Astros Farm Report: 1/15

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

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Yoanys Quiala - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

1-15: RHP Yoanys Quiala (24)
1-17: OF Kyle Tucker (21)
1-18: SS Osvaldo Duarte (22)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

I certainly don't need to inform my readers about the big weekend trade with Pittsburgh to obtain RHP Garrit Cole in exchange for RHP Joe Musgrove, RHP Michael Feliz, 3B Colin Moran and OF Jason Martin. Baseball America has a very good post on what the Astros gained and what they lost from a talent perspective. And J.J. Cooper of BA weighs in with some additional thoughts on Moran. MLB Pipeline has updated their 2017 postseason prospect rankings to remove Moran (#5) and Martin (#15). RHP Jairo Solis has been slotted in at #21 and OF Ronnie Dawson has been added at #30.

19-year old Joe Musgrove - August 2012

Photo by Jayne Hansen

What these various pundits don't weigh in on is what else the Astros fans are losing. If you are on twitter, you might have seen many tweets of praise for Joe Musgrove ...

Hey, @pirates, in Joe Musgrove you’re getting one of the all-time good dudes. Here’s a column I wrote on him last season. https://t.co/ClcQV03G4g

— Richard Justice (@richardjustice) January 14, 2018

Was with Joe Musgrove in Corpus Christi on caravan all day Thursday. One of my favorite guys in my time with the #Astros; great pitcher & great person. Wish him nothing but the best in Pittsburgh.

— Robert Ford (@raford3) January 14, 2018

Best of luck to @musgrove23Stros, pictured here with @ABREG_1 toward the end of FanFest yesterday. Joe is a talented pitcher and a heck of a human. Hope he has great success with the Pirates. pic.twitter.com/r9CEs3cv7e

— Alyson Footer (@alysonfooter) January 14, 2018

@musgrove23Stros UR one of the best people to play for @astros. Thank u for doing everything asked and more. I will always root for you. Best wishes to @DianeMusgrove

— Bill Brown (@BrownieTw) January 14, 2018

Thank you @musgrove23Stros for all you did for Kingwood after the flood.

— Mike Fast (@fastballs) January 14, 2018

Pennsylvania gained a good one. Bring a little San Diego to the great state, @musgrove23Stros 🤙

— Derek Fisher (@defish21) January 14, 2018

Any fan who has ever had the opportunity to interact with Joe from the low minors all the way up to Houston will know what a special person he is, generous with his time and his heart. I first interviewed Joe when he was only 19 and I immediately fell in love with him. He was sweet and charming ... a gentle giant like my father. Every time I spoke with him from that point forward just cemented my impression of him as a really special person. He and his wonderful family will be missed. Best of luck to Joe, Michael, Colin and Jason as they continue their baseball journeys!

Thanks for the memories H-Town. Waddup Steel City! pic.twitter.com/upXWFVTuUJ

— Joe Musgrove (@ItsbuccnJoe59) January 14, 2018

One additional note ... as of 1/14, the Astros 40-man roster stands at 38 with the addition of Cole and the subtraction of Musgrove, Feliz and Moran. I do not think it was a coincidence that Astros General Manager Luhnow's trade allows him much more flexibility to identify and patch holes where the team sees them as the season approaches. Had he given up top prospects not on the 40-man roster, Luhnow would still have had his hands tied with a full roster and much less room to maneuver.

The cumulative Astros offseason transaction list can be found here.

FALL AND WINTER LEAGUE UPDATES

Since most of the Astros minor leaguers are finished with winter ball, I'll only be including the active players here. 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.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (ABL)

MiLB.com is currently down for maintenance. Therefore, I cannot currently access the specifics of Ayarza's last four games, but it appears that he continues to have a good amount of success with the Bite. The ABL regular season will conclude on January 27th.

Adelaide Bite
Rodrigo Ayarza - 32G .295/.331/.508 8-2B 6HR 13RBI 7BB:27SO 5SB:2CS

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LBPRC)

Again, I can't access the boxscores for detailed information at this time, but Sierra lowered his ERA over three points in one appearance and Castro had his first and only at-bat (so far) of his winter campaign resulting in an RBI double.

Cangrejeros de Santurce
RHP Carlos Sierra - 3G 2.1IP 7.71 ERA 3.429 WHIP 1SO:5BB
C Ruben Castro - 1G 1.000/1.000/2.000 1-2B 1RBI

NEWS AND LINKS

Baseball America gave us an early look at the Top 10 Astros prospect list as the Gerrit Cole trade loomed. Colin Moran's #9 ranking and (according to J.J. Cooper) Jason Martin's #19 ranking look to be in the upcoming BA Prospect Handbook as their press deadline came and went last week. Also according to Cooper, an Astros prospect will be gracing the cover. I will assume that player to be Forrest Whitley since they have him ranked as the top Astros prospect.

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 - coming this week

Joe to The Show

Joe Musgrove came into the Astros system in July 2012. I first spoke with the then 19-year old in August when he had been assigned to an Appy League Greeneville Astros team that featured Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers, Rio Ruiz, Mike Hauschild and Jordan Jankowski, among others. I first saw him signing autographs with Kevin Comer, a fellow pitcher with whom he had been traded by the Blue Jays.

I had the opportunity to interview him the next day and he immediately became one of my favorites, a huge guy who made this 5'8" overweight writer feel downright petite. He was open, engaging and didn't take himself too seriously despite being considered a top prospect at the time (#20 in the Blue Jays organization coming into the 2012 season).

From that point on, Joe always made it a point to stop and talk with me when our paths crossed. In Spring Training in 2013 ....

In Tri-City in 2014 ....

In Lancaster in 2015 when I interviewed him again ...

In April 2016 at Corpus Christi ...

And again in June 2016 in Fresno ...

Joe has always been the same, offering a smile, a hug and good conversation about baseball, family or life in general. I have watched him grow up and become a good man and a good pitcher. I have gotten to know his amazing mom, Diane, the ultimate Italian mama who loves nothing more than to feed everyone with excess food, love and encouragement.

When someone like Joe makes it to The Show, it's just a little bit sweeter. You can't help but really root for the good guys and Joe is one. Congratulations on the fantastic major league debut Joe! You earned this moment.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Fresno 1, Round Rock 0

W- Joe Musgrove (4-3, 6-4 season)
L- Nick Martinez (6-5)

S- James Hoyt (24)

Fresno home runs: None.

There was only one scoring play in this game, and it belonged to the Grizzlies. Alex Bregman finished 2-4 with a double and scored the only run of the evening on a Tyler White RBI single in the 3rd inning. 

Joe Musgrove, Josh Fields, and James Hoyt joined forces on a shutout. Musgrove allowed 6 hits and struck out a season-high 9 batters. Fields and Hoyt both allowed a hit and struck out a batter; Fields did so in the 8th, and Hoyt recorded this line as he recorded his 24th save.  

César Valdez will start game 3 of this series, and he'll face Austin Bibens-Dirkx at 7:05.

Midland 14, Corpus Christi 2

W- Joel Seddon (4-8)
L- Cy Sneed (4-3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks scored first.... but it was all Rockhounds afterwards.

Garrett Stubbs singled to lead off the game, made his way around the bases via a wild pitch and a groundout, and scored the first run of the evening on another wild pitch. Stubbs, who finished 2-3, hit an RBI single in the 7th inning. James Ramsay also finished 2-3.

Cy Sneed had a tough night on the mound, and in general, the Hooks pitching staff got smacked around on Tuesday. In their line of work, these nights happen. They'll bounce back from this.

In the series finale, Francis Martes will take on Chris Jensen. First pitch is at 6:30. 

