Meet the Asheville Tourists

In part three of our Meet the Team series, we head to Western North Carolina. Let's meet the Asheville Tourists!

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

The Asheville Tourists, formerly of the Class A South Atlantic League, will be moving up one level to Class A Advanced following the realignment of Minor League Baseball. The Tourists will begin their third stint as a Houston Astros minor league affiliate on Tuesday when they host the Brooklyn Cyclones. Before the 2021 season, the Tourists were the Class A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, a distinction they had held since 1994. Before entering into that association, they were an Astros affiliate from 1982 to 1993 and they also spent the 1967 season as an Astros farm club in the Carolina League. 

Asheville plays in High-A East, which is a mishmash of teams from various minor leagues on the East Coast. The league consists of six South Atlantic League clubs (Asheville, Hickory, Greensboro, Greenville, Rome, and Jersey Shore, formerly Lakewood), three New York-Penn League teams (Hudson Valley, Aberdeen, and Brooklyn), two Carolina League clubs (Winston-Salem and Wilmington), and Bowling Green, coming in from the Midwest League.

The Tourists will play in the South division along with the Rome Braves (Atlanta), Hickory Crawdads (Rangers), Greenville Drive (Red Sox), Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox), Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pirates), and the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays). The North division consists of the Hudson Valley Renegades (now a Yankees affiliate), Wilmington Blue Rocks (now a Nationals affiliate, Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets), Aberdeen IronBirds (Orioles), and the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies).

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is the largest city in Western North Carolina. I've heard that it is a really beautiful place and it has compelled me to look up flights and drive times. It is home to the Biltmore Estate, the largest private residence in the United States, owned by the Vanderbilt family. 

The Tourists play at McCormick Field, the third-oldest active ballpark in the minors. It was featured in the film Bull Durham. McCormick Field also boasts a reputation as being a hitter's park, though that bias is not nearly as extreme as Lancaster.

COACHING STAFF

Nate Shaver returns to manage the Astros' Class A Advanced affiliate. Now the question is... did he stay put by remaining at this level or did he move up since Fayetteville moved down a level?

Manager: Nate Shaver

Pitching Coach: Eric Nielsen

Hitting Coach: René Rojas

Development Coach: Kyle Brennan

Athletic Trainer: Brandon Zumbach

Strength Coach: Zach Reding

ROSTER

Freudis Nova, a million-dollar international free agent signing a few years back, moves up to the next rung on the ladder. He's had some mixed reports during his time at the alternate site and the instructional league, but he is also 20 years old. A solid season from him should at least quell the uncertainty a little. Korey Lee, the Astros' 2019 first-rounder, gets his first full-season assignment here. Colin Barber, who has drawn some rave reviews down in the alternate site, will also get his first shot for a full season with the Tourists. 

Asheville's pitching contingent doesn't have the sexy names, but it looks to be a group of dependable guys. Felipe Tejada and Blair Henley are two to watch, and Baseball America tagged Jimmy Endersby, an undrafted free agent signing last year, as their sleeper prospect.

Italics - player bats/throws left-handed

Bold - player is a switch hitter

Pitchers

José Bravo - International free agent (Mexico), 2016; Bravo pitched at all four full-season affiliates for the Astros in 2019. The bulk of his appearances came with Quad Cities.

Tyler Brown - 3rd round, 2020 draft (Vanderbilt); making pro debut

Riley Cabral - 31st round, 2018 draft (Memphis); Fayetteville/Quad Cities

Chandler Casey - 26th round, 2019 draft (Lubbock Christian); GCL Astros

Yeremi Ceballos - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2016; pitched for four different teams in 2019, mainly with Tri-City and Fayetteville

Danny Cody - 17th round, 2019 draft (Baldwin Wallace); Quad Cities/Tri-City/GCL

Devin Conn - 19th round, 2018 draft (Nova Southeastern); Quad Cities. with one appearance for Fayetteville

Jimmy Endersby - Undrafted free agent (Concordia-Irvine); making pro debut

R.J. Freure - 6th round, 2018 draft (Pittsburgh); Quad Cities

Layne Henderson - 30th round, 2018 draft (Azusa Pacific); Corpus/Quad Cities

Blair Henley - 7th round, 2019 draft (Texas); Tri-City, with one appearance in the GCL

Juan Pablo Lopez - International free agent (Mexico), 2016; Tri-City, with one appearance for Quad Cities

Cole McDonald - 15th round, 2019 draft (Iowa); Tri-City, with one appearance in the GCL

Jose Alberto Rivera - Rule 5 draft selection by Angels returned to Astros in 2021. Originally signed by the Astros as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2016. Pitched for Quad Cities in 2019.

