Meet the Asheville Tourists

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

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

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

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

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

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

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

COACHING STAFF

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

Manager: Nate Shaver

Pitching Coach: Eric Nielsen

Hitting Coach: René Rojas

Development Coach: Kyle Brennan

Athletic Trainer: Brandon Zumbach

Strength Coach: Zach Reding

ROSTER

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

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

Italics - player bats/throws left-handed

Bold - player is a switch hitter

Pitchers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Catchers

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

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

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

Infielders

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

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

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

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

Outfielders

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

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

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

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

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

Astros Minor League Playoff Recaps

Results for Friday, September 6, 2019

Unfortunately, one team's playoff journey came to an end.

PCL Semifinals: Iowa 3, Round Rock 2

Round Rock leads series 2-1.

W- Michael Rucker
L- Rogelio Armenteros
S- James Norwood

RR home runs: Ronnie Dawson (1, solo in 6th)

The I-Cubs managed to stave off elimination, at least for one night.

Ronnie Dawson went 2-4 and he smacked a solo homer in the 6th. Round Rock managed to load the bases in the 7th but all they could get out of it was Drew Ferguson walking in a run.

Rogelio Armenteros went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out nine. Ronel Blanco got the final out of the 6th, pitched the 7th, and got two outs in the 8th for his two innings; he walked two and struck out three. Kit Scheetz walked the first two men he faced but got the last out of the 8th with a strikeout.

Cristian Javier will get the start in game four and he'll go against Trevor Clifton at 7:08.

Midwest League West Semifinal: Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 2

Cedar Rapids wins series 2-1.

W- Josh Winder
L- Matt Ruppenthal
S- Austin Schulfer

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos bowed out of the MiLB playoffs with this loss. They had ten hits in this one but only had two runs to show for their effort.

Matt Ruppenthal went four innings and allowed three runs on five hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out five. José Alberto Rivera went down swinging in his five innings as he allowed a run on four hits, walked one, and struck out a career-high 13 to finish off the Quad Cities season.

C.J. Stubbs hit a sac fly in the 7th and scored on Grae Kessinger's single in the 9th. They loaded the bases following Stubbs' sac fly in the 7th but failed to push across any more runs. Kessinger, Alex McKenna, Austin Dennis, and Ramiro Rodriguez all finished 2-4 on the night.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, career-high 13 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Round Rock

2-4, solo HR (1)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 27, 2019

What would Tuesday have in store for Corpus Christi's and Fayetteville's playoff aspirations?

Round Rock 4, San Antonio 3

W- Kent Emanuel (8-2)
L- Thomas Jankins (10-5)
S- Cy Sneed (1)

RR home runs: None.

Well, things got a bit too close for comfort at the end as the Missions very nearly erased a 4-0 deficit in the top of the 9th. The Express held on, however, and they increased their lead over San Antonio to three games.

Kent Emanuel turned in an absolute gem as he allowed just one hit and struck out six over eight shutout innings. Ronel Blanco got one out in the 9th with a strikeout but he made a mess of things, allowing three runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on three hits and walking one. Cy Sneed managed to get the final two outs of the game but he also allowed two of Blanco's runners to score on a sac fly and a single. Fortunately, he pulled himself together and got that last out by striking out Nate Orf.

Round Rock opened the scoring with three in the 3rd as Chas McCormick hit a two-run single and he eventually scored on Jack Mayfield's single. Mayfield hit another RBI single in the 5th. He and Taylor Jones both finished 2-4 on the night.

Ryan Hartman will get the start in game three and he'll face Aaron Wilkerson at 7:05.

Arkansas 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- Ian McKinney (1-0)
L- Enoli Paredes (5-4)
S- Wyatt Mills (8)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks were kept off the board for eight innings before they came to life in the final inning. Unfortunately, their comeback bid fell short. With Midland and Frisco winning, their elimination number is now down to three.

