Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 13, 2016

AAA All-Star Game: International League 4, Pacific Coast League 2

Brady Rodgers got the start for the PCL All-Stars, and the only hit he allowed was a solo homer to Erik Gonzalez in the 2nd inning. Rodgers struck out 3 in his outing. Mike Hauschild struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 6th, and James Hoyt allowed 2 hits but was able to record the final out of the 8th.

The Fresno Grizzlies will return to action tonight as they begin a 4-game series in New Orleans. In game 1, César Valdez will take on Jose Urena. First pitch is at 7:00.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 2

W- Eric Peterson (4-2, 5-2 season)
L- Frank Lopez (4-4)
S- Aaron West (13)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (9, 11 season; solo in 1st)

Jack Mayfield carried the Hooks to a victory over the Roughriders.

He opened the scoring by smacking a solo home run in the 1st inning, and with two outs in the 7th, he came through with what turned out to be the game-winning hit.

That 7th-inning rally almost ended before it started thanks to two strikeouts, but Roberto Peña and Alejandro Garcia kept the inning alive with singles, and James Ramsay walked to load the bases to bring up Mayfield, who promptly cleared them with a double to put Corpus in front. Mayfield finished 2-4 and provided all of the offense for the Hooks. J.D. Davis, Mott Hyde, and Garcia joined him in the 2-hit club.

Cy Sneed went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Eric Peterson was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen, and in 1.1 innings, he allowed a hit and struck out 3. Aaron West allowed a hit and struck out 1 over the final 1.2 innings to earn the save.

Francis Martes will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Connor Sadzeck at 7:05.

Lancaster 10, San Jose 9

W- Scott Weathersby (3-4, 4-4 season)
L- Jason Forjet (8-7)
S- Jacob Dorris (6)

Lancaster home runs: Johnny Sewald (3, 4 season; 3-run in 3rd)

The JetHawks exploded for 8 runs in the 3rd inning and were able to hold off the Giants.

That 8-run 3rd inning erased a 5-0 deficit. Drew Ferguson led off the inning by getting plunked, and Tony Nuñez joined him on the bases by drawing a walk. Ferguson scored Lancaster's first run on an error following a Bobby Boyd single, and one batter later, Johnny Sewald whacked a 3-run home run to cut the Giants' lead to one run. They were not quite finished... Bryan Muñiz reached on an error and advanced to 2nd, and then Trent Woodward singled to put men on the corners. Jamie Ritchie and Brooks Marlow followed with RBI singles, and in his second plate appearance of the inning, Ferguson ripped a 2-run double.

In the 4th inning, Sewald added a sacrifice fly to his ledger, and Ritchie added another RBI single. Everyone in the original starting nine scored a run; Ramon Laureano finished 2-3 with a double, but home plate umpire Aaron Higgins tossed him in the 6th inning. This was Sewald's 2nd career 4-RBI game; he drove in 4 for Tri-City on August 25 last year. Boyd finished 3-4 with a double and scored twice, and both of Ritchie's hits were RBI singles.

Josh James went 4 innings and allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 5. Scott Weathersby was the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen, and he allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 2.1 innings. Jacob Dorris allowed a hit and fanned 4 over 2.2 scoreless innings.

The JetHawks and Giants will play 2 tonight as they will finally conclude their season-opening series. Trent Thornton and Rogelio Armenteros will take on Phil Bickford and Jordan Johnson tonight, with game 1 starting at 5:05 Pacific.

Fort Wayne 6, Quad Cities 0

W- Corey Kimber (2-0)
L- Yoanys Quiala (1-7)

QC home runs: None.

Both Yoanys Quiala and Chris Paddack put up 5 zeroes on the scoreboard for their respective teams. Unfortunately for Quiala, the wheels fell off for him in the 6th inning.

Quiala went 5.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (all in the 6th) on 9 hits and struck out 4. Makay Nelson allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings, and Chris Murphy allowed a solo homer to Brad Zunica in the 8th inning.

Myles Straw and Pat Porter had 2 hits apiece; they accounted for all of the River Bandits' hits in this game. One of Straw's hits was a double, which was their only extra-base hit.

In game 2 of this series, Matt Bower will face Thomas Dorminy. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Mahoning Valley 5, Tri-City 3

W- Mitch Miniard (1-2)
L- Alex Winkelman (0-1, 5-3 season)
S- Randy Valladares (1)

TC home runs: Taylor Jones (3, solo in 9th)

The ValleyCats dropped the series as the Scrappers got some insurance runs in the 9th to create a little more separation in a one-run game.

