Getting to Know Enoli Paredes and Cristian Javier

Right-handers Enoli Paredes and Cristian Javier of the Corpus Christi Hooks have a lot in common. They are both from the Dominican Republic. Both were signed for bargain basement prices well after their original eligibility. Both have rapidly ascended the prospect rankings this year. (On MLB Pipeline, Javier went from unrated prior to the season to #10 currently while Paredes rose from a pre-season ranking of #28 to a current ranking of #14.)

Enoli Paredes (Top) and Cristian Javier (Bottom)

August 2019

Photos by Jayne Hansen

And both have had very successful seasons. Through this point in the season, Paredes has a 2.64 ERA and a 0.981 WHIP in 20 appearances (11 starts) between High A Fayetteville and AA Corpus Christi (38 BB:121 K in 88.2 IP). Javier has some eye-popping numbers as well. He has a 1.75 ERA and a 0.984 WHIP in 24 appearances (16 starts) between Fayetteville and Corpus Christi and he leads the Astros minor league affiliates with his 154 strikeouts (55 walks) in 102.2 innings of work.

Corpus Christi Pitching Coach Graham Johnson highlighted some of their differences, "They're both extremely exciting to watch for different reasons. Enoli's just kind of a flamboyant personality. You actually can see it come out in his mechanics and his movements on the mound and even his in-between pitch movements. It's got a little bit of flair to it, a little bit of drama that comes with it. Electric arm, electric body, electric movement, electric stuff. That's kind of the perfect word I would use to describe him. You look at him (Paredes is listed as 5'11" and 168 pounds), and you don't really expect this big time power stuff to be coming at you."

Johnson continued, "Where Javier, it's almost you enjoy watching him more because of results. I don't want to say he always does the same thing, but he's super consistent in his attack in terms of what he's trying to do and it's very successful in terms of that. Both are very, very fun pitchers to watch and (both) go about their business in a very good way."

As Johnson mentioned, Paredes does have a flamboyent personality while Javier is more on the quiet side, but Paredes's personality is infectious and everyone around him gets caught up in that energy, including the quieter Javier. They are both a lot of fun to watch, both on and off the field.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 15, 2019

Corpus Christi sweep!

Round Rock 5, Oklahoma City 3

W- Kent Emanuel (7-1)
L- Rob Zastryzny (3-5)
S- Brendan McCurry (6)

RR home runs: Nick Tanielu (14, 2-run in 4th)

After Round Rock scored three in the 4th, OKC responded with three in the top of the 5th to tie the game. The Express regained control with a pair in the bottom of the 5th and kept the Dodgers at bay the rest of the way.

Kent Emanuel went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out four. The bullpen finished things off with 3.1 scoreless; Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man and he allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out three in 1.1 innings. Brad Peacock worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out one, and Brendan McCurry finished things off by striking out the side in order in the 9th.

Round Rock's three in the 4th came on an RBI single from Kyle Tucker and a two-run blast from Nick Tanielu. Myles Straw put the E-Train back in front in the 5th with an RBI triple and he scored the final run of the evening on Drew Ferguson's sac fly. Tanielu and Straw both finished with two hits on the night.

Ryan Hartman goes up against Logan Bawcom in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 2, Frisco 1

W- Tyler Ivey (4-0)
L- Collin Wiles (0-3)
S- Enoli Paredes (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks swept the Roughriders out of the Coastal Bend region behind a pair of solid mound performances.

Tyler Ivey pitched 5.1 innings and allowed three hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked two, and struck out five. Enoli Paredes shut it down over the final 3.2 innings as he allowed just one hit, walked one, and struck out six.

Corpus Christi's two runs came in the 3rd inning as they were able to take advantage of a bases-loaded situation with one out. Colton Shaver lined into a force out that resulted in Jacob Meyers scoring the first run of the night and Jake Adams hit an RBI single.

The Hooks will now begin their final series against a South Division team in 2019 as they start a three-game set with Midland tonight at 7:15. Forrest Whitley will face James Naile in game one.

Down East 11, Fayetteville 1

W- Cole Uvila (5-3)
L- Shawn Dubin (4-5)
S- Jefferson Medina (5)

Fayetteville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (12, solo in 9th)

The Woodpeckers were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as they got hammered.

Miguelangel Sierra spoiled the shutout with his homer in the 9th, so... there's that.

When the pitching staff surrenders eleven runs in nine innings and no one had a clean outing, it was definitely a rough night at the office.

Fayetteville will start a three-game series in Frederick at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 3, Beloit 2

W- Matt Ruppenthal (4-6)
L- Chase Cohen (5-10)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos came alive after stretch time as they scored three in the bottom of the 7th to take the lead.

