Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 15, 2018

Shutouts! A walk-off win! Another postponement!

Fresno 5, Reno 0

W- Reymin Guduan (1-0)
L- Joe Krehbiel (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Alejandro Garcia (1, 3-run in 7th)

Both teams combined to post 13 zeroes on the scoreboard, but the 7th inning stretch seemed to have infused some energy into Fresno's bats as they busted this game open with four runs in the 7th and one more in the 8th for good measure.

Tyler White walked to lead off the 7th, moved to second on a Jon Kemmer single, and scored the first run of the day on a Garrett Stubbs RBI single. One batter later, Alejandro Garcia whacked a three-run home run. Kemmer doubled with two outs in the 8th and scored the final run of the day on an RBI single from J.D. Davis.

Three Grizzlies pitchers combined on a one-hitter. Kent Emanuel started things off and he allowed the one hit while striking out 3 in 6 innings of work. Reymin Guduan walked two and struck out three in two innings, and Jacob Dorris completed the shutout by striking out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Mike Hauschild will start the series finale. He'll take on Taylor Clarke at 11:05 AM Pacific.

Corpus Christi 10, Arkansas 7 in 11 innings

W- Riley Ferrell (1-1)
L- Stephen Perakslis (0-1)

CC home runs: Yordan Alvarez (2, walk-off 3-run in 11th)

The Travelers scored two in the 8th to tie the game. Nine innings was not enough to decide the outcome of this game, so the Whataburger Field crowd got their first taste of that moronic rule. They ended up going home happy after Yordan Alvarez obliterated a Stephen Perakslis offering in the 11th.

Alex Winkelman went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Sean Stutzman technically pitched 3 scoreless innings... but the two runners he inherited from Winkelman both scored. He allowed an RBI single, walked three (one of which came with the bases loaded), and struck out one. Kevin Hill and Riley Ferrell both pitched two innings; Hill allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1, while Ferrell allowed two unearned runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Corpus opened the scoring in the 2nd inning with a pair of two-run doubles from Jamie Ritchie and Ryne Birk. Carmen Benedetti hit a two-out single in the 5th and wound up scoring on a wild pitch. This was the Hooks' last scoring play until the 10th; in the meantime, the Travs scored twice in the 8th to tie and scored in the 10th to take the lead.

Taylor Jones started the bottom of the 10th at second, but he got lifted for Myles Straw, who scored the tying run on a Nick Tanielu groundout. Randy César started the 11th at second base, but he was erased on a fielder's choice. Alex De Goti flew out for the second out, so it all came down to Ryne Birk, who kept the game going with a single. Stephen Wrenn followed with an RBI single to tie the game, and one batter later, Alvarez won it with his homer.

Benedetti finished 3-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases (3). Birk (2B, 2 RBI, R) and Tanielu (RBI, R, 2 BB) both had two hits on the day.

Cionel Perez will take on Spencer Herrmann at 7:05. The Commissioner's Trophy will also make its appearance in Corpus Christi.

Buies Creek 5, Salem 0

W- Corbin Martin (1-0)
L- Bryan Mata (1-1)
S- Carlos Sierra (1)

BC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (1, solo in 3rd)

The Carolina Stros took the series by shutting out the Red Sox in each of the final two games.

This 5-0 game was a three-hitter. Corbin Martin allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6 in 6 innings, and Carlos Sierra allowed one hit over the final three innings to complete the shutout.

Ronnie Dawson opened the scoring by leading off the bottom of the 3rd with a home run. Chuckie Robinson and Chas McCormick ripped RBI doubles in the 5th and Abraham Toro capped off the scoring with a 2-run single in the 6th. Dawson finished 3-5 and was the only player on either side to record a multi-hit game.

Abdiel Saldaña will start the opener of a three-game series with Myrtle Beach. He'll face Matt Swarmer at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities and Burlington was postponed again

Due to rain. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on April 22.

Quad Cities will have Monday off. They'll start a 3-game series in Peoria on Tuesday.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Corbin Martin's photo taken by Don Carson.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 5-0 vs. Salem

9 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Corbin Martin: W (1-0), 6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Carlos Sierra: Save (1), 3 IP, H

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Buies Creek

3-5, solo HR (1)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yordan Alvarez, LF/1B, Corpus Christi

Walk-off 3-R HR (2)

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2 R, BB, 2 SB (3)

Ryne Birk, 2B, Corpus Christi

2-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 5-0 vs. Reno

9 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K

Kent Emanuel: 6 IP, H, 3 K

Reymin Guduan: W (1-0), 2 IP, 2 BB, 3 K

Jacob Dorris: IP, K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 13, 2018

Fresno 7, Reno 6 in 12 innings

W- Buddy Boshers (1-0)
L- Neftali Felíz (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (2, solo in 8th), Jon Kemmer (3, 2-run in 8th)

The Grizzlies fought back to tie this game late... only to see the Aces regain the lead in extra innings. That didn't faze them as they ended up walking off with a win.

Tyler White swatted a homer to start the 8th, which put Fresno on the board. Two batters later, Jack Mayfield doubled and then advanced to third on a passed ball. Jon Kemmer, who was at bat when the passed ball occurred, whacked a two-run home run to cut the deficit to one run. Tony Kemp tripled to lead off the 9th and scored the tying run on Drew Ferguson's triple. Unfortunately, Ferguson was caught in a rundown and the game went into extra innings tied at 4. Let's fast-forward to the 12th.

Jack Mayfield started the inning as the man on second base while Garrett Stubbs led off at the plate. Stubbs came through with an RBI double. Kemmer drew a walk and the two of them advanced a base on a passed ball. Alejandro Garcia was the first casualty of the inning on a groundout, and then A.J. Reed was intentionally walked to load the bases for Ferguson, who tied the game again by drawing a walk. One batter later, Kyle Tucker sent the Fresno crowd home happy with an RBI single.

Ferguson (3B, 2 RBI), White (solo HR), and Stubbs (2B, 3B, RBI, R) all finished with two hits on the night.