Matt Ruppenthal - 17th round, 2017 draft (Vanderbilt); Quad Cities

Kyle Serrano - 10th round, 2017 draft (Tennessee); Tri-City, with two appearances in the GCL

Felipe Tejada - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2014; Quad Cities

Catchers

Alex Holderbach - 16th round, 2018 draft (Eastern Kentucky); Quad Cities

Tyler Krabbe - 19th round, 2019 draft (Montevallo); GCL Astros

Korey Lee - 1st round, 2019 draft (Cal); Tri-City

Infielders

A.J. Lee - 34th round, 2019 draft (Maryland); Quad Cities/Tri-City

Freudis Nova - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2016; Quad Cities

Luis Santana - Acquired via trade along with Ross Adolph and Scott Manea from Mets for J.D. Davis and Cody Bohanek, 2019; Corpus Christi/Tri-City

Enmanuel Valdez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2015; Fayetteville/Quad Cities

Outfielders

Wilyer Abreu - International free agent (Venezuela), 2017; Quad Cities/Tri-City

Colin Barber - 4th round, 2019 draft (Pleasant Valley HS, Chico, California); GCL in 2019, Chicago Deep Dish (City of Champions Cup) in 2020

Alex McKenna - 4th round, 2018 draft (Cal Poly); Quad Cities in 2019, Tully Monsters (City of Champions Cup) in 2020

Ramiro Rodriguez - International free agent (Panama), 2015; Corpus/Fayetteville/Quad Cities

Scott Schreiber - 9th round, 2018 draft (Nebraska); Fayetteville/Quad Cities

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 8, 2019

Let's play two in Hudson Valley and the Gulf Coast League (ugh)!

Round Rock 12, El Paso 11

W- Cy Sneed (7-6)
L- Carl Edwards Jr. (2-1)

RR home runs: Taylor Jones (19, solo in 6th), Jack Mayfield (21, 2-run in 8th)

Two games in which both teams reached double figures in runs. Just your garden-variety Triple-A series. The difference here was Round Rock's run in the 3rd inning.

Everyone in the Round Rock lineup scored a run. Jack Mayfield finished a double shy of the cycle.

In contrast to Wednesday, when José Urquidy was shelled, Kent Emanuel managed to hold out for a nice outing (relatively speaking). Emanuel allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits (two solo homers) and struck out three in 5.2 innings.

Ryan Hartman takes on Bryan Mitchell in game three. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Midland 5, Corpus Christi 4

W- Zack Erwin (6-2)
L- Tommy DeJuneas (3-6)

CC home runs: Stephen Wrenn (6, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks scored two in the 8th to take a 3-2 lead and got an insurance run in the 9th to extend their lead to two runs. Unfortunately, they ended up walking off with a loss after the RockHounds scored three in the bottom of the 9th.

Stephen Wrenn finished 2-4 and he smacked a solo homer in the 2nd inning. Bryan de la Cruz scored on an error following a Colton Shaver lineout and then Jake Adams ripped an RBI double in the 8th. De La Cruz, who went 3-5, added an RBI single in the 9th.

Brandon Bailey allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out three in 4.2 innings. Chad Donato tagged in for 3.1 scoreless, allowing three hits, walking two, and striking out five. Midland walked it off against Tommy DeJuneas in the 9th.

Game two of this series will start at 7:00.

Wilmington 3, Fayetteville 1

W- Kris Bubic (5-3)
L- J.P. France (4-8)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers were shackled by Kris Bubic, who struck out eleven in a complete-game effort.

J.P. France went five innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out four. Leovanny Rodriguez allowed two hits and struck out four in three scoreless innings of relief and César Rosado allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out one in a scoreless 9th.

Michael Papierski hit a sac fly in the 9th for Fayetteville's only run.

Fayetteville will now begin a series in Winston-Salem. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Clinton 4

W- Layne Henderson (3-3)
L- Remey Reed (2-1)
S- José Alberto Rivera (1)

QC home runs: Freúdis Nova (3, solo in 2nd), Grae Kessinger (2, 2-run in 3rd)

The Banditos used a six-run 3rd inning to propel themselves to a victory.

Jonathan Bermúdez wasn't at his sharpest as he allowed four runs on three hits, walked five, and struck out two in 3.2 innings. The bullpen, however, was up to the task as Layne Henderson and José Alberto Rivera combined to strike out 11 over the final 5.1 innings. Henderson got Bermúdez out of a bases-loaded predicament and went on to allow two hits, walk one, and strike out five in 2.1 innings. Rivera took over for the last three innings, walking one and striking out six.

Freúdis Nova put Quad Cities on the board by leading off the 2nd with a home run. Austin Dennis led off the 3rd with a double and Wilyer Abreu brought him in with a double of his own. Alex McKenna singled, stole second, and then Oscar Campos ripped a two-run double. Freúdis followed with an RBI single and then Grae Kessinger smacked a two-run shot. Michael Wielansky hit an RBI single in the 5th inning. Nova, Wielansky, Dennis, and McKenna all finished with two hits on the evening.

Matt Ruppenthal will be on the mound as Quad Cities looks for the sweep. He'll take on Jake Walters at 6:35.

Tri-City

Not a pleasant day for the ValleyCats as they were swept in their twinbill with Hudson Valley. The Renegades took game one by a final of 9-3 and won game two 2-1.

Joe Perez whacked a two-run homer in the first game, which now gives him six home runs on the year. Korey Lee drove in a run with a groundout in the 6th. Jairo Lopez allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out five in 3.2 innings of relief.

C.J. Stubbs' sac fly in the 1st was the only Tri-City run in game two. Christian Mejías allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked two, and struck out three in five innings of work.

Kyle Serrano will start game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros

The Palm Beach 'Stros wound up splitting their doubleheader with the Marlins, winning game one 4-2 and dropping the second game by a final score of 5-4.

Alfredo Angarita and Sean Mendoza scored on wild pitches in the 1st and the 2nd, respectively. Franklin Pinto hit an RBI single in the 6th and he came around to score on Mendoza's single. Brady Rodgers continued his rehab with 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three.