Quad Cities loaded the bases to lead off the 7th and they capitalized by taking the lead. Wilyer Abreu put them on the board with an RBI single. Grae Kessinger walked in Alex Holderbach to tie the game and Oscar Campos put the Banditos in front with a sac fly. Campos finished 3-3 on the night while Abreu went 2-4 with a stolen base.

José Alberto Rivera threw four innings and allowed two runs on an RBI triple and a sac fly, walked three, and struck out five. Matt Ruppenthal tagged in to throw five scoreless, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out seven.

R.J. Freure will get the start in the finale and he'll go up against Angello Infante at 6:35.

Tri-City 4, Aberdeen 3

W- Edgardo Sandoval (1-3)
L- Ryan Conroy (4-4)
S- Shea Barry (2)

TC home runs: Nate Perry (9, solo in 1st)

The ValleyCats held off a late charge from the Ironbirds to get even in this series.

Nate Perry whacked a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring. Luis Santana hit an RBI single in the 2nd and in the 3rd, Joe Perez ripped an RBI double and came around to score on a single from Juan Paulino. Santana finished 3-3 on the night while Perry and Perez finished 2-4; the two of them also scored twice, which meant that they scored all of Tri-City's runs.

Angel Macuare walked one and struck out three over two scoreless innings. Edgardo Sandoval tagged in for 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, walked one, and struck out four. Shea Barry got the last 1.2 innings and he walked one and struck out three to get the save.

Jairo Lopez will take on Kevin Magee in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 4, GCL Astros 2

W- Adrian Aybar (1-2)
L- Franny Cobos (3-1)
S- Jace Beck (1)

GCL home runs: Nerio Rodriguez (2, 2-run in 8th)

Nerio Rodriguez went 3-4 and smacked a two-run homer in the 8th; it's the second straight game in which he's homered. Rainier Rivas went 2-4; he's played in five games and he's recorded two hits in four of them.

Franny Cobos threw five innings and allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out three.

DSL Astros 7, DSL Braves 6 (11 innings)

W- Miguel Padilla (4-1)
L- Royber Salinas (2-3)

DSL home runs: None.

Things escalated in the 11th as the Dominican 'Stros broke a 3-3 tie with four in the top half and then had to fend off the Braves, who responded by scoring three in the bottom half.

Miguel Palma smacked a two-run triple in the 6th. Yohander Martinez went 2-4 with an RBI single and scored three runs.

Bryan Martinez was the first man out of the bullpen and he went 4.2 innings and allowed a run on four hits and struck out two.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yohander Martinez, IF, DSL Astros: 2-4, RBI, 3 R

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 2-1 vs. Frisco

9 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 3 BB, 11 K

Tyler Ivey: W (4-0), 5.1 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Enoli Paredes: Save (1), 3.2 IP, H, BB, 6 K

Brendan McCurry, RHP, Round Rock

Save (6), IP, 3 K

Nick Tanielu, OF, and Myles Straw, UTIL, Round Rock

Tanielu: 2-3, 2-R HR (14)
Straw: 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, R

Nerio Rodriguez not pictured.

Franny Cobos, RHP, and Nerio Rodriguez, C, GCL Astros

Cobos: L (3-1), 5 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 3 K

Rodriguez: 3-4, 2B, 2-R HR (2)

Oscar Campos, C, Quad Cities

3-3, RBI

Matt Ruppenthal, RHP, Quad Cities

W (4-6), 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K

Nate Perry, C, Luis Santana, IF, and Joe Perez, 3B, Tri-City

Perry: 2-4, solo HR (9), 2 R

Santana: 3-3, 2B, RBI

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 17, 2019

The rain made its presence felt...

Round Rock 11, Memphis 8

W- Kent Emanuel (4-1)
L- Jesús Cruz (2-6)
S- Brendan McCurry (5)

RR home runs: Josh Rojas 2 (17; solo in 4th, 2-run in 7th), Alex De Goti (9, 3-run in 2nd)

The E-Train roared back from an early 7-0 deficit by finishing this game on an 11-1 run.

Akeem Bostick got bombed but the bullpen responded with 7.1 innings of one-run ball. Kent Emanuel pitched six innings and allowed a run on six hits, walked one, and struck out four. Brendan McCurry got a four-out save, striking out two.

After Memphis scored twice in the top of the 2nd to take a 7-0 lead, the Express rattled off five in the bottom half to get back in the game. Alex De Goti whacked a three-run homer and then Jamie Ritchie ripped an RBI double and scored on Carlos Correa's base hit.

Josh Rojas led off the 4th with a homer. Aledmys Díaz reached on an error and he scored on a double from Correa. Taylor Jones and De Goti drew walks to load the bases for Chas McCormick, who came through with an RBI single to put Round Rock in front. Ritchie smacked another RBI double in the 7th and he scored when Rojas absolutely crushed a ball to left-center for a two-run homer.