Francis Martes went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Matt Ramsey came on for the 7th and allowed a two-run home run to Cody Decker, one of four hits that he allowed in the inning. Ramsey also issued a walk and struck out the side. Jacob Dorris and Brendan McCurry both threw two scoreless innings; Dorris allowed 2 hits and struck out 1, while McCurry walked 1 and struck out 2. Buddy Boshers allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits and issued an intentional walk in the 12th inning.

Rogelio Armenteros will take on Kris Medlen in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 8, Northwest Arkansas 1

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (1-0)
L- Pedro Fernandez (0-1)

CC home runs: Lorenzo Quintana 2 (2; 2-run in 7th, 3-run in 8th)

The Naturals tied the game with a run in the 7th and the Hooks responded by blowing them away.

Arturo Michelena opened the scoring with a Little League home run in the 3rd inning; he tripled and a throwing error charged to Naturals 2B Erick Mejía allowed him to score. This was the only scoring play until the 7th inning when Northwest Arkansas tied the game at 1.

Randy César hit a one-out single in the bottom of the 7th, which prompted the Naturals to make a pitching change. Lorenzo Quintana greeted the new pitcher with a 2-run homer to put Corpus back in front. Carmen Benedetti walked to lead off the 8th and made it to third thanks to a stolen base and a wild pitch. Yordan Alvarez ripped a double to bring Benedetti home and he'd end up scoring on a Taylor Jones single. Ryne Birk walked, and three batters later, Quintana stepped in and iced the game with a three-run home run. César went 3-4 on the evening.

Ryan Hartman allowed 3 hits and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Brock Dykxhoorn was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed the one Naturals run on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5 in 3.1 innings. Kevin Hill got the final two outs of the game, striking out 1.

Yoanys Quiala will get the start as the Hooks look for the sweep. He'll take on Emilio Ogando at 7:05.

Salem 4, Buies Creek 2

W- Darwinzon Hernandez (1-0)
L- Brandon Bailey (0-1)
S- Hildemaro Requena (1)

BC home runs: None.

Both teams had six hits... but the Red Sox had more in the column that matters most.

Josh Rojas went 3-3 with a double, a stolen base (5), and scored both of Buies Creek's runs. Osvaldo Duarte drove him in both times with a single in the 6th and a groundout in the 8th.

Carson LaRue turned in 5 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6. Brandon Bailey threw 2.2 innings and allowed 4 runs, 2 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 5. Kit Scheetz retired all four Salem hitters he faced, striking out three of them.

Brett Adcock faces 2017 Red Sox first-rounder Tanner Houck in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Burlington 1, Quad Cities 0

W- Jorge Tavarez (1-0)
L- Tyler Ivey (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game, and it did not belong to Quad Cities. This game was delayed for nearly an hour and a half due to rain.

Jake Adams went 2-4 with a double. Cody Bohanek got off the schneid with a single in the 4th inning; he had been 0-14 to start the season.

Peter Solomon threw 2+ innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. He issued a walk and allowed a single to start the 3rd, and that's when the rain started coming down. After play resumed, Luis Garcia came on to make his season debut. He threw 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 3. Tyler Ivey turned in 4.1 nice innings, but he had to take the loss as the Banditos' bats were silenced. Ivey allowed the one run on three hits and struck out 7.

Cristian Javier will get the start in game 2 of this series. He'll take on Simon Mathews at 5:00.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Lorenzo Quintana, C, Corpus Christi

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

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Garrett Stubbs, C, Tyler White, 3B/1B, and Drew Ferguson, OF, Fresno

Stubbs: 2-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, R

White: 2-4, solo HR (2)
Ferguson: 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI

Jacob Dorris, RHP, and Brendan McCurry, RHP, Fresno

Dorris: 2 IP, 2 H, K

McCurry: 2 IP, BB, 2 K

Kit Scheetz's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Carson LaRue, RHP, and Kit Scheetz, LHP, Buies Creek

LaRue: 5 IP, 4 H, BB, 6 K

Scheetz: 1.1 IP, 3 K; 10 K in 4.1 IP (3 appearances) this season

Josh Rojas, IF, Buies Creek

3-3, 2B, 2 R, SB (5); scored both Buies Creek runs

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tyler Ivey, RHP, Quad Cities

L (0-1), 4.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 7 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 8, 2018

Let's play two in Salem!

Fresno 9, Reno 4

W- Jacob Dorris (1-0)
L- Jared Miller (0-1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies scored three runs in the 5th and the 6th to seize control of this game and even up their series with the Aces at 2 games apiece.

Rogelio Armenteros went 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 6. Fresno's bullpen picked him up by allowing just one run over the final 4.2 innings. Jacob Dorris struck out 2 over 1.2 perfect frames, Chris Nunn allowed that one run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 innings, and Matt Ramsey worked around a hit in order to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

A.J. Reed singled to lead off the 2nd inning and eventually scored the first run of the afternoon on a Jon Kemmer groundout. This would be the Grizzlies' only run of the game until the 5th inning.

After Alejandro Garcia struck out to start the 5th, Tony Kemp, Drew Ferguson, and Kyle Tucker all drew walks. Kemp ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Tyler White drew yet another walk to re-load the bases, and then Reed followed by walking Ferguson in. Garrett Stubbs followed with a sac fly.

In contrast to the 5th, the Grizzlies used some hits to score in the 6th. Kemmer walked to lead things off and scored on Garcia's RBI double. Kemp followed with an RBI single and then scored on a double play. Super Jack Mayfield ripped an RBI double in the 7th and Reed drove in Fresno's last run of the day with an 8th-inning sac fly. Kemp (RBI, 3 R), Reed (2 RBI, R), Stubbs (RBI, R), and Garcia (2B, RBI, R) all finished with two hits on the afternoon.

Kent Emanuel faces former Astro Jake Buchanan in the finale of this series. First pitch is at 1:05 Pacific.