In the second game, José Álvarez launched a three-run home run in the 1st; that was the first longball of his pro career. Álvarez reached on an error in the 3rd which allowed Yefri Carrillo to score. Ryan Gusto, the Astros' 11th-round pick from this year's MLB Draft, made his pro debut in this game and he allowed a hit and struck out three over two scoreless innings.

DSL Astros 4, DSL Royals1 2

W- Jeremy Molero (4-0)
L- Darwin Feliz (2-3)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros scored three in the top of the 9th to take the lead and the game.

Sebastian Grullón hit an RBI single in the 6th. Andrés Monzón tied the game when he stole home as part of a double steal with Ayendy Ortiz, who scored the go-ahead run on Ricardo Balogh's RBI single. Balogh scored the final run of the day on Grullón's second RBI single of the game. Grullón, Carlos Hurtado, and Frank Perez finished with two hits on the afternoon.

Daniel Bello allowed two runs on two hits, walked three, and struck out four in four innings. Jeremy Molero shut it down by allowing just one hit, walking one, and striking out eight in five innings.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Sebastian Grullón, IF, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2 RBI singles
Jeremy Molero, RHP, DSL Astros: W (4-0), 5 IP, H, BB, 8 K

José Alvarez, C, GCL Astros: 1-3, 3-R HR (1)
Ryan Gusto, RHP, GCL Astros: 2 IP, H, 3 K; pro debut

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen

5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 11 K

Layne Henderson: W (3-3), 2.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K

José Alberto Rivera: Save (1), 3 IP, BB, 6 K

Freúdis Nova, IF, Quad Cities

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

Chad Donato (left), RHP, Corpus Christi

3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Bryan de la Cruz's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Bryan de la Cruz, OF, and Stephen Wrenn, OF, Corpus Christi

De La Cruz: 3-5, RBI, R

Wrenn: 2-4, solo HR (6)

Leovanny Rodriguez, RHP, Fayetteville

3 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Myles Straw, UTIL, Jack Mayfield, IF, and Abraham Toro, 3B, Round Rock

Straw: 3-6, 2 RBI, 2 R

Mayfield: 3-4, 2-R HR (21), 4 RBI; double shy of cycle

Toro: 5-6, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Round Rock was off

The Express will start a three-game series in El Paso at 7:05 Mountain. José Urquidy will take on Emmanuel Ramirez.

Frisco 9, Corpus Christi 3

W- C.D. Pelham (1-2)
L- Yohan Ramirez (3-6)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks gave up runs in five consecutive innings; they cut into a 5-1 deficit but the Roughriders put them away with three in the 6th and one more in the 7th for good measure.

Ryan Pressly began his rehab assignment by allowing a hit and striking out two in the 1st inning. Yohan Ramirez took over and the results weren't pretty. He allowed seven runs (two inherited runners scored and were charged to him) on five hits, walked seven, and struck out five in four innings. Erasmo Pinales threw two innings and allowed two runs on four hits (three-run homer; two runs were charged to Ramirez) and struck out three. Nick Hernandez worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 8th.

Bryan de la Cruz doubled to lead off the game and he scored the first run of the evening when J.J. Matijevic grounded into a force out. Jonathan Arauz smacked a two-run triple in the 6th inning; he and de la Cruz both had two hits in this game.

Brett Adcock goes up against Tyler Phillips in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Wilmington 4, Fayetteville 1 (10 innings)

W- Tad Ratliff (3-2)
L- Tanner Duncan (4-4)
S- Andrew Beckwith (1)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers tied this game in the 9th... only to see the Blue Rocks go off for three runs in the first extra frame.

Fayetteville's lone run came via a sac fly from Miguelangel Sierra in the 9th. Scott Manea finished 2-3 on the night.

Brett Conine went five innings and he allowed three hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked two, and struck out four. Jojanse Torres tagged in for four scoreless, allowing two hits and striking out five. Tanner Duncan bore the brunt of Wilmington's assault in the 10th as he allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

Luis Garcia will get the start in game two. He'll go against Jonathan Bowlan at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 1, Kane County 0

W- José Bravo (5-5)
L- Matt Tabor (3-4)
S- Garrett Gayle (4)

QC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game and it belonged to the Banditos as they avoided getting swept at the hands of the Cougars.

Freúdis Nova went 2-3 and his RBI single in the 2nd was the only scoring play of the afternoon. Alex Holderbach, who scored on Nova's base hit, also had two hits on the day.

José Bravo allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three over six shutout frames. Devin Conn tagged in for two innings and he allowed a hit, walked three, and struck out four. Garrett Gayle completed the shutout by working around a hit in the 9th.

Felipe Tejada will start the first game of a three-game set with Clinton. He'll take on George Soriano at 6:35.

Tri-City 16, Lowell 4

W- Valente Bellozo (5-0)
L- Bryan Lucas (4-4)

TC home runs: Joe Perez 2 (5; 3-run in 1st, 3-run in 8th), A.J. Lee (4, 2-run in 6th), Nate Perry (6, 2-run in 6th)

The ValleyCats administered a severe beatdown to the Spinners.

Valente Bellozo allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out six in five innings of work. Juan Pablo Lopez tagged in for 3.1 innings and he allowed three runs on two hits, both of which were home runs, walked two, and struck out five. Miguel Figueroa walked one and struck out one as he got the final two outs of this game.