For Rojas, this is his first multi-homer game with Round Rock and fourth on the season. He, McCormick, and Ritchie all had two hits on the evening. Correa finished 3-4 with a couple of runs driven in and a run scored, while Aledmys went 0-4 with a walk and a run scored.

The Express and Redbirds will wrap up this series at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 4, Northwest Arkansas 0

W- Enoli Paredes (5-3)
L- Brady Singer (2-2)
S- Willy Collado (6)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks offense took advantage of some shambolic defense from the Naturals while Enoli Paredes and Willy Collado shackled their offense.

Paredes allowed three hits, walked three, and struck out nine over six shutout innings and Collado completed the shutout by striking out four over the final three innings.

With the bases loaded in the 4th, Colton Shaver hit a grounder to third that should have ended the inning. Instead, an error allowed everyone to come home. Chuckie Robinson scored the final run of the night in the 7th on an error after Osvaldo Duarte hit into a fielder's choice. No one on either side finished with a multi-hit game.

J.B. Bukauskas takes on Gerson Garabito in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:15.

Fayetteville and Lynchburg was postponed

Due to rain. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tonight with game one starting at 5:00 Eastern. Tyler Ivey is listed as the starter for the first game and he'll take on Justin Garza.

Quad Cities 9, Dayton 3

W- Jonathan Bermúdez (3-2)
L- Jhon De Jesus (2-9)

QC home runs: Austin Dennis (2, 2-run in 2nd)

The Banditos stormed out of the gate and got the cushion they needed to make a Dayton rally look a little less menacing.

Jonathan Bermúdez allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out eight over five shutout innings. R.J. Freure tagged in for three innings and he allowed three runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out two. Hunter Martin walked two and struck out one in a scoreless 9th.

The Banditos loaded the bases to lead off the 1st and they ended up getting three runs out of it as César Salazar hit a sac fly and Grae Kessinger followed with a two-run single. Austin Dennis smacked a two-run homer in the 2nd inning. Salazar ripped a two-run double in the 5th and came around to score on a Jonathan Lacroix single. Lacroix scored Quad Cities' final run of the night on a single from Dennis. Salazar, Dennis, and Kessinger all had two hits on the night.

Brett Daniels gets the start in game two. He'll go against Lyon Richardson at 6:35.

Tri-City and Lowell was postponed

Due to rain. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tonight with game one starting at 5:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 9, GCL Astros 4

W- Francis Ventura (1-0)
L- Jairo Lopez (1-1)
S- Anthony Trompiz (1)

GCL home runs: Victor Mascai (1, 2-run in 2nd)

The Cardinals came alive as they scored all nine of their runs in the final four innings.

Victor Mascai launched a two-run homer in the 2nd inning and the Palm Beach 'Stros got a couple of sac flies from Franklin Pinto and Yorbin Ceuta in the 7th. Ceuta, Sean Mendoza, José Mendoza, and Tyler Krabbe all finished with two hits on the day.

Kevin Dickey walked one and struck out three over three scoreless innings. Everyone else... gave up runs.

DSL Dodgers Bautista 11, DSL Astros 0 (7 innings)

W- Edgardo Henriquez (1-1)
L- Carlos Calderón (3-1)

DSL home runs: None.

This game was called early due to rain and it was probably for the best.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Kevin Dickey, LHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, BB, 3 K

Enoli Paredes' photo taken by Bryan Green.

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 4-0 vs. Northwest Arkansas

9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 13 K

Enoli Paredes: W (5-3), 6 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 9 K

Willy Collado: Save (6), 3 IP, 4 K; perfect outing

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Jonathan Bermúdez, LHP, Quad Cities

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

Austin Dennis, UTIL, and César Salazar, C, Quad Cities

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

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

Josh Rojas, UTIL, and Jamie Ritchie, C, Round Rock

Rojas: 2-5, 2 HR (17), 3 RBI

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

Was there something going on?

Round Rock Express bullpen

7.1 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Kent Emanuel: W (4-1), 6 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Brendan McCurry: Save (5), 1.1 IP, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 5, 2019

Let's play two in Oklahoma City and Palm Beach!

Game 1: Oklahoma City 1, Round Rock 0

W- Mitchell White (3-4)
L- Ryan Hartman (5-4)
S- Caleb Ferguson (1)

RR home runs: None.

There was one run in the first game of this doubleheader and unfortunately, it belonged to the Dodgers.

Ryan Hartman pitched well but since he didn't get any run support, he had to take the loss. He allowed a run on four hits, walked two, and struck out seven in five innings of work. Reymin Guduan worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 6th, striking out one.

Josh Rojas and Nick Tanielu singled. That was it for the E-Train on offense in game one.

Game 2: Oklahoma City 4, Round Rock 3

W- J.D. Martin (2-0)
L- Carson LaRue (1-5)
S- Justin Grimm (1)

RR home runs: None.