Arkansas 7, Corpus Christi 5

W- Johendi Jiminian (1-0)
L- Akeem Bostick (0-1)
S- Matt Walker (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks were on the verge of taking a rather ugly loss to start a new series, but they suddenly sprang to life in the final half-inning and legitimately made things interesting before ultimately falling short.

Entering the 9th, Corpus only had two hits on the day. However, Myles Straw and Carmen Benedetti led off the inning by drawing walks and they both advanced on a passed ball. Yuli Gurriel, Yordan Alvarez, and Randy César all followed with RBI singles, and Nick Tanielu ripped a two-run double. All five Corpus Christi runs scored before they made an out. Unfortunately, the next three men went down. Yuli (2B, RBI, R) and Tanielu (2B, 2 RBI) both finished 2-4 on the day.

Akeem Bostick went 3.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits and walked 2 in 1.1 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. pitched the final three innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.

Cionel Perez makes his 2018 debut in the middle game of this series and he'll be opposed by Nathan Bannister. First pitch is at 7:10.

Game 1: Buies Creek 1, Salem 0 in 8 innings

W- Justin Ferrell (1-0)
L- Matthew Gorst (0-1)

BC home runs: None.

There was only one scoring play in this game and it belonged to the Carolina Stros. Unlike Quad Cities on Saturday, Buies Creek was the beneficiary of the new extra-innings rule. It's still stupid and I will not hear any arguments about how it actually is not stupid.

Kristian Trompiz started at second base to start the 8th inning, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the only run of the first game on an Osvaldo Duarte sac fly. Chas McCormick (2B), Luis Payano, and Chuckie Robinson had the only Buies Creek hits in Game 1.

Carson LaRue allowed 3 hits and struck out 3 in 4.2 innings. Justin Ferrell tagged in and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3.1 innings.

Game 2: Salem 2, Buies Creek 1 in 8 innings

W- Algenis Martinez (1-0)
L- Carlos Sierra (0-1)

BC home runs: None.

As if one game featuring that rule wasn't enough... the second game of the Buies Creek-Salem doubleheader also went to extra innings.

Aníbal Sierra led off the third inning with a double, advanced to 3rd base on a wild pitch, and scored the Carolina Stros' only run of game 2 on a Carlos Canelón groundout. The other Buies Creek hit in this game was a Ronnie Dawson double.

In his Astros debut, Brandon Bailey allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 5.1 innings. The Red Sox scored the winning run, which was unearned, off of Carlos Sierra with one out in the 8th inning. In 2 innings, Sierra allowed 2 hits and walked 2.

Buies Creek's season-opening roadtrip continues in Lynchburg, Virginia, where they will begin a three-game series with the Hillcats at 6:30 Eastern. Whoever gets the start will go up against Justin Garza.

Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids was postponed again

Due to snow showers in the forecast. This game will be made up at a later date.

Yohan Ramirez, who has definitely waited a while to pitch this season, will take the mound for the River Bandits' home opener. He'll take on Cole Stapler at 6:35.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Brandon Bailey's picture is his official mugshot and his current Twitter avatar.

Follow him on Twitter at BBailey_19

Read his blog here

Carson LaRue: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 K in game 1 of doubleheader

Justin Ferrell: W (1-0), 3.1 IP, H, 3 K in game 1 of doubleheader

Brandon Bailey: 5.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 7 K in game 2 of doubleheader

Nick Tanielu, IF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Tony Kemp, UTIL, and A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

Kemp: 2-5, RBI, 3 R

Reed: 2-3, 2 RBI, R

Chris Nunn's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Matt Ramsey's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Fresno Grizzlies bullpen

4.2 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K

Jacob Dorris: W (1-0), 1.2 IP, 2 K

Chris Nunn: 2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 K

Matt Ramsey: IP, H, K

Beyond The Astros Top 30: Right-Handed Relievers

As the old year fades away and the new season approaches, it's time to start looking at those players of interest who are beyond the Astros Top 30 (or 32 ... see below). These players may not ever make a Top 30 list (or they may), but a combination of projections, actual results, incremental improvements and intangibles keep them in the mix as interesting players to watch. I am not including any players in these posts who have already made their major league debuts since, presumably, anyone reading my blog is already very familiar with those players.

Now that all of the major players (Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline and Baseball America) have weighed in with their Astros Top Prospect Lists, I've integrated all of the rankings into one consensus top prospect ranking that includes 32 Astros players (16 were ranked on all four lists, nine were on three of four and the final seven were on two of four). I highly recommend checking out the included links for all of the great information provided.

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

BA= BASEBALL AMERICA, BP = BASEBALL PROSPECTUS,

FG=FANGRAPHS, MLB = MLB PIPELINE]

Note: Although I included all of the left-handed pitchers in my previous post, I will be dividing the right-handers into relievers and starters due to the sheer number of pitchers I will be covering. Those listed as relievers are either currently being used in relief or appear to be headed in that direction.

RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVERS IN THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Riley Ferrell - November 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Dean Deetz - MLB #18, FG #21, BA #22
Deetz is new to this list, having only converted full time to the bullpen late in the 2017 season at AAA Fresno (1.56 ERA and 1.212 WHIP in nine appearances), but the move was not unexpected since he will be able to focus on his plus fastball/slider combo and relegate his less than effective changeup to the dustbin. Deetz continued working in relief in the Arizona Fall League to help acclimate him to the role, but an 80-game suspension which came down in January will delay any further development as a reliever until late in the season. Although Deetz's pitches play up in relief, particularly due to a bump in velocity directly resulting from the shorter stints (fastball sits mid 90's and can touch 97 or 98 in relief), his walk rate tends to spike with the higher velo as well as his ability to locate takes a hit. Although it was a small sample size, Deetz did appear to get the walks under control in the AFL as he allowed only four walks to 23 strikeouts in 11 innings of work. Perhaps he found his sweet spot between velocity and command. Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see. Deetz was drafted by the Astros in the 11th round in 2014 out of Northeast Oklahoma A&M and turned 24 in November. He was ranked #18 by MLB Pipeline, #21 by FanGraphs and #22 by Baseball America going into the 2018 season.