Peyton Battenfield will start the series finale and he'll face Chris Murphy at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros

Before getting to their regularly scheduled game with the Cardinals, they had to finish one that originally started on August 1 but was suspended due to rain. The Palm Beach 'Stros scored four in the 6th to tie the game at 5, but the Cardinals got one run in the 7th to regain the lead and it held up in the end. Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit; Rolando Espinosa hit a two-run homer in the 6th inning. 

In the regularly scheduled game, the Palm Beach 'Stros came out on top by a final of 6-3. The Cardinals scored two in the top of the 8th to tie the game at 3 and then the GCLStros responded with three in the bottom of the inning to regain control. James Nix hit his first career home run, a solo shot, in the 4th inning. Yorbin Ceuta hit a couple of sacrifice flies. Colin Barber launched a solo homer in the 6th. Franklin Pinto and Sean Mendoza had RBI singles in the 8th. Barber, Pinto, Nix, and Nerio Rodriguez all finished with two hits on the afternoon. On the mound, Alfredi Jimenez allowed one hit and struck out seven over four scoreless innings. 

DSL Astros and DSL Marlins was suspended

Due to rain. The Dominican 'Stros are currently leading 2-0 in the top of the 5th. Cristian Gonzalez is 2-2 with a solo homer, the first of his pro career.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

James Nix, OF, GCL Astros: 2-3, solo HR (1), 2 R

Colin Barber, OF, GCL Astros: 2-4, solo HR (2)

Alfredi Jimenez, RHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, H, 7 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Tri-City ValleyCats: W 16-4 @ Lowell

16 R, 16 H, E

Joe Perez: 3-5, 2 HR (5), 6 RBI

A.J. Lee: 3-4, 2 2B, 2-R HR (4), 3 RBI, 3 R

Luis Santana: 4-4, 3 R

Nate Perry: 2-3, 3-R HR (6)

Valente Bellozo: W (5-0), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Brett Conine, RHP, and Jojanse Torres, RHP, Fayetteville

Conine: 5 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Torres: 4 IP, 2 BB, 5 K

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 1-0 @ Kane County

9 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 7 K

José Bravo: W (5-5), 6 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Devin Conn: 2 IP, H, 3 BB, 4 K

Garrett Gayle: Save (4), IP, H

Freúdis Nova, IF, Quad Cities

2-3, RBI single; drove in only run of game

Jonathan Arauz, IF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 28, 2019

Let's play two in Beloit!

Round Rock and Carolina sweep!

Round Rock 13, Iowa 9

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (7-1)
L- Danny Hultzen (0-1)

RR home runs: Drew Ferguson (9, 2-run in 1st), Kyle Tucker (27, solo in 1st), Alex De Goti (10, solo in 4th)

The E-Train earned a sweep on the road as they put up double digits in all three games.

Round Rock got a pair of home runs in the opening inning as Drew Ferguson launched a 2-run shot and Kyle Tucker sent another one out for a solo homer. In the 4th, Alex De Goti smacked a solo homer and Austin Dennis ripped an RBI double. Dennis added a sac fly to his ledger in the 6th inning and then Josh Rojas ripped an RBI double. Ferguson proceeded to bring Rojas in with a single. Jack Mayfield hit a sac fly in the 8th. After Iowa tied the game with a run in the bottom of the 8th, the Express regained control in the top of the 9th.

Chas McCormick drew a one-out walk, advanced to third on a Nick Tanielu single, and scored when De Goti laced a double. Tanielu scored on a wild pitch and then Dennis and Rojas walked to load the bases for Mayfield, who walked De Goti in. Dennis scored the final run of the evening on another wild pitch. Ferguson and Jamie Ritchie (2B, 3 R) both finished with three hits on the day, while De Goti had two hits. Everyone in the lineup scored a run; De Goti and Ritchie scored three apiece.

Rogelio Armenteros got roughed up in his two innings and let's leave it at that. Akeem Bostick tagged in for four innings and he allowed two runs on a homer, six other hits, walked one, and struck out four. Ralph Garza Jr. was next; he allowed a run on two hits, walked one, and struck out four in two innings. Felipe Paulino allowed a hit and walked one in a scoreless 9th.

Round Rock has Monday off as they head home; they'll start a three-game series with Fresno on Tuesday.

Springfield 6, Corpus Christi 5

W- Connor Jones (1-1)
L- Willy Collado (1-5)

CC home runs: Colton Shaver (14, solo in 4th), Seth Beer (23, solo in 6th)

The Hooks fought back from an early 4-0 deficit and finally tied the game in the 8th... only to see the Cardinals walk off with the victory.

Chad Donato pitched five innings and he allowed five runs, all of which scored on home runs. He allowed seven hits, which include a pair of two-run homers and a solo home run, walked one, and struck out six. Willy Collado pitched 3.2 innings but couldn't get the out that would have sent this game into extra innings. He allowed the winning run, which was an inherited runner that scored and was charged to him on two hits and struck out three. Andre Scrubb allowed the walk-off RBI single.

Colton Shaver put Corpus on the board with a solo blast in the 4th and Seth Beer launched one in the 6th. Stephen Wrenn hit an RBI single in the 7th and Chuckie Robinson ripped a two-run double in the 8th that tied the game at 5. Wrenn finished 3-5 on the night; Shaver had two hits and scored two runs on the evening.