The Express scored in more innings than the Dodgers, but two two-run innings > three one-run innings.

Josh Rojas walked to lead off game two and he scored the first run of game two on a passed ball. Jack Mayfield hit an infield single in the 3rd and Derek Fisher ended up scoring on the ensuing error. Kyle Tucker added an RBI single in the 6th but unfortunately, he was one of the casualties of a pop fly that turned into a double play????? Nick Tanielu went 2-3 with a double.

Carson LaRue threw a six-inning complete game, allowing four runs on five hits, one of which was a two-run home run, walking one, and striking out five.

Brandon Bielak will be on the mound for game four of this series. He'll face Rob Zastryzny at 7:05.

Midland 3, Corpus Christi 1

W- Seth Martinez (1-0)
L- Willy Collado (1-4)
S- Zack Erwin (3)

CC home runs: None.

Enoli Paredes was absolutely filthy but the RockHounds managed to unlock the Hooks bullpen.

Paredes walked two, hit a batter, and struck out a dozen over six shutout innings. The 12 strikeouts represent a new career high for Paredes. Willy Collado came on for the 7th but the first three men reached against him and he only recorded one out. In all, Collado allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits. Tommy DeJuneas was called upon to get Collado out of a bases-loaded predicament, which he did so successfully. DeJuneas ultimately went 2.1 innings and allowed an unearned run, a single, walked two, and struck out two. The run was an inherited runner that scored. Carlos Sanabria got the last out of the 9th but also allowed an RBI single that allowed the runner he inherited from DeJuneas to score.

Granden Goetzman's sac fly in the 7th was Corpus Christi's only scoring play of the night. Abraham Toro went 2-4 with a triple and scored on that sac fly.

Chad Donato is up to make his first Texas League start. He'll go against Kyle Friedrichs at 7:15.

Fayetteville 3, Winston-Salem 1

W- Jojanse Torres (5-0)
L- Tyler Johnson (0-1)
S- Jacob Billingsley (3)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The difference in this game was Fayetteville putting up the only crooked number of the night in the 6th. After dropping eight of nine, the Woodpeckers have taken the first two in this series against the Dash.

Scott Manea broke the 0-0 tie with a two-run single in the 6th inning. Ross Adolph, making his Carolina League debut, singled to lead off the 9th and scored a crucial insurance run on a wild pitch. Manea finished 4-4 on the night. Adolph and Jeremy Peña both went 2-4 and scored a run.

Three Fayetteville pitchers combined on a two-hitter. Jojanse Torres started things off with a fine outing as he allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked three, and struck out seven over six innings. The run scored on an error. César Rosado was the first man out of the Fayetteville bullpen and he walked one and struck out four in 2.1 innings. Jacob Billingsley worked around a walk to get the final two outs of the night.

J.P. France takes on Konnor Pilkington as the Woodpeckers look for the sweep. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Beloit 3, Quad Cities 2

W- Rafael Kelly (2-1)
L- R.J. Freure (4-4)
S- Charlie Cerny (4)

QC home runs: None.

One swing of the bat swung this game in the Snappers' favor. The Banditos outhit the Snappers 9-4, but unfortunately, lost in the column that counts.

R.J. Freure went five innings and he allowed two hits, one of which was a three-run home run that put Beloit in front, walked three, and struck out two. Brett Daniels allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out five over the final four innings.

Both of the Banditos' runs in this game came in the 2nd inning. Carlos Machado hit into a fielder's choice that allowed César Salazar to score and then he ended up scoring on a single from Alex Holderbach. David Hensley finished 3-4 and stole a base, his eighth of the season. Holderbach went 2-4.

Matt Ruppenthal will start the first game of a three-game series with Cedar Rapids tonight at 6:35. He will be opposed by Andrew Cabezas.

Hudson Valley 4, Tri-City 3

W- Evan McKendry (1-0)
L- Kyle Serrano (0-2)
S- Hector Figueroa (2)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats also outhit their opposition but lost as the Renegades managed to score three times in the 1st without getting a hit. Tri-City got a rally started in the 8th but it ultimately fell short.

Kyle Serrano didn't make it out of the first inning. He allowed three runs (two earned, two inherited runners charged to him), walked three, and both of the outs he recorded came via the strikeout. Manny Ramirez was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and he allowed a run of his own on three hits, walked one, and struck out five in 4.1 innings. Franny Cobos got the last three innings and he allowed one hit while striking out five.

The ValleyCats loaded the bases in the 7th but couldn't score. However, they managed to get three runs in the top of the 8th thanks to an RBI single from Juan Paulino and a pair of RBI groundouts from Bryan Arias and E.P. Reese. Joe Perez finished 3-4 on the night and Nathan Perry finished 2-4.

Blair Henley will make his first start for the ValleyCats tonight at 6:05 Eastern.