Chuckie Robinson put Tri-City on the board in the 3rd by lashing a 2-run double. Taylor Jones' solo homer in the 9th was the ValleyCats' other scoring play. Robinson and Brauly Mejia had 2 hits apiece.

Alex Winkelman allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and struck out 5 in 4 innings. Carlos Sierra walked 2 and struck out 2 in a scoreless 5th, and Framber Valdez allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3 innings.

Tonight, the ValleyCats are back home, where they'll begin a 3-game series with Connecticut at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 5, Pulaski 1

W- Angelo Serrano (1-1)
L- Nick Nelson (0-2)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros kept the Yankees' bats in check to take the first of this 3-game set.

Ben Smith had his finest outing as a pro as allowed just one hit, walked 2, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless innings. Again, Smith hasn't had the greatest start to his pro career, but considering what he has had to overcome just to play baseball again, he probably isn't fretting too much over his stats. Angelo Serrano tagged in for 3 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 6. Pulaski spoiled the shutout with an RBI double off of Reggie Johnson in the 8th. Johnson allowed one other his and walked 1 in his 2 innings.

Gabriel Bracamonte opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 1st inning. Miguelangel Sierra and Marcos Almonte scored on wild pitches in the 3rd and the 4th, respectively. Bryan De La Cruz, who scored the first run of the evening, clubbed an RBI triple in the 7th and scored on a wild pitch. He, Sierra, and Bracamonte all finished with 2 hits in the game; De La Cruz and Sierra also scored two runs apiece.

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

GCL Cardinals 5, GCL Astros 2

W- Thomas Lee (1-0)
L- Cristian Javier (2-1)
S- Juan Alvarez (1)

GCL home runs: None.

Both teams scored 2 runs in the 4th inning, but the difference in this game was a 3-run 5th for the Cardinals.

The Kissimmee Stros' 2 runs came in the form of Jonathan Matute scoring on an error and Cristopher Luciano drawing a bases-loaded walk. Matute finished 2-4.

Cristian Javier went 4.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Enoli Paredes was the first man out; he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 2.1 innings. Dariel Aquino pitched a 1-2-3 8th.

DSL Astros Blue 2, DSL Red Sox1 1

W- Juan Cuevas (6-3)
L- Juan Florentino (0-1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team snatched a victory from the Red Sox in walk-off fashion.

Nicolás Miranda put them on the board by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the 8th. Angel De Leon led off the bottom of the 9th with a double, advanced to 3rd on a flyout, and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. He and Carlos Canelon both had 2 hits (one being a double) and scored.

Yulian Frontado went 5 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits and fanned 5. Edwin Fidel tagged in for 3.1 innings and allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 4. Juan Cuevas recorded the final 2 outs of the 9th to get Fidel out of some trouble.

DSL Rays2 5, DSL Astros Orange 3

W- Christian Fernandez (1-1)
L- Francisco Villegas (0-2)
S- Enyerbeth Lugo (2)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team got nipped in the end as the Rays got 1 in the 7th and another in the 8th to break a 3-3 tie.

Kendy Moya scored the Orange team's first run of the day on an error in the 3rd inning. In the 5th, Ronaldo Urdaneta stole 3rd and scored on the errant throw, and Ramiro Rodriguez hit a sac fly. Felix Lucas and Vicente Mota had 2 hits apiece.

Gerardo Bojorquez allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Francisco Villegas went 4 innings and allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Carlos Espinoza allowed a solo homer to Luis Arias in the 8th, which was the only run he allowed in the inning. He struck out 1.

Wednesday's Stars

Yulian Frontado, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 5 K
Edwin Fidel, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 3.1 IP, H, 3 BB, 4 K

Jacob Dorris, RHP, Lancaster

Save (6), 2.2 IP, H, 4 K

Jack Mayfield, IF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2B, solo HR (9, 11 season), 4 RBI; drove in all 4 Corpus Christi runs

Johnny Sewald, OF, Lancaster

1-3, 3-R HR (3, 4 season), 4 RBI

Photo from MiLB.com

Ben Smith, LHP, Greeneville

4 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green
Bryan De La Cruz, OF, Greeneville

2-3, 3B, RBI, 2 R

Photo by Bryan Green

Angelo Serrano, RHP, Greeneville

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 1, 2016

After two AAA games, Alex Bregman has demonstrated his proficiency at the level. #callamup

The Astros' lower-level affiliates continued their battle with the Rays on Friday. How did they fare?

Fresno 4, Salt Lake 1

W- Mike Hauschild (6-7)
L- Nate Smith (5-3)
S- James Hoyt (20)

Fresno home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (2, 8 season; solo in 2nd), Alex Bregman (1, 15 season; 2-run in 8th)

I think it might be safe to say that Teoscar Hernandez and Alex Bregman really like their new surroundings in the Pacific Coast League.

