Giles, in his first AAA appearance since 2014, allowed two hits and fanned two in the 7th. Sacramento loaded the bases on Deetz in the 8th with a couple of hits and a walk, but he got out of it unscathed, striking out two in the process. Boshers struck out two in a 1-2-3 9th.

Jake doubled with one out in the 3rd and scored on a D.J. Fisher single. Taylor Jones legged out an infield single and J.D. Davis walked to load the bases for Yordan Alvarez, who came through with a two-run single. Jack Mayfield followed with an RBI double. Tony Nuñez walked to start the 4th and one batter later, Marisnick launched a homer. Fisher singled and eventually scored on a base hit from Davis. Mayfield scored Fresno's final run in the 5th on an error after Nuñez flied out.

Jake finished 3-5 on the evening, a triple shy of the cycle. Fisher, Jones, Davis, and Mayfield all finished with two hits in the contest.

Cy Sneed will face Casey Kelly in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 3

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (4-0, 4-1 season)
L- Ryne Slack (1-3)

CC home runs: Stephen Wrenn (7, 2-run in 5th)

Frisco broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the 9th... only to see the Hooks walk off with the win in the bottom of the 9th.

Jorge Alcala turned in the longest outing of his career. He threw eight innings and the two runs he allowed came on a homer, which was the only extra-base hit that he allowed all night. Alcala allowed five other hits, walked one, and struck out eight. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, a single, and struck out one in the 9th.

Both teams hit two-run homers in the 5th; Stephen Wrenn was responsible and his blast in the bottom half tied the game. The Hooks loaded the bases to start the 9th by drawing three walks, one intentionally. Wrenn, who led off the inning, scored the tying run on a sac fly from Chas McCormick. Alex De Goti got plunked to re-load the bases for Eduardo de Oleo, who won it by legging out an infield single that scored Josh Rojas. De Goti finished 3-4 with a double and de Oleo finished 2-5 with the winning base hit. Wrenn scored twice and stole two bases, which gives him 32 thefts on the year.

Hector Perez will make his first Texas League start in the series finale. He'll face Brett Martin at 7:05.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros will start a three-game series with Salem tonight at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

Parker Mushinski will start the first of a three-game series against South Bend at 6:35. He will be opposed by Erling Moreno.

Brooklyn 5, Tri-City 0

W- Jaison Vilera (3-1)
L- Mark Moclair (1-3)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats were kept off the scoreboard to begin a new series.

Tri-City's only extra-base hit in this game was a double from Alex Holderbach.

Mark Moclair allowed two runs on two hits, walked two, and struck out four in 1.2 innings. Shawn Dubin was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and had the longest outing as he allowed a run on four hits and struck out two in 2.1 innings of work. Brett Conine and Hansel Paulino both threw two innings. Conine allowed a run on two hits and struck out three, while Paulino was the only ValleyCats pitcher who turned in a scoreless outing; he allowed a hit and fanned two. Riley Cabral allowed a run on three hits and struck out one in the 9th.

Tri-City gets back to it at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Nationals 3

W- Miguel Figueroa (1-1)
L- Bobby Milacki (2-1)

GCL home runs: Deury Carrasco (1, solo in 6th)

The Palm Beach Stros scored twice in the 8th to snatch a win from their complex mates.

David Paulino went three innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, walked one, and struck out two. Jayson Schroeder, the Astros' second-round pick in last month's draft, made his pro debut and worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 4th. Layne Henderson allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two in three scoreless, and Miguel Figueroa allowed a couple of hits and struck out one over two scoreless innings.

Sean Mendoza went 2-4 and scored the GCL squad's first run of the day on a Carlos Diaz groundout in the 5th inning. Deury Carrasco smacked a solo homer in the 6th, giving him the first home run of his career. Carrasco tied the game with an RBI triple in the 8th and scored the go-ahead run on Mendoza's single. Carrasco and Yorbin Ceuta also finished with two hits on the afternoon.

DSL Astros 2, DSL Red Sox1 1

W- Valente Bellozo (1-1)
L- Aldo Ramirez (1-2)
S- Alfredi Jimenez (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy only had two hits on the day... but they scored more runs, so they got the win.

Their two runs came on an error that allowed Jeury Castillo and Javier Bermúdez to score in the 2nd inning.

Valente Bellozo allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out two over five shutout innings and Alfredi Jimenez allowed an unearned run on four hits and fanned five over the last four innings.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

DSL Astros pitchers: W 2-1 vs. Red Sox 1
9 IP, 7 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 7 K
Valente Bellozo: W (1-1), 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Alfredi Jimenez: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 5 K

GCL Astros bullpen: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Jayson Schroder: IP, H, BB in pro debut
Layne Henderson: 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K
Miguel Figueroa: W (2-1), 2 IP, 2 H, K

Deury Carrasco, IF, and Sean Mendoza, IF, GCL Astros
Carrasco: 2-4, 3B, solo HR (1, 1st of career), 2 RBI, 2 R
Mendoza: 2-4, RBI, R

Stephen Wrenn, OF, and Eduardo de Oleo, C, Corpus Christi

Wrenn: 2-R HR (7), 2 R, 2 SB (32)

De Oleo: 2-5, walk-off RBI single in 9th

Jorge Alcala, RHP, Corpus Christi

Career-high 8 IP, 6 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 8 K

Jake Marisnick, OF, Fresno

3-5, 2B, 2-R HR (3), 2 R

Josh James, RHP, Fresno

6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 6, 2018

Sweep!

