Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, August 26, 2016

Sacramento 3, Fresno 0

W- Ty Blach (14-7)
L- David Paulino (0-2, 5-4 season)
S- Steven Okert (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies were kept off the scoreboard on Friday night. Three of their 5 hits were doubles; Jon Kemmer, Alejandro Garcia, and Jack Mayfield had the two-baggers.

David Paulino went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. Brendan McCurry and Kevin Chapman followed with 2 scoreless innings apiece; McCurry allowed 2 hits and struck out 3, while Chapman allowed a hit and struck out 1.

Evan Grills will start game 4 of this series. Word on the street is that Matt Cain will make a rehab start for Sacramento. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, Midland 0

W- Francis Martes (9-5)
L- Brandon Mann (2-3)

CC home runs: Drew Ferguson (1, 15 season; 2-run in 6th), J.D. Davis (20, 2-run in 7th)

Drew Ferguson broke a scoreless tie in the 6th, the Hooks poured it on in the 7th, and Francis Martes and Eric Peterson shut down the Midland offense. Martes allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 7 shutout innings, and Peterson finished it off by striking out 4 over 2 perfect frames.

Ferguson finished 3-4, and his two-run homer in the 6th accounted for the game's first two runs. Mott Hyde got hit by a pitch to lead off the 7th, and he eventually scored on an error following a Tony Nuñez bunt single. Nick Tanielu added a 2-run single, and J.D. Davis capped off the evening by launching a 2-run home run, his 20th blast of the season. Nuñez (2 BB, R, SB) and Davis had 2 hits apiece.

Tonight, the Hooks will begin their final home series of the season, a 3-game set with San Antonio. Rogelio Armenteros will face Kyle Lloyd at 7:00.

Modesto 4, Lancaster 2

W- Ryan Castellani (7-8)
L- Elieser Hernandez (2-5, 6-8 season)
S- Troy Neiman (2)

Lancaster home runs: Trent Woodward (6, 7 season; solo in 8th)

The Nuts had more two-run innings than the JetHawks, so naturally, they won this game.

Lancaster's two-run inning was the 8th: Trent Woodward led off the inning with a homer, and Jason Martin hit a sac fly. Woodward finished 2-3 on the night.

Elieser Hernandez went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Andrew Thome allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 4 over the final 3 innings.

In game 2 of this series, Albert Abreu will face Colin Welmon. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Wisconsin 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Miguel Sanchez (1-0)
L- Nick Hernandez (0-1, 1-2 season)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos' offensive woes continued, and the Rattlers nipped them with a two-out RBI single in the top of the 9th.

Bobby Wernes had 2 of the 3 River Bandits in this game; he doubled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, and his RBI single was the Banditos' only scoring play. The other hit was a single from Dex McCall.

Enrique Chavez allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 7 strong innings. Wisconsin got the go-ahead run off of Nick Hernandez, who went 2 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2.

Yoanys Quiala will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Jordan Desguin at 6:00.

Lowell 5, Tri-City 4

W- Pat Goetze (4-1)
L- Devin Raftery (0-1, 3-1 season)
S- Jordan Weems (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats tied the game at 3 in the 8th .... only to see Lowell SS C.J. Chatham put the Spinners back in front with a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th. TC managed to pull a run back in the 9th, but they stranded the tying run on 2nd to end the game.

Tyler Wolfe scored the first run of the evening on an error in the 3rd that allowed Carmen Benedetti to reach. Kevin Martir hit an RBI single in the 6th, and he added a sac fly to his ledger in the 8th inning, and Benedetti hit a sac fly to bring the ValleyCats to within a run. Wolfe and Ronnie Dawson scored 2 runs apiece. Dawson and Rodrigo Ayarza both went 2-5, while Taylor Jones finished 3-4.

Jorge Alcala pitched 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 2. Erasmo Pinales tagged in to throw 3 scoreless innings, walking 1 and striking out 4. Devin Raftery pitched 2 innings, and the two runs he allowed came on Chatham's 2nd home run of the game. He allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 4.

Edgardo Sandoval starts game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 4, Danville 0

W- Jorge Guzman (1-3, 2-4 season)
L- Jhon Martinez (4-5)
S- Juan Robles (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros kept themselves alive in the playoff chase by taking 2 of 3 from the Braves.

Jorge Guzman and Juan Robles joined forces to keep Danville off the board; Guzman allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 7 over 5 innings, and Robles pitched the final 4 innings, allowing 4 hits and fanning 4.