J.B. Bukauskas takes on Tommy Parsons in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:30.

Fayetteville 7, Carolina 2

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (6-2)
L- Matt Hardy (7-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Jeremy Peña (7, solo in 5th)

The Woodpeckers put up five in the 5th and tacked on two more in the 8th as they swept the Mudcats out of SEGRA.

Austin Hansen allowed a run on three hits, walked four, and struck out seven in four innings. Leovanny Rodriguez tagged in to throw three scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out one. Nivaldo Rodriguez got the last two innings and he allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out four.

Jeremy Peña got things started in the 5th when he launched a solo homer that put Fayetteville on the board. Jonathan Arauz and Jacob Meyers followed with singles and they both advanced on Corey Julks' groundout. Chandler Taylor drew a walk to load the bases for Ross Adolph, who walked in Arauz. Scott Manea promptly brought everyone home with a double. Arauz hit a sac fly in the 8th and an error on the play allowed Enmanuel Valdez to score an additional run. Peña, who left the game with an apparent injury, finished 2-3 on the night.

The Woodpeckers have Monday off. They'll start a three-game series in Wilmington tomorrow.

Game 1: Beloit 4, Quad Cities 1

W- Rafael Kelly (4-3)
L- José Alberto Rivera (5-4)
S- Charlie Cerny (6)

QC home runs: David Hensley (6, solo in 3rd)

The Snappers took control of game one thanks to a three-run 5th inning.

David Hensley's homer to lead off the 3rd represented Quad Cities' only scoring play in this game. Hensley finished 2-3 in game one.

José Alberto Rivera went five innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, walked four, and struck out five. Layne Henderson struck out two in a 1-2-3 6th.

Game 2: Beloit 4, Quad Cities 3 (8 innings)

W- Josh Reagan (3-1)
L- Garrett Gayle (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

Quad Cities tied this game with a run in the 7th and took the lead with a run in the top of the 8th... only to see Beloit walk off with the win and the sweep of the twinbill with a pair in the bottom of the 8th.

Jonathan Bermúdez allowed a run on six hits, walked one, and struck out seven in five innings of work. Garrett Gayle pitched 2.1 innings and he allowed two hits, both of which were home runs. The first homer was a solo shot in the 6th and he also allowed the walk-off two-run homer with one out in the 8th. Gayle walked one and struck out three during his time on the mound.

Freúdis Nova smacked an RBI double in the 4th inning. Ramiro Rodriguez tied the game with a sac fly in the 7th and Freúdis added an RBI single to his ledger in the 8th. Nova finished 3-4 while Michael Wielansky had two hits.

Matt Ruppenthal will start the series finale and he'll face Reid Birlingmair at 6:30.

Connecticut 3, Tri-City 0

W- Jack O'Loughlin (2-2)
L- Christian Mejías (1-2)
S- Kory Behenna (3)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats were not only kept off the run column... they were also kept off the hit column. That's right... they were no-hit.

Nathan Perry drew two walks.

Kyle Serrano struck out two in a 1-2-3 1st inning. Christian Mejías and Jairo Lopez both pitched four innings; Mejías allowed two runs on five hits and struck out two while Lopez allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out three in his Tri-City debut.

After getting Monday off, the ValleyCats will wrap up July and begin August with a three-game series with the Batavia Muckdogs starting on Tuesday.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Drew Ferguson, OF, Round Rock

3-4, 2-R HR (9), 3 RBI, 2 SB (19)

David Hensley, IF, Quad Cities

2-3, solo HR (6) in game one of doubleheader

Freúdis Nova, IF, Quad Cities

3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI in game two of doubleheader

Jonathan Bermúdez, LHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 7 K in game two of doubleheader

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jairo Lopez, RHP, Tri-City

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

Leovanny Rodriguez, RHP, Fayetteville

W (6-2), 3 IP, H, 3 K

Jeremy Peña, SS, Fayetteville

2-3, solo HR (7)

Stephen Wrenn, OF, and Colton Shaver, 3B/C, Corpus Christi

Wrenn: 3-5, RBI

Shaver: 2-4, solo HR (14), 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 30, 2019

Iowa 7, Round Rock 0

W- Alec Mills (2-2)
L- Cionel Pérez (0-1)

RR home runs: None.

The E-Train broke down.

Offensively, Round Rock could only muster up a double from Kyle Tucker and a pair of singles from Josh Rojas and Nick Tanielu.

Cionel Pérez pitched 4.1 innings and he allowed four runs on eight hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out five. Kent Emanuel tagged in for the final 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits (solo homer) and struck out four.

Rogelio Armenteros will face Trevor Clifton in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 4, Midland 3

W- Carlos Sanabria (3-0, 5-0 season)
L- Trey Cochran-Gill (2-2)
S- Justin Ferrell (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks scored a run in the 9th to nip the Hounds and they also avoided a sweep in the process.

Carson LaRue went four innings and allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out seven. Jonathan Bermúdez and Carlos Sanabria followed with two innings apiece out of the bullpen. Bermúdez was first and he allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out three in a scoreless outing. Sanabria allowed a run on a sac fly, a triple, and fanned four. Justin Ferrell struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn the save.

Osvaldo Duarte ripped an RBI double in the 5th to put Corpus on the board. Ronnie Dawson hit an RBI double in the 6th and he came around to score on a single from Luis Santana.