Fresno 8, Las Vegas 1

W- Rogelio Armenteros (7-0)
L- Scott Copeland (1-1)
S- Buddy Boshers (2)

Fresno home runs: D.J. Fisher (5, 2-run in 3rd)

Fresno scored five runs in the final two innings to salt this one away.

D.J. Fisher opened the scoring in the 3rd by launching a two-run homer. He added an RBI single to his ledger in the 5th inning. Fresno parlayed a bases-loaded situation in the 7th into three runs as Tony Nuñez scored when A.J. Reed grounded into a force out. Taylor Jones followed with a two-run triple. Jack Mayfield and Garrett Stubbs executed a double steal in the 8th and an errant throw allowed Mayfield to score. Stubbs scored the final run of the evening on a botched force out attempt that allowed Fisher to reach; Fisher was credited with an RBI, his fourth of the evening. He finished 2-4.

Rogelio Armenteros went six innings and the one run he allowed came on a homer. He allowed two other hits, walked one, and struck out seven. Buddy Boshers pitched three scoreless to close it out; he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three.

The Grizzlies and 51s will conclude this series with a doubleheader starting at 5:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 9, Arkansas 4

W- Brandon Bielak (2-0, 7-3 season)
L- Chase de Jong (4-4)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (1, 15 season; 3-run in 5th)

The Raspas rattled off eight runs in the 5th to turn this one into a laugher.

Brandon Bielak came out a winner in his first Texas League start as he allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out five over 6.2 shutout innings. Carlos Sierra got the final out of the 7th with a strikeout but the Travelers got to him for four runs. He allowed the runs, two on a homer, on three hits, walked one, and struck out the side in the 8th. Erasmo Pinales struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th.

Corpus rattled off 18 hits in this romp. Stephen Wrenn and Alex De Goti had four apiece. Wrenn kept the third inning alive with a double and opened the scoring when he came home on a single from Randy César. Things got a bit crazy in the 5th.

Chas McCormick kicked it off with a double and he moved to third on a base hit from Josh Rojas. Wrenn put the squeeze on and got McCormick home. Rojas and Wrenn both advanced a base on a César groundout, and one batter later, Abraham Toro announced his arrival in the Texas League in the form of a three-run home run. Ryne Birk restarted everything by drawing a walk, which prompted the Travs to make a pitching change. Alex De Goti greeted the new pitcher, Spencer Herrmann, with a double. He and Birk scored when Lorenzo Quintana smacked a double. Aníbal Sierra took Quintana's place at second when he brought him in with a double. Sierra scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch. Birk, Sierra, and Quintana all finished with two hits on the night.

Corbin Martin will get the start as the Raspas welcome Northwest Arkansas to Whataburger Field. He'll take on Scott Blewett at 7:05.

Buies Creek 11, Myrtle Beach 0

W- Brandon Bailey (3-8)
L- Erich Uelmen (2-1)

BC home runs: Carlos Canelón (1, 2-run in 1st)

The Carolina Stros dominated the Pelicans in all facets of the game on Friday.

Brady Rodgers continued his rehab by allowing a hit and fanning two in a scoreless 1st. Brandon Bailey allowed six hits and struck out six in six innings, and Jesús Balaguer completed the shutout by allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out four in the final two innings.

Every position player who appeared in the game for Buies Creek reached base; Jake Meyers, who came on as a sub, walked in his one plate appearance. Osvaldo Duarte was the only man in the starting nine who didn't drive in a run.

Brett Adcock faces Bryan Hudson in game four of this series. First pitch is at 5:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 2, Burlington 1

W- Peter Solomon (6-1)
L- Oliver Ortega (3-5)
S- Carlos Sanabria (8)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos held off the Bees to get the win on Friday.

Seth Beer walked to lead off the 3rd and scored the game's first run on a sac fly from Chandler Taylor. Beer grounded into a force out that scored Marty Costes in the 4th. Costes went 3-4 on the night.

Parker Mushinski and Peter Solomon both threw four innings. Mushinski allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out a career-high nine and Solomon allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked one, and struck out six. Carlos Sanabria struck out the side in order in the 9th to finish it off.

Quad Cities and Burlington will play game two of this series at 6:35.

Tri-City 6, Vermont 1

W- Juan Pablo Lopez (1-0)
L- Rafael Kelly (1-3)

TC home runs: Gilberto Celestino (3, solo in 6th)

The ValleyCats busted this game open with three runs in the 7th as they took four of six from the Lake Monsters. I'm sure both of these teams are looking forward to playing other people.