Riley Ferrell - FG #17, MLB #20, BA #27
Ferrell was ranked #20 in the Astros system by Baseball America going in to 2016, but fell off the list in 2017 as a May 2016 surgical repair to an aneurysm in his throwing shoulder severely limited his playing time. After making 38 appearances in 2017, all but two with the AA Corpus Christi team, Ferrell hit the rankings again -- #17 by FanGraphs, #20 by MLB Pipeline and #27 by Baseball America. Ferrell uses a mid-90's fastball that touches 98 to set up a plus slider that is virtually unhittable when his command is on. Ferrell compiled a 3.67 ERA and a 1.204 WHIP in 2017, walking 14 and striking out 60 in 54 innings but improved to a 2.45 ERA and 0.775 WHIP from July forward. He ended the season with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.243 WHIP, allowing only a 0.75 batting average in his final nine appearances. His Arizona Fall League season was more of a mixed bag. His critics want to see better control/command from him, but I think he made really good strides in that area in 2017. With a little more consistency, he should be headed to Houston by season's end. Ferrell was drafted in the third round in 2015 out of Texas Christian University and he turned 24 in October.

RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVERS BEYOND THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Erasmo Pinales - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Jesús Balaguer

Signed in April 2017, Balaguer is one of a growing contingent of Cuban players in the Astros system. Reported to have a 95-mph fastball at the time of his signing, I know virtually nothing else about Balaguer except that his results in his first season in the States were enough to pique my interest. He breezed through three games with rookie level Greeneville and five games with short season A Tri-City before he was finally challenged in his 10 appearances at Low A Quad Cities. For the season, he compiled a 2.73 ERA and a 1.061 WHIP, walking 15 and striking out 53(!) in 33 innings. Batters hit .175/.271/.263 against him; he converted four of his five save opportunities; he stranded 13 of 14 inherited runners; and he provided five innings of scoreless relief in three appearances in the postseason. Balaguer will be 25 in August so expect to see the Astros continue to push him through the system quickly.

Key: Balaguer will need to show that he can compete against more and more experienced hitters as he moves up through the system.

Jacob Dorris

Dorris has a fantastic back story and knows that, as a non-drafted free agent, he's playing with "house money" so he may as well enjoy himself. That attitude shows both on and off the field as the unorthodox sidearmer has bucked the odds so far to make it to AAA Fresno in his third pro season in 2017. Dorris started the season with 23 appearances at AA Corpus Christi before an early July promotion to Fresno, compiling a 4-2 record with three saves, a 3.00 ERA, a 1.222 WHIP in a total of 43 outings. He walked 28 while striking out 75 in 72 innings. And his numbers actually improved at the higher level (1.87 ERA, 1.040 WHIP and .185 BA).

Key: Historically, Dorris has struggled against lefty hitters and 2017 was no exception; southpaws hit .300/.398/.470 against him. He will need to figure out how to keep those pesky lefties in check in order to keep his forward momentum going.

Brock Dykxhoorn

Although used as a starter throughout the first four seasons of his pro career, Dykxhoorn was moved to the bullpen at the end of the 2017 season. That may have been a temporary move to facilitate the addition of high profile pitchers Forrest Whitley and Cionel Perez, but a permanent move to relief may turn out to be a good move for Dykxhoorn who has routinely put up better numbers in relief (through the back end of a tandem rotation or otherwise). For the season (all games with AA Corpus Christi), Dykxhoorn had a 5.45 ERA and a 1.579 WHIP in 76 innings as a starter (33 walks to 60 strikeouts) and a 1.93 ERA and a 1.243 WHIP in 23.1 innings of relief (7 walks to 24 strikeouts). That leads me to think that he lacks a consistent third pitch and his stuff may be a better fit for the 'pen. Dykxhoorn, who will be 24 in July, was drafted in the sixth round in 2014 out of Central Arizona College.

Key: If Dykxhoorn goes back to the rotation, he will have to find more consistency because when he gets hit, he has a tendency to get hit hard.

Justin Ferrell

In each of the last two seasons, Ferrell started out in the rotation, but ended up relegated primarily to the bullpen later in the season where his stuff played up. In 31.1 innings as a starter in 2017, he had a 7.18 ERA, a 1.619 WHIP and 12 walks to 25 strikeouts. In 51 innings out of the bullpen, he had a 2.47 ERA, a 1.176 WHIP and 17 walks to 64 strikeouts. 2018 will be the fifth season for the 2014 36th rounder out of Connors State College (OK) and he needs to be challenged to AA. Put him in the Hooks bullpen and give him a chance to sink or swim by the Bay. Ferrell will be 24 next month.

Key: Leave him in the bullpen and challenge him to the higher levels!

Nick Hernandez - FG #28+

Hernandez's second season began with an excellent 24 appearances with High A Buies Creek in which he compiled a 1.59 ERA and a 0.853 WHIP in 34 innings (11 walks to 48 strikeouts). His numbers after his early July promotion to AA Corpus Christi weren't quite as flashy (thanks in part to one particularly brutal outing); in 24.2 innings, Hernandez had a 5.84 ERA and a 1.297 WHIP (15 walks to 22 strikeouts). And although his walk rate and home run rate were elevated (he allowed four home runs in the aforementioned brutal outing) at the higher level, he was still the go-to guy in high leverage situations, stranding inherited bases loaded situations on four separate occasions out of his 11 appearances. Hernandez was drafted in the 8th round in 2016 out of the University of Houston; he turned 23 in December.

Key: Other than keeping those walks in check, I think Nick just needs to keep being Nick! It's worked well so far for him.

Kevin Hill

Hill spent the majority of his season with Low A Quad Cities and High A Buies Creek with a short but successful fill-in stint at AA Corpus Christi thrown in. For the season, he had a 1.95 ERA and a 0.990 WHIP in 64.2 innings (26 appearances), walking 21 and striking out 68. If that wasn't good enough for you, from June 18th forward, he held batters to a .149 batting average with a 0.70 ERA and a 0.780 WHIP. With numbers like that, Hill isn't getting the notice that he deserves! Hill was drafted in the 25th round in 2016 out of the University of South Alabama where he had a reputation for great command and pitch sequencing. He will be 26 in August.