Ruben Castro led off the 3rd with a single and scored the first run of the game on an error following a Frankeny Fernandez sacrifice bunt. Castro scored another run off another error in the 5th inning; this miscue came off a single from Abraham Toro. Not long after, Fernandez scored on a balk. Troy Sieber doubled to lead off the 8th and came around to score on a Carlos Machado single. Toro, Machado, Castro, and Stijn van der Meer all finished 2-4.

Tonight, the Appy Astros will begin a series with the team directly above them in the Appalachian League West standings, Elizabethton. Patrick Sandoval will get the start, and he'll take on Tyler Wells at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 2, GCL Marlins 0

W- Yohan Ramirez (1-0, 2-1 season)
L- Bryan Morris (0-1)
S- Josue Uribe (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros scored 2 runs in the 1st, which turned out to be enough for them to get the win.

Ronel Blanco and Yohan Ramirez were the first 2 pitchers for the GCL club, and they were making their US debuts. Blanco allowed a hit and struck out 3 in 3 innings of work, and Ramirez went 2 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Gabriel Valdez allowed a hit and struck out 3 over 3 scoreless, and Josue Uribe walked 1 and struck out 2 in the 9th to get the save.

Wander Franco opened the scoring with an RBI single, and Jose Benjamin grounded into a force out that allowed Ronny Jimenez to score. Jimenez and Randy Vasquez both finished 2-4.

DSL Astros Orange 5, DSL Rangers2 3

W- Christian Mejias (1-0)
L- Miguel Medrano (0-1)
S- Diosward Gonzalez (1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team got a pair of runs in the 6th to break a 3-3 tie.

Euclides Chavez scored the first run of the game in the 2nd inning on an error following a Kelvin Perez single. The Orange team got two runs in the 3rd on a pair of RBI singles from Jose Abel Hernandez and Chavez. Jose Carrillo scored the go-ahead run on a balk in the 6th, and Samir Caraballo, who was at the plate at the time, added an RBI single. Caraballo, Chavez, Carrillo, and Hector Martinez all had 2 hits on the day.

Gerardo Bojorquez went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2 solo homers), walked 1, and struck out 2. Christian Mejias allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless, and Diosward Gonzalez allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 over 4 scoreless for the save.

Friday's Stars

Diosward Gonzalez, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K

Francis Martes and Eric Peterson, RHPs, Corpus Christi

Martes: W (9-5), 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K

Peterson: 2 IP, 4 K

Drew Ferguson, OF, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2-R HR (1, 15 season)

J.D. Davis, 3B, Corpus Christi

2-4. 2B, 2-R HR (20)

Andrew Thome, RHP, Lancaster

3 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Enrique Chavez, RHP, Quad Cities

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

Erasmo Pinales, RHP, Tri-City

3 IP, BB, 4 K

Photos by Bryan Green

Jorge Guzman and Juan Robles, RHPs, Greeneville

Guzman: W (1-3, 2-4 season), 5 IP, H, BB, 7K

Robles: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, 4 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 21, 2016

Albuquerque 4, Fresno 3

W- Shane Carle (5-8)
L- Evan Grills (0-1, 8-7 season)
S- Simon Castro (8)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (17, solo in 1st)

The Grizzlies mounted a 9th-inning rally that fell just short.

Jon Kemmer opened up the scoring by launching a solo home run in the 1st inning. This was Fresno's only run until the 9th inning.

Jon Singleton and D.J. Fisher got the rally started with singles, and then Andrew Aplin hit an RBI single with one out in the inning. Jack Mayfield added a sac fly to bring the Grizz to within one, but that was as close as they could get. Singleton, Fisher, and Colin Moran all had 2 hits in the game.

In his PCL debut, Evan Grills went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs that came off a couple of two-run homers. He allowed 6 other hits and struck out 2. Jandel Gustave, Kevin Chapman, and Jordan Jankowski all pitched a scoreless inning; Gustave and Chapman recorded a strikeout as they retired the side in order in the 6th and 7th, respectively, and Jankowski allowed 2 hits in the 8th.

In game 3 of this series, Keegan Yuhl will face Kyle Freeland. First pitch is at 6:35 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 1, Arkansas 0

W- Rogelio Armenteros (1-0, 7-6 season)
L- Zach Nuding (1-2)
S- Eric Peterson (3, 5 season)

CC home runs: Garrett Stubbs (4, 10 season; solo in 1st)

The Hooks finished 4-2 on their final tour of Arkansas this season after taking 2 of 3 from the Travs.

