Astros Farm Report: 5/21

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

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Garrett Stubbs - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

5/26: C Garrett Stubbs (25)
5/27: OF Leonardo González (18)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

5/20: IF J.D. Davis recalled to Houston from Fresno
5/20: IF Cody Bohanek assigned to Fresno from Quad Cities
Note: This is undoubtedly a short-term assignment to fill in at Fresno, but speaks volumes about the Astros faith in Bohanek handling himself well and providing solid defense.
5/20: RHP Juan Robles assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
5/19: C Chuckie Robinson (Buies Creek) activated from the DL
5/18: 1B Roman Garcia (Quad Cities) activated from the DL (since 4/25)
5/18: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
5/17: LHP Chris Nunn assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno
5/17: IF Nick Tanielu assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
5/17: SS Anibal Sierra assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
5/16: OF Jake Marisnick optioned to Fresno from Houston
5/16: IF/OF Tony Kemp recalled to Houston from Fresno

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

5/16: LF Yordan Alvarez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/12: RHP Akeem Bostick (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/12: 3B Adrian Tovalin (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5/11: C Garrett Stubbs (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/9: IF Jack Mayfield (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/8: RHP Kevin Hill (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
5/2+/-: OF Patrick Mathis out for approx. 6 weeks per Instagram post
4/26: RHP J.B. Bukauskas (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL); according to Instagram Ryan has had surgery, but I don't know whether or not it was TJ
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Tommy John)
4/5: RHP Jose Luis Hernández (Buies Creek) placed on the 7-day DL

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Teams that roast each other, win together. Very simple #RoastSessions #LongBusRide

— Ralph Garza Jr. (@_R2_G2_) May 18, 2018

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS
Up and down arrows represent increase/decrease in win percentage over the prior week.

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

🠉1st 27-17 .614 -.-GB W2

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

🠉2nd 25-18 .581 2.0GB W1

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

🠋T2nd 23-19 .548 1.5GB L4

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

🠋2nd 23-19 .548 -.-GB L2

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

FRESNO

SS Antonio Nunez: 5 games, .438/.471/.500
3B J.D. Davis: 4 games, .400/.471/.800, hit for the cycle
C Tim Federowicz: 5 games, .333/.474/.800
3B Tyler White: 6 games, .333/.429/.542
OF Jon Kemmer: 6 games, .304/.385/.696
OF Kyle Tucker: 5 games, .286/.375/.571
1B A.J. Reed: 6 games, .263/.462/.737, 3 HR, 7 BB

RHP Rogelio Armenteros: 1 start, 1.59 ERA/0.882 WHIP, 5.2 IP
RHP Trent Thornton: 1 start, 0.00 ERA/0.545 WHIP, 3.2 IP
RHP Matt Ramsey: 3 bullpen appearances, win, 0.00 ERA/0.500 WHIP, 6 IP, 1 BB:11 K
LHP Reymin Guduan: 2 bullpen appearances, 0.00 ERA/0.500 WHIP, 2 IP

CORPUS CHRISTI

IF Josh Rojas: 6 games, .480/.500/.680, 3 SB
3B Randy Cesar: 6 games, .462/.481/.731, 11 RBI
OF Myles Straw: 7 games, .391/.481/.435, 6 SB
1B Taylor Jones: 7 games, .333/.400/.519

LHP Cionel Perez: 2 games (1 start), 2 wins, 1.93 ERA/0.536 WHIP, 2 BB:14 K, 9.1 IP
LHP Ryan Hartman: 1 start, win, 0.00 ERA/0.790 WHIP, 1 BB:11 K, 6.1 IP
RHP Justin Ferrell: 2 bullpen appearances, win, 0.00 ERA/0.900 WHIP, 3.1 IP

BUIES CREEK

OF/IF Osvaldo Duarte: 5 games, .389/.450/.444
IF Alfredo Angarita: 5 games, .300/.364/.350