Key: Hill needs to be challenged. He should start the season in AA, but if he is able to come even close to his 2017 results, he should get kicked up to AAA sooner rather than later.

Brendan McCurry

McCurry's 2017 season was more than a bit uneven, starting rough and ending rough but peaking with an excellent July (0.00 ERA and 0.913 WHIP in 11 games, 15.1 innings). Overall, he was 4-2 with six saves, a 4.43 ERA and a 1.410 WHIP, walking 12 and striking out 52 in 44.2 innings (35 appearances) for AAA Fresno. Known for using varying arm angles for deception, McCurry wasn't able to fool quite as many hitters in 2017 as his hit rate per nine innings spiked to an unsustainable 10.3. McCurry was originally drafted by Oakland in the 22nd round in 2014 and came to Houston in the November 2015 Jed Lowrie trade. He turned 26 in January.

Key: Consistency (and missing a few more bats)! McCurry has been incredibly dominant at times, but he hasn't been able to sustain that yet at the AAA level. He's had an excellent Spring Training and I hope to see him carry that over into the regular season.

Erasmo Pinales

I have been a fan of Pinales since I saw him in Tri-City in 2016. He can throw so many different pitches at widely varying speeds, can crank up the velo when needed, generates a lot of ground ball outs and swing-and-miss, and is almost as effective against lefties as right-handers. His 3.69 ERA (21 games with Low A Quad Cities and 12 games with High A Buies Creek) is inflated by a couple of bad outings. He only allowed multiple runs in five of his 33 appearances. He had a 1.131 WHIP and allowed a .198 batting average in 61 innings, walking 26 and striking out 63. He can give you multiple innings, close (six saves in 2017) and should be able to make a spot start since he was used as a starter prior to 2017. I really like his versatility. Pinales was signed in May of 2013 and will be going in to his sixth season, having turned 23 in November.

Keys: Now that Pinales has been moved to the bullpen, he should be able to move more quickly (and needs to). He was able to lower his walk rate in the second half of the season last year; I would like to see him maintain that.

Andrew Thome

Thome started the 2017 season with four appearances in High A Buies Creek and then spent the remainder of the season shuttling back and forth between AA Corpus Christi (28 games) and AAA Fresno (8 games). Thome performed well with Corpus Christi, going 4-4 with seven saves, a 2.85 ERA and a 1.195 WHIP (13BB:33SO in 41IP) and less well at Fresno, thanks in large part to one dreadful outing (in an overall dreadful 22-1 loss) in which he allowed five earned runs in one inning of work. Thome isn't a flamethrower, but has good sink on his fastball and induces a ton of ground balls. Thome was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2015 and turned 25 in January.

Keys: Hit the ground running to show that he can compete against AAA hitters. His hit rate in Fresno last season, although a limited sample size, was far too high. As a NDFA, he almost needs to outperform draft picks; missing more bats is vital.

Ryan Thompson

Thompson had a very similar season to Thome's, shuttling back and forth between AA Corpus Christi (31 games) and AAA Fresno (6 games) with similar results. Thompson was 2-3 with six saves, a 2.59 ERA, a 1.186 WHIP and 11 walks to 59 strikeouts in 59 innings at the lower level. And like Thome, one disastrous outing at the higher level (seven runs in one inning) really blew up his numbers. Also like Thome, Thompson needs to miss a few more bats. But one thing that really sets Thompson apart is his ability to strand inherited runners. He kept 26 of his 31 inherited runners from scoring. Thompson also gets his share of groundball outs, but his side arm delivery generates a nice amount of swing-and-miss through its deception. Thompson was drafted by the Astros in the 23rd round in 2014 out of Campbell University (NC) and will be 26 in June.

Keys: Miss more bats, improve his splits against lefties and prove he can compete in AAA. He was Mr. Consistent at AA; he needs to replicate that at AAA.

Others to Watch (in alphabetical order):

José Betances
Although Betances didn't make a good first impression in 2017 (eight walks and one strikeout in 2.2 innings), the sample size is just too tiny to make too much out of it, especially considering the young Dominican just turned 18 in October. When signed for around $280,000 last July, Oz Ocampo of the Astros described Betances as having a low to mid-90's swing-and-miss fastball and a hard slider, both of which project as plus pitches.

Robert Corniel
At first blush, Corniel's 2017 numbers may not seem very impressive (4.15 ERA and 1.471 WHIP in 18 bullpen appearances, 34.2 innings), but considering that he made all but three of those appearances in Low A Quad Cities after spending 2016 in the Dominican Summer League, that he had a 1.35 ERA and 0.975 WHIP (.146 BA) in his final eight games, and that he converted two saves in his four postseason appearances while allowing zero runs, he suddenly becomes more interesting. Corniel, who will be 23 in June, was originally signed in July 2012 and missed the 2014 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Luís de Paula
Signed in November 2016, de Paula got off to a good start in his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League, collecting four saves with a 1.38 ERA and 1.038 WHIP in 19 appearances (26 innings). However, he struggled at times with walks and he was 21 in November which means that he'll need to be moved more aggressively.

Brendan Feldmann
Feldmann, a non-drafted free agent out of Lindenwood University in Missouri, was kept in the rookie level Gulf Coast League despite allowing his only earned run of the season in his first of 12 appearances. He only pitched 16.2 innings, but that may very well have been by design to limit his workload as he pitched 121 innings, including four complete games, in his final year with Linwood. In any event, his 2-1 record with two saves, a 0.54 ERA, a 0.600 WHIP (one walk to 21 strikeouts) and the fact that he stranded 10 of 13 inherited runners is enough for me to say, "Watch this space!," regardless of where he pitches in 2018 and in what role. Feldmann will be 24 in April.