Garrett Stubbs finished 4-4, and his solo home run in the 1st inning was the only run of the game. J.D. Davis and Ramon Laureano had 2 hits apiece.

Rogelio Armenteros was a winner in his Texas League debut; he allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 7 shutout innings. Eric Peterson closed it out by striking out 2 over 2 perfect frames.

After a day off, the Hooks will start a series with Midland on Tuesday.

Lancaster 8, Lake Elsinore 5

W- Albert Abreu (1-0, 3-8 season)
L- Zech Lemond (6-5)
S- Kevin McCanna (1, 2 season)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks took the game and the series thanks to a 5-run 8th inning that swung the momentum in their favor.

Dean Deetz pitched 3 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 7. Andrew Thome was the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen, and he allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 2 innings. Albert Abreu came on to make his Lancaster debut, and he wound up throwing 3 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 3. Kevin McCanna allowed a hit and struck out 2 in a scoreless 9th to get the save.

Keach Ballard opened the scoring with a 2-run double in the 2nd inning and drove in another run with an RBI single in the 6th. Ballard walked to lead off the 8th, and Myles Straw joined him on the bases after hitting a single. They both advanced a base on a passed ball, and then a wild pitch allowed Ballard to score. Johnny Sewald, who was at the plate when all of that occurred, followed with an RBI single. Osvaldo Duarte popped out on a bunt attempt, but Kyle Tucker came through by ripping an RBI triple; he would score on a Trent Woodward sac fly. Jamie Ritchie, who walked and advanced to 2nd on the sacrifice fly, scored the final run of the evening on an error that allowed Jason Martin to reach.

Ballard finished 3-4 on the evening, while Sewald and Tucker both had 2 hits and stole a base. Sewald has 21 steals with Lancaster and 37 on the year, while Tucker, who stole his first in the California League, has 32 on the season. Jason Martin was 1-2 with 3 walks and 2 stolen bases (19).

The JetHawks are off today; they'll begin a 3-game series with High Desert at The Hangar tomorrow.

Kane County 9, Quad Cities 3

W- Carlos Hernandez (7-9)
L- Yoanys Quiala (2-10)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos ended up getting buried by a 6-run 6th inning that turned a 3-0 game into a laugher. They did manage to pull three runs back, but the damage was too significant.

3 of the River Bandits' 4 hits in the game came in the 6th, and they resulted in 3 runs. Stephen Wrenn ripped an RBI triple, Spencer Johnson laced an RBI double, and Pat Porter hit an RBI single.

Yoanys Quiala pitched 5+ innings and allowed 8 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 10 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Chris Murphy and Adam Whitt pitched 2 innings apiece out of the bullpen; Murphy allowed a run on 3 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 4, while Whitt allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Franklin Perez will get the start as the Banditos begin a new series in Cedar Rapids. He'll take on Brady Anderson at 6:35.

Tri-City and Hudson Valley was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled for tonight with game 1 starting at 5:00 Eastern. Sebastian Kessay and Makay Nelson will start for Tri-City.

Burlington 10, Greeneville 1

W- Geoffrey Bramblett (5-1)
L- Jorge Guzman (0-3, 1-4 season)

Greeneville home runs: None.

Forgettable Sunday for the Appy Astros.

Jonathan Matute spoiled the shutout in the 8th when he scored on a wild pitch.

Jorge Guzman went 3.1 innings and allowed 6 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Lucas Williams went 1.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, and Carlos Sanabria struck out 2 over 3 perfect innings.

Diogenes Almengo will get the start as Greeneville looks to avoid the sweep. He'll face Travis Eckert at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 6, GCL Marlins 5 in 10 innings

W- Manuel Gonzalez (1-1)
L- Obed Diaz (0-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros jumped out to a 4-0 lead, saw it vanish, then pulled themselves together to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th on their way to a walk-off win.

Enoli Paredes went 3.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Leovanny Rodriguez was the first man out; he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 4.1 innings. Manuel Gonzalez allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 2 innings.

Andy Piñeda walked to lead off the 1st inning. An errant pickoff throw allowed him to advance all the way to 3rd, and he scored the first run of the day on a balk. Wilson Amador, who also walked, advanced to 2nd on a passed ball and scored on a Wander Franco single, and Gilberto Celestino ripped an RBI double. Piñeda scored on a passed ball in the 2nd inning. L.P. Pelletier tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the 9th, and Jose Benjamin was the hero, coming through with an RBI single in the 10th to win it for the GCL squad.