Carlos Canelón singled to lead off the 9th and advanced to second when Duarte laid down a sacrifice bunt. Chas McCormick joined Canelón on the bases after he got plunked and they both advanced a base on Abraham Toro's groundout. Seth Beer was intentionally walked to load the bases for Granden Goetzman, but he didn't have to do anything as a wild pitch allowed Canelón to score what turned out to be the winning run. Stephen Wrenn finished 3-3 with a couple of doubles and scored a run.

J.B. Bukauskas will start the first of a three-game weekend series in Frisco. He'll go against Jonathan Hernandez at 7:05.

Fayetteville 5, Wilmington 2

W- J.P. France (1-4)
L- Marcelo Martinez (3-2)
S- Jojanse Torres (1)

Fayetteville home runs: Michael Papierski (2, 2-run in 2nd), Ramiro Rodríguez (1, 2-run in 2nd)

A pair of two-run homers and a stellar night on the mound propelled the Woodpeckers to a win.

The one hit that J.P. France allowed in his five innings was a two-run homer hit by Dennicher Carrasco. France walked one and struck out six as he earned his first win of the season. Jojanse Torres shut it down by allowing one hit and striking out nine over the final four innings.

Michael Papierski opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the 2nd inning and Ramiro Rodríguez launched a two-run shot of his own later in the frame. Marty Costes provided some insurance with an RBI single in the 8th. Miguelangel Sierra went 2-3 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game. Jonathan Arauz hit an infield single in the 5th to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.

Chad Donato will be on the mound for game three of this series and he'll take on Daniel Tillo at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Beloit 2

W- José Alberto Rivera (1-2)
L- Aiden McIntyre (1-3)
S- Devin Conn (3)

QC home runs: César Salazar (3, 2-run in 1st), Freúdis Nova (2, solo in 8th)

The Banditos avoided the sweep thanks to a quick start out of the gate.

That quick start came in the form of a three-run 1st inning as Jeremy Peña ripped an RBI double and César Salazar whacked a two-run homer. Freúdis Nova finished 2-4 and smacked a solo homer in the 8th; he also scored on Salazar's homer. Austin Dennis (SB, R) and Michael Wielansky also finished 2-4 on the evening.

Matt Ruppenthal allowed a run on three hits and struck out four, but he only lasted four innings because he issued five walks in the process. José Alberto Rivera tagged in for 4.1 innings and allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out five. Devin Conn came on and got the final two outs of the game, one coming via the strikeout. He definitely had to earn his save, though. Conn struck out the first man he faced, but he proceeded to throw a wild pitch, issued a walk, threw another wild pitch, and issued another walk to load the bases. Fortunately, he pulled himself together and got Max Schuemann to fly out to end the game.

Quad Cities has a big series coming up as they'll take on the team right behind them in the Midwest League's Western division: Burlington. They have a 4.5 game lead over the Bees so these next three games will present an opportunity to extend the lead. First pitch is at 6:30.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jojanse Torres' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 5-2 vs. Wilmington

9 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 15 K

J.P. France: W (1-4), 5 IP, H (2-R HR), 2 ER, BB, 6 K

Jojanse Torres: Save (1), 4 IP, H, BB, 9 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Freúdis Nova, IF, Quad Cities

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-2), 4.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Jonathan Bermúdez not pictured.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

5 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Jonathan Bermúdez: 2 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Carlos Sanabria: W (3-0, 5-0 season), 2 IP, H, ER, 4 K

Justin Ferrell: Save (1), IP, K

Stephen Wrenn, OF, Corpus Christi

3-3, 2 2B, R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 23, 2018

Fresno was off

The Grizzlies will do business as the Fresno Tacos as they start a three-game series with Iowa at 7:05 Pacific. Josh James is listed as the probable starter.

San Antonio 2, Corpus Christi 1

W- Jacob Nix (2-2)
L- Brandon Bielak (2-2, 7-5 season)
S- Andrés Muñoz (4)

CC home runs: None.

The Missions took the opener of this series by scoring in more innings than the Hooks.

Both teams scored in the 2nd; Josh Rojas led things off with a double and scored Corpus Christi's only run when Chas McCormick took his place at second by whacking a double of his own. They both finished 2-3; both of Rojas' hits were doubles.

Brandon Bielak went 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out three. Kit Scheetz allowed a hit over 2.2 scoreless and Ralph Garza Jr. worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out one.

Brett Adcock will make his first Texas League start at 7:05 and he'll face Logan Allen.

Down East 8, Buies Creek 4

W- Steven Bruce (4-6)
L- Gabriel Valdez (5-4)
S- Jairo Beras (3)

BC home runs: J.J. Matijevic 2 (10, 13 season; 2-run in 3rd, solo in 9th)

J.J. Matijevic's huge afternoon was not enough for the Carolina Stros as they were foiled in their bid to sweep the series, which also would have clinched the Lone Star Series in North Carolina in their favor.

Matijevic finished 3-4 and was responsible for driving in three of the four Buies Creek runs in this game; he whacked a two-run homer in the 3rd to put them on the board and then led off the 9th with a homer. Osvaldo Duarte drew a walk and scored when Jake Adams ripped a double. Adams finished 2-4 on the afternoon. Buies Creek had a chance to really make things interesting in the bottom of the 9th, but they couldn't capitalize on a bases-loaded situation.