Ángel Heredia
It is not an exaggeration to say that 2018 is a make or break year for Heredia as it will be his seventh season in the Astros organization. Heredia was out from late May of 2016 to mid-August 2017 and, although I don't recall ever hearing that he had Tommy John surgery, the timeline would fit. He only appeared in seven rehab appearances at the end of the season between the Gulf Coast League and Tri-City. A small-sized pitcher, Heredia has shown some promise in the past, but he will have to hit the ground running this season to maintain his roster spot in AA Corpus Christi. He will be 26 in July.

Hunter Martin

Martin, drafted in the 20th round in 2017 out of the University of Nashville, did make three starts in his 12 appearances so a relief role is still a maybe, but he did fare somewhat better in relief. His 3.86 ERA and 1.439 WHIP are somewhat inflated by one bad outing, the final of his season. When signed, he was said to have a high 80's to low 90's fastball, a changeup that projects as above average and the ability to spot the ball to both sides of the plate. Martin was a short season A Tri-City All-Star in his first season and I'll be interested to see what he does in his sophomore season. Martin turned 23 in December.

Colin McKee

McKee has one of the lower hit rates and one of the higher walk rates in the system. If he can rein in the walks, he could be interesting to watch. Drafted in the 18th round in 2016 out of Mercyhurst College (PA), McKee has a good pitcher's build and features a low 90's fastball and a plus slider. In 41 innings (17 appearances) in 2017 for short season A Tri-City, he had a 3.51 ERA and a 1.268 WHIP, walking 33 and striking out 53. Batters hit .137/.303/.194 against him; I will be keeping my eye on that middle number in 2018. McKee will be 24 in June.

Matt Ramsey

Ramsey was signed by the Astros as a minor league free agent in December 2017 (after spending time in the Rays, Marlins and Brewers organizations). He spent most of his 2017 season with the AA Biloxi team as a 27-year old (he turned 28 in September), going 3-3 with 27 saves, a 3.65 ERA and a 1.353 WHIP, walking 18 and striking out 58 in 44.1 innings. It's hard for me to get too excited about someone his age who has only pitched in five games at AAA and who has been less than stellar in Astros Spring Training games, but since he was ranked highly in the Marlins organization going into 2015 before getting derailed by back issues, I will give him the benefit of a doubt.

Carlos Sierra

Sierra had a successful season in 2017, compiling a 3-2 record with two saves, a 2.83 ERA and a 1.099 WHIP in 29 appearances between Low A Quad Cities (4 games) and High A Buies Creek (25 games). He walked 24 while striking out 60 in 57.1 innings of work and held batters to a .186/.273/.290 line. HOWEVER, he allowed 17 of 24 inherited runners to score. Sierra may have had a great season, but he needs to get better at putting out fires. The Cuban-born right-hander will be 24 in October.

Peter Solomon - FG #28+

Solomon may get an audition as a starter in the Astros organization, but since he primarily pitched in relief for Notre Dame in his final season before getting drafted in the fourth round, I'm including him with the relief corps. And since he only pitched one inning in his first pro season, there's no way to really know. Solomon is said to have a low to mid-90's fastball, a fringy slider and a curveball that flashes plus. However, there are a whole lot of buts in the scouting reports. He's had shoulder issues, control problems, needs to add bulk to his projectible frame and struggled in a starting role with Notre Dame. I will be keeping an eye on him, but it appears that he has a few hurdles to overcome when he gets down to work in 2018. He will be 22 in August.

Previous Posts:

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Second Base
First Base

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Center Field
Right Field

Left Field
Catchers

Utility Players

Lefty Pitchers

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, August 14, 2017

Albuquerque 7, Fresno 3

W- Scott Oberg (1-0)
L- Dayan Diaz (4-2)

Fresno home runs: Jack Mayfield (6, 20 season; solo in 6th)

The Isotopes seized the momentum with a 5-run 8th to break a 2-2 tie.

Preston Tucker opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st inning, while Jack Mayfield launched a solo homer in the 6th that tied the game at 2. The Grizzlies could only get one run back following that big 8th inning from Albuquerque as Garrett Stubbs scored on a Rico Noel groundout in the 9th. Stubbs hit a couple of doubles in his 4 at-bats.

Kent Emanuel went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Jacob Dorris was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen; he walked 1 and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless innings. Dayan Diaz bore the brunt of the Albuquerque assault in the 8th as he allowed the 5 runs on 6 hits; he also issued a walk and struck out 1.

Fresno will begin a 4-game series with Las Vegas at 7:05 Pacific. Cy Sneed makes his AAA debut on the final Taco Tuesday of the 2017 season and he'll take on Donovan Hand.

Corpus Christi was off

Cionel Perez makes his Texas League debut as the Hooks start a 3-game series in Tulsa at 7:05.

Lynchburg 3, Buies Creek 2

W- Nick Pasquale (3-0)
L- Erasmo Pinales (1-1, 4-2 season)
S- Jared Robinson (3)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros got nipped towards the end as the Hillcats scored a run in the bottom of the 8th after Buies Creek had tied the game at 2 with a run in the top of the 8th.

Yordan Alvarez went 2-3 and drove in both Buies Creek runs with a sac fly in the 1st and an RBI single in the 8th. Myles Straw (R, 2 SB), Randy César, and Carmen Benedetti also finished with 2 hits on the evening. Straw now has 35 stolen bases this season.

Matt Bower went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Erasmo Pinales threw 2 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Elieser Hernandez goes up against Brock Hartson, a Pearland native, in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:35 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Peoria 1

W- Kit Scheetz (1-0, 1-3 season)
L- Ian Oxnevad (3-10)
S- Devon Carr (2)

QC home runs: Luis Payano (2, 5 season; solo in 6th)

The Banditos snapped a little 3-game slide thanks to a solid night on the mound.

Kit Scheetz won his Midwest League debut with 6 strong innings; he allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Lucas Williams allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless, and Devon Carr struck out the side in order to get the save.

Daz Cameron opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. Chas McCormick legged out a bunt single in the 4th and Luis Payano followed by ripping a double. Marcos Almonte sent them both home with a double of his own. Payano went 2-4 and smacked a solo homer in the 6th for the final run of the evening.