Mike Hauschild allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4 in 5 innings of work. Kevin Chapman was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen, and in 1.1 innings, he walked 2 and struck out 1. Reymin Guduan allowed a hit and got the second out of the 7th inning. Brendan McCurry recorded the final out of the 7th and threw a 1-2-3 8th inning; he got 3 groundball outs and a flyout. James Hoyt navigated through some traffic in the form of a hit and a walk to record his 20th save, striking out 2 in the 9th inning.

Tony Kemp led off the game with a single. He then stole 2nd base (6) and scored the first run of the evening on a single from Matt Duffy. Teoscar Hernandez led off the 2nd inning with a home run to put the Grizzlies up 2-0 at that point, and Alex Bregman whacked his first home run at the AAA level in the 8th inning, a 2-run blast to bring in the final runs of the evening. Duffy finished 2-3 on the night.

Tommy Shirley will start game 3 of this series. He'll face David Huff at 6:35 Mountain.

Springfield 11, Corpus Christi 1

W- Heath Wyatt (1-1)
L- Francis Martes (5-3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks' first series after the Texas League All-Star break has been forgettable, to say the least. Frustrations reached a boiling point in the 3rd when Hooks manager Rodney Linares was tossed.

Jack Mayfield finished 2-4; both of his hits were doubles, and the one he hit in the 8th inning was Corpus Christi's only scoring play. James Ramsay, who scored on Mayfield's 8th-inning double, also finished with 2 hits in the game.

Francis Martes went 2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 5. Eric Peterson was the first man out of the Corpus Christi bullpen; he allowed a grand slam, 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 2 innings. Ryan Thompson pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4, and Albert Minnis allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 innings.

Corpus will look to avoid the sweep as Evan Grills takes the mound. He'll face Luke Weaver at 7:05.

Lancaster 5, Lake Elsinore 1

W- Trent Thornton (4-4)
L- Brett Kennedy (2-6)

Lancaster home runs: None.

Trent Thornton shined on the mound, and the JetHawks have won the first 2 games of this series by a score of 5-1.

Thornton allowed a run on 5 hits and struck out a career-high 9 in 7 innings of work. Kevin McCanna's second California League outing went much smoother; he threw 2 perfect innings and got a strikeout.

Garrett Stubbs opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 3rd inning. Lancaster scored 3 in the 4th thanks to an RBI single from Aaron Mizell and a 2-run single from Tony Nuñez. Both teams scored a run in the 6th inning; the JetHawks' run came in the form of a sac fly from Bryan Muñiz. Everyone in the lineup got a hit; Nuñez (2 RBI, R), Brooks Marlow, and Ramon Laureano (BB, SB) had 2 hits apiece. Laureano also stole his 28th base of the season.

Rogelio Armenteros will start game 3 of this series. He'll take on Chris Huffman at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Kane County 3

W- Justin Ferrell (4-4)
L- Drew Muren (0-4)

QC home runs; None.

The Banditos scored 4 in the top of the 9th to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Yes, the losing pitcher is the same Drew Muren who played in the Astros' system from 2011-13 as an outfielder.

Prior to the 9th, Quad Cities' only run came in the 5th when Myles Straw scored on an error. Pat Porter ignited that big 9th inning with a single. He advanced to 3rd on an error and scored on a Christian Correa single to tie the game at 2. Bobby Wernes ripped an RBI double to put the Banditos in front, and Straw capped off a huge night with a 2-run single, his 5th hit of the game. Straw, who also stole a base (10), was the only player on either side to record a multi-hit game, and he accounted for 31% of all the hits recorded in this game.

Matt Bower went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 11. The 11 strikeouts represents a new career high and is the 2nd time that he's recorded double-digit strikeouts in an appearance this season. At one point, he struck out 6 consecutive batters. Justin Ferrell pitched the final 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2.

In game 3 of this series, Franklin Perez will face Justin Donatella. First pitch is at 6:30.

Tri-City 5, Hudson Valley 3

W- Sebastian Kessay (1-0, 2-3 season)
L- Brock Burke (0-1)
S- Sean Stutzman (1)

TC home runs: Kevin Martir (1, 2-run in 7th)

The ValleyCats got a solid start from Sebastian Kessay as they took the first of 3 from the Renegades.