Gabriel Valdez pitched five innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits (solo homer) while striking out one. Carlos Sanabria and Jesús Balaguer both threw two innings. Sanabria allowed two runs on two hits, walked three, and struck out one, while Balaguer allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and fanned two.

The Carolina Stros will head north for a roadtrip. They'll start a three-game set in Potomac at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 7, West Michigan 4

W- Peter Solomon (8-1)
L- Wilkel Hernandez (0-4)
S- Brendan Feldmann (5, 6 season)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos took control of this one by erupting for six runs in the 3rd inning.

Peter Solomon wasn't at his best, but fortunately, the offense, Parker Mushinski, and Brendan Feldmann picked him up. Solomon allowed four runs on six hits (solo homer) and struck out three in five innings of work. Mushinski allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out three over three scoreless frames and Feldmann worked around a hit and a walk to close out the game.

Six different players drove in a run for Quad Cities and only one of their seven runs on the afternoon was the result of a hit. David Hensley put the Banditos on the board with an RBI single with the bases loaded in the 3rd. Chandler Taylor, Mike Papierski, and Scott Schreiber all walked in runs, while Jonathan Lacroix got plunked to bring in another run. Logan Mattix capped off the big 3rd with a sac fly, and Seth Beer scored on a wild pitch in the 4th. Hensley finished 2-3 on the day.

After an off day, the Banditos will travel to Burlington for a three-game series starting Wednesday.

Tri-City was off

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

GCL Astros 3, GCL Mets 2

W- Layne Henderson (2-0)
L- Jender de Jesús (0-1)
S- Joey Gonzalez (1)

GCL home runs: Freudis Nova (3, solo in 4th)

The Mets made things interesting in the 9th when they cut the Palm Beach Stros' lead to one run, but Joey Gonzalez kept his cool and secured the win.

In his first professional start, Jayson Schroeder walked one and struck out three over two scoreless innings. Matt Ramsey struck out the side in order in the 3rd inning. Miguel Figueroa was next, and he had a run charged to him when an inherited runner scored. Figueroa allowed a double, walked two, and struck out five in 2.1 innings. Layne Henderson went 2.2 innings and allowed three hits while striking out one. Freylin Garcia came on for the 9th and got an out, but he also issued a couple of walks and had a run charged to him when an inherited runner scored. Joey Gonzalez got the last two outs of the game, although he allowed an RBI single to the first man he faced, which resulted in one of Garcia's runners scoring. He struck out the next batter and then got the final out by catching the other runner he inherited from Garcia trying to steal home.

Freudis Nova opened the scoring with a solo shot in the 3rd inning. Nerio Rodriguez smacked a double to lead off the 8th and Hector Martinez came on to run for him. Martinez advanced to third on a sac bunt and trotted home when Juan Ramirez smacked a triple. Carlos Diaz brought Ramirez in with a single. Ramirez and Freudis both finished with two hits.

The DSL Astros' game with the Royals was suspended at the end of the 5th with the game tied 0-0. Alfredi Jimenez pitched all five innings and allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out five.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Alfredi Jimenez, RHP, DSL Astros: 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K (game suspended; he's probably not going to pitch again in this game)

J.J. Matijevic, LF, Buies Creek

3-4, 2 HR (10, 13 season), 3 RBI

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen

4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Parker Mushinski: 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Brendan Feldmann: Save (5, 6 season), IP, H, BB

David Hensley, SS, Quad Cities

2-3, RBI, R

Josh Rojas (not facing camera), UTIL, and Chas McCormick, OF, Corpus Christi

Rojas: 2-3, 2 2B, R

McCormick: 2-3, 2B, RBI

#Astros second-rounder Jayson Schroeder made his second pro appearance today. Here's what it looked like: pic.twitter.com/6ip95AO6OC

— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) July 23, 2018

Video by Josh Norris

Jayson Schroeder, RHP, GCL Astros

2 IP, BB, 3 K in first pro start

Freudis Nova single. pic.twitter.com/9wP4YuofUb

— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) July 23, 2018

 Freudis Nova video by Josh Norris.

Juan Ramirez's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Freudis Nova, SS, and Juan Ramirez, OF, GCL Astros

Nova: 2-4, solo HR (3)
Ramirez: 2-3, 3B, RBI, R

Astros Farm Report: 1/29

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB offseason news ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Dex McCall - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

1-29: 1B Dex McCall (24)
1-30: RHP Dariel Aquino (22)
1-31: SS Juan Pineda (20)
2-2: RHP Brad Peacock (30)
2-2: OF Ramiro Rodriguez (20)
2-3: LHP Javier Navas (20)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

These are the only recent posted transactions, aside from the non-roster invitees which are covered below.

Jon Singleton - April 2017

Photos by Jayne Hansen

1-23: 1B Jon Singleton suspended 100 games for a third positive test for a drug of abuse
1-23: RHP Dean Deetz suspended 80 games for a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug
1-22: LHP Buddy Boshers claimed off waivers from Minnesota

Boshers is being added to the mix (along with Tony Sipp and Rule 5 Draft pickup Anthony Gose) as a possible lefty reliever. Drafted by the Angels in the fourth round in 2008, Boshers has pitched in 100 major league games, compiling a 4.54 ERA and 1.274 WHIP. In 2016, lefties slashed .241/.267/.293 against him; in 2017, they hit .224/.258/.397 against him.