Chuckie Robinson smashed a two-run triple with two outs in the 9th but unfortunately, he was left at third to end the game after Aníbal Sierra struck out. Robinson went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Enoli Paredes went 2.1 innings and allowed three runs (one inherited runner charged to him), a two-run single, walked three, and struck out three. The bullpen turned in 6.2 scoreless innings, although Colin McKee allowed the runner that he inherited from Paredes to score. McKee allowed an RBI single, walked one, and struck out five in 2.2 innings. Andre Scrubb and Carlos Sanabria both threw two scoreless innings; Scrubb allowed three hits and struck out one and Sanabria allowed a hit and struck out three.

Forrest Whitley will face Ljay Newsome in game three. First pitch is at 6:15.

Fayetteville 10, Carolina 1

W- Shawn Dubin (6-5)
L- Wuilder Rodriguez (0-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Chandler Taylor (13, 2-run in 3rd)

The Woodpeckers dominated the Mudcats in all facets of the game as they won their fourth in a row. They're currently a half-game ahead of Down East, who already won the first half, and 3.5 ahead of third-place Myrtle Beach.

Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Cal Stevenson, who still managed to draw a walk and score a run. Seven of the nine players in Fayetteville's lineup drove in a run, including Chandler Taylor, who launched a two-run homer for the second straight game. Scott Manea hit an RBI single in the 2nd and added an RBI double to his ledger in the 4th. Ross Adolph also drove in two with a double in a four-run 4th. Scott Schreiber also ripped an RBI double in the 4th. Jeremy Peña hit an RBI single in the 8th. Taylor scored another run in the 9th on a Michael Papierski groundout and Miguelangel Sierra capped off the evening with an RBI double.

David Hensley led the way in the hits department, finishing 3-5 and scoring a couple of runs. Peña, Manea, Sierra, and Schreiber all finished with two hits on the night.

Shawn Dubin turned in seven dominant innings in which he allowed just three hits, walked one, and struck out ten. The Mudcats spoiled the shutout in the 8th with a solo homer off César Rosado, who struck out two in the inning. Humberto Castellanos worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out two.

Nivaldo Rodriguez will take the mound for game three of this series. He'll face Scott Sunitsch at 7:00 Eastern.

Kane County 3, Quad Cities 2

W- Kenny Hernandez (7-3)
L- Valente Bellozo (6-1)
S- Kai-Wei Lin (6)

QC home runs: None.

The Cougars scored all three of their runs in the final two innings to snatch this game from the Banditos' grasp.

José Alberto Rivera allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out a career-high nine over five shutout innings. Valente Bellozo suffered his first loss of the season after the Cougars came back on him; he allowed three runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out two in four innings of work.

Trey Dawson's two-run double in the 4th represented Quad Cities' only scoring play of the night. Wilyer Abreu went 2-4 with a double and scored one of the runs on Dawson's double.

Quad Cities will hit the road for the final time in the 2019 regular season as they begin a three-game series in Cedar Rapids at 6:35. Brett Daniels will start game one and he will be opposed by former Rice Owl Matt Canterino.

Tri-City 4, Staten Island 0

W- Brayan De Paula (1-2)
L- Wellington Diaz (3-5)

TC home runs: Juan Paulino (2, 2-run in 1st), Preston Pavlica (3, solo in 3rd)

The ValleyCats earned a split as four pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout.

Angel Macuare started things off by allowing a hit, walking three, and striking out five in the first two innings. Brayan De Paula tagged in for three and allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two. Blair Henley and Cole McDonald completed the shutout with two innings apiece; Henley struck out three and McDonald walked one and struck out three. Henley's lone baserunner reached because he plunked him.

Nate Perry opened the scoring in the 1st by ripping an RBI double and Juan Paulino followed by smacking a two-run homer. Preston Pavlica drove in the final run of the game, which was himself, by leading off the 3rd with a homer.

Tri-City will conclude the road portion of its schedule with three in Lowell starting tonight at 7:05 Eastern. Kyle Serrano will take on Noah Song in game one.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 2 H, BB, career-high 9 K

Shawn Dubin, LHP, Fayetteville

W (6-5), 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 10 K

Scott Manea, C, Chandler Taylor, OF, and Miguelangel Sierra, IF, Fayetteville

Manea: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Taylor: 1-4, 2-R HR (13), 2 R

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

Brayan De Paula not pictured.