Lancaster 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4

W- Trent Thornton (7-4)
L- Josh Sborz (7-4)
S- Kevin Comer (1)

Lancaster home runs: Bobby Boyd (8, solo in 1st)

The JetHawks shook off a bit of a rough start in order to earn the series split.

Trent Thornton served up two home runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, but he recovered and was able to salvage a quality start. In the opening frame, Edwin Rios tagged him for a 2-run shot and Joey Curletta hit a solo homer. In 6 innings, Thornton allowed 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. Andrew Thome allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and struck out 1 in the 7th. Ryan Deemes was next, and he allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings. He left a couple of runners on for Kevin Comer, who was able to record the final out of the game.

Bobby Boyd wasted little time in getting the scoring started; he led off the game with a home run. Bryan Muñiz hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and the JetHawks scored 3 in the 6th to take the lead. Muñiz walked to lead off the inning, advanced to 3rd on a Trent Woodward single, and scored the tying run on a botched force out attempt. Boyd put Lancaster in the lead with a 2-run single. He finished 3-5, a double shy of the cycle, and was the only man in the JetHawks lineup with a multi-hit night. Drew Ferguson went 0-3, but he walked, scored a run, and stole 2 bases (22).

The California League incarnation of the Lone Star Series begins tomorrow as the JetHawks welcome High Desert to The Hangar.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will begin a 3-game series against Dayton tonight at 7:00. Yoanys Quiala will face Jacob Constante.

Batavia 6, Tri-City 4 in 10 innings

W- Dustin Beggs (2-0)
L- Sean Stutzman (1-2)

S- Dylan Lee (1)

TC home runs: Spencer Johnson (3, 5 season; solo in 2nd)

The ValleyCats were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as the Muckdogs tied the game at 4 in the 8th inning and took the lead with 2 in the first extra frame.

Spencer Johnson had a solid day; he went 4-5 with a double, scored 2 runs, and his solo home run in the 2nd was the game's first scoring play. After Batavia scored 3 in the top of the 3rd to take the lead, Ryne Birk composed the response in the 4th inning with a 2-run single. Brauly Mejia added an RBI single in the 5th inning. Mejia was one of four ValleyCats who finished this game with 2 hits; Rodrigo Ayarza, Carmen Benedetti, and Chuckie Robinson (2B, R) all finished with 2 hits as well.

Enrique Chavez went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Hector Perez tagged in for 4 innings and allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Sean Stutzman pitched the 10th and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on a single, walked 1, hit 1, and struck out 2.

The ValleyCats have today off. Dustin Hunt will start the first game of a 3-game set in Staten Island on Thursday.

Johnson City 4, Greeneville 3

W- Estarlin Arias (3-0)
L- Lucas Williams (0-1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros walked off with a loss that snapped their 8-game winning streak.

Both teams scored a run in the 1st and the 3rd: Bryan De La Cruz ripped an RBI double in the 1st to open the scoring, and Troy Sieber hit an RBI single in the 3rd. Jonathan Arauz added a sac fly in the 4th inning. Marcos Almonte finished 2-4 with a run scored and stole a base (6, 8 season). 

Jorge Guzman went 2.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Ben Smith successfully extracted Guzman from a bases-loaded jam in the 3rd by inducing an inning-ending double play. Smith pitched 4.2 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. The winning run scored with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th against Lucas Williams. He threw a 1-2-3 8th inning, but could not preserve the tie. In 1.1 innings, he allowed the winning run on 2 hits and struck out 1.

Carlos Hiraldo will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Jordan Hicks at 7:00 Eastern. Hicks, who is from Houston, is a 2015 graduate of Cy Creek.

DSL Astros Blue 6, DSL Rays1 1

W- Ronel Blanco (5-1)
L- Angel Felipe (0-2)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team scored a run in the 7th and 3 more in the 8th to pull away from the Rays.

Carlos Canelon walked to lead off the bottom of the 2nd. He then advanced to 2nd base on a base hit, and two wild pitches allowed him to score the first run of the day. Ozziel Sanchez-Galan added an RBI single later in the inning. Jose Benjamin hit an RBI double in the 7th, and in the 8th, Alfredo Angarita ripped a 2-run double and scored the final run of the game on a double play.

Juan Lopez went 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Yonatan Quintin was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 2 innings. Ronel Blanco allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless.

DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Mets2 1

W- Gerardo Bojorquez (1-3)
L- Miguel Ramirez (0-3)

Orange home runs: None.

Four pitchers held the Mets 2 to just three hits in this game.

Francisco Villegas allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 6 over 4 scoreless. Jose Antonio Hernandez recorded two outs in the 5th via the strikeout, but he also loaded the bases with 3 walks. Gerardo Bojorquez got him out of the jam and went 3.1 innings, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 8. Yohan Ramirez worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Hector Martinez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd. He then stole 2nd base and scored on an error that allowed Yeuris Ramirez to reach. In the 5th, Kendy Moya hit an RBI double. Vicente Mota tripled in the 6th inning and scored on a wild pitch. Jose Abel Hernandez hit an RBI single in the 8th, and Gilberto Celestino drove in the final run of the day with an RBI single in the 9th. Hernandez finished 2-4.

Tuesday's Stars

Hector Perez, RHP, Tri-City

4 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Spencer Johnson, OF/1B, Tri-City

4-5, 2B, solo HR (3, 5 season), 2 R

Photo from MiLB.com

Ben Smith, LHP, Greeneville

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

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Fresno

W (4-3, 6-4 season), 7 IP, 6 H, 9 K

Bobby Boyd, OF, Lancaster

3-5, 3B, solo HR (8), 3 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, June 23, 2016

Happy Appalachian League Opening Day!

The Astros' Class A affiliates returned to action following their leagues' All-Star breaks.

Fresno 5, Albuquerque 2

W- Joe Musgrove (3-3, 5-4 season)
L- Christian Bergman (0-1)
S- Brendan McCurry (1, 14 season)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (4, 2-run in 3rd), A.J. Reed (11, solo in 4th), Tyler White (2, 2-run in 6th)

Joe Musgrove has gotten roughed up in his last two starts, but he responded with a fine performance on Thursday.

In 6 innings, the only run that Musgrove allowed came on a solo home run hit by Dustin Garneau. He allowed two other hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Jandel Gustave was the first man out of the Grizzlies bullpen, and in 1.1 innings, he allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Brendan McCurry recorded his first save in the Pacific Coast League by pitching the final 1.2 innings; he allowed a hit and struck out 3.

All 5 Fresno runs scored on home runs. Jon Kemmer hit a 2-run home run in the 3rd to put the Grizzlies in the lead, and A.J. Reed led off the bottom of the 4th with a solo homer. Tyler White smacked a 2-run homer in the 6th inning. Reed finished 2-4 with 2 runs scored.

The Grizzlies will look to sweep the series as Brady Rodgers takes the mound. He'll face Jeff Hoffman at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 3, Frisco 2

W- Kyle Smith (2-5)
L- Ryan Ledbetter (0-1)
S- Cy Sneed (1)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (12, solo in 6th)

Cy Sneed was absolutely dominant out of the bullpen as the Hooks took the first game of their final series before the Texas League All-Star break.

Kyle Smith went 5 innings, and the two runs he allowed came on two solo home runs hit by Ryan Cordell and Drew Jackson. Smith allowed 4 other hits and struck out 2. Cy Sneed pitched the final 4 innings, and in the process, he totally dominated the Frisco offense, allowing just 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 10. It's the second time that Sneed has recorded double-digit strikeouts in a single outing; he struck out 10 in a start with Brevard County on September 4, 2015.

Corpus Christi scored twice in the 1st inning on a pair of RBI singles from D.J. Fisher and Nick Tanielu. Chase McDonald's solo home run in the 6th broke a 2-2 tie and proved to be the difference. Danry Vásquez (2B, BB, SB) and Mott Hyde had two hits apiece.