Felipe Tejada got things started by allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out three over two scoreless innings. Juan Pablo Lopez had the longest stint on the mound; he allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out one. Ian Hardman worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 6th, striking out two. Brett Conine allowed the one run on two hits and struck out three in his two innings, and Devin Conn worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Trey Dawson doubled to lead off the 4th and he scored the first run of the night on a double from Jeremy Peña. Gilberto Celestino smacked a solo homer in the 6th inning. Austin Dennis and Juan Piñeda walked to lead off the 7th. Dennis, who stole second before Piñeda joined him on the bases, scored on an Oscar Campos double. Dawson hit a sac fly to score Piñeda and Celestino added an RBI single to his ledger. Enmanuel Valdez scored the final run of the game on an error following a César Salazar double. Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit; Celestino, who homered in every game of the Tri-City leg of this series, and Valdez both finished 2-4.

The ValleyCats will start a three-game series with Aberdeen tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 11, GCL Marlins 3

W- Kyle Serrano (1-0)
L- Brady Puckett (0-1)
S- Angel Macuare (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros got off to a quick start and then poured it on with a six-run 5th inning.

David Paulino began his rehab stint by allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and striking out five in three innings. Kyle Serrano got two outs in the fourth, one via strikeout, and walked two. Freylin Garcia got Serrano out of that jam and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing a walk and striking out two. Angel Macuare pitched the final four innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked three, and struck out four.

Wilyer Abreu had a huge afternoon as he went 3-5 with a couple of doubles, a two-run single, and scored two runs. One of his doubles also resulted in two runs. Ronaldo Urdaneta hit into a force out that scored Nerio Rodriguez in the 4th and added a two-run double to his ledger in the 5th. Deury Carrasco hit an RBI single in the 2nd and an RBI triple in the 5th.

DSL Astros 6, DSL Royals1 0

W- Alfredi Jimenez (1-0)
L- Anderson Paulino (0-1)
S- Franny Cobos (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy blanked the Royals on Friday as three pitchers combined to throw the shutout.

Jherson Pereira, Alfredi Jimenez, and Franny Cobos all threw three innings. Pereira and Jimenez both allowed two hits and struck out one, while Cobos allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out five.

Victor Mascai opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 5th and Rolando Espinosa scored on an Abraham Castillo groundout. The DSLstros scored four more in the 7th as Mascai scored on a single from Enmanuel Morillo and then Yefri Carrillo cleared the bases with a double.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

DSL Astros pitchers: W 6-0 @ DSL Royals1; 9 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Jherson Pereira: 3 IP, 2 H, K
Alfredi Jimenez: W (1-0), 3 IP, 2 H, K
Franny Cobos: Save (1), 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Yefri Carrillo, OF, DSL Astros: 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI

Wilyer Abreu, OF, GCL Astros: 3-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R
Sean Mendoza, IF, GCL Astros: 4-4, 2B, 2 R, SB (1)
Deury Carrasco, IF, GCL Astros: 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI

.@communitypark12 pic.twitter.com/AnNLxquJto

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) June 27, 2018

.@hundopete pic.twitter.com/ZomNqB67Vc

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) June 16, 2018

Carlos Sanabria pic.twitter.com/vWMo82hTEs

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) July 26, 2017

Photos by Rich Guill
Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 2-1 vs. Burlington
9 IP, 5 H, unearned run, 3 BB, 18 K
Parker Mushinski: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, career-high 9 K
Peter Solomon: W (6-1), 4 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 6 K
Carlos Sanabria: Save (8), IP, 3 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Corpus Christi Hooks: W 9-4 vs. Arkansas

Brandon Bielak: W (2-0), 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Stephen Wrenn: 4-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (24)

Josh Rojas: 4-5, 2 2B, R

Abraham Toro: 3-R HR (1, 15 season) in Texas League debut

Lorenzo Quintana: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Follow the Buies Creek Astros on Twitter @bcreekastros

Buies Creek Astros: W 11-0 vs. Myrtle Beach

Brady Rodgers: IP, H, 2 K

Brandon Bailey: W (3-8), 6 IP, 6 H, 6 K

Jesús Balaguer: 2 IP, H, BB, 4 K

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

Carlos Canelón: 2-R HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R

Cody Bohanek: 2-4, RBI, R

Photo by Bryan Green

Gilberto Celestino, OF, Tri-City

2-4, solo HR (3), 2 RBI, SB (10); 3rd consecutive game with HR

D.J. Fisher, OF, Fresno

2-4, 2-R HR (5), 4 RBI, 2 R, SB (4)

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 8-1 vs. Las Vegas

9 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 10 K

Rogelio Armenteros: W (7-0), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 7 K

Buddy Boshers: Save (2), 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Beyond the Top 30: Shortstops

As the old year fades away and the new season approaches, it's time to start looking at those players of interest who are beyond the Top 30. These players may not ever make a Top 30 list (or they may), but a combination of projections, actual results, incremental improvements and intangibles keep them in the mix as interesting players to watch. I am not including any players in these posts who have already made their major league debuts since, presumably, anyone reading my blog is already very familiar with those players.