Piñeda (2 R, SB [16]), Benjamin (2B, RBI), and Celestino (2B, RBI, R) all finished with 2 hits on the day.

Sunday's Stars

Jose Benjamin, OF, GCL Astros: 2-5, 2B, walk-off RBI single in 10th inning

Garrett Stubbs, C, Corpus Christi

4-4, solo HR (4, 10 season)

Rogelio Armenteros and Eric Peterson, RHPs, Corpus Christi

Armenteros: W (1-0, 7-6 season), 7 IP, 4 H, BB, 3 K

Peterson: Save (3, 5 season), 2 IP, 2 K

Keach Ballard, IF, Lancaster

3-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R

Albert Abreu, RHP, Lancaster

W (1-0, 3-8 season), 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Carlos Sanabria, RHP, Greeneville

3 IP, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Let's finish up one game that started two months ago and play another one in San Jose!

Albuquerque 5, Fresno 3

W- Harrison Musgrave (2-1)
L- Joe Musgrove (2-1, 4-2 season)
S- Jason Gurka (2)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies couldn't overcome a 5-0 deficit as they dropped the first of 4 to the Isotopes.

Joe Musgrove went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (3-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 1. Chris Cotton was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen; he allowed a run on 3 hits in 2 innings. Jandel Gustave threw a 1-2-3 8th, getting a lineout, a flyout, and a groundout.

The Grizzlies scored their 3 runs in the 7th, and all of them came with 1 out in the inning. Danny Worth drew a walk and advanced to 3rd on an A.J. Reed double. Matt Duffy put the Grizz on the board with an RBI single, and Jon Singleton followed with a 2-run double. Singleton finished 2-5, while Andrew Aplin went 3-5 at the top of the lineup.

In game 2 of this series, Brady Rodgers will face Tyler Anderson. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 4, Arkansas 3

W- Eric Peterson (1-1, 2-1 season)
L- D.J. Johnson (0-3)
S- Brendan McCurry (10)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks started off their tour of Arkansas with a win that they snatched from the jaws of defeat. They scored 3 in the top of the 9th to erase a 3-1 deficit.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a 2-out double in the 6th and scored the Hooks' first run following an error that allowed Alex Bregman to reach base and advance to 2nd. That run tied the game at 1. The Travs broke the tie with 2 runs after stretch time, and that's where the game stood heading into the 9th.

Bregman drew a walk to lead off the inning, and D.J. Fisher followed with an infield single. J.D. Davis hit an RBI single to score Bregman. Fisher and Davis both advanced on a wild pitch, but James Ramsay went down on strikes for the first out. Chase McDonald, however, put the Hooks in front with a 2-run single that turned out to be the game-winner. Teoscar finished 3-4, while Fisher finished 2-3.

Cy Sneed allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Michael Freeman was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen, and in 2.2 innings, he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and walked 2. Eric Peterson struck out 2 over 1.1 perfect innings, and Brendan McCurry fanned 2 in a 1-2-3 9th to close it out.

Keegan Yuhl will be on the mound for Corpus in game 2 of this series. He'll face Troy Scribner at 7:10.

Lancaster 9, San Jose 4

W- Matt Bower (1-0, 2-1 season)
L- Sam Coonrod (5-2)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin (8, solo in 5th), Aaron Mizell (1, 3 season; solo in 6th)

This game began on April 8. Yes, this was originally supposed to be the 2nd game of the season, but rain washed out 3 of the 4 games, so the JetHawks and Giants made up 2 of the 3 rained-out games on Tuesday. This game resumed with Lancaster up 4-1 heading into the 5th.

After play resumed, Jason Martin added a solo homer to go with the double that he hit two months ago. In his California League debut, Aaron Mizell smacked a solo homer in the 6th. Tony Nuñez stole home in the 7th, and later in the inning, Ramon Laureano hit an RBI single. Bobby Boyd scored the final run of this game on a wild pitch in the 9th.

Laureano (3B, 2 RBI, R, SB [23]) and Boyd (3B, 2 R, 2 SB [25]) both finished 3-5. Nick Tanielu, who was promoted to Corpus two weeks ago, finished 2-2. Nuñez's steal of home gives him 3 stolen bases since joining Lancaster and 12 on the season.