RHP Hector Perez: 1 game, 0.00 ERA/0.250 WHIP, 4 IP
RHP Abdiel Saldana: 1 game, win, 0.00 ERA/1.000 WHIP, 4 IP
RHP Jorge Alcala: 1 start, 1.80 ERA/0.600 WHIP, 5 IP

QUAD CITIES

IF Miguelangel Sierra: 8 games, .355/.412/.516

RHP Carlos Sanabria: 3 bullpen appearances, win, save, 0.00 ERA/0.429 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 5 of 7 inherited runners stranded
LHP Parker Mushinski: 1 start, 0.00 ERA/0.600 WHIP, 5 IP
RHP Leovanny Rodrigruez: 1 game, win, 2.25 ERA/0.750 WHIP, 4 IP (Quad Cities debut)
LHP Patrick Sandoval: 1 game, win, 0.00 ERA/1.154 WHIP, 4.1 IP

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Osvaldo Duarte - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

OF/IF Osvaldo Duarte is another player I neglected to include in my offseason series on players beyond the top 30 that bear watching, the reason for that being Duarte had a really awful season in 2017, starting with his 28 games with High A Buies Creek and for another 47 games after being demoted to Low A Quad Cities in mid-May. Granted he did miss almost a month in the middle of the season on the DL (reportedly for a hand issue) and had his season cut short in early August as well, but a .192/.282/.308 batting line makes it hard to see a way forward for any player. Fast forward to 2018 and a healthy Duarte is getting into a groove with High A Buies Creek. After a somewhat lackluster April, Duarte is hitting .304/.347/.464 in 18 games in May. Even more importantly, Duarte is once again enjoying baseball and it shows both on and off the field. Duarte was originally signed by the Astros for $110,000 in July 2013 out of the Dominican Republic. At the time of his signing, he was cited for his speed, quick twitch athleticism, strong arm and quick simple swing.

NEWS AND LINKS

In case you were wondering, if RHP Forrest Whitley reports to Corpus Christi as expected following his 50-game suspension, that will make the game on Tuesday, May 29th (at Springfield) the first game for which Whitley will be eligible to pitch. The first home stand he will be eligible for will start June 5th.

Steve Batterson with a nice piece on Quad Cities LHP Parker Mushinski.

It was getting kinda hard to ignore just how hot J.D. Davis has been, huh, Houston?

The Grizzlies new ownership group isn't going to wait until the offseason to make park improvements.

Hooks OF Myles Straw talks base stealing.

And in case you missed any of these, here are my recent interviews (three more to come soon!):

LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi)

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

Kevin Comer - June 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Kevin Comer, orginally drafted by the Blue Jays out of Senaca High School (NJ) in the first round in 2011, came to the Astros in August 2012 as the PTBNL in the huge 10-player July 2012 trade between the Astros and the Blue Jays and spent five years playing in the Astros system before becoming a minor league free agent in November 2017. Later that month he was signed to a minor league contract with the Tigers and given an invitation to spring training. Following spring training, Comer was assigned to the AAA Toledo Mud Hens where he has appeared in 15 games (one start), going 1-0 with three saves, a 2.21 ERA and a 1.082 WHIP and six walks to 22 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. The Mud Hens did this interview with Comer recently for Mother's Day.

#GetToKnowAMudHen, presented by @BIGS_Seeds​: Did you know Kevin Comer's mom was an Olympic athlete? 👀 pic.twitter.com/bpZeZLMlc2

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) May 12, 2018

WE'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR JOBS (WOMEN IN BASEBALL

Let's see that it doesn't take another 22 years for this to happen again, shall we?

She played pro baseball alongside men 20 years ago.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 2, 2017

Let's finish one up and play another in Kingsport.

Fresno 4, Sacramento 2

W- David Martinez (5-7)
L- Matt Gage (0-1)
S- Kevin Comer (5)

Fresno home runs: None.