Note: Most of the 2018 player rankings haven't been released yet so I will be using the MLB Pipeline postseason list and the Baseball Prospectus Top 10+ list to denote those players who are currently considered Top 30 type players in the Astros system. Once Baseball America and FanGraphs weigh in, and MLB Pipeline posts their 2018 pre-season list, I will post a consensus top prospect list.

[UPDATES TO FINAL 2018 PRE-SEASON RANKINGS SHOWN IN RED.

BA= BASEBALL AMERICA, BP = BASEBALL PROSPECTUS,

FG=FANGRAPHS, MLB = MLB PIPELINE]

SHORTSTOPS IN THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Jonathan Arauz - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Jonathan Arauz (S/R) - BP #6, FG #16, MLB #22, BA #23
Arauz is currently ranked by Baseball Prospectus at number 6 and by MLB Pipeline at number 23. After missing the first 50 games of the 2017 season on the restricted list (tested positive for a methamphetamine), Arauz was sent to Quad Cities where he hit a less than robust .220/.331/.276 in 36 games and was subsequently demoted to Tri-City for the remainder of the season. He hit .264/.341/.364 at the lower level. But keep in mind that he is a solid defender who only turned 19 toward the end of the 2017 season. Look for Arauz to start the 2018 season back with Quad Cities where he will try to catch up with full season A pitching.

Freudis Nova (R/R) - BA #5, MLB #5, FG #7, BP #11+
The Astros were able to sign Nova in July 2016 for 1.2 million, roughly half of his projected bonus after Nova tested positive for steroid use and was thought to have a potential issue with his elbow. Nova was cited by Baseball America as being one of the top athletes in the 2016 class. In his first season with the Dominican Summer League in 2017, Nova split his time between shortstop and third base. He may very well be moved to the hot corner as he is projected to have the bat and the arm for the position. He started off the season extremely hot before cooling off in his final month of play, hitting .247/.342/.355 with six doubles, four home runs, eight stolen bases and 15 walks to 33 strikeouts in 47 games while his defense improved throughout the season. The Dominican-born Nova won't turn 18 until January 12th. Nova is currently listed as number 11 by MLB Pipeline and in the 11-20 range by Baseball Prospectus.

Miguelangel Sierra (R/R) - BA #30, FG #28+
Miguelangel Sierra, however, does not currently project to move out of a middle infield position. In his third season of playing since signing for $1 million in July 2014, Sierra exhibited plus defense at short with a bat that lagged behind in his 57 games at short season A Tri-City (.178/.260/.297). He is not ranked by Baseball Prospectus and will likely fall from his current number 16 ranking by MLB Pipeline based on his regression with the bat. Having turned 20 on December 2nd, Sierra will need to show a more disciplined line drive, high contact approach at the plate in his fourth season.

SHORTSTOPS BEYOND THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Kristian Trompiz - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Cody Bohanek (R/R)
As the only signed shortstop in the 2017 Astros draft class (30th round, University of Illinois at Chicago), Bohanek impressed the front office enough with his excellent fielding at rookie level Greeneville that he was rewarded with a promotion to the Quad Cities full season A club for the last 10 games of the regular season (and the postseason). Bohanek also displayed a decent bat in his first 56 pro games, hitting .246/.353/.332 with a little pop (8 doubles and 3 home runs).
Key: Keep up the good work defensively, cut down on the strikeouts (18BB:54SO) and show enough consistency/improvement with the bat to enable the 22-year old to move quickly through the system.

Deury Carrasco (L/R) - FG #28+
Although Carrasco is nowhere near as polished a fielder as Bohanek, what he did at age 17 in his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League was nothing short of remarkable. In 64 games, Carrasco hit .266/.407/.319 with nine doubles and one triple. But what really stood out was his 50 walks to 48 strikeouts and his 32 stolen bases to 14 caught stealing. It is little wonder that Carrasco was given a $480,000 bonus when he signed in 2016. At that time he was lauded for his athleticism, speed and plus arm.
Key: Improve defensively and build on that initial offensive success as he moves to the more advanced levels of competition.

Yorbin Ceuta (S/R)
Ceuta, who won't be 18 until the 14th of this month, signed for a reported 1 to 1.2 million in 2016. He was ranked #11 in that signing class by Baseball America with his hit and fielding tools projected to be his best assets. He did not disappoint on either front, showing excellent fielding skills and a bat that improved as the season continued. His .248/.349/.293 batting line (with 27BB:39SO) in 60 games in the Dominican Summer League matched the scouting reports of a disciplined bat with little power projection. Although his speed was said to be average or a little lower, he managed to steal 11 bases and was caught six times.
Key: Build on his early success. At this point, he hits considerably better from the left side of the plate. Any improvements he can make as a right-handed hitter will increase his stock even more.