Keegan Yuhl will start game 2 of this series. He will face Connor Sadzeck at 7:05.

Lancaster 8, Lake Elsinore 7 in 10 innings

W- Jacob Dorris (1-0, 2-0 season)
L- Colby Blueberg (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: Bobby Boyd (6, 2-run in 3rd)

The JetHawks opened up the second half of their season by walking off with a victory.

Both teams scored a run in the 1st inning; Lancaster's run came off an RBI triple from Bryan Muñiz. They also scored in the 3rd, but the JetHawks emerged with the lead by winning that inning 4-3. Tony Nuñez led off the inning with a walk, and one batter later, Bobby Boyd clubbed a 2-run homer. Garrett Stubbs and Ramon Laureano followed by hitting singles, and Muñiz drove them both in with a double. The Storm won the 5th inning 2-1; Jason Martin drove in the JetHawks' 5th-inning run with a single. Lake Elsinore broke the 6-6 tie with a run in the top of the 8th, but Lancaster set the stage for a thrilling finish in the bottom of the 9th.

With the JetHawks down to their final out, Martin drew a walk and scored the tying run on a mad dash home following a single from Brooks Marlow. With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Nuñez reached on an error and advanced to 2nd. Boyd reached on a fielder's choice, and Stubbs won the game with an RBI double.

Muñiz (2 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, R) and Stubbs (walk-off RBI 2B, 2 R) both finished 3-5, while Boyd finished 2-5.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 4.2 innings and allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 9 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Yeyfry Del Rosario was the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen, and in 2.1 innings of work, he issued a walk and struck out 2. Jacob Dorris pitched 3 innings and did not allow a hit, but he did allow a run on a wild pitch in the 8th which allowed Lake Elsinore to take the lead. However, all was forgiven when the JetHawks walked off with the win. Dorris also walked 4 (1 intentionally), hit another batter, and struck out 5.

Josh James will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Zech Lemond at 6:35 Pacific.

Wisconsin 2, Quad Cities 0

W- Jake Drossner (2-5)
L- Elieser Hernandez (3-1, 4-5 season)
S- Nate Griep (11)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos could only muster up one hit as they dropped their first game of the 2nd half. That one hit for Quad Cities was a single from Myles Straw. In his first game since being activated from the disabled list, Kyle Tucker went 0-3.

Jose Luis Hernandez turned in another strong start as he allowed 3 hits and struck out 5 over 5 shutout innings. Elieser Hernandez pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 2 unearned runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4.

In game 2 of this series, Chris Murphy will take on Miguel Diaz. First pitch is at 7:05.

Vermont 4, Tri-City 3

W- Dakota Chalmers (1-0)
L- Erasmo Pinales (0-2)
S- Tyler Painton (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats' 9th-inning rally fell just short as they left the tying run on 3rd base to end the game.

Ronnie Dawson opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. He stole his way to 3rd, but was stranded there to end the inning. Randy César doubled to lead off the bottom of the 7th, advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch, and scored on a botched pickoff attempt. Carmen Benedetti and César both singled to lead off the bottom of the 9th, and they advanced on a sac bunt from Chuckie Robinson. Alex De Goti hit a sac fly to bring in Benedetti and cut the deficit to one run, but Ryne Birk flew out to end the game. César finished 2-4, while Dawson's two stolen bases give him 3 on the season.

Hector Perez pitched 3 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits while striking out 4. Erasmo Pinales got the first out of the 4th inning, but he walked the next 5 batters that he faced, resulting in two runs for the Lake Monsters. Enrique Chavez extraced Pinales from this jam without incurring any further damage by getting a flyball out and a strikeout to end the inning. Chavez wound up going 4.1 innings and had an inherited runner charged to him. He allowed 4 hits and struck out 3. Nick Hernandez allowed a hit and walked 1 in 1.1 innings.

The ValleyCats will look to avoid the sweep tonight as Brett Adcock gets the start. He'll take on Brendan Butler at 7:00 Eastern.

Johnson City 10, Greeneville 6

W- Yeison Medina (1-0)
L- Carlos Sanabria (0-1)

Greeneville home runs: Wander Franco (1, 2-run in 4th)

The Cardinals spoiled the Appy Astros' Opening Night festivities as they took control of this game with a 4-run top of the 7th inning. They also tacked on another run in the 8th.

Carlos Hiraldo went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Carlos Sanabria was the first man out of the bullpen and went 3.1 innings, allowing 7 runs (5 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 8 hits, walking 1, and striking out 1. Abdiel Saldaña allowed a hit and struck out 4 over 1.2 innings.

Miguelangel Sierra led off the bottom of the 1st with a triple and scored Greeneville's first run of the season on a sac fly from Luis Payano. Wander Franco doubled to lead off the 2nd inning and scored on a Frankeny Fernandez single. Franco hit the Appy Astros' first home run of the season, a 2-run shot, in the 4th inning, and Gabriel Bracamonte smacked a 2-run double in the 6th. Franco, Fernandez, Bracamonte, and Tyler Wolfe all finished with 2 hits in the game.

Patrick Sandoval will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on David Oca at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros Blue 3, DSL Phillies1 2

W- Carlos Perdomo (2-0)
L- Roimy Mendoza (0-1)
S- Juan Cuevas (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team just wins. In this latest victory, they edged the Phillies with a run in the 8th that broke a 2-2 tie. All 3 of their runs scored on doubles.

Samir Caraballo put Team Blue on the board with an RBI double in the 4th inning. Both teams scored a run in the 7th; the Blue team's run came off an RBI double hit by Angel De Leon. Ronny Jimenez tripled to lead off the top of the 8th and trotted home with the go-ahead run on a double from Jose Benjamin. Both of Caraballo's hits were doubles. Benjamin finished 3-4 and was thrown out trying to stretch that go-ahead double into a triple, but he's probably happy that his hit helped give his team the victory.

Felipe Tejada pitched 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Carlos Perdomo was the first man out of the Blue team's bullpen; he allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 3.1 innings, and Juan Cuevas worked around a hit to close out the game; he recorded the final 2 outs of the game.

These two teams are currently playing at the Astros' complex.

DSL Mets2 8, DSL Astros Orange 4


W- Jorge Cespedes (1-0)
L- Cosme Zapata (0-1)

Orange home runs: Hector Martinez (3, solo in 2nd)

The wheels fell off in horrific fashion for the Orange team as the Mets 2 scored 7 in the top of the 9th inning to seize control of this game.

Hector Martinez opened the scoring with a solo home run in the 2nd inning. Gerry Castillo doubled to lead off the 3rd inning, advanced to 3rd base following an errant pickoff throw, and scored on a passed ball. Martinez reached on an error in the 4th, advanced to 3rd on a couple of groundouts, and scored on a wild pitch. Kendy Moya ripped an RBI double in the 6th inning. Gilberto Celestino finished 2-4 and stole a base, his 6th of the season.

Diosward Gonzalez allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 5 innings. Kilvio Peralta allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 3 scoreless innings. Unfortunately, the 9th proved to be a nightmare for Jacques Sambo, Cosme Zapata, and Gabriel Pirela.

Both of these teams are currently playing at the Mets' complex.

Too Many Stars

Photo by Tammy Tucker

Cy Sneed, RHP, Corpus Christi

Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 10 K

Bryan Muñiz, 1B, Lancaster

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

Garrett Stubbs, C, Lancaster

3-5, walk-off RBI 2B in 10th, 2 R

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Fresno

W (3-3, 5-4 season), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 7 K

Jose Luis Hernandez, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 3 H, 5 K

Photo from MiLB.com

Wander Franco, 3B, Greeneville

2-3, 2B, 2-R HR (1), 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Joe Musgrove is pretty good.