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 4-0 vs. Staten Island

9 IP, 2 H, 5 BB, 13 K

Angel Macuare: 2 IP, H, 3 BB, 5 K

Brayan De Paula: W (1-2), 3 IP, H, BB, 2 K

Blair Henley: 2 IP, BB, 3 K

Cole McDonald: 2 IP, 3 K

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Round Rock

W (8-2), 8 IP, H, 6 K

Jack Mayfield, IF, Round Rock

2-4, 2 RBI

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

6.2 IP, 5 H, BB, 9 K

Colin McKee: 2.2 IP, H, BB, 5 K; allowed one inherited runner to score

Andre Scrubb: 2 IP, 3 H, K

Carlos Sanabria: 2 IP, H, 3 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 8, 2019

Triple-A All-Star Break

The 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday in El Paso. Kyle Tucker will represent Round Rock on the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team.

Round Rock returns to action on Thursday when they welcome Iowa to Dell Diamond for a four-game series.

Frisco 14, Corpus Christi 1

W- Ronald Herrera (1-2)
L- Cristian Javier (6-3)

CC home runs: None.

Let's... not talk about this game.

Yohan Ramirez will take on Jonathan Hernandez in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Fayetteville and Potomac was postponed

Due to wet grounds. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 20.

Shawn Dubin, who was originally scheduled to start this game, will now start the series finale. First pitch is at 12:05 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 5

W- J.T. Perez (1-0)
L- Layne Henderson (1-3)
S- José Martinez (1)

QC home runs: Ramiro Rodríguez (2, solo in 1st), Alex McKenna (1, solo in 4th)

The Kernels stunned the Banditos with four runs in the 9th to take the lead. This is the first time that Quad Cities has been swept in a series in 2019.

Ramiro Rodríguez led off the bottom of the 1st with a home run. He hit a two-out single in the 3rd and eventually scored on a base hit from Grae Kessinger. Alex McKenna launched his first home run of the year, a solo shot, in the 4th inning. César Salazar ripped a two-run double in the 7th that pushed Quad Cities' lead to 5-2. Salazar went 3-4 on the night while McKenna, Rodríguez, and Freúdis Nova all finished with two hits.

Felipe Tejada went four innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked six, and struck out one. José Alberto Rivera cruised through four innings but ran into some trouble in the 9th. In 4.1 innings, Rivera allowed two runs, both of which were inherited runners that scored, a hit, walked one, and struck out eight. Layne Henderson got the final two outs of the 9th, but not before Cedar Rapids took the lead. Henderson allowed two runs of his own on two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

After a day off, the Banditos will start a three-game series in West Michigan.

Tri-City 4, Brooklyn 3

W- Angel Macuare (1-2)
L- Matt Cleveland (0-2)
S- Guadalupe Chavez (1)

TC home runs: A.J. Lee (1, 3-run in 2nd)

The ValleyCats only scored in one inning but it turned out to be enough for them to get the win.

Kyle Serrano pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two unearned runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out five. The bullpen picked him up and allowed a run over the final 7.1 innings. Angel Macuare was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and he allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out three in 4.1 innings. Lupe Chavez allowed two hits and struck out four over the final three innings to earn the save.

Wilyer Abreu put Tri-City on the board with an RBI single in the 2nd and one batter later, A.J. Lee launched a three-run home run, the first homer of his pro career. Korey Lee finished 2-4.

Juan Pablo Lopez gets the start in the series finale. First pitch is at 11:00 AM Eastern.

DSL Rays1 5, DSL Astros 4 (10 innings)

W- Argenis Liriano (4-0)
L- Cristofer Mezquita (0-1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros scored two in the 8th... but the Rays ended up walking off with the win in the first extra frame.

Ricardo Toro opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the 2nd and Cristian Gonzalez added a sac fly in the 5th. Their two in the 8th came on a Sebastian Grullón groundout and an RBI single from Yohander Martinez.

Fabricio Reina went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits and struck out four. Daniel Pacheco and Miguel Padilla pitched two innings apiece. Pacheco was first and he allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer) and struck out two. Padilla allowed an unearned run that was the winning run and it was also an inherited runner that was charged to him. He also allowed a hit and struck out one. Cristofer Mezquita got two outs in the 10th but the winning run scored on a failed double play attempt. Mezquita issued two walks, one of which was intentional.