Cristian Javier starts game 2. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tri-City is on its All-Star break

The 2017 New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday; Tri-City will be hosting the event at Joe Bruno Stadium. The ValleyCats will be represented by Hunter Martin, Andy Piñeda, J.J. Matijevic, and Reggie Johnson. Martin replaced Nathan Thompson, who was just promoted to Quad Cities.

Kingsport 6, Greeneville 1

W- Carlos Hernandez (3-3)
L- Gerardo Bojorquez (3-3)

Greeneville home runs: None.

When a baseball team has more errors than base hits or runs (or both, even), they usually don't win very many games.

Gilberto Celestino walked to lead off the 3rd and scored the Appy Astros' only run on an error that allowed Patrick Mathis to reach.

Gerardo Bojorquez went 3 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 2. Jheyson Caraballo was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen and allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 5 innings. Juan Corniel allowed a hit and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

Hansel Paulino goes up against Joe Cavallaro in the series finale. First pitch is at 11:30 AM Eastern.

GCL Nationals 7, GCL Astros 3

W- Jackson Stoeckingert (1-0)
L- Freylin Garcia (0-1, 1-6 season)

GCL home runs: Eduardo de Oleo (1, 6 season; 2-run in 8th)

Eduardo de Oleo was the Palm Beach Stros' offense in this game. He went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 6th and whacked a 2-run homer in the 8th. César Cortez also went 2-4 and scored a run.

Angel Heredia made his 2017 debut, allowing 2 hits and striking out 1 in a scoreless 1st. Freylin Garcia made his U.S. debut and went 4 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits, walking 3, and striking out 2. Saul Martinez went 3.2 innings and allowed 2 runs; both were inherited runners that were charged to him. He also allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Chauncey Nuñez got the last out of the 9th with a strikeout, but in addition to allowing both of the runners he inherited from Martinez to score, he allowed an unearned run and 2 hits.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Astros 1B prospect Yordan Alvarez is quite large pic.twitter.com/X63NgoNC3y

— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) July 9, 2017

Photo by Jake Kaplan

Yordan Alvarez, 1B/LF, Buies Creek

2-3, 2 RBI; 10-game hitting streak

Matt Bower, LHP, Buies Creek

6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Luis Payano, OF, Quad Cities

2-4, solo HR (2, 5 season), 2 R

Kit Scheetz's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 4-1 vs. Peoria

9 IP, 6 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Kit Scheetz: W (1-0, 1-3 season), 6 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 2 K

Lucas Williams: 2 IP, H, 2 BB, K
Devon Carr: Save (2), IP, 3 K; struck out side in order

Photo by Bryan Green

Eduardo de Oleo, C, GCL Astros

2-4, 2-R HR (1, 6 season), 3 RBI

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jheyson Caraballo, RHP, Greeneville

5 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 3 K

Jacob Dorris, RHP, Fresno

2 IP, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

El Paso 5, Fresno 3

W- Dillon Overton (4-5)
L- Dean Deetz (3-4, 7-6 season)
S- Cory Mazzoni (1)

Fresno home runs: Jack Mayfield (5, 19 season; solo in 2nd), Tony Kemp (10, solo in 6th), A.J. Reed (24, solo in 9th)

The Grizzlies got three solo shots.... but not much else on offense as they couldn't quite come back from an early 4-0 deficit. A.J. Reed went 2-4 on the night.

Dean Deetz went 2 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Jacob Dorris and Ashur Tolliver pitched 3 innings apiece; Dorris allowed a hit and fanned 3, while Tolliver allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Brendan McCurry struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Mike Hauschild gets the start in the finale. He'll face Chad Huffman at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 10, Tulsa 7

W- Ryan Thompson (2-2, 2-3 season)
L- Shea Spitzbarth (2-4)

CC home runs: Rico Noel (1, solo in 2nd), Dexture McCall (5, 9 season; solo in 5th), Arturo Michelena (1, 2-run in 7th), Jason Martin (10, 17 season; walk-off grand slam in 9th)

The Hooks scored 6 in the bottom of the 9th to steal one from right under the Drillers.

Framber Valdez went 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Cy Sneed was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and went 3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 4. Ryan Thompson allowed a hit and fanned 2 over 1.2 scoreless.

Both teams scored a run in the 2nd inning; Corpus got theirs on Rico Noel's first homer as a member of the Astros organization. Dex McCall launched a solo homer in the 5th, and Arturo Michelena hit a 2-run homer in the 7th that tied the game at 4. The Drillers got 3 in the 8th to re-take the lead.

Ryne Birk led off the bottom of the 9th with a single, which prompted Tulsa to make a pitching change. McCall greeted new Drillers pitcher Shea Spitzbarth with a single. Michelena went down on strikes, but Colin Walsh hit an RBI single to cut the Tulsa lead to 7-5. Tony Nuñez singled to load the bases for Kyle Tucker, who hit a sac fly to bring Corpus to within a run. Jamie Ritchie legged out an infield single to re-load the bases for Jason Martin, who sent the Whataburger Field crowd home in ecstasy with a walk-off grand slam while down to his last strike. Martin and McCall both finished with 3 hits on the evening.

Franklin Perez will take on Mitchell White in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 3, Salem 2

W- Elieser Hernandez (4-3, 5-3 season)
L- Matthew Gorst (0-1)

BC home runs: Jake Rogers (10, 16 season; solo in 4th)

The Carolina Stros got a run in the 9th to break a 2-2 tie.

Anthony Hermelyn hit a pair of RBI singles; he opened the scoring in the 2nd and drove in the go-ahead run in the 9th. Jake Rogers also went 2-3 and smacked a homer to begin the 4th. Taylor Jones went 2-4 with a double and scored what turned out to be the winning run.

Forrest Whitley went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 7. It was not his sharpest performance as he also uncorked 4 wild pitches. Erasmo Pinales worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 1. Elieser Hernandez allowed 3 hits and struck out 1 over the final 4 innings.