10 in a row!

David Martinez shook off a 2-run homer from Chris Shaw in the 1st to throw 7.1 strong innings. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 3, and struck out 5. Kevin Comer walked 1 and struck out 2 over the final 1.2 innings to get the save.

Tyler White's RBI double in the 4th put Fresno on the board. They got 2 in the 5th on a Teoscar Hernandez sac fly and a Preston Tucker single to take the lead and got a little insurance in the 9th with a Reid Brignac RBI single. Jon Kemmer (2B, 2 R) and Max Stassi (R) both finished 3-4 on the day.

Kyle Smith will take on Andrew Suarez in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Arkansas 3, Corpus Christi 2 in 12 innings

W- Kyle Hunter (1-0)
L- Riley Ferrell (0-2)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (7, 8 season; solo in 2nd)

The Travs walked it off in the 12th to send the Hooks to 0-4 on their second-half tour of Arkansas.

Jack Mayfield smacked a solo shot in the 2nd to put Corpus on the board first. Jason Martin hit an RBI single in the 3rd. Tony Nuñez went 2-2 after coming on as a sub.

Charlie Morton went 4.1 innings and allowed 2 unearned runs (both inherited runners charged to him), a single, walked 2, and struck out 5. Brock Dykxhoorn was the first man out of the bullpen and came into a bases-loaded situation. Two of the runners scored. Dykxhoorn went 2.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 1. Yoanys Quiala allowed 3 hits and struck out 3 over 4.1 scoreless. Riley Ferrell got 1 out in the 12th, but allowed the winning run on 2 hits and walked 1.

Cy Sneed gets the start in game 2 of this series and he'll go up against Lindsey Caughel at 7:10.

Buies Creek 3, Potomac 2

W- Matt Bower (3-3)
L- Kyle Schepel (1-3)
S- Nick Hernandez (9)

BC home runs: None.

Jorge Alcala was excellent once again and the Carolina Stros got a run after stretch time to edge the Nationals.

Alcala only allowed one hit in his 5 innings, a solo homer to Dan Gamache in the 4th. He also walked 2 and struck out 5. Matt Bower allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 3 innings, and Nick Hernandez worked around a couple of hits to close it out, striking out 1.

Buies Creek got 2 in the 1st on a Ryne Birk RBI double and a Jake Rogers RBI single. Rogers ripped a double to lead off the bottom of the 7th and scored what turned out to be the deciding run on a single from Spencer Johnson. Birk (2B, RBI, R), Rogers (2B, RBI, R), and Randy César all had 2 hits on the day.

Justin Ferrell starts the finale against Hector Silvestre. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Burlington 3 in 11 innings

W- Kevin Hill (2-1)
L- Ty Barkell (1-3)
S- Erasmo Pinales (5)

QC home runs: Chuckie Robinson (8, 2-run in 4th)

The Banditos got 5 strong innings out of the bullpen to pick up Cionel Perez. The offense tied this game in the 8th and went ahead in the 11th inning.

Cionel Perez had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 5 hits (3-run homer), walking 2, and striking out 6. He turned in a solid outing despite ending it on a bit of a sour note with the 3-run homer. Kevin Hill struck out 4 over 4 scoreless; he faced one batter over the minimum due to an error. Erasmo Pinales worked around a couple of hits in the 11th to earn the save, striking out 1.

Chuckie Robinson smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th to open the scoring. Daz Cameron hit a 1-out single in the 8th, advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, and scored the tying run on a Carmen Benedetti single. Josh Rojas finished 2-4 and put Quad Cities in front with a sac fly in the 11th. Daz and Benedetti both finished 2-5 with a double and a run scored.

The River Bandits and the Bees wrap up this series at 6:30. Gabriel Valdez faces Joe Gatto.