The Dominican 'Stros will host the A's at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fabricio Reina, RHP, DSL Astros: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

A.J. Lee, IF, Tri-City

1-3, 3-R HR (1)

Angel Macuare's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen

7.1 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Angel Macuare: W (1-2), 4.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Lupe Chavez: Save (1), 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

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

Ramiro Rodríguez, OF, Alex McKenna, OF, and César Salazar, C, Quad Cities

Rodríguez: 2-5, solo HR (2), 2 R

McKenna: 2-4, solo HR (1)

Salazar: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Let's finish up a game and then play another one in the Dominican Republic.

Round Rock 7, Omaha 6

W- Felipe Paulino (1-0)
L- Andrés Machado (1-1)

RR home runs: Taylor Jones (14, walk-off 3-run in 10th)

The Storm Chasers broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the 10th but the E-Train got the last laugh by walking off with the win.

Round Rock trailed 4-0 early but they got back in the game with three runs in the 4th. Josh Rojas singled and Jack Mayfield walked to lead off the inning and Taylor Jones put the Express on the board with a single to bring in Rojas. Mayfield ended up scoring on a balk. Jones advanced to second and came home on a single from Kyle Tucker. Ferguson hit an RBI single in the 8th to tie the game.

Chas McCormick started the bottom of the 10th in scoring position. Rojas drew a walk but he was forced out at second. Jack Mayfield beat the double play attempt and Jones won the game with a three-run blast. Jones finished 2-4 on the night. The top four in the order scored all the runs; Rojas, Mayfield, and Jones all scored two runs while McCormick scored on the home run.

Brady Rodgers had a rare tough night as he only went 2.2 innings and allowed four runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on five hits (solo and two-run homers), walked two, and struck out one. Kent Emanuel restored order to this game with 5.1 technically scoreless innings; he did allow one of Rodgers' runners to score. No matter, he kept the E-Train in the game by allowing four hits and striking out three. Joe Smith and Felipe Paulino both pitched an inning; Smith struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th while Paulino allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in the 10th.

Akeem Bostick takes on Foster Griffin in the fifth and final game of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Frisco 13, Corpus Christi 11

W- Joe Barlow (1-1)
L- Carlos Sanabria (4-2, 6-2 season)

CC home runs: J.J. Matijevic 2 (6, 8 season; 2-run in 3rd, 3-run in 7th), Aníbal Sierra (4, 5 season; solo in 2nd), Seth Beer (8, 17 season; 2-run in 5th)

The Hooks rallied to take a 10-8 lead in the 7th but the Roughriders scored five in the final two innings to take this wild affair. While the Hooks had four players score all the runs, everyone in Frisco's lineup scored at least once.

It was probably a tough night for the pitching when they issued 11 walks as a team, no one went three innings and the only person who turned in a scoreless outing was a position player.

Corpus opened the scoring in the 1st with a pair of RBI doubles from Seth Beer and Stephen Wrenn. Aníbal Sierra launched a solo homer in the 2nd. J.J. Matijevic launched a two-run homer, his first of the evening, in the 3rd. Beer clubbed a two-run shot of his own in the 5th and Matijevic struck again in the 7th by whacking a three-run home run. Osvaldo Duarte grounded into a force out that scored Matijevic in the 9th.

Abraham Toro went 4-5 with a double and scored four times. Beer and Matijevic both had three hits and scored three runs. Sierra went 2-4 and, well, he scored on his home run. Duarte stole a couple of bases, giving him 17 on the season.

Cristian Javier faces Jonathan Hernandez in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Salem 11, Fayetteville 1 (7 innings)

W- Dylan Thompson (2-6)
L- Luis Garcia (3-1, 7-1 season)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

Uh... no comment.

Shawn Dubin gets the start as the Woodpeckers look to avoid the sweep. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Wisconsin 2

W- José Alberto Rivera (4-3)
L- Reese Olson (2-5)
S- Hunter Martin (1)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams scored in two innings. The Timber Rattlers scored one run in each of the two innings in which they scored. Meanwhile, the Banditos scored two runs in their two scoring innings. My math may be a bit rusty but two is greater than one.