Andrew Walter, who is currently on the DL, allowed just the solo homer to Jose Vizcaino Jr., walked 3, and struck out 6 in 3.2 innings. Eric Peterson, who is now with Corpus, got the final out of the 4th with a strikeout. Matt Bower came on after play resumed and went 4.2 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits (solo homer), walking 1, and striking out 8. Ryan Deemes got the final out of the game.

San Jose 4, Lancaster 1

W- D.J. Snelten (3-4)
L- Alex Winkelman (0-1, 5-2 season)

Lancaster home runs: None.

This game was originally scheduled to be played on April 9, but it was rained out.

The 4 runs that Alex Winkelman allowed in the 4th all came on a grand slam, and all of them were unearned. In his 4 innings, he allowed 5 other hits, walked 3, and struck out 1. Yeyfry Del Rosario pitched 2 perfect innings out of the bullpen.

Drew Ferguson went 2-3 and put Lancaster on the board first with an RBI double in the 3rd inning.

The JetHawks and Giants still have to play the last game of their season-opening series. They'll do that on July 14. In the meantime, Lancaster will begin June with a new series. Rogelio Armenteros will start the first of 3 against Inland Empire. He'll face Justin Anderson at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities and Clinton was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled for today, with game 1 starting at 5. Albert Abreu will go first; he'll take on Art Warren. Makay Nelson will start game 2, and he'll go up against Zack Littell.

Six Stars (in four)

4.

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno

2-5, 2B, 2 RBI

3.

Eric Peterson and Brendan McCurry, RHPs, Corpus Christi

Peterson: W (1-1, 2-1 season), 1.1 IP, 2 K

McCurry: Save (10), IP, 2 K

2.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

Go-ahead 2-RBI single in 9th

1. 

Bobby Boyd and Ramon Laureano, OFs, Lancaster

Both finished 3-5 in the game that was resumed.

Boyd: 3B, 2 R, 2 SB (25)

Laureano: 3B, 2 RBI, R, SB (23)

Honorable Mentions

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Corpus Christi: 3-4, 2B, R

- Teoscar traded off his power for a more contact-oriented approach, and it has really paid off for him. 

Yeyfry Del Rosario, RHP, Lancaster: 2 IP
- Del Rosario has had a couple of outings in which he's gotten shelled, but he's largely held his own in the California League.

Drew Ferguson, OF, Lancaster: 2-3, RBI in 7-inning game
- Ferguson has turned in a solid season for the JetHawks.

Jason Martin, OF, Lancaster: 2-5, 2B, solo HR (8)
- Martin has matched his home run total from 2015 in 64 fewer games.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 19, 2015

Las Vegas 10, Fresno 5

W- Steve Matz (1-1)
L- Brady Rodgers (0-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

This game was tied at 2 after the 4th inning, but the 51s put up 3 in the 5th and the 6th to open things up in their favor.

The Grizz opened up the scoring with 2 in the 2nd, as Matt Duffy scored on a Joe Sclafani groundout and Andrew Aplin hit an RBI single. They would not score again until the 7th, when Preston Tucker hit an RBI single. Tucker, who finished 2-5 to extend his hitting streak to 21 games dating back to last season, grounded into a force out that scored Luis Flores in the 9th. One batter later, Matt Duffy hit an RBI groundout. Flores, a minor league Rule 5 draft pick, finished 2-3 with a double.

Brady Rodgers went 5.1 innings and allowed 7 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 8 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Richard Rodriguez was the first man out; he went 1.2 innings and allowed 2 runs of his own, 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Kevin Chapman gave up a run on 2 hits in the 8th.

Asher Wojciechowski would've been starting for Fresno tonight, but he's been summoned to Seattle, where he'll start for the Astros instead. Whoever is starting for the Grizzlies will take on Matt Bowman at 7:05 Pacific.

Tulsa 5, Corpus Christi 2

W- Matt Shelton (1-0)
L- Mike Hauschild (1-1)
S- Chin-hui Tsao (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Drillers pounced on Mike Hauschild immediately after his entrance as they took the series opener.

Lance McCullers had to settle for a no-decision, but he was excellent in his 2nd look at the Drillers. He allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5 over 5 shutout innings. All 4 runs that Hauschild allowed came in the 6th. He allowed 6 hits... all singles, walked 1, and struck out 4. Mitch Lambson allowed a run on 3 hits in the 9th inning.