Fresno 8, Oklahoma City 1

W- Joe Musgrove (2-0, 4-1 season)
L- Logan Bawcom (1-2)

Fresno home runs: Andrew Aplin (2, 2-run in 8th)

Joe Musgrove dazzled again and the Grizzlies emphatically broke a scoreless tie with 6 runs in the 5th to take this matinee game.

Musgrove allowed a run on 5 hits and struck out 7 in his 7 innings, and he did not look as though he was out of his element going up against a fine (but rehabbing) Major League pitcher in Hyun-Jin Ryu. Jordan Jankowski struck out 4 over 2 perfect frames to finish it off.

Andrew Aplin opened the scoring, and the floodgates, with an RBI single in the 5th. He proceeded to steal 2nd and came around to score on a Danny Worth single. A.J. Reed and Preston Tucker chipped in with RBI singles of their own, and Tyler Heineman capped off the outburst with a 2-run triple. Aplin tacked on the 2-point conversion with a 2-run homer in the 8th. He finished 2-5 with 2 runs scored and the stolen base (8). Worth (RBI, R) and Big Tuck (2B, RBI, R) had 3 hits apiece

Brady Rodgers will take the mound as the Grizzlies look to sweep the series. He'll take on Julio Urias someone else, because Julio Urias was just called up by the Dodgers, at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 2, Arkansas 1

W- Keegan Yuhl (3-1)
L- Victor Alcantara (1-2)
S- Brendan McCurry (9)

CC home runs: D.J. Fisher (9, solo in 1st), Carlos Gomez (1, solo in 5th)

Keegan Yuhl shined and Carlos Gomez had something resembling a sexy performance for once.

Rant: It's no secret that Carlos Gomez has been a massive disappointment since coming over from Milwaukee. But, reveling in his failure and making him the scapegoat for all of the Astros' shortcomings this season solves absolutely nothing. I had no problems with the trade; Jeff Luhnow felt that he needed to go out and get a veteran bat to help support a lineup with three up-and-coming stars in the core. The trade seemed to be the right idea at the time, but I highly doubt that anyone could have predicted that Carlos Gomez would fall as dramatically as he has. This trade definitely has not worked out the way the Astros had envisioned, and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment.

But, a trade not working out does not mean that it was a bad trade. Trades can benefit both sides. For reasons that completely escape me, sports fans like to dwell on the pieces their team traded away, knowing full well that keeping them doesn't necessarily guarantee that they'll perform like they are with their new organizations. That, and the segment that whines about the front office not doing enough to help the major league team win usually has a field day about "oh, why didn't they go out and get so-and-so? He could've helped push this team over the hump!" It's not like the Astros have been the only team in sports history to be burned by trades.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't root for the prospects the Astros have traded away. But, I'd like to see a little more even coverage. I'm glad Vince Velasquez is doing extremely well in Philly. We'll hear a lot about the starts where he gave up 1 run in 8 innings, but you have to balance the good with the bad, as well. He's still a young pitcher, so he'll have a start where he gives up 6 runs in less than 3 innings. However, I usually don't see tweets about those kinds of starts....

I'll close my rant out with an unpopular take: I've seen a lot of people demanding that Carlos Gomez shut up and change his personality, because he's apparently not allowed to act like he normally does because he isn't contributing. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Carlos Gomez doesn't have to change his personality for anyone. And yes... asking him to "tone it down" also qualifies as asking him to change his personality. Criticizing him for his poor play is totally fair. Demanding that he change his personality because he's not allowed to act a certain way unless he performs well is completely out of line. It doesn't matter what type of celebrity a person is; fans have this weird obsession of wanting to dictate a celebrity's behavior.

Carlos Gomez has admitted that his play has hurt the Astros. You don't have to like him, but you can at least accept that he's accepting responsibility for his role in the team's underwhelming start to the season.

OK, rant over. Sorry about that. Back to your regularly scheduled recaps.

Keegan Yuhl turned in his best start of the year, scattering 4 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2 over 7 shutout innings. David Schmidt got 1 out in the 8th; he had an inherited runner charged to him on 2 hits and walked 1. Brendan McCurry got the 5-out save; he allowed a hit and struck out 2.

Both Hooks runs came on solo homers, which were their only extra-base hits on the night. D.J. Fisher opened up the scoring in the 1st with his 9th homer of the year, and Mr. Gomez smacked one in the 5th. He had a fine night in the field as well, throwing out 2 runners at home and another at 2nd base. Alex Bregman finished 3-4, while Teoscar Hernandez went 2-3.

The Hooks will try for the sweep as Kyle Smith gets the start. He'll face Troy Scribner at 7:05.

Stockton 16, Lancaster 7

W- Riley Gossett (4-1)
L- Elieser Hernandez (1-4)

Lancaster home runs: Drew Ferguson (4, inside-the-park solo in 7th)

The JetHawks were blasted early and often in this one.

The pitching staff largely struggled, and I'd like to leave it at that. Yeyfry Del Rosario was the first man out of the bullpen; he allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 1.2 scoreless innings. Ryan Thompson, who was the 4th Lancaster pitcher to appear, allowed a solo homer to Mikey White, which was the only run that he allowed in 3.1 innings. He allowed two other hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Richard Gonzalez, who is normally a catcher, worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Lancaster finally got on the board in the 6th as Garrett Stubbs ripped an RBI double. In the 7th, Drew Ferguson lashed a liner to right field and dashed madly around the bases for an inside-the-park homer. They got 2 more in the inning as Jamie Ritchie scored on a passed ball and Jason Martin scored on a Luis Reynoso groundout. Ferguson added an RBI single to his ledger in the 8th, and later in the inning, Martin drove in 2 more with a double. Ferguson (HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Martin (2B, 2 RBI, R) both finished 2-4 and drove in 2.

Rogelio Armenteros will start the series finale. He'll go up against Brett Graves at 6:35 Pacific.

Quad Cities and Beloit was postponed

Due to rain. They'll play 2 starting at 4:30. Makay Nelson will face Evan Manarino in game 1, and Albert Abreu will take on Boomer Biegalski in the nightcap.

Four Stars (in Three)

3 (tie).

Jason Martin and Drew Ferguson, OFs, Lancaster

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

Ferguson: 2-4, inside-the-park solo HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 R

2.

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Fresno

W (2-0, 4-1 season), 7 IP, 5 H, ER, 7 K

1.

Keegan Yuhl, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (3-1), 7 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 K

Honorable Mentions

Jordan Jankowski, RHP, Fresno: 2 IP, 4 K

- Jankowski has had a tough May, but if this is his last appearance of the month, he finished strong.

Yeyfry Del Rosario, RHP, Lancaster: 1.2 IP, 2 H, BB, K

Ryan Thompson, RHP, Lancaster: 3.1 IP, 3 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 3 K

Richard Gonzalez, C, Lancaster: IP, H, BB

- They did what they could to stop the bleeding.

Alex Bregman, SS/3B, Corpus Christi: 3-4

- Bregman is on a 5-game hitting streak. The Texas League is eagerly anticipating the day that he can no longer terrorize them.

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Corpus Christi: 2-3

- Teoscar looks like he's figuring out the Texas League in his 2nd try. He lost some prospect luster with that tough 2015, but has rebounded nicely.

Brendan McCurry, RHP, Corpus Christi: Save (9), 1.2 IP, H, 2 K

- McCurry is just doing what he does. 

Preston Tucker, OF/DH, Fresno: 3-3, 2B, RBI, R

- Tucker's been in that post-optioned-to-AAA funk. Nice to see him snap out of that with a perfect day at the plate.