Kristian Trompiz (R/R)
Trompiz originally signed with the Astros in 2012 for a $320,000 bonus and just completed his fifth season in the system. However, he just turned 22 in early December and finished his 2017 season with the full season A Quad Cities squad, an appropriate level for his age. Trompiz can play (and has played) at any of the infield positions so I considered placing him on my list of utility players, but his solid defense and improving bat keeps him on this list for now, particularly considering the dearth of true shortstops at the higher level of the system. Trompiz started his 2017 season at Corpus Christi and was demoted to Tri-City after only 17 games. But he was way too advanced for short season A and ended up at Quad Cities for the final 40 games of the season where he hit a very respectable .261/.331/.310 and .258/.324/.258 in nine postseason games (.275/.340/.322 for the season as a whole). He also managed to swipe 22 bases while getting caught 8 times in only 82 games. The one thing that has eluded Trompiz has been consistency with his bat and it feels as though he had a breakthrough with that this past season. In addition, Trompiz is one of the most respected players in the system for his work ethic, selflessness and leadership by example. Those intangibles help all of his other skills play up.
Key: Going into his 6th season, time is not on Trompiz's side. He will need to show (quickly) that the improved consistency at the plate was not a fluke and he will need to be able to display that consistency at AA and possibly AAA.

Next up: Second Base

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, August 21, 2017

Fresno 16, Reno 2

W- Cy Sneed (1-0, 10-5 season)
L- Anthony Banda (7-7)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed 2 (28; 2-run in 3rd, 3-run in 9th), Tyler White (24, solo in 9th)

The Grizzlies got on the board in this series by demolishing the Aces.

Cy Sneed shook off a 2-run homer in the 1st to got 7 innings. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 during his time on the mound. Dean Deetz walked 1 and struck out 5 over the last 2 innings.

Fresno will look to draw even with Reno in the standings as they conclude this series at 7:05 Pacific. Mike Hauschild takes on Eric Jokisch.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks will start a 4-game series with Midland tonight at 7:05. Yoanys Quiala takes on Grant Holmes.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros are back at Campbell, where they'll start a 3-game series against Lynchburg at 7:00 Eastern. Elieser Hernandez will face Dominic DeMasi.

Quad Cities 8, Wisconsin 7

W- Yohan Ramirez (4-5)
L- Carlos Herrera (2-2)
S- Jesús Balaguer (1, 4 season)

QC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (7, 13 season; solo in 3rd), Daz Cameron (14, 2-run in 4th)

The Banditos hung on in order to get a road series win even though they nearly squandered an 8-1 lead in the finale.

Yohan Ramirez went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 3, and struck out 3. Lucas Williams was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Jesús Balaguer pitched the last 2.2 innings to get the save, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4.

Ronnie Dawson put Quad Cities on the board and in the lead with a 2-run single in the 2nd. They got 2 more in the inning on a Chuckie Robinson RBI single and an RBI double from Troy Sieber. Abraham Toro-Hernandez launched a solo homer in the 3rd, and then in the 4th, Sieber added an RBI single to his ledger and scored on Daz Cameron's 2-run blast. Sieber (2B, RBI, R) and Robinson (2B, RBI, 2 R, SB) both finished with 2 hits on the day. Dawson stole 2 bases (17), while Robinson's stolen base gives him 7 on the year.

Quad Cities' final tour of Wisconsin in 2017 concludes with a 3-game series in Beloit that begins at 7:00. Carlos Sanabria will start game 1 and he'll go up against Matt Milburn.

Tri-City 10, Brooklyn 6

W- Ben Smith (6-2)
L- Joe Napolitano (0-2)

TC home runs: Colton Shaver 2 (4, 10 season; solo in 2nd, walk-off grand slam in 9th), Mike Papierski (3, solo in 4th), J.J. Matijevic (6, 2-run in 7th)

Colton Shaver has two career grand slams, and they're both walk-offs. He clubbed one to beat Staten Island in his first game as a ValleyCat back on July 27, and on Monday, he completed a Tri-City comeback by launching another one.

Shaver also opened the scoring with a solo shot in the 2nd inning. Mike Papierski launched a solo homer of his own in the 4th. Kyle Davis hit an RBI single in the 6th and J.J. Matijevic whacked a 2-run homer in the 7th.

Bryan De La Cruz ripped a one-out double in the bottom of the 9th and Matijevic joined him on the bases after getting a free pass to first base. Gabriel Bracamonte went down on strikes for the 2nd out, but De La Cruz scored the tying run on an error that allowed Adrian Tovalin to reach; Tovalin was credited with an RBI on the play.

With Papierski at the plate, Matijevic stole 3rd and Tovalin took 2nd on defensive indifference. Papierski eventually drew a walk to load the bases for Shaver, who decided that extra innings would not be required to determine the winner of this game. De La Cruz (2B, R, SB) also finished with 2 hits on the night alongside Shaver.