Cionel Perez will start the series finale. He'll go up against former Aggie Matt Kent at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will begin a 4-game series in Cedar Rapids tonight at 6:35. Carlos Sanabria will take on Tyler Watson.

Tri-City 7, Lowell 2

W- Ben Smith (5-2)
L- Nick Duron (2-4)
S- Corbin Martin (1)

TC home runs: Jonathan Arauz (1, 2-run in 1st), Adrian Tovalin (4, 8 season; 2-run in 3rd)

The ValleyCats got back to the .500 mark thanks to a pair of 2-run blasts and a dominating outing from Corbin Martin to end the game.

Brandon Bielak allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Ben Smith worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 2. Martin shut things down for the final 4 innings, walking 1 and striking out 9 to record his first save as a pro.

J.J. Matijevic hit a one-out single in the 1st and Jonathan Arauz opened the scoring by launching a homer. Adrian Tovalin whacked a 2-run homer of his own in the 3rd inning. Tovalin scored on a wild pitch in the 6th and Kyle Davis added an RBI single not long after. Tovalin scored the last run of the evening in the 7th on another wild pitch that Colton Shaver stole 2nd on. Arauz (2-R HR, 2 R), Tovalin (2-R HR, 3 R), and Gabriel Bracamonte (3B, R) all finished with 2 hits on the night.

J.B. Bukauskas makes his Tri-City debut in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:35 Eastern.

Elizabethton 6, Greeneville 1

W- Edwar Colina (3-3)
L- Jheyson Caraballo (1-2)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Twins scored twice... in three consecutive innings to take the opener.

Jheyson Caraballo and Gerardo Bojorquez pitched 4 innings apiece. Caraballo allowed 4 runs on 7 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 5. Bojorquez allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and fanned 5.

Jose Benjamin spoiled the shutout with a pinch-hit RBI single in the 8th inning. Patrick Mathis went 2-4 with a double.

Hansel Paulino takes on Brusdar Graterol in game 2. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Nationals 0

W- Maikel Sepulveda (5-3)
L- Tomás Alastre (2-1)

GCL home runs: Juan Piñeda (2, 3 season; solo in 3rd)

The Palm Beach Stros shut out their complex mates on Wednesday, holding the Nationals to 4 hits.

Maikel Sepulveda allowed 3 hits and struck out 2 in 5 innings. Austin Kerns was the first man out of the GCLstros bullpen and went 3 innings, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 1. Brendan Feldmann struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th to complete the shutout.

Carlos Machado went 2-4 and opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. After Machado's single, Angel Tejeda scored on Trent Woodward's groundout. Juan Piñeda smacked a homer to start the 3rd. César Cortez walked to lead off the 4th, stole 2nd, then scored on two straight wild pitches. Piñeda finished 3-4 on the day.

DSL Astros Blue 16, DSL Braves 2

W- Jose Antonio Hernandez (3-2)
L- Luis De Jesus (2-4)

Blue home runs: None.

Team Blue only had one extra-base hit, but they still managed to score 16 runs thanks to 8 walks, 13 hits, and 5 Braves errors.

Antonio Pujols allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4 innings. Jose Antonio Hernandez was the first man out of the Blue team bullpen and went 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Christopher Javier walked 1 and fanned 3 over the last 2 innings.

DSL Astros Orange 3, DSL Indians/Brewers 0

W- Fredy Medina (4-2)

L- Henry Medina (3-4)
S- Cristofer Melendez (2)

Orange home runs: Ramiro Rodriguez (5, solo in 5th), Marco Van Der Wijst (1, solo in 5th)

Team Orange could only push across 3 runs with their 13 hits, but they also shut out the Brewdians.

Ramiro Rodriguez and Marco Van Der Wijst launched back-to-back solo homers in the 5th to break a 0-0 tie and Deury Carrasco stole home in the 8th. Rodriguez and Van Der Wijst both finished 2-3. Sean Mendoza went 3-5, while Carrasco and Jose Castillo both went 2-4. Carrasco had 2 steals, giving him 21 on the year.

Wender Oberto allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 3 innings. Fredy Medina tagged in for 4 no-hit innings, walking 2 and striking out 6. Cristofer Melendez allowed a hit and struck out 2 in the final 2 innings for the save.

Wednesday's Stars

DSL Astros Blue: W 16-2 @ DSL Braves—16 R, 13 H (12 singles, 1 double)

Ronaldo Urdaneta: 3-5, 2 RBI, R

Yorbin Ceuta: 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, R

Rhandall Sanchez: 2-6, RBI, 3 R

DSL Astros Orange: W 3-0 vs. DSL Indians/Brewers

Ramiro Rodriguez and Marco Van Der Wijst: 2-3, solo HR each (Rodriguez: 5 HR, Van Der Wijst: 1 HR)

Deury Carrasco: 2-4, 2 SB (21); stole home in 8th inning

Fredy Medina: W (4-2), 4 IP, 2 BB, 6 K

Cristofer Melendez: Save (2), 2 IP, H, 2 K

Adrian Tovalin's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jonathan Arauz, IF, and Adrian Tovalin, 3B/1B, Tri-City

Arauz: 2-4, 2-R HR (1), 2 R

Tovalin: 2-5, 2-R HR (4, 8 season), 3 R

Photo by Don Carson

Corbin Martin, RHP, Tri-City

Save (1), 4 IP, BB, 9 K

Anthony Hermelyn, C, and Jake Rogers, C, Buies Creek

Hermelyn: 2-3, 2 RBI singles; drove in go-ahead run in 9th

Rogers: 2-3, solo HR (10, 16 season)

Elieser Hernandez, RHP, Buies Creek

W (4-3, 5-3 season), 4 IP, 3 H, K

Dexture McCall, 1B, and Jason Martin, OF, Corpus Christi

McCall: 3-4, solo HR (5, 9 season), 3 R

Martin: 3-5, walk-off grand slam (10, 17 season)

Jacob Dorris, RHP, Fresno

3 IP, H, 3 K