Andrew Aplin, OF, Fresno: 2-5, HR (2), 3 RBI, 2 R

- A fine day at the top of the order for Aplin, who is trying to get himself off the canvas on offense. 

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, May 7, 2016

Astros vs. Padres in the upper minors.

JetHawks take flight!

El Paso 6, Fresno 4

W- Aaron Northcraft (2-0)
L- Kevin Chapman (1-2)
S- Frank Garcés (1)

Fresno home runs: Danny Worth (4, 2-run in 1st), Tony Kemp (1, solo in 3rd), Jon Singleton (6, solo in 7th)

The Fresno bullpen faltered late as El Paso went on a 6-0 run that was capped by a 4-run 8th that gave them the lead.

Lance McCullers looked alright in his first rehab start; he allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7 over 5 shutout innings. Juan Minaya went 1.1 innings and had 2 inherited runners charged to him after Kevin Chapman allowed a 2-run double in the 7th. Minaya allowed 4 hits.

Kevin Chapman pitched an inning (2 outs in the 7th, 1 out in the 8th) and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits. Jandel Gustave allowed a run on 2 hits; he got the 2nd out of the 8th via strikeout, but his night ended early because he got tossed after plunking El Paso OF Manuel Margot. Edwar Cabrera issued a walk to the first man he faced, and then got the final out of a disastrous 8th for the Grizz.

All 4 of Fresno's runs came on the three home runs. Danny Worth's 2-run shot opened the scoring, and then Tony Kemp and Jon Singleton clubbed solo shots in the 3rd and 7th, respectively.

Brad Peacock will start game 3 of this series. He'll face Christian Friedrich at 12:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 2, San Antonio 0

W- Keegan Yuhl (1-1)
L- Bryan Rodriguez (2-2)
S- Brendan McCurry (3)

CC home runs: Evan Gattis (3, 2-run in 4th)

Back to the minors for Evan Gattis, as the Astros look to be all-in on trying to get him to become a catcher. Mr. Gattis caught 7 innings for the Hooks in this game and caught a runner trying to steal. He also drove in the only runs of the game with a 2-run shot in the 4th.

James Ramsay's single and Danry Vásquez's double were the other 2 Corpus hits. Chan-Jong Moon stole his 3rd base of the season.

Keegan Yuhl, Joe Musgrove, and Brendan McCurry combined on a shutout, which took them 2 hours to complete. Yuhl allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and fanned 3 in 5 innings, Musgrove allowed 2 hits and struck out 4 in 3 innings, and McCurry finished it off by striking out the side in order in the 9th.

In game 2, Kyle Smith will face Fabio Castillo. First pitch is at 2:05.

Lancaster 19, Visalia 5

W- Evan Grills (3-1)
L- Josh Collmenter (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: Garrett Stubbs (1, 3-run in 2nd)

The JetHawks went to town on a rehabbing Josh Collmenter and did all of their damage in the first 5 innings.

Everyone scored a run. Jason Martin was the only person who didn't drive in a run.

Evan Grills was the beneficiary of the generous run support; he went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 6. Yeyfry Del Rosario allowed a run on a wild pitch in the 7th; the runner who scored hit a triple off of him. That triple was the only hit that Del Rosario allowed in 2.2 innings; he struck out 4. Angel Heredia struck out 1 over 1.1 perfect innings.

Elieser Hernandez will start the series finale. He'll take on Ethan Elias at 2:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 6, Lansing 2

W- Justin Ferrell (1-1)
L- Angel Perdomo (2-1)
S- Albert Abreu (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos avoided the sweep as they exceeded their offensive output in the first two games. They couldn't be held down forever, you know...

Well, that statement wasn't completely true. Quad Cities exceeded their output from the first two games by taking full advantage of the Lugnuts' miscues in this one as they got 3 runs off of errors and 2 on wild pitches.

Tony Nuñez and Kyle Tucker pulled off a double steal in the 1st; Nuñez scored the first run of the game, and Tucker advanced to 3rd as Lansing 3B Carl Wise failed to catch the throw down to 3B. Tucker ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Anthony Hermelyn, Dex McCall, and Aaron Mizell all walked to load the bases, which brought up Christian Correa. Correa hit a grounder that could've ended the inning, but the force attempt was botched, which allowed Hermelyn and McCall to come home. Brooks Marlow scored on a wild pitch in the 8th, and Hermelyn hit a sac fly in the 9th for the lone RBI.

The first 6 batters in the order all scored a run; the bottom third missed out on the party. The top 3 in the order of Johnny Sewald, Nuñez, and Tucker combined to go 6-6 in stolen base attempts; Sewald stole his12th. Nuñez stole 2, giving him 6 on the year, and Tucker, who finished 2-4, swiped 3 to give him 11 on the season.

Justin Ferrell went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 7. Albert Abreu tagged in and finished it off; he allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7 over 4 scoreless.

The River Bandits have today off. They'll start a 3-game series with Burlington Monday morning.

Three Stars

*All photos are from Jayne unless otherwise noted.
**Lance McCullers is excluded because he is an MLB player on a rehab assignment.

3.

Photo from MiLB.com

Albert Abreu, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K

2.

Keegan Yuhl, Joe Musgrove, and Brendan McCurry, RHPs, Corpus Christi

Yuhl: W (1-1), 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Musgrove: Hold (1), 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K

McCurry: Save (3), IP, 3 K

1.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Lancaster JetHawks offense

19 R, 16 H (5 2B, 3-R HR)

Honorable Mentions

Kyle Tucker, OF, Quad Cities: 2-4, 3 SB (11), R
- Little Tuck has done a little bit of everything in his first full season.

Evan Gattis, C, Corpus Christi: 2-R HR (3), CS
- It would be a massive boost to the Astros if Gattis can become a competent backstop.

Danny Worth, IF, Fresno: 2-R HR (4)
- Worth has been a consummate pro in Fresno. He's performed extremely well as he's looking for another shot at the Majors.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 2, 2016

This Joe Musgrove guy is pretty good.

Fresno 5, Reno 2

W- Jandel Gustave (1-0)
L- Kaleb Fleck (0-2)
S- James Hoyt (7)

Fresno home runs: None.

Both teams put up 2-run innings, but it was Fresno that came out on top as they took control with 3 in the 8th.

Fresno's 2 came in the 2nd as Tyler Heineman and Eury Perez hit RBI singles. Jake Marisnick sparked the 8th-inning rally with a leadoff double, and he scored the go-ahead run on an RBI double from Danny Worth. After Jon Singleton got a free pass to 1st base, Andrew Aplin came on as a pinch-hitter and ripped a 2-run double.  Both of Worth's hits were doubles.

Brad Peacock went 6 innings, and the only runs he surrendered came on a 2-run homer from Socrates Brito in the 4th. Other than that hiccup, he had a solid outing, allowing 3 other hits, walking 3, and striking out 7. César Valdez struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 7th. Edwar Cabrera allowed a hit and got 1 out in the 8th. Jandel Gustave got the final 2 outs of the 8th, striking out 1, and James Hoyt did his thing, striking out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th to shut the door.

In game 2 of this series, Asher Wojciechowski will face Archie Bradley. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 8, Frisco 2

W- Joe Musgrove (2-1)
L- Sam Wolff (4-1)
S- Michael Freeman (1)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (6, solo in 9th)

After dropping the first 2 games of the series, the Hooks battled back to earn the split as Joe Musgrove shined on the mound again.

Musgrove allowed 5 hits, walked 1 (!!!), and struck out 5 over 6 shutout innings and lowered his ERA on the year to 0.39. Michael Freeman finished it off; he allowed 2 runs on 5 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1 in 3 innings.