Adam Bleday and Juan Robles both pitched 4 innings. Bleday allowed 4 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2, while Robles allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Ben Smith worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Tri-City will head to Connecticut to start a new series. The first order of business for both teams, however, is completing a game from June 30 that was suspended due to rain. The ValleyCats were leading 1-0 heading into the 5th inning.

Corbin Martin will start the regularly scheduled game, which will be a 7-inning contest.

Greeneville 16, Bristol 0

W- Hansel Paulino (4-1)
L- Hunter Stratton (0-2)

Greeneville home runs: Brody Westmoreland (7, 3-run in 8th), Patrick Mathis (3, 2-run in 8th)

The Appy Astros administered a severe beatdown on Monday night.

Meanwhile, on the mound, Hansel Paulino, Gerardo Bojorquez, and Dariel Aquino kept Bristol off the scoreboard. Paulino allowed 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5 in his 5 innings of work. Bojorquez followed with 3 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 3, and Aquino worked around a hit in the 9th to complete the shutout.

Chad Donato takes the hill for the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Marlins 4, GCL Astros 0

W- Karl Craigie (3-0)
L- Javier Navas (1-2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros got held off the scoreboard on Monday.

Alfredo Angarita went 2-3 with a double.

Javier Navas went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Austin Kerns struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 3rd inning. Angel Heredia followed with 2 scoreless; he walked 1 and struck out 1. Tanner Duncan, Brendan Feldmann, and Carlos Pimentel all pitched an inning; Duncan allowed an unearned run on a groundout and a double in the 6th. Feldmann allowed a hit and struck out 1 in the 7th, and Pimentel worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

DSL Astros Blue 3, DSL Royals 2

W- Antonio Pujols (4-2)
L- Angel Zerpa (3-4)
S- Diosmerky Taveras (1)

Blue home runs: None.

Samir Caraballo and Kendy Moya both had 2 hits apiece in this game. Yorbin Ceuta opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd inning and Ronaldo Urdaneta followed by hitting a sac fly. Nerio Rodriguez's sac fly in the bottom of the 7th put Team Blue back in front after the Royals had tied it in the top half.

Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Angel Matos struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 5th. Antonio Pujols followed with 3 innings, allowing a run on 6 hits and striking out 3. Diosmerky Taveras got three groundball outs in the 9th to get the save.

DSL Astros Orange 2, DSL Pirates 1

W- Hecduar Barcenas (1-1)
L- Luis Arrieta (2-1)
S- Wender Oberto (1)

Orange home runs: None.

Deury Carrasco went 2-4 and opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 6th. He also stole a base (30) and scored on an RBI double from Marco van der Wijst in the 9th. Van Der Wijst finished 3-4, while Renaigel Martis also had 3 hits on the day.

Fredy Medina allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless. Hecduar Barcenas walked 1 and struck out 3 in 2 scoreless innings of relief, and Wender Oberto threw the last 3 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 4, and striking out 6.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fredy Medina, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Jose Antonio Hernandez, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, H, ER, 3 K

Marco van der Wijst, IF, DSL Astros Orange: 3-4, 2B, RBI
Deury Carrasco, IF, DSL Astros Orange: 2-4, RBI, R, SB (30)

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Greeneville Astros: W 16-0 vs. Bristol

Offense: 16 R, 13 H

Pitching: 9 IP, 9 H, BB, 8 K

Patrick Mathis: 4-4, 2-R HR (3), 3 R

Brody Westmoreland: 3-R HR (7)

Joan Mauricio: 2-3, 3 RBI, R

Gilberto Celestino: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Hansel Paulino: W (4-1), 5 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K

Gerardo Bojorquez: 3 IP, H, 3 K

Dariel Aquino: IP, H

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Fresno Grizzlies: W 16-2 @ Reno

Offense: 16 R, 18 H

Pitching: 9 IP, 4 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K

Cy Sneed: W (1-0, 10-5 season), 7 IP, 4 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 6 K

Dean Deetz: 2 IP, BB, 5 K

A.J. Reed: 3-5, 2 HR (28), 6 RBI

Tyler White: 2-3, solo HR (24), 3 RBI, 2 R

Garrett Stubbs: 3-4, 3 RBI, R

Jack Mayfield: 3-5, 2 2B, 5 R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Colton Shaver, 1B, Tri-City

2-5, 2 HR (4, 10 season), 5 RBI; walk-off grand slam in 9th

Chuckie Robinson, C, and Troy Sieber, 1B, Quad Cities

Robinson: 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (7)

Sieber: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, July 8, 2017

Let's play two in Fresno!

Game 1: Fresno 2, Reno 1

W- Rogelio Armenteros (2-0, 4-3 season)
L- Eric Jokisch (7-4)
S- Brendan McCurry (3)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (14, solo in 3rd), Reid Brignac (9, solo in 5th)

Rogelio Armenteros turned in a strong performance on the mound to bring the Grizzlies' brief skid to a stop in the first game of the doubleheader.

Armenteros allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 in 6 innings, and Brendan McCurry struck out the side in order to get the save.