Game 1: GCL Astros 6, GCL Nationals 5

W- Jervic Chavez (2-1)
L- Karlo Seijas (1-1)

GCL home runs: Yeuris Ramírez (3, 2-run in 4th), Abraham Castillo (1, solo in 4th), Franklin Pinto (1, solo in 6th)

The Nationals tied game one at 5 with a run in the 5th but the Astros got that run back in the 6th to re-take the lead.

Abdiel Saldaña made his season debut and he threw two scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out one. Fredy Medina got the 3rd and the Nationals got to him for four runs (three earned). He allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out one. Dean Deetz and Jervic Chavez pitched two innings apiece. Deetz allowed a run on two hits and fanned four while Chavez allowed a hit and struck out three.

The Palm Beach 'Stros got two in the 1st as Sean Mendoza scored on a wild pitch and Victor Mascai hit an RBI single. In the 4th, Yeuris Ramírez launched a two-run homer and then Abraham Castillo followed by whacking one of his own. Franklin Pinto put them back in front with a solo blast in the 6th. For Castillo and Pinto, those were the first home runs of their pro careers.

Game 2: GCL Astros 4, GCL Nationals 2

W- Daniel Bello (1-1)
L- Abrahan Hiraldo (0-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach 'Stros earned the doubleheader sweep on the strength of three runs in the 3rd.

Yefri Carrillo reached on a fielder's choice in the 2nd and an error on the play allowed Nerio Rodríguez to score. They turned a bases-loaded situation in the 3rd into three runs. Well, two of them came with the bases loaded. Nerio scored on another error that allowed Adonis Giron to reach. Carrillo walked to load the bases for Gerry Castillo, who walked in Yorbin Ceuta. Giron, who finished 2-4, scored on a passed ball.

Julio Robaina allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out seven over four scoreless innings. Daniel Bello pitched the last three innings and he allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked two, and struck out three.

DSL Royals1 2, DSL Astros 1

W- Osiris Santana (1-0)
L- Jaime Melendez (0-1)
S- Javier Vasquez (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Royals scored twice in the 7th to edge out the Dominican 'Stros.

Frank Perez's sac fly in the 2nd was their only scoring play of the day. Yohander Martinez and Omar Díaz both went 2-4.

Reimy Beltre allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out five over four scoreless. Jaime Melendez went three innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked two, and struck out three. Ronny Garcia allowed a hit and struck out two over two scoreless.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Reimy Beltre, RHP, DSL Astros: 4 IP, 4 H, BB, 5 K

Scott Manea, C, Fayetteville

4-4, 2 RBI

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 3-1 @ Winston-Salem

9 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 5 BB, 11 K

Jojanse Torres: W (5-0), 6 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 3 BB, 7 K

César Rosado: 2.1 IP, BB, 4 K

Jacob Billingsley: Save (3), 0.2 IP, BB

Photo by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, Corpus Christi

6 IP, hit batter, 2 BB, career-high 12 K

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Round Rock

L (5-4), 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Brett Daniels, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Manny Ramírez, RHP, and Franny Cobos, RHP, Tri-City

Ramírez: 4.1 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K

Cobos: 3 IP, H, 5 K

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Jervic Chavez, LHP, and Julio Robaina, LHP, GCL Astros

Chavez: W (2-1), 2 IP, H, 3 K in game one of doubleheader

Robaina: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K in game two of doubleheader

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 9, 2019

Salt Lake 6, Round Rock 5

W- Max Herrmann (1-1)
L- Ronel Blanco (1-1, 4-1 season)
S- Simon Mathews (1)

RR home runs: Kyle Tucker (21, solo in 1st), A.J. Reed (8, solo in 9th)

The Express got held in check on Sunday to slow down their recent rampage.

Corbin Martin went three innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, walked two, and struck out three. Ronel Blanco was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he allowed five hits, one of which was a two-run homer. Blanco also walked one and struck out three in his 2.2 innings of work. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed a hit and fanned four over the final 2.1 innings.

Kyle Tucker opened the scoring by whacking a solo home run in the 1st inning. Round Rock got two more in the opening frame thanks to a Drew Ferguson sac fly and a Nick Tanielu single. Taylor Jones ripped an RBI double in the 3rd and A.J. Reed led off the 9th with a homer that cut the Bees' lead to one run. Tucker, Jones, and Aníbal Sierra all finished with two hits on the afternoon.

Brandon Bielak will start the series finale and he'll take on Matt Sandoval at 1:05 Mountain.

Amarillo 6, Corpus Christi 0

W- Emmanuel Ramirez (5-4)
L- Brett Adcock (1-6)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks, doing business as the Raspas like they do every Sunday, had nothing going for them on offense. As a result, they had to settle for the split and they couldn't take sole possession of first place in the Texas League South. All four teams are separated by one game.

Chas McCormick doubled and drew a couple of walks.