Quad Cities got two in the 4th on an RBI single from Alex McKenna and a sac fly from César Salazar and two in the 5th on a Freúdis Nova RBI double and an Austin Dennis single. Salazar and Dennis had two hits apiece; Dennis also stole a base, his 15th on the season.

José Alberto Rivera went seven innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and struck out five. Hunter Martin got the last two innings and earned the save, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out two.

Felipe Tejada faces Scott Sunitsch at 6:35.

Tri-City 2, Staten Island 1

W- Valente Bellozo (2-0)
L- Blakely Brown (1-1)
S- Angel Macuare (1)

TC home runs: None.

After getting smacked in the series opener, the ValleyCats got even by shackling the Yankees.

Valente Bellozo started things off by allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out four over five shutout innings. Angel Macuare took over for the final four innings and the one hit that he allowed was a triple that eventually turned into a run on a groundout and he also struck out five.

Andrés Santana was involved in both of Tri-City's scoring plays in this game as he scored the first run of the evening when he came home on a C.J. Stubbs groundout in the 1st. He drove in another run with a groundout in the 2nd inning. Nathan Perry and Luis Santana both finished 2-4.

Guadalupe Chavez will take the mound for the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 14, GCL Cardinals 1

W- Dean Deetz (1-0, 3-0 season)
L- Luis Ortiz (0-2)

GCL home runs: Luis Guerrero (1, 3-run in 6th), Yeuris Ramirez (1, 2 season; 2-run in 6th)

The Palm Beach 'Stros got into the win column for the first time this season after going off for nine runs in the 6th.

Rolando Espinosa drove in a run with a groundout in the 3rd and an error allowed Colin Barber to score another run. Franklin Pinto ripped a two-run double in the 4th and he opened the floodgates in the 6th with a two-run triple.

Barber brought Pinto in with an infield single. Espinosa got on with another infield single and one batter later, Luis Guerrero launched the first home run of his professional baseball career. Nerio Rodríguez walked and that prompted the Cardinals to make a pitching change. Yeuris Ramírez greeted the new pitcher with a two-run homer. Javier Bermúdez and Sean Mendoza followed by drawing a walk and singling, respectively. A wild pitch and a passed ball allowed Bermúdez to score the ninth and final run of the inning. Barber smacked an RBI double in the 9th to cap things off.

The Palm Beach 'Stros will have to complete a suspended game against the Marlins before they play the regularly scheduled game tomorrow.

DSL Astros 5, DSL Marlins 1

W- Daniel Pacheco (1-1)
L- Henry Valencio (1-1)
S- Ronny Garcia (1)

DSL home runs: Miguel Palma (2, 2-run in 7th)

This game started on June 15 but was suspended due to rain.

Andrés Monzón drew a bases-loaded walk in the 4th before play was halted. He hit into a force out in the 6th and an error on the play allowed Ricardo Toro to score and another error following a single from Freddy Guilamo allowed him to score. Miguel Palma smacked a two-run homer in the 7th. Palma and Yohander Martinez both went 2-4.

Jeremy Molero allowed five hits, walked one, and struck out three in three innings. Daniel Pacheco took over for four innings and he allowed a run on five hits, walked three, and struck out four. Miguel Padilla allowed a hit and walked three in 1.1 innings and Ronny Garcia got the last two outs of the game.

DSL Marlins 3, DSL Astros 1

W- Breidy Encarnación (2-0)
L- Fabricio Reina (0-3)
S- Frank Valera (3)

DSL home runs: None.

Ayendy Ortiz scored the Dominican 'Stros only run in the regularly scheduled contest on an error in the 6th. Yohander Martinez turned in another multi-hit game, finishing 2-3.

Fabricio Reina allowed two runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out three in four innings and Edinson Batista allowed a run on three hits and fanned three in two innings.