Preston Tucker whacked a homer to start the bottom of the 3rd. Reid Brignac broke a 1-1 tie with his solo shot in the bottom of the 5th.

Game 2: Fresno 9, Reno 2

W- Kyle Smith (2-0, 4-1 season)
L- Braden Shipley (5-4)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (15, 3-run in 3rd), Colin Moran (18, solo in 6th)

The Grizzlies stormed out to a 7-0 lead after the 3rd to sweep the doubleheader and take the series.

Kyle Smith allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 1 in 5 innings of work. Tyson Perez and Jordan Jankowski both threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen; Perez walked 1 and struck out 1 in the 6th, and Jankowski struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 7th.

A.J. Reed scored the first run of the evening when Alejandro Garcia grounded into a force out. Tony Kemp followed with an RBI single. Colin Moran singled to lead off the 3rd and scored on a Tyler White double. Preston Tucker joined White on the bases by drawing a walk, and Reed landed the big blow by launching a 3-run homer. Teoscar Hernandez followed with a double and came home on Garcia's single. Teoscar scored on another Garcia single in the 5th, and Moran capped off the evening with a solo blast, his 18th of the year.

Reed and Moran both finished 3-4 on the night, while White, Teoscar, and Garcia turned in 2-hit performances.

The 2017 AAA All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 12, at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington, home of the Tacoma Rainiers. Fresno will be represented by D.J. Fisher and Colin Moran.

Arkansas 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- Lindsey Caughel (6-7)
L- Yoanys Quiala (1-1, 6-2 season)
S- Blake Perry (3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks could only muster up 4 hits on Saturday night.

Yoanys Quiala allowed 3 runs on 9 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. and Nick Hernandez picked him up, combining to throw 5 scoreless out of the bullpen. Garza allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 3 innings, while Hernandez, making his Texas League debut, walked 2 and struck out 1 in 2 innings.

Ramon Laureano led off the 4th with a ground-rule double and scored Corpus Christi's first run on a Jack Mayfield sac fly. Tony Nuñez hit an RBI single in the 7th. The Hooks had a chance to tack on more in the 7th but left runners on the corners to end the inning. Laureano tripled to lead off the 8th but was stranded there in the end.

Cy Sneed faces Justin DeFratus tonight at 6:05.

Buies Creek 3, Down East 1

W- Jorge Alcala (3-3, 5-3 season)
L- Jacob Shortslef (0-3)
S- Howie Brey (1)

BC home runs: Jake Rogers (6, 12 season; 2-run in 1st), Ryne Birk (8, solo in 3rd)

Jorge Alcala turned in another solid outing for the Carolina Stros as his breakout 2017 continues.

Alcala allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5 over 6 shutout innings. Kevin Hill allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 2.2 innings, and Howie Brey closed it out with a strikeout.

All three Buies Creek runs came on home runs. Jake Rogers opened the scoring with a 2-run shot in the opening inning and Ryne Birk, who scored one of the two runs, drove himself in with a solo homer in the 3rd. Birk went 2-4.

Forrest Whitley gets the start in game 3. He'll face Jeff Springs at 2:00 Eastern.

Clinton 7, Quad Cities 5

W- Danny Garcia (6-5)
L- César Rosado (1-1, 2-1 season)
S- Seth Elledge (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos tried to fight their way back from a 7-0 deficit but fell just short.

César Rosado hit his first wall of the season; he only went 3.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits while walking 6. Dustin Hunt tagged in for 4.1 innings, allowing 3 runs (all on homers) on 4 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walking 1, and striking out 8. Devon Carr struck out the side in a scoreless 9th, working around a couple of hits in the process.

Troy Sieber put Quad Cities on the board with a sac fly in the 7th. Chuckie Robinson ripped an RBI double in the 8th and scored on a Daz Cameron single. Ronnie Dawson and Daz ended up scoring on wild pitches. Daz went 3-3 with the RBI single; he also scored twice and stole a base (19). Carmen Benedetti went 2-5 with a double and scored on Robinson's double.

Gabriel Valdez faces Lane Ratliff in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 5:15.

Aberdeen 9, Tri-City 8

W- William Reed Hayes (1-0)
L- Luis Ramirez (0-2)

TC home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (2, 2-run in 5th)

Both teams scored 6 in the 2nd, but the Ironbirds scored twice in the 3rd to take the lead. Miguelangel Sierra's homer tied the game, but Aberdeen wound up walking off with the win.

Tri-City's 6 were scored as follows: Sierra drew a bases-loaded walk, then Andy Piñeda followed with a 2-run single. J.J. Matijevic ripped a 2-run double and scored on Abraham Toro's double. Sierra, who was the only player in the ValleyCats' lineup to not strike out, launched a 2-run homer in the 5th to tie the game at 8. Mike Papierski, the Astros' 9th-round pick from LSU, went 2-4 and scored twice in his first game.