Daz Cameron hit a single with 1 out in the 1st inning, advanced to 3rd on a Ronnie Dawson single, and scored the game's first run on a wild pitch. Kevin Martir smacked an RBI double in the 2nd inning, and he clubbed a 2-run homer in the 7th. Stephen Wrenn provided a big insurance run with an RBI single in the 8th. Wrenn and Martir both finished 2-4.

Sebastian Kessay pitched 5.1 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits while striking out 7. Carlos Sierra allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 2 in an inning of work (2 outs in 6th, first out of 7th). Chris Cotton allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 1.2 scoreless, and Sean Stutzman struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Edgardo Sandoval will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 5, Princeton 2

W- Ricardo Castro (1-0)
L- Jose Disla (0-2)
S- Abdiel Saldaña (1)

Greeneville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (3, solo in 7th)

The Appy Astros got their first series win of the season as Ricardo Castro and Abdiel Saldaña combined on a 3-hitter.

The two runs that Castro allowed in his 6 innings both came on solo home runs. He allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 3. Saldaña walked 1 and struck out 4 over the final 3 innings to record the save.

Bryan De La Curz scored Greeneville's first run when he came home on a Chaz Pal groundout in the 2nd inning. Ray Henderson followed with an RBI single to put them in the lead. De La Cruz ripped a 2-run triple in the 3rd inning, and Miguelangel Sierra clubbed a solo home run in the 7th inning to cap off the scoring. Tyler Wolfe finished 3-5 with a run scored and a stolen base (1), and Jonathan Arauz went 2-4 with a run scored.

Tonight, Greeneville will begin a 4-game series with Kingsport. For some reason, the first three games of this series will take place in Greeneville, and the finale will be in Kingsport. Framber Valdez will start game 1, and he'll take on Adonis Uceta at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 12, GCL Astros 3

W- Yeudy Colon (1-0)
L- Enoli Paredes (0-2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros scored first, but the Mets closed the game on a 12-1 run.

Juan Piñeda finished 2-3 and opened up the scoring with a 2-run single in the 2nd inning. Troy Sieber also finished 2-3; he doubled in the 2nd and scored on Piñeda's single. He also hit an RBI single in the 5th inning.

The pitchers struggled, and I'll leave it at that. Luis Vásquez walked 1 and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings; he was the only GCL pitcher with a scoreless outing.

The Kissimmee Stros are currently playing the Marlins.

DSL Astros Blue 5, DSL Rays1 1

W- Edwin Fidel (1-0)
L- Jose Zerpa (0-3)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team got a fine outing from Edwin Fidel, who dominated the Rays 1 in his 5 innings. He allowed just 1 hit, walked 2, and struck out 3. Yulian Frontado allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 3 innings, and Yeremi Ceballos worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Angel De Leon opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 4th inning. Alfredo Angarita whacked a 2-run triple in the 5th, and in the 8th, Jose Benjamin hit an RBI single and Nicolás Miranda scored on a wild pitch. Benjamin (RBI, R, 2 SB) and César Cortez both finished with 2 hits on the day.

The Blue team is taking on the A's today.

DSL Astros Orange 3, DSL Rays2 2 in 13 innings

W- Gabriel Pirela (2-0)
L- Enyerbeth Lugo (1-1)
S- Carlos Espinoza (3)

Orange home runs: Anthony Rodriguez (2, 2-run in 9th)

With the Orange team down to its final two outs, Anthony Rodriguez tied the game with a 2-run home run in the top of the 9th to force extra innings. Jose Abel Hernandez was hit by a pitch in the 13th inning, and a wild pitch allowed him to advance to 2nd. He scored the go-ahead run on another wild pitch that struck out Gerry Castillo.

Gerardo Bojorquez allowed a solo homer to Sabriel Polanco in the 1st, which was the only run he allowed in 4 innings. He allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 4. Francisco Villegas also went 4 innings; he allowed a run on a sac fly in the 8th, a triple that preceded the sac fly, and struck out 5. Willy Collado was next; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless. Gabriel Pirela walked 1 and struck out 4 over 2 scoreless, and Carlos Espinoza worked around a walk to close out the game, striking out 1.

The Orange team faced the Phillies 2 today.

Friday's Stars

Edwin Fidel, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: W (1-0), 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, Greeneville

Save (1), 3 IP, BB, 4 K

Photo from MiLB.com

Kevin Martir, C, Tri-City

2-4, 2B, HR (1), 3 RBI

Sebastian Kessay, LHP, Tri-City

W (1-0, 2-3 season), 5.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 7 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Lancaster

W (4-4), 7 IP, 5 H, ER, 9 K (career high)

Matt Bower, LHP, Lancaster

6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 11 K (career high)

Myles Straw, OF, Quad Cities

5-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R, SB (10)