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

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Miguel Palma, C, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2-R HR (2), 2 R

Taylor Jones, 1B/OF, Round Rock

2-5, walk-off 3-R HR (14), 4 RBI, 2 R

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Round Rock

5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 K

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 2-1 @ Staten Island

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

Valente Bellozo: W (2-0), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Angel Macuare: Save (1), 4 IP, H, ER, 5 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

7 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 5 K

Jairo Lopez not pictured.

Yeuris Ramírez and Franklin Pinto's photos are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Colin Barber's photo is from his Perfect Game profile page.

Yeuris Ramírez, IF, Franklin Pinto, OF, Colin Barber, OF, and Jairo Lopez, RHP, GCL Astros

Ramírez: 2-R HR (1, 2 season), 3 R

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

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

Lopez: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, J.J. Matijevic, 1B, Seth Beer, 1B/OF, and Aníbal Sierra, SS, Corpus Christi

Toro: 4-5, 2B, 4 R

Beer: 3-5, 2B, 2-R HR (8, 17 season), 3 RBI, 3 R

Matijevic: 3-5, 2 HR (6, 8 season), 5 RBI, 3 R

Sierra: 2-4, solo HR (4, 5 season)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 16, 2019

Happy Father's Day, everyone.

Round Rock 6, Tacoma 3

W- Corbin Martin (2-1)
L- Jon Niese (3-2)
S- Ryan Hartman (2)

RR home runs: Max Stassi (1, 2-run in 3rd)

A fast start powered the E-Train to the win.

Corbin Martin went five innings and allowed two runs on six hits, walked three, and struck out eight. Ryan Hartman took it home as he allowed a run on four hits, walked one, and struck out eight over the final four innings.

Josh Rojas opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd inning. Max Stassi launched a two-run homer in the 3rd and Kyle Tucker added another run in the inning by scoring on a wild pitch. In the 4th, Stassi added an RBI single to his ledger and Tucker hit a sac fly to bring in José Altuve. Tucker, Alex De Goti, and Taylor Jones all had two hits on the evening; both of Jones' hits were doubles. As for the rehabbers, Stassi finished 2-4 and Altuve singled and scored two runs.

Brandon Bielak gets the start in game three of this series. He'll take on Mike Wright at 7:05.

Springfield 8, Corpus Christi 6

W- Austin Warner (4-5)
L- Enoli Paredes (0-1, 3-2 season)
S- Kodi Whitley (2)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (11, solo in 8th)

The Hooks battled back to cut their deficit to one run, but the Cardinals got some late insurance runs to sweep Corpus out of the Ozarks.

Bryan de la Cruz tripled to lead off the afternoon and he scored the game's first run when Granden Goetzman smashed a double. Carlos Canelón hit a sac fly in the 2nd. The sac fly would be Corpus Christi's last scoring play until the 8th; meanwhile, Springfield jumped out to a 6-1 lead.

Abraham Toro led off the 8th with a homer. Two batters later, Colton Shaver ripped a double and he came around to score on Ronnie Dawson's base hit. Dawson advanced to second on Osvaldo Duarte's groundout and he came home on a single from Canelón. De La Cruz tripled to lead off the 9th and he scored on a Stephen Wrenn groundout to cut the new deficit to two runs. Unfortunately, they couldn't get any closer.

Enoli Paredes hit his first speed bump of the season as he allowed six runs (three inherited runners charged to him) on five hits, walked four, and struck out four in 3.1 innings. Carlos Sanabria got the final two outs of the 4th, but he couldn't extract Paredes from a bases-loaded predicament without incurring damage. He allowed a two-run single, walked two, struck out one, and also threw a wild pitch that resulted in a run for the Cardinals. Carson LaRue pitched the final four innings and he allowed a two-run homer, one of seven hits that he allowed during his stint on the mound, and struck out one.

The Hooks are back home and they'll begin a three-game series with Arkansas at 6:15. Brandon Bailey takes on Nabil Crismatt.

Potomac 15, Fayetteville 4

W- Aaron Fletcher (1-0)
L- César Rosado (2-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Scott Manea (5, solo in 5th), Chandler Taylor (4, solo in 6th)

The Woodpeckers scored three in the bottom of the 6th to take a 4-3 lead... and then the Nationals ran roughshod all over their bullpen late.