Juan Robles only made it through 1.2 innings, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits, walking 2, and striking out 2. Ben Smith allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 in 2.1 innings. Carlos Hiraldo restored order to this game with 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 7. Aberdeen scored the winning run off Luis Ramirez with 2 outs in the 9th. Ramirez went 1.2 innings and allowed 2 hits and walked 2.

The ValleyCats and Ironbirds will conclude this series at 5:35 Eastern.

Greeneville 14, Kingsport 6

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (3-0)
L- Garrison Bryant (0-3)

Greeneville home runs: Adrian Tovalin (3, 2-run in 3rd), Ruben Castro (1, 3-run in 6th)

The Appy Astros ran their winning streak to 7 as they put up a crooked number in all of the innings in which they scored and busted this one open with 10 runs from the 6th-8th innings.

Adrian Tovalin opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and Roman Garcia added another run in the opening frame with a sac fly. Tovalin whacked a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning to give Greeneville a 4-1 lead.

Garcia singled to lead off the 6th, stole 2nd, and scored on a Patrick Mathis double. Frankeny Fernandez walked after Garcia's stolen base; he and Mathis scored on Ruben Castro's first career home run. The Appy Astros got 3 in the 7th on Mathis' sac fly, an error that allowed Garcia to score, and a Cody Bohanek RBI single. They scored 3 more in the 8th on a Frankeny Fernandez RBI single, a Mathis groundout, and a Castro RBI double.

Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Brody Westmoreland, who still managed to walk twice and score 2 runs. Reiny Beltre didn't score, but he doubled and drew 2 walks.

Leovanny Rodriguez allowed a run on 5 hits and fanned 5 in 5 innings of work. Tim Hardy and Austin Kerns followed with 2 innings apiece out of the bullpen. Hardy allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2, while Kerns allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits and struck out 1.

Greeneville and Kingsport will continue their series at 4:00 Eastern as Bryan Abreu takes on Jose Geraldo.

DSL Dodgers1 3, DSL Astros Blue 1

W- Jose Ernesto Hernandez (4-1)
L- Jose Antonio Hernandez (0-1)
S- Andres Urbina (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team could only muster up 3 hits on Saturday morning; Angel Tejeda had two of them. Ronaldo Urdaneta scored their only run on a wild pitch in the 6th.

Jose Antonio Hernandez got the short end of the stick in a battle of two pitchers with the same name. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 3 innings. Antonio Pujols allowed a run on a solo homer, two other hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 5 innings.

DSL Astros Orange 8, DSL Indians 7

W- Carlos Perdomo (2-0)
L- Jose Oca (0-2)
S- Fredy Medina (1)

Orange home runs: Ramiro Rodriguez (3, 2-run in 3rd)

The Indians got a run in the 9th to make it a one-run game, but Fredy Medina tightened up and made sure they didn't get any closer or take the lead.

In the 3rd, Team Orange pulled off a double steal that saw Fildex Perfecto steal home. Two batters later, Ramiro Rodriguez smacked a 2-run homer. Perfecto reached on an error to start the 5th and ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Jose Carrillo doubled to lead off the 6th and scored on a Marco van der Wijst single. Deury Carrasco ripped a 2-run double in the 7th and came around to score on a Rodriguez double. Carrasco (2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB), Rodriguez (2B, 2-R HR, 3 RBI), and Perfecto (3 R, 2 SB) all finished with 2 hits on the day.

Diosward Gonzalez allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8 in 4 innings. Carlos Perdomo tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer), walked 4, and struck out 3. Hecduar Barcenas threw 1+ innings and allowed a run, which was an inherited runner charged to him, on 2 hits and walked 2. Fredy Medina took ownership of the 9th and issued a bases-loaded walk while striking out 2.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Deury Carrasco, SS, DSL Astros Orange: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (12)
Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, DSL Astros Orange: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (3), 3 RBI

Photo by Bryan Green

Jorge Alcala, RHP, Buies Creek

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

Ryne Birk, 2B, Buies Creek

2-4, solo HR (8), 2 R

That is Adrian Tovalin's mugshot on MiLB.com.

Adrian Tovalin, 3B/1B, and Ruben Castro, C, Greeneville

Tovalin: 3-4, 2B, 2-R HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 R

Castro: 2-5, 2B, 3-R HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 R; 1st career HR

Photo by Bryan Green

Leovanny Rodriguez, RHP, Greeneville

W (3-0), 5 IP, 5 H, ER, 5 K

Carlos Hiraldo, RHP, Tri-City

3 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Daz Cameron, OF, Quad Cities

3-3, RBI, 2 R, SB (19)

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, and Brendan McCurry, RHP, Fresno

W 2-1 vs. Reno in game 1 of doubleheader

Armenteros: W (2-0, 4-3 season), 6 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K

McCurry: Save (3), IP, 3 K

A.J. Reed, 1B, and Colin Moran, 3B, Fresno

Stats from game 2 of doubleheader

Reed: 3-4, 2B, 3-R HR (15), 2 R

Moran: 3-4, solo HR (18), 2 R