Corpus stormed out of the gate by parlaying a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 1st into 4 runs. Chase McDonald opened up the scoring with a 2-run single, and the ensuing error allowed D.J. Fisher to score. Danry Vásquez added an RBI single later in the frame. In the 3rd, Fisher scored another run when Danry grounded into a fielder's choice, and Jack Mayfield extended the lead with a sac fly. Fisher added another run with an RBI groundout in the 6th, and McDonald clubbed a solo shot in the 9th for the final Hooks run of the evening.

McDonald finished 2-4, and both of his hits resulted in runs. Teoscar Hernandez went 3-5 with a double and scored a run. Fisher was 0-3, but he drove in a run on the groundout, drew 2 walks, and scored twice.

The Hooks are now in Midland, where they'll start a 4-game set with the RockHounds tonight at 7:05. In game 1, David Paulino will face Dylan Covey.

Inland Empire 2, Lancaster 1

W- Jordan Piche (1-0)
L- Evan Grills (2-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

Both teams scored a run in their half of the 3rd, but it was the 66ers that walked off with the victory.

Bobby Boyd's sac fly in the 3rd represented the only JetHawks run. Bryan Muñiz, who scored on that sac fly, went 2-3, as did Kristian Trompiz, whose 2-3 night consisted of 2 doubles.

Elieser Hernandez went 5 innings and allowed an unearned run (an error in the 3rd allowed this run to score), a single that also occurred in the 3rd, walked 3, and struck out 2. Evan Grills went 3.1 innings and allowed the winning run on a single in the 9th. He allowed two other hits, issued an intentional walk, and struck out 3.

Dean Deetz will get the start in game 2 of this series. He'll take on Jake Jewell at 7:05 Pacific.

Great Lakes 4, Quad Cities 0

W- Isaac Anderson (2-0)
L- Albert Abreu (0-3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos couldn't get their bats going to support a strong outing from Albert Abreu.

Abreu allowed a run on an RBI single in the 1st, which was the only hit that he allowed in his 6 innings of work. He walked 3 and struck out 9. Jacob Dorris went 1.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits (all singles), walked 1, and struck out 1. Adam Whitt inherited a bases-loaded situation in the 8th, but he prevented any further damage from occurring with a strikeout.

On offense, Aaron Mizell went 2-4 with a double. Brooks Marlow also hit a double.

In game 2 of this series, Jose Luis Hernandez will take on Dennis Santana. First pitch is at 6:05.

Three Stars

3.

Elieser Hernandez, RHP, Lancaster

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

2.

Photo from MiLB.com

Albert Abreu, RHP, Quad Cities

L (0-3), 6 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 9 K

1.

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (2-1), 6 IP, 5 H, BB, 5 K

Honorable Mentions

James Hoyt, RHP, Fresno: Save (7), IP, 2 K
- Just doing what he's been doing.

Andrew Aplin, OF, Fresno: Pinch-hit 2-RBI 2B in 8th

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi: 2-4, solo HR (6), 3 RBI, 2 R
- McDonald is doing his part to carry the load in Alex Bregman's absence.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Reno 7, Fresno 3

W- Jake Barrett (1-0)
L- Kevin Chapman (1-1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies managed to tie this one with 3 in the top of the 8th.... only to see the Aces take the series by scoring 4 in the bottom of the 8th.

Colin Moran ripped a bases-clearing double in the 8th that tied the game and constituted the only offense for Fresno. Danny Worth went 2-3 and scored on that double.

Brad Peacock allowed a 3-run homer to Peter O'Brien in the 3rd; those 3 runs were the only ones he allowed in 5.2 innings. He allowed 6 other hits, walked 3, and struck out 9. Juan Minaya retired all 4 Reno batters he faced, retiring 2 on groundouts and 2 on flyouts. Kevin Chapman got knocked around in the 8th as he allowed 4 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits and walked 1. Jordan Jankowski got the final 2 outs of the 8th, striking out 1, but he also uncorked a wild pitch that allowed the runner he inherited from Chapman to score.

After a day off, the Grizzlies will welcome the El Paso Chihuahuas to Chukchansi Park for 4 beginning on Thursday.

Midland 2, Corpus Christi 0

W- Dan Mengden (2-0)
L- Joe Musgrove (1-1)
S- Andres Avila (1)

CC home runs: None.

A fine outing from Joe Musgrove went by the wayside as the Hooks' bats went silent.

Musgrove allowed an unearned run on 5 hits and struck out 7 in 5 innings. Keegan Yuhl pitched 4 innings, and the only run he allowed came on a solo homer from Matt Chapman. Yuhl allowed one other hit and struck out 4.

D.J. Fisher's triple was Corpus Christi's only extra-base hit. Fisher also walked twice and stole a base (2). Danry Vásquez went 2-3 and was the only player on either side to have a multi-hit game.

David Paulino will be on the mound in game 2. He'll face Joel Seddon at 7:05.

Lancaster 5, Bakersfield 4

W- Evan Grills (2-0)
L- Tyler Pike (0-2)
S- Riley Ferrell (4)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks took game 1 over the Blaze thanks to an excellent outing from Evan Grills. They had to hang on to get the W, though.

Grills started it off with 5 no-hit innings, walking 1 and striking out 4 in the process. Elieser Hernandez tagged in for 2.1 innings and allowed a couple of 2-run homers. He allowed two other hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Riley Ferrell allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 to get the save. It got a bit hairy in the 9th as the Blaze had 2 runners on base against him in the 9th, and a wild pitch put them both in scoring position. However, Ferrell pulled himself together to strike out Austin Cousino to end the game.

Drew Ferguson smacked a 1-out triple in the bottom of the 1st and scored the first run of the evening on a Jason Martin double. Alejandro Garcia hit an RBI single in the 4th, then stole 2nd. Jamie Ritchie took advantage of the errant throw down to 2nd and scampered home. In the 6th. Ritchie drove in another run with an RBI single, and Garcia struck again by adding an RBI double to his ledger.

Alejandro Garcia was the only player on either side to have a multi-hit game as he went 2-4. The stolen base was his 4th of the season. Nick Tanielu and Jamie Ritchie scored 2 runs apiece.

In game 2 of this series, Dean Deetz will take on Eddie Campbell. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

South Bend 7, Quad Cities 5

W- Casey Bloomquist (2-0)
L- Albert Abreu (0-2)
S- Greyfer Eregua (3)

QC home runs: None.

This game was tied at 4, but the Cubs closed this game by breaking the tie with 3 runs in the final three innings.

Bobby Wernes put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI double in the 2nd. In the 5th, Brooks Marlow scored on a wild pitch, and Connor Goedert hit a 2-run sac fly. Yes, that's right, he hit a 2-run sacrifice fly that scored Daz Cameron and Kyle Tucker. Tony Nuñez hit an RBI single in the 9th to pull a run back.

Marlow had himself a night as he finished 5-5 with a triple. Wernes went 2-4.

Jose Luis Hernandez went 3.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Zac Person was the first man out; he went 1.2 innings and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1. Albert Abreu allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3 in 2 innings, and Jacob Dorris allowed a run, a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 2 innings.

Game 2 of this series will start at 11:00 A.M. as Chris Murphy takes on Justin Steele.

Three Stars

3.

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Corpus Christi

L (1-1), 5 IP, 5 H, unearned run, 7 K

2.

Photo from MiLB.com

Brooks Marlow, 2B, Quad Cities

5-5, 3B, R

1.

Evan Grills, LHP, Lancaster

W (2-0), 5 IP, BB, 4 K

Honorable Mentions

Riley Ferrell, RHP, Lancaster: Save (4), 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 K
- Ferrell has only yielded an unearned run in his first 7 appearances. Could he be on the cusp of heading to Corpus?

Alejandro Garcia, OF, Lancaster: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
- Garcia seems to be getting himself going with hits in 3 of his last 4 contests.