Jojanse Torres turned in a bare minimum quality start on the mound, allowing six hits, walking four, and striking out three. As for the bullpen... some things are better left unsaid.

Both teams scored a run in the 5th; Fayetteville got theirs when Scott Manea launched a two-out solo homer in the bottom half. Chandler Taylor led off the 6th with a home run and Corey Julks ripped a two-run double later in the frame. Taylor finished 2-5 on the day.

Fayetteville is now on its All-Star break. The Carolina League All-Star Game will take place tomorrow in Frederick, Maryland. The Woodpeckers had seven players named to the Southern Division All-Star team: Enoli Paredes, Yohan Ramirez, Jake Adams, Seth Beer, Corey Julks, Jacob Meyers, and Colton Shaver. Paredes, Ramirez, Beer, and Shaver are all with Corpus Christi, so the Fayetteville contingent that's headed to Maryland is a bit smaller.

The Woodpeckers will return to action Thursday as they kick off the second half in Myrtle Beach.

Quad Cities 3, Wisconsin 2

W- José Alberto Rivera (2-3)
L- Anthony Bender (0-1)

QC home runs: Ross Adolph (5, 2-run in 7th)

One swing of the bat swung this game in Quad Cities' favor.

Michael Wielansky went 2-2 and scored two of the Banditos' three runs on the afternoon. He scored his first run on an RBI triple from Trey Dawson in the 3rd and scored again in the 7th when Ross Adolph whacked a two-run home run that gave Quad Cities the lead. Adolph and César Salazar also finished with two hits on the day.

Felipe Tejada went five innings and he allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out four. Yeremi Ceballos walked two and struck out one in a scoreless 6th. Ceballos last appeared in a game on June 19, 2017, when he was still with the Dominican Summer League club. He did not play in 2018 due to injury. José Alberto Rivera shut things down by allowing two hits, walking two, and striking out eight over the final three innings of this game.

The 2019 Midwest League All-Star Game will take place tomorrow in South Bend, Indiana. The River Bandits had six players honored as Midwest League All-Stars: Jeremy Peña, Trey Dawson, Austin Hansen, Austin Dennis, César Salazar, and Matt Ruppenthal. Hansen will not be taking part as he is now in Fayetteville.

Quad Cities returns to action Thursday as they start their second half in Beloit.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Ross Adolph, OF, Quad Cities

2-4, go-ahead 2-R HR (5) in 7th

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Round Rock

Save (2), 4 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 8 K

Chandler Taylor, OF, Fayetteville

2-5, solo HR (4)

Bryan de la Cruz's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Bryan de la Cruz, OF, and Carlos Canelón, C, Corpus Christi

De La Cruz: 3-4, 2B, 2 3B, 2 R

Canelón: 2-3, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 30, 2019

Iowa 7, Round Rock 0

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

RR home runs: None.

The E-Train broke down.

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

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

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

Corpus Christi 4, Midland 3

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

CC home runs: None.

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

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

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

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

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

Fayetteville 5, Wilmington 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quad Cities 4, Beloit 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

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

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 5-2 vs. Wilmington

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

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

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Freúdis Nova, IF, Quad Cities

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

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

Jonathan Bermúdez not pictured.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

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

Jonathan Bermúdez: 2 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

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

Justin Ferrell: Save (1), IP, K

Stephen Wrenn, OF, Corpus Christi

3-3, 2 2B, R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Tri-City and the complex-league teams were the only clubs in action on a quiet Tuesday on the farm.

Fresno is off until Thursday

The 2017 AAA All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 12, at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington, home of the Tacoma Rainiers. Fresno will be represented by D.J. Fisher and Colin Moran.

Fresno returns to action on Thursday; Moran and Fisher don't have to go anywhere (provided that they're still with the team) because the Grizzlies will kick off the second half of their season with a 4-game series in Tacoma.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks are in Midland and they'll start a 4-game series at 6:30. Alex Winkelman will face Dustin Hurlbutt.

Buies Creek was off

Hector Perez takes on Reid Love as the Carolina Stros start a 4-game series with Frederick at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will begin a 3-game series in South Bend at 7:05 Eastern. TBA goes up against Dylan Cease.