I would like to add a personal word about the suspension of Dean Deetz. I've had the opportunity to talk to and observe Deetz several times over the last three seasons and I have come to admire his humility and his professionalism. Following the suspension, Deetz released the statement below and he has given me no reason to doubt him. I'm sure many of you will think that I'm just being naive, but I'm going to go with my gut here. Other players have been just as adamant that they didn't know how the same banned substance Deetz tested positive for got into their system. Again, I may be naive, but I'm going to give Deetz the benefit of a doubt.

"Let me say first and foremost that I have never knowingly taken a performance enhancing substance of any kind," Deetz said in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association. "I come from a small town, and know how fortunate I am to call myself a professional baseball player. I would never jeopardize that opportunity, or betray those who have supported me along the way, by trying to cheat in order to gain an advantage. As I explained to the arbitrator in my appeal, I have no idea how I could possibly have tested positive and although I am disappointed with the outcome, I will abide by his decision."

Several additional players were extended non-roster invitations to Spring Training this week. The complete list is here. One interesting invitee is 3B Randy Cesar. As I wrote in my post last week on third base depth, Cesar has been pretty steady at third base the last couple of seasons, but he has yet to play above High A going in to his seventh season in the system. It appears that the Astros intend to be aggressive with him in order to determine what his ceiling may be before he is lost to minor league free agency. All of the other invitees have played at AA or higher, although OF Myles Straw only played in 13 games with the AA Corpus Christi Hooks at the end of the season.

You can check the cumulative Astros offseason transaction list here to see if you've missed any of the posted moves this offseason.

FALL AND WINTER LEAGUE UPDATES

The winter leagues are all but over with only the Australian Baseball League postseason and Caribbean Series left to play. The final updates for the ABL regular season and LBPRC are below.  For the final stats for players having participated in the Arizona Fall League, Venezuelan Winter League, Mexican Pacific Winter League and the Dominican Winter League, please visit my Farm Report from 1/1. The Caribbean Series will start on Friday; information on the series can be found here.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (ABL)

Since Rodrigo Ayarza's team was in dead last at the end of the regular season, he will not be playing in the postseason. But Ayarza is sure to have left a good impression on his Australian hosts with a very solid season. In his final four games, he was 5-for-18 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base.

Adelaide Bite
Rodrigo Ayarza - 40G .292/.324/.476 11-2B 1-3B 6HR 15RBI 8BB:34SO 6SB:2CS

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LBPRC)

The stats below carry over from last week as neither Ruben Castro nor Carlos Sierra appeared in the final regular season games. Castro had only one plate appearance in the postseason, going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter and Sierra did not appear in postseason play. The Cangrejeros de Santurce lost 0-3 to the Criollos de Caguas.

Cangrejeros de Santurce
RHP Carlos Sierra - 5G 3.1IP 5.40 ERA 3.900 WHIP 1SO:7BB
C Ruben Castro - 5G .500/.545/.600 1-2B 1RBI 1BB:3SO

NEWS AND LINKS

Kyle Glaser at Baseball America has this great article about players who take the opportunity to play in Korea and Japan. [Insider only]

Connor MacDonald - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Former Astro Connor MacDonald, a first baseman who signed with the Astros in 2012 as the first signing out of Australia in 20 years, was released by the Astros during the 2017 season but is getting a second chance with the Pirates as a pitcher. We at WTHB wish Connor all the best!

The Greeneville Reds, formerly the  Greeneville Astros, unveiled their logo this week. (I will miss visiting beautiful Pioneer Park at Tusculum College.).

Prospect ranking season continues with Kyle Tucker ranked by MLB Pipeline as the #5 outfield prospect. Last week, they had Forrest Whitley as second on their list of right-handed pitching prospects, behind only Shohei Ohtani.

And over the weekend, MLB Pipeline came out with their Top 100 overall prospect list and it included RHP Forrest Whitley (#9), OF Kyle Tucker (#17) and RHP J.B. Bukauskas (#76). In addition, former Astros RHP Franklin Perez (#39) and RHP Albert Abreu (#74) were also ranked. Notably missing from MLB Pipeline's list was Yordan Alvarez who was ranked #62 by Baseball America. Jonathan Mayo breaks down the Top 100 for you.

As a reminder, here is Baseball America's Top 100 Prospect Rankings list which came out last week, with RHP Forrest Whitley (#10), OF Kyle Tucker (#15), 1B/OF Yordan Alvarez (#62) and RHP J.B. Bukauskas (#76) all earning a nod. In addition, former Astros RHP Franklin Perez (#35), RHP Albert Abreu (#77), OF Brett Phillips (#80) and RHP Jorge Guzman (#87) were also ranked. BA included tool rankings for all 100 here.

Baseball America also posted an article about breakout prospects for 2018 who didn't quite make the Top 100 and included the Astros Freudis Nova.

When MLB Pipeline posts their 2018 pre-season prospect list, Baseball America releases their 2018 Prospect Handbook and FanGraphs weighs in with their Top Prospect list, I'll do a consensus prospect list. In the meantime ...

In case you missed it, I started a "Beyond the Top 30" series, looking at both those Astros players who are considered Top 30 prospects and others at each position who may not be top talents (or may grow to be), but will be interesting to watch nonetheless. So far we've looked at ...

Shortstops
Second Basemen
First Basemen
Third Basemen

Center Field - Coming this week