Keegan Yuhl, RHP, Corpus Christi: 4 IP, 2 H (solo HR), ER, 4 K
- Both tandem starters were solid; their offense couldn't pick them up, though.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, April 7, 2016

Happy Minor League Opening Day!!!

Las Vegas 6, Fresno 4

W - Chasen Bradford (1-0)
L- Jordan Jankowski (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Danny Worth (1, 2-run in 6th)

The Grizzlies walked off with a loss as old friend Marc Krauss whacked a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th for Vegas, as they scored 4 unanswered runs in the final 3 innings.

Both teams scored a run in the 1st and the 4th; A.J. Reed opened up the scoring with an RBI groundout, while Colin Moran added a sac fly. Danny Worth finished 2-4 with 2 runs scored and broke the tie with a 2-run homer in the 6th.

Originally, Chris Devenski was the scheduled starter, but now that he's with the Astros, Brad Peacock got the nod, and he delivered 5 solid innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits (solo homer), walking 2, and striking out 5. César Valdez was first, and he allowed a solo shot to Travis Taijeron in the 7th, one other hit, and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. After Valdez surrendered the homer to Taijeron, Kevin Chapman came on, and he got the final 2 outs of the 7th via strikeout. Roger Bernadina took him deep to begin the 8th, but he recovered by getting a groundout. Jordan Jankowski came on and got the final 2 outs of the frame.

Jankowski came on for the 9th and worked around a leadoff single to get 2 outs. However, he ended up getting the loss as Krauss ended the game by taking Juan Minaya deep. One of those 2 runs was charged to Jankowski, who allowed just the single and struck out 2 in 1.1 innings. Krauss was the only batter Minaya faced.

Asher Wojciechowski will take on Seth Lugo in game 2 of this series; first pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 2, Tulsa 0

W - Joe Musgrove (1-0)
L - Chase De Jong (0-1)
S- Keegan Yuhl (1)

CC home runs: Mott Hyde (1, solo in 3rd)

Corpus opened up 2016 with a dazzling duet on the mound as Joe Musgrove and Keegan Yuhl joined forces to throw a 2-hit shutout; in the process, they dispatched the Drillers in a mere 116 minutes.

Musgrove started it off, and in 5 innings, he allowed a hit and fanned 4. Yuhl put the finishing touches on this one, allowing a hit and striking out 3 over the final 4 frames. Together, they faced one batter over the minimum.

The first Astros farmhand to hit a home run in 2016 was Mott Hyde, who opened up the scoring with a solo blast in the 3rd inning. Hyde reached in all 3 of his plate appearances (2-2, BB) and also drove in the other Corpus run with an RBI single in the 7th.

Evan Gattis, who's in Corpus on a rehab assignment, served as the DH in this game and in 4 at-bats, he had a pop-fly double. At the top of the order, D.J. Fisher finished 2-4.

David Paulino makes his AA debut in game 2; he'll take on Chris Anderson at 7:05.

San Jose 4, Lancaster 3

W - Martin Agosta (1-0)
L - Kevin Comer (0-1)
S - Rodolfo Martinez (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

Down 4-2 in the 9th, the JetHawks managed to pull a run back in the final frame, but their comeback bid fell just short as they stranded the tying run on 2nd.

Garrett Stubbs drove in Lancaster's first run of 2016 when he grounded into a force out in the 4th that scored Ramon Laureano. Jason Martin finished 2-4 and smacked an RBI double in the 5th. Jose Fernandez, who also went 2-4, hit a 1-out single in the 9th, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on a Kristian Trompiz single, and wound up scoring on a passed ball/Bobby Boyd strikeout.

Akeem Bostick went 3 innings and allowed a run on 6 hits (all singles) and walked 1. Dean Deetz tagged in for 3.1 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits and striking out 3. Kevin Comer pitched the final 1.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (on a triple) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3.

In game 2 of this 4-game set, Andrew Walter will take the mound for the JetHawks. He'll take on Sam Coonrod at 7:00 Pacific.

Cedar Rapids 12, Quad Cities 4

W - Randy LeBlanc (1-0)
L - Rogelio Armenteros (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos stumbled out of the gate to open 2016 as they committed 5 errors and ultimately got buried by a 10-3 run from the Kernels, which included a 6-run 8th, to close out the game.

Johnny Sewald put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI groundout in the 3rd. They did not score again until the 8th, when Kyle Tucker added an RBI groundout of his own. Sewald added a 2-run infield single in the 9th. Anthony Hermelyn reached base in all 4 of his plate appearances; he went 2-2 with a double, drew a couple of walks, and scored twice. Sewald stole 2 bases.

Rogelio Armenteros went 4 innings and allowed 2 unearned runs on 5 hits and struck out 5. Ryan Deemes faced a bases-loaded situation in the 5th thanks to 2 walks and a single, but he was able to avert disaster and got himself out of the jam. The wheels fell off from under Alex Winkelman and Adam Whitt in the 8th inning, unfortunately. Winkelman allowed 6 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 1 over 2.1 innings. Whitt got the final 2 outs of the 8th, but not before allowing 4 runs of his own (in addition to the 2 runners he inherited from Winkelman) on 3 hits and walking 1.

In game 2 of this series, Jose Luis Hernandez will team up with Albert Abreu as they face off against Andro Cutura. First pitch is at 6:35.

Three Stars

It's a Corpus sweep!

3.

Mott Hyde, 2B, Corpus Christi

2-2, solo HR (1), 2 RBI, BB

1 (tie).

Joe Musgrove, RHP, and Keegan Yuhl, RHP, Corpus Christi

Musgrove: W (1-0), 5 IP, H, 4 K

Yuhl: S (1), 4 IP, H, 3 K

Tweet of the Day

Blessed 2 have been managed by 2 of the best Managers in MiLB @JCB28 @RondeyLinares this year! congrats on Manager of the year well deserved

— Joe Musgrove (@musgrove23Stros) August 27, 2015

Tweets of the Day

Big day for a lot of ball players today! Enjoy every second of it, your dreams are starting to come true, and yes it only gets better #Draft

— Joe Musgrove (@musgrove23Stros) June 8, 2015

Holy Cow.... #GeauxStros @astros what an honor!

— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) June 9, 2015

@KTuck30 I couldn't be any more proud of you than I am today man. Hard work really does pay off. Welcome to the GRIND. #Astros

— Preston Tucker (@PrestonTucker20) June 8, 2015

An unbelievable day for not only me, but my teammates as well! #OmahaBound An honor to be drafted by the @astros !!

— Thomas Eshelman (@ThomasEshelman1) June 9, 2015

A DAZ-zling heist: They’re drafting like it’s 2012. One of the best talents, Daz Cameron, son of Mike, is Astros’ 3rd pick, No. 37 overall

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) June 9, 2015

Getting to Know Astros/JetHawks RHP Joe Musgrove

RHP Joe Musgrove was drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round in 2011 and came in to the Houston system as a part of a July 2012 10-player trade with that team. 2014 was a breakthrough season for him as he compiled a 2.81 ERA and a 0.961 WHIP in 15 games (13 starts). After starting the 2015 season with Low A Quad Cities, Musgrove received an early May promotion to High A Lancaster, and has built on that great 2014 season by going 7-1 with a 1.81 ERA and a 1.007 WHIP in his 10 games (6 starts) so far this season. In 49.2 innings pitched, he has struck out 59 batters while issuing only ONE WALK.

Musgrove speaks with Gonzalez pre-game

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Lancaster Pitching Coach Don Alexander said of Musgrove, "I'm real excited about what I've seen with him. His stuff is good. I love how he competes. He's a gamer, very aggressive when he's on the mound. He's got a chance to have three above average to well above average pitches. I think he's the real deal and he's very exciting for me right now."