Tri-City 7, State College 0

W- Parker Mushinski (1-0)
L- Anthony Shew (2-2)

TC home runs: Jake Adams (4, 2-run in 3rd)

The ValleyCats put up 5 in the 3rd and 2 more in the 8th for good measure, while three pitchers combined on a shutout.

Hunter Martin allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 over 4 innings. Parker Mushinski was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 in 3 innings. Nathan Thompson completed the shutout by walking 1 and striking out 4 over the final 2 innings.

Luis Payano opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 3rd. Two batters later, Abraham Toro drove in 2 on a bloop single. Jake Adams followed by whacking a 2-run homer. In the 8th, Payano scored on a wild pitch and Mike Papierski capped off the evening with a sac fly. Payano finished 2-3 on the evening.

Kit Scheetz makes his ValleyCats debut in game 2 of this series. He'll take on Sam Tewes at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville was off

The Appy Astros begin a 3-game series with Bluefield at 7:05 Eastern.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Cardinals 3

W- Elieser Hernandez (1-0, 3-3 season)
L- Brian Pirela (0-1)
S- Maikel Sepulveda (1)

GCL home runs: Jose Benjamin (2, 2-run in 1st), Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (1, solo in 3rd), Enmanuel Valdez (2, solo in 4th)

The Palm Beach Stros launched 3 homers to score their 4 runs and came out on top.

Jose Benjamin put the GCLstros on the board with a 2-run homer in the 1st inning. Ozziel Sanchez-Galan and Enmanuel Valdez launched solo shots in the 3rd and the 4th, respectively. Valdez and Juan Piñeda both finished 2-4 on the day. Benjamin also stole a base, his 5th of the eseason.

Chad Donato allowed 2 hits in his 2 innings, one of which was a solo homer to Robbie Coman in the 2nd inning. Donato also recorded 3 strikeouts on the day. Elieser Hernandez allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3.1 innings, and Maikel Sepulveda pitched 3.2 innings, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 4.

DSL Red Sox 9, DSL Astros Blue 5 in 11 innings

W- Luis Rivero (5-1)
L- Christopher Javier (2-1)

Blue home runs: Nerio Rodriguez (1, 2-run in 2nd)

The Blue team tied the game with 3 in the bottom of the 7th, but the Red Sox regained control with 4 in the top of the 11th.

Nerio Rodriguez hit his first career homer, a 2-run blast in the 2nd inning, to put the Blue team on the board. Nerio then scored the first run in the 7th on a wild pitch after walking to lead off the inning. Yeuris Ramirez scored on a Luis Coronel groundout, and Anthony Rodriguez scored on another wild pitch.

Jean Reyes and Manny Ramirez started off with 3 innings apiece. Reyes allowed 4 runs on 6 hits and struck out 2 while Ramirez allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Oscar Severino was next, and he allowed 2 hits while striking out 3 over 4 scoreless. Christopher Javier didn't allow a hit in the 11th, but the Red Sox still tagged him for 4 runs, 3 of which were earned. He issued a bases-loaded walk, hit another man with the bases loaded, balked in another run, and allowed a sac fly.

DSL Dodgers2 3, DSL Astros Orange 1

W- Nelfri Contreras (2-1)
L- Miguel Matos (0-2)
S- Elio Serrano (3)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team had more hits, but last I checked, hits do not determine the winner of a baseball game.

Deury Carrasco's RBI single in the 1st was Team Orange's only scoring play. Ramiro Rodriguez and Renaigel Martis both went 2-4.

Miguel Matos allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 2 innings. Ernesto Jaquez and Jose Alberto Rivera pitched 3 innings apiece; Jaquez was the first man out of the Orange team's bullpen and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Rivera allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Oscar Severino, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 K
Jose Alberto Rivera, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

His mugshot from MiLB.com

Enmanuel Valdez, IF, GCL Astros

2-4, solo HR (2)

Luis Payano, OF, Tri-City

2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R

Hunter Martin's and Parker Mushinski's pictures are their mugshots from MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 7-0 vs. State College

Hunter Martin: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Parker Mushinski: W (1-0), 3 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K

Nathan Thompson: 2 IP, BB, 4 K