Brett Adcock went four innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits, walked one, and struck out two. Layne Henderson struck out one in a 1-2-3 5th, and Enoli Paredes threw four perfect innings in his Texas League debut, striking out five.

Corpus Christi has Monday off as they embark on their last roadtrip of the first half. The first leg begins on Tuesday with the opener of a three-game series against the Arkansas Travelers.

Wilmington 5, Fayetteville 3

W- C.J. Eldred (1-0)
L- César Rosado (2-1)
S- Robert Garcia (1)

Fayetteville home runs: Bryan de la Cruz (4, solo in 1st), Marty Costes (2, 4 season; solo in 4th), Michael Papierski (3, solo in 6th)

Well, they didn't lose in walk-off fashion, but the Woodpeckers got burned by another late rally from the Blue Rocks. Wilmington scored three in the bottom of the 8th to take the lead in this one.

J.P. France allowed two runs on three hits, walked two, and struck out four in six innings of work. César Rosado threw a scoreless 7th but everything unraveled on him in the 8th as he only got one out and left the bases for Leovanny Rodríguez, who couldn't get him out of the predicament. Rosado allowed a hit, walked two, struck out two, and all three of the runners that Leovanny inherited were all charged to him. Leovanny got the last two outs of the 8th, one via strikeout, but not before he allowed a go-ahead bases-clearing double.

Fayetteville's three runs came via the solo homer. Bryan de la Cruz led off the game with one, Marty Costes smacked one in the 4th, and Michael Papierski went deep to lead off the 6th. Papierski, Costes, and Jonathan Arauz all finished 2-4.

The Woodpeckers will start a three-game set with Myrtle Beach at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 5, Kane County 3

W- Joey Gonzalez (1-1, 1-2 season)
L- Franklyn Soriano (2-2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos' bats came alive after a rain delay. Also, Cedar Rapids' split in their doubleheader with Peoria resulted in the Banditos clinching a playoff berth. Their magic number to clinch the division is now down to two.

José Bravo pitched six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, walked four, and struck out five. Joey Gonzalez came on after play resumed and he shut the Cougars down, allowing two hits and striking out five over the final three innings.

Freúdis Nova ripped an RBI double in the 4th to put Quad Cities on the board. With two outs in the 7th, Jeremy Peña kept the inning alive by legging out an infield single. César Salazar got plunked and David Hensley legged out an infield single of his own to load the bases for Freúdis, who brought Peña in... by getting plunked. That prompted Kane County to make a pitching change and Michael Wielansky greeted new Cougars pitcher Wesley Rodriguez with a bases-clearing double that put the Banditos in the lead. Wielansky, Peña, and Hensley all finished with two hits on the evening.

The Banditos and Cougars will wrap up this series at 6:35.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Layne Henderson not pictured.

This is Enoli Paredes' mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

5 IP, 6 K

Layne Henderson: IP, K

Enoli Paredes: 4 IP, 5 K; Texas League debut

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Joey Gonzalez, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-1, 1-2 season), 3 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Michael Wielansky, IF, Quad Cities

2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI; go-ahead bases-clearing 2B in 7th

J.P. France, RHP, Fayetteville

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

Michael Papierski, C, and Marty Costes, OF, Fayetteville

Both players finished 2-4 with a solo home run.

Papierski: 3 HR

Costes: 2 HR with Fayetteville, 4 on the season

Ralph Garza Jr., RHP, Round Rock

2.1 IP, H, 4 K

Taylor Jones, 1B/OF, and Kyle Tucker, OF, Round Rock

Jones: 2-3, 2 2B, RBI, R

Tucker: 2-5, solo HR (21)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, June 3, 2019

Round Rock was off

The E-Train is heading west this week and they will begin a three-game series in Las Vegas at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Midland 3

W- Brett Adcock (1-5)
L- Matt Milburn (2-3)
S- Colin McKee (4)

CC home runs: Granden Goetzman (12, 2-run in 3rd)

Both teams scored in one inning. Luckily for the Hooks, they scored more in their inning as they got four runs on a two-run double from Seth Beer and a two-run home run from Granden Goetzman. Abraham Toro went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Brett Adcock pitched seven innings and allowed three runs, all in the 4th, on four hits, walked two, and struck out four. Nick Hernandez hit two batters and struck out three in 1.2 innings and Colin McKee induced a force out to end the game.

Brandon Bailey goes up against James Naile in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:15.

Winston-Salem 4, Fayetteville 2

W- Konner Pilkington (1-1)
L- Nivaldo Rodríguez (0-3, 3-4 season)
S- Jake Elliott (1)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers had another late rally brewing but once again, it got snuffed out. They left the bases loaded to end the game.

Nivaldo Rodríguez pitched five innings and allowed three runs (two earned), a solo homer, walked one, and struck out four. Enoli Paredes got the last four innings and one of the two hits he allowed was a solo homer. Paredes walked one and struck out six.