The 2 Corpus runs came in the 3rd on an RBI double from Jio Mier and an RBI single from Tony Kemp, who finished 2-4.

Aaron West faces Chris Anderson tonight at 7:05.

High Desert 15, Lancaster 11

W- Felix Carvallo (1-0)
L- Blaine Sims (0-2)
S- Justin Sprenger (1)

Lancaster home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (1, solo in 9th)

Wow, that was a pretty rough start for the JetHawks. They found themselves down 12-0 after the Mavericks put up 11 in the bottom of the 2nd. However, I have to give credit to them for fighting back, and in the late stages of the ballgame, they looked as though they would find a way to erase that deficit.

Blaine Sims got hammered in his 1.1 innings, and we'll leave it at that. Randall Fant pitched 2.2 innings and allowed 2 of Sims' runners to score and 1 run of his own, 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Tyler Brunnemann was the only Lancaster pitcher to have a spotless outing; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 2 scoreless. Frederick Tiburcio allowed a 2-run homer to Alex Burg in the 8th. He went 2 innings and allowed 2 other hits and fanned 3.

The JetHawks got on board with a pair of runs in the 3rd inning from a Jobduan Morales RBI single and a J.D. Davis sacrifice fly. Jack Mayfield hit a sac fly in the 6th, and they put a scare in the Mavs in the 7th as they had the bases loaded for a majority of the inning and ended up with 6 runs.

Danry Vásquez hit an RBI double, which advanced Chan-Jong Moon to 3rd. J.D. Davis walked to load the bases. Then, Lancaster got an RBI single from A.J. Reed, a sac fly from Chase McDonald, and another RBI single by Brett Phillips. A wild pitch advanced Reed and Phillips, and Mayfield walked to re-load the bases. Ronnie Mitchell walked to bring Reed in, and Morales hit an RBI groundout that also advanced Mitchell and Mayfield. Moon was plunked to re-load the bases, but the threat ended when Danry grounded out. Mitchell homered with 1 out in the 9th, and after Moon drew a walk, Danry, who finished 3-6, brought him home with a double. Phillips (RBI single, SB [1]), Mitchell (solo HR, RBI BB), and Morales (2 RBI) had 2 hits apiece.

The JetHawks will now head to Rancho Cucamonga for 3. In game 1, Edison Frias will face John Richy at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Kane County 2

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (2-0)
L- Brent Jones (0-2)

QC home runs: Jamie Ritchie (1, solo in 3rd), Jorge Martinez (1, solo in 5th)

The Bandits trailed 2-0 after the 1st inning, but they rattled off 7 unanswered runs afterwards.

They were on the board in the 2nd inning with an RBI single from Kristian Trompiz. Jamie Ritchie smacked his 1st homer of the year in the 3rd to tie the game. Ritchie and Trompiz had 3 hits apiece; Ritchie has a hit in every game that he's played this season, and Trompiz wasn't quite done yet. Jorge Martinez put QC in the lead when he led off the bottom of the 5th with a homer, and the River Bandits built up a nice cushion in the 6th with a 4-run inning. Sean McMullen hit a sac fly, and then one batter later, Mott Hyde ripped a double. Hyde moved to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder's choice hit by Alfredo Gonzalez, who advanced to 3rd on a Martinez double. Trompiz came up and came through with a 2-run double that stretched the Quad Cities lead to 7-2. Hyde finished 2-4 with that double and scored 2 runs.

Brock Dykxhoorn pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Ryan Thompson and Eric Peterson shut it down: The Closer allowed 1 hit and struck out 3 over 2 scoreless, and Peterson worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Quad Cities will look for the sweep tonight at 7:00 as Kevin Comer takes on Jared Miller.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Jamie Ritchie, C/1B, Quad Cities

3-4, solo HR (1)

2. 

Danry Vásquez, OF, Lancaster

3-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R

1. 

@Kristiantrompiz pic.twitter.com/9VkvcW0JnY

— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) April 19, 2015

Kristian Trompiz, IF, Quad Cities

3-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Three (well, technically four) Stars: Pitchers

3. 

Ryan Thompson, RHP, Quad Cities

2 IP, H, 3 K

Eric Peterson, LHP, Quad Cities

IP, H, K

2. 

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP, Lancaster

2 IP, H, BB, 4 K

1. 