I spoke with Musgrove recently about his season so far, working with Catcher Alfredo Gonzalez, his workout regimen and more ...

Thank you for your time, Joe, and best of luck as the season continues.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Other recent interviews:
1B Jon Singleton
LHP Bryan Radziewski
1B A.J. Reed

You can find more on virtually every player in the Astros minor league system in the 2015 Houston Farm System Handbook available on Amazon for download to your kindle, iPad, laptop, desktop or smart phone.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 27, 2015 and Tuesday, April 28, 2015

A pretty forgettable last couple of days on the farm.

Monday: Fresno 4, Reno 2

W- Jake Buchanan (2-0)
L- Blake Beavan (0-1)
S- Kevin Chapman (1)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (8, solo in 5th)

Another big night for Preston Tucker, who is sending baseballs out of ballparks with quite a bit of regularity. He finished 3-4 and opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, then in the 5th, he bashed his organization-leading 8th homer of the year. The Grizz got 2 in the 4th inning on a Max Stassi RBI single and a sac fly from Nolan Fontana.

Jake Buchanan went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 9 hits (solo homer) and struck out 2. Darin Downs struck out 2 over 1.2 near-perfect frames; he hit a batter. Jordan Jankowski got the final out of the 7th and the first out of the 8th inning. He allowed a hit, walked 1, struck out 1, and uncorked a wild pitch. Despite facing a bases-loaded situation in the 8th, Kevin Chapman was able to seal the win as he walked 1 and struck out 2.

Tuesday: Reno 3, Fresno 2

W- A.J. Schugel (1-2)
L- Dan Straily (2-1)
S- Jake Barrett (4)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies threatened in the bottom of the 9th as they got some traffic on the basepaths, but.... no cigar. They were foiled in their bid to sweep the series.

Their 2 runs came in the 5th inning on a Preston Tucker sac fly and a Domingo Santana RBI triple. Ronald Torreyes led off the bottom of the 9th with a double, but he was thrown out at home trying to score the tying run on a Nolan Fontana fielder's choice. Alex Presley and Preston Tucker walked to load the bases, but sadly, Jon Singleton flied out to end the game.

Dan Straily pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Richard Rodriguez struck out 2 over 3 perfect frames, and James Hoyt struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Fresno has a day off as they head up to Tacoma; they'll finish up April and begin May there.

Monday: Midland 9, Corpus Christi 8

W- Jonathan Joseph (1-0)
L- Kent Emanuel (1-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks walked off with the loss as Carson Blair took Kent Emanuel deep to tie the game at 8, and Matt Olson hit a sac fly to bring home Chad Oberacker with the winning run.

Carlos Correa got things started when he cracked an RBI triple in the 1st inning. He drove in another run with a single in the 3rd inning. Two batters later, Tyler White added a 2-run single. Leo Heras hit an RBI single in the 4th. After the Rockhounds took a 7-5 lead into the 7th inning, Corpus went back to work as Conrad Gregor made it a 1-run game with an RBI double, and then in the 8th, they took the lead thanks to a Tony Kemp RBI groundout and a Colin Moran RBI double.

Kemp went 1-3 with the RBI groundout, 2 walks, and scored 3 times. Moran, who stretched his hitting streak to 5 games, finished 3-5 with 2 doubles and a run scored; he's ripped 5 doubles during that streak. Tyler White finished 2-4, and Telvin Nash went 2-3 with a run scored.

Aaron West went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs, all on 3 home runs; he allowed 2 solo homers and was taken deep for a 3-run homer. He also allowed 4 other hits and struck out 3. Kent Emanuel tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walking 2, and striking out 1. Mitch Lambson got 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, allowing a hit and walking 1.

Tuesday: Midland 8, Corpus Christi 4

W- Joey Wagman (1-0)
L- Kyle Westwood (1-1)

CC home runs: Carlos Correa (5, solo in 8th)

Rough day for Hooks pitchers, who walked 7 and allowed 13 hits. They also gave up 8 runs.

The Hooks got on the board first with a Conrad Gregor sac fly in the 1st. Unfortunately, they would not score again until the 8th; in between, Midland scored 7 runs. Carlos Correa finished 2-2 with a double and a solo homer in the 8th inning. Corpus got 2 more in the 9th on an RBI double from Telvin Nash and an RBI single from Teoscar Hernandez. Tyler Heineman went 2-4. Correa's 2-2 day raised his average to an even .400. Be still, my heart.

Kyle Westwood allowed 4 runs on 10 hits and walked 2 over 4.1 innings. Jonas Dufek tagged in for 2.1 innings; he allowed 3 runs on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. He had all the strikeouts for the Hooks in this game. Angel Báez pitched 1.1 innings and walked 2; the only hit and run he allowed came off a solo homer from Colin Walsh in the 8th.

Mark Appel takes the hill in game 3 of this series; he'll take on Jake Sanchez at 6:30.

Tuesday: Rancho Cucamonga 10, Lancaster 5

W- Scott Barlow (2-1)
L- Evan Grills (1-2)

Lancaster home runs: Jack Mayfield (1, solo in 2nd)

In this battle for first place, the Quakes fired the first shot as they doubled up the JetHawks.

Jack Mayfield's first homer of the year put Lancaster on the scoreboard in the 2nd and tied the game at 1. Unfortunately, that would be the only run they would score until the 7th, as the Quakes built up a 9-1 lead on the strength of a 6-run 6th inning. In the 7th, though, the JetHawks got a bases-clearing triple from Chan-Jong Moon, who ended up scoring himself on a wild pitch. Unfortunately, that outburst wouldn't be enough in this one. Moon and J.D. Davis finished with 2 hits apiece.

Evan Grills went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 3. Tyler Brunnemann worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 2. Troy Scribner tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 7 runs on 6 hits (5 singles and a solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 3. Gonzalo Sañudo walked 1 in a scoreless 9th.

In game 2, Blaine Sims will face Jeff Brigham at 6:30 Pacific.


Tuesday: Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 0 in 11 innings

W- Cameron Booser (1-0)
L- Joe Musgrove (3-1)
S- Trevor Hildenberger (2)

QC home runs: None.

Well, that stunk...

Joe Musgrove probably would've liked to have that 11th inning back as the first 3 Kernels to bat in the inning reached base on him; 2 of them reached on errors that he committed, and Cedar Rapids ended up getting the only run (which was unearned) of the game off of him on a sac fly. That was a tough end to an otherwise fine outing for Musgrove, who went 6 innings and allowed 4 hits while striking out 1. Bryan Radziewski was absolutely stellar in his start as he allowed just 2 hits and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings.

The River Bandits outhit Cedar Rapids 9-6, but they were unable to get a run across. Mott Hyde went 3-5 with a double, while Sean McMullen finished 2-4 with a triple.

In game 2 of this series, Dan Mengden will take on Mat Batts at 7.

Monday's Three Stars


3.

Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3B, 2 RBI

2.

Colin Moran, 3B, Corpus Christi

3-5, 2 2B, RBI, R

1.

Preston Tucker, OF, Fresno

3-4, solo HR (8; leads organization), 2 RBI

Tuesday's Three Stars: Position Players

3. 

Mott Hyde, 2B/SS, Quad Cities

3-5, 2B

2. 

Chan-Jong Moon, SS/2B, Lancaster

2-4, 3-R 3B in 7th, R

1. 

Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi

2-2, 2B, solo HR (5)

Tuesday's Three Stars: Pitchers

3. 

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Quad Cities

L (3-1), 6 IP, 4 H, unearned run, K

2. 

Bryan Radziewski, LHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 2 H, 4 K

1. 

Richard Rodriguez, RHP, Fresno

3 IP, 2 K