Fayetteville got a pair of RBI doubles from Bryan de la Cruz and Jonathan Arauz in the 3rd inning. Those were the Woodpeckers' only extra-base hits on the night.

The Woodpeckers and Dash will wrap up this series at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will start a three-game series against Peoria at 6:35. Unfortunately, a renewed flooding threat in the Quad Cities has forced this series to relocate to Peoria. José Bravo will take on Colin Schmid in game one.

DSL Astros 10, DSL Royals1 4

W- Marcos Eusebio (1-0)
L- Samuel Valerio (0-1)

DSL home runs: Miguel Palma (1, solo in 6th)

The Academy rode an early offensive outburst to a win on Monday.

Jonarkys Lopez opened things up in the 2nd with a two-run triple and he wound up scoring on a base hit from Tomás Ramirez. Cristian Gonzalez ripped an RBI double to bring Ramirez home and Sebastian Grullón hit an RBI single. Lopez led off the 4th with a triple and scored when Andrés Monzón hit into a groundout. Ramirez stole home and then Gonzalez smacked an RBI triple. Ayendy Ortiz hit an RBI single in the 5th and Miguel Palma launched his first career home run in the 6th.

Fabricio Reina pitched four innings and he allowed a run on a groundout, a triple, walked one, and struck out three. Daniel Pacheco was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed three runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on two hits, walked five, and struck out one. Marcos Eusebio allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out two in 1.2 innings. Edinson Batista and Juan De Los Santos pitched a scoreless inning apiece; Batista allowed a hit and walked one in the 8th, while De Los Santos walked one in the 9th.

The Astros will face the Rays 1 at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Tomás Ramirez, OF, DSL Astros: 2-4, RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (2)
Cristian Gonzalez, IF, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R
Jonarkys Lopez, C, DSL Astros: 2-2, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Seth Beer, 1B/OF, and Granden Goetzman, OF, Corpus Christi

Beer: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI

Goetzman: 1-4, 2-R HR (12)

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 4-3 vs. Midland

9 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Brett Adcock: W (1-5), 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Nick Hernandez: 1.2 IP, 2 HB, 3 K

Colin McKee: Save (4), 0.1 IP

Photo by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, Fayetteville

4 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 6 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Let's play two in the Quad Cities!

Round Rock 13, Nashville 12 (13 innings)

W- Ronel Blanco (1-0, 4-0 season)
L- Tyler Depreta-Johnson (0-1)
S- Jamie Ritchie (1)

RR home runs: Taylor Jones (10, 2-run in 2nd), Drew Ferguson (6, 2-run in 13th)

Sheesh. The Express emerged victorious after things got a bit weird in extra innings.

Ryan Hartman got the start and he went 4.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned, one inherited runner charged to him) on seven hits (two-run homer), walking one, and striking out three. Kit Scheetz was the first man out of the Express bullpen and he allowed a run of his own on a two-run single, walked one, and struck out four in 2.2 innings; one of the runs was charged to Hartman.

Dean Deetz got the 8th for his first appearance since coming off the IL and he got a rude welcome back as he was tagged for two runs on three hits. Deetz also walked one and struck out two. Ronel Blanco tagged in for four innings and he allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits (two-run homer) and struck out five. Jamie Ritchie got the 13th and he allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits. Things got a bit hairy but he managed to close out the game.

Taylor Jones put Round Rock on the board with a two-run homer all the way back in the 2nd inning. Yordan Alvarez hit an RBI single in the 3rd and Jones added a sac fly to his ledger. Lorenzo Quintana hit a sac fly in the 4th and an RBI single in the 6th. Following his RBI single, he scored on Kyle Tucker's base hit. Tucker's RBI single was Round Rock's last scoring play in regulation; the rest of their scoring was done in extra innings.

The E-Train got a pair of RBI singles from A.J. Reed and Josh Rojas in the 11th and a sac fly from Alex De Goti in the 12th. They couldn't seem to shake the Sounds, but they finally did so in the 13th as Drew Ferguson put them back in front with a two-run homer and then Reed added some insurance with an RBI single.

Reed and De Goti had four hits apiece. Ferguson, Jones, Alvarez, and Rojas all finished with three hits; Rojas, who just came up from Corpus, jumped straight into the action after he subbed in for Nick Tanielu in the 4th inning.

Cionel Pérez gets the start as Round Rock starts a four-game series with the Iowa Cubs. He'll take on Alec Mills at 7:05.

Midland 4, Corpus Christi 2

W- Matt Milburn (2-3)
L- Brandon Bailey (0-2)
S- Zack Erwin (1)

CC home runs: None.

Corpus held Midland to four hits but they lost in the column that matters most.