Lance McCullers, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Tweet of the Day

Found out today that @PPeterson_30 and I are only the second set of twins to pitch in same game in professional baseball history #twinning
— Eric Peterson (@EricPeterson34) April 13, 2015

Tweet of the Day

I can't remember the last time I slept past 6am
— Eric Peterson (@EricPeterson34) March 23, 2015

Happy Birthday - 3/8

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Joshua James (22)
Drafted by Houston in the 34th round in 2014, James spent his first professional season pitching for the Greeneville Astros. In 13 games (six starts), he was 1-3 with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.261 WHIP.

RHP Eric Peterson (22)
Drafte by Houston in the 37th round in 2014, Peterson also started his career at Greeneville. In 19 bullpen appearances, he was 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA, 1.087 WHIP and seven saves.

These former Astros also celebrate ~

RHP Jim "Bulldog" Bouton (76)
Obtained by Houston in a trade with the Seattle Pilots in August 1969, Bouton pitched part of that season and the 1970 season for Houston. He was 4-8 with a 5.02 ERA and a 1.548 WHIP for Houston. His best season was in 1964 for the Yankees when he started 37 games, going 18-13 with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.058 WHIP during the regular season and 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA and a 1.154 WHIP in the World Series. Bouton was probably best known for his memoir Ball Four, a warts and all insider look at baseball.

RHP Jim Dougherty (47)
Drafted by Houston in the 26th round in 1990, Daugherty pitched in 68 games for Houston in 1995 and 1996, going 8-6 with a 5.58 ERA and a 1.562 WHIP.

An Interview with Astros RHP Eric Peterson

Eric Peterson had a season in 2014 that crept up on me. Following his first month pitching for the Greeneville Astros, he had a 7.20 ERA, but by the time the season ended, Peterson had whittled that number down to a 2.35 ERA after allowing only two earned runs during his final two months pitching out of the Greeneville bullpen. Batters hit only .209 against him for the season and he ended with a 1.087 WHIP and 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

When I talked to Peterson recently by phone, he admitted that he'd rather forget about that first month of the season and focus on what he had accomplished by the end of the season. "Obviously, I struggled in the beginning, (but) I feel like I improved a lot over the course of the season," said Peterson, citing the improved consistency of his breaking ball and better pitch location.

Peterson throws from a low 3/4-arm slot which helps him get some natural run on his pitch offerings which include a high-80's to low 90's 4-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. Peterson considers his curveball to be his best pitch, but one of his fellow Greeneville Astros pitchers praised his changeup as well.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Peterson pitch when I visited Greeneville last summer so I asked him what I will see when I do see him pitch. According to Peterson, "I throw strikes. I'm certainly not going to back down from anyone. I'm really aggressive. Sometimes I can be too aggressive and leave balls over the plate when I'm ahead in the count. I don't walk too many guys." Peterson walked only one batter in his final 12 appearances of the season.

When quizzed about what Peterson felt he needed to do in order to get to the next step in his professional development, he indicated that he thinks he locates his fastball well, but has been working on being more consistent with his curveball and the arm slot he uses with that breaking pitch. During the 2014 season, he was also working on finding the sweet spot in his times to home plate.

Peterson and his fraternal twin brother LHP Patrick Peterson spent the first two and a half years of their collegiate careers at Temple University in Philadelphia, but had to transfer to North Carolina State University for the 2014 college season when Temple suddenly cut their baseball program in December 2013. With two players in the household looking to be drafted, it was a long couple of days for the Petersons as his brother Patrick was drafted in the 23rd round by Seattle and Eric's name was called in the 37th round, leading to sighs of relief all around.

When asked what he would do if he wasn't playing baseball, Peterson said that he would likely go back to  North Carolina State and finish his degree in Sports Management with an eye toward staying attached to the game in some way.

As I always do with pitchers, I asked Peterson who on that 2014 Greeneville squad had a pitch that he would like to steal. "I would probably say (Reymin) Guduan's fastball. You can't really teach mid to high 90's fastball, so that's definitely something I wish I could have."

And what hitter would he least like to face? "I would say Sean McMullen. He always puts up good at-bats. Another guy would be Antonio Nunez because the dude battles up there, every single time. He doesn't strike out." Those two players in particular can make a pitcher throw a lot of extra pitches.

Peterson didn't have much to share with me when asked to tell something most people don't know about him, but he did mention that, although he and his brother are fraternal twins, they do look enough alike that they are often mistaken for identical twins.

Thank you for your time, Eric, and best of luck in the upcoming season.

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