Brandon Bailey went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on four hits (solo homer), walked four, and struck out five. Layne Henderson was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he walked two and struck out one over 1.2 scoreless innings. Miguel Figueroa worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out one.

Stephen Wrenn tripled to lead off the 6th and scored the Hooks' first run on a single from Osvaldo Duarte. Ronnie Dawson hit an RBI single in the 7th inning. Duarte and Wrenn had two hits apiece on the night.

Carson LaRue will get the start for the Hooks as they look to avoid a sweep. He'll face James Naile at 7:00.

Wilmington 4, Fayetteville 3

W- Jackson Kowar (4-3)
L- Tommy DeJuneas (1-2)
S- Tyler Zuber (9)

Fayetteville home runs: Colton Shaver (5, 2-run in 1st)

The Woodpeckers held the Blue Rocks to four hits, but a four-run 8th inning turned the game in Wilmington's favor.

Enoli Paredes was excellent yet again as he allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out seven over six shutout innings. He had a no-hitter going through 5.1 innings but it was broken up by a bunt single from Ricky Aracena. Of course it would be broken up by a bunt single. Aracena was caught stealing second base, so Paredes got a little justice.

Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Tommy DeJuneas threw a scoreless 7th but the wheels fell off for him in the 8th. In 1.2 innings, DeJuneas allowed four runs (two earned, two inherited runners charged to him) on two hits, walked two, and struck out five. Willy Collado technically threw 1.1 scoreless innings and struck out two, but two of the three runners he inherited from DeJuneas scored on his watch on a single.

Colton Shaver launched a two-run homer in the 1st inning and Jonathan Arauz extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI single in the 6th. Shaver finished 2-4 on the night. Ramiro Rodríguez, in his Carolina League debut, finished 2-2 with a double and scored a run.

The Woodpeckers and Blue Rocks will continue their series at 7:00 Eastern.

Game 1: Beloit 8, Quad Cities 6

W- Brandon Withers (1-2)
L- Devin Conn (1-1)
S- Eric Mariñez (8)

QC home runs: None.

Well, that was unpleasant. The Snappers stole game one by scoring seven in the top of the 7th to erase a 6-1 deficit.

Quad Cities scored twice in the 4th to take the lead, thanks to an RBI groundout from Freúdis Nova and a César Salazar sac fly. They scored four more in the 5th on a two-run double from Austin Dennis and a pair of RBI singles from Jeremy Peña and Salazar. Dennis, Peña, and Salazar all finished with two hits in game one. Ross Adolph doubled, drew a couple of walks, and scored a run.

The one run that José Bravo allowed in his 5.1 innings came on a solo homer. He allowed four other hits and struck out six. Everything unraveled on Devin Conn and Humberto Castellanos. Let's leave it at that.

Game 2: Beloit 3, Quad Cities 1

W- Charlie Cerny (2-2)
L- Jayson Schroeder (0-1)
S- Michael Danielak (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos doubled up the Snappers in the hit column but they also came out on the short end in game two and so they got swept in the doubleheader.

Trey Dawson scored Quad Cities' only run in game two on a passed ball in the 4th inning. Jeremy Peña hit a single to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

Jayson Schroeder only lasted 1.2 innings in his first start of the season; he allowed three runs on two hits, walked three, and struck out three. Joey Gonzalez and Riley Cabral pitched 2.2 scoreless innings apiece. Gonzalez allowed a hit and walked two, while Cabral walked two and struck out two.

Matt Ruppenthal will get the start as Quad Cities looks to avoid the sweep. First pitch is at 6:35.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net
Round Rock Express: W 13-12 (13 innings) @ Nashville

13 H, 22 R, 2 E

Alex De Goti: 4-5, RBI, R

A.J. Reed: 4-6, 2 RBI, R

Drew Ferguson: 3-7, 2-R HR (6), 2 R

Yordan Alvarez: 3-6, RBI, 2 R

Taylor Jones: 3-5, 2-R HR (10), 3 RBI, 2 R

Josh Rojas: 3-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, R

Colton Shaver, IF, Fayetteville

2-4, 2-R HR (5)

Photo by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, Fayetteville

6 IP, H, BB, 7 K; no-hitter through 5.1 IP

José Bravo has a mugshot but it still hasn't been uploaded to MiLB.com.

Joey Gonzalez's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jeremy Peña, SS, César Salazar, C, and Austin Dennis, OF

José Bravo, RHP, Joey Gonzalez, RHP, and Riley Cabral, RHP, Quad Cities

Dennis: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R in game one of doubleheader

Peña: 2-3, RBI, 2 R in game one of doubleheader

Salazar: 2-2, 2 RBI in game one of doubleheader

Bravo: 5.1 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 6 K in game one of doubleheader

Gonzalez: 2.2 IP, H, 2 BB in game two of doubleheader

Cabral: 2.2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K in game two of doubleheader

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Corpus Christi

2-4, RBI single