Staten Island 2, Tri-City 1

W- Justin Kamplain (1-0)
L- Diogenes Almengo (0-2)
S- Greg Weissert (2)

TC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (3, solo in 1st)

The Baby Bombers edged the ValleyCats with a run in the 8th to break a 1-1 tie.

Tri-City's only scoring play was a solo homer from Abraham Toro in the 1st inning.

Matt Ruppenthal, who was making his pro debut, allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 in 1.1 innings. Ricardo Castro was the first man out of the TC bullpen and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer from Cody Brown in the 5th. Castro allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 6 in 4.2 innings. Diogenes Almengo allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 2 innings.

Juan Robles takes on former Astros farmhand Jorge Guzman in the finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

From Saturday: Greeneville 6, Kingsport 2

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (2-0)
L- Garrison Bryant (0-2)

Greeneville home runs: Gilberto Celestino (1, solo in 7th)

The Appy Astros' two 3-run innings topped Kingsport's pair of one-run frames.

Felipe Tejada started on Saturday and allowed 3 hits; one of those hits turned into a run that was charged to him after play resumed. He struck out 1. Leovanny Rodriguez came on to throw 7 innings, allowing a run on 4 hits and walking 1. Austin Kerns worked around a walk and an error to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Greeneville's first 3-run inning was the 5th. Oscar Campos ripped an RBI double, and then Gilberto Celestino scored on a passed ball. Campos moved to 3rd and scored on a Reiny Beltre sac fly. Celestino launched a solo homer and Cody Bohanek ripped a 2-run double in the 7th inning. Celestino and Frankeny Fernandez both finished 2-4.

Greeneville 3, Kingsport 1

W- Jheyson Caraballo (1-0)
L- Ronald Sanchez (0-1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

Greeneville also took the regularly scheduled game, which was a 7-inning contest. They scored a run in more innings than the K-Mets did, so obviously, they won.

Bohanek singled in the 1st and scored the first run of this game on a wild pitch. Wilson Amador doubled to lead off the 3rd and came home on a Brody Westmoreland sac fly, and Roman Garcia ripped an RBI double in the 6th. Adrian Tovalin went 2-3 and scored on Garcia's double.

Tim Hardy allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 3 scoreless. Jheyson Caraballo pitched the last 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Bryan Abreu takes on Jose Geraldo in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Marlins 8, GCL Astros 2

W- Vincenzo Aiello (1-0)
L- Matt Merrill (0-1)

GCL home runs: Enmanuel Valdez (1, solo in 8th)

The Marlins jumped out to a 7-0 lead after the 2nd and cruised to the win.

Carlos Diaz's first career hit was an RBI single in the 7th inning. Enmanuel Valdez launched a solo homer in the 8th.

Matt Merrill got the start but failed to record an out, allowing 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits. Ronaldo Marrero took ownership of the 1st and also pitched the 2nd, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Javier Navas went 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Johsson Arias allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 2 scoreless, and Chauncey Nuñez allowed a hit in a scoreless 8th.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo by Bryan Green

Jorge Alcala, RHP, Buies Creek

5 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Ryne Birk, 2B, and Jake Rogers, C, Buies Creek

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

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

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen

5 IP, 2 H, 5 K
Kevin Hill: W (2-1), 4 IP, 4 K

Erasmo Pinales: Save (5), IP, 2 H, K

Yoanys Quiala, RHP, Corpus Christi

4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 K

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 4-2 @ Sacramento

4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 K

David Martinez: W (5-7), 7.1 IP, 4 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Kevin Comer: Save (5), 1.2 IP, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, June 2, 2017

Fresno 4, Tacoma 1

W- Kevin Comer (2-1)
L- Chase de Jong (2-3)
S- Jordan Jankowski (5)

Fresno home runs: Reid Brignac (4, 2-run in 7th), Jon Kemmer (6, solo in 7th)

The Grizzlies got a fine pitching performance Friday night.

Leonys Martín and Zach Shank led off the game with singles off Casey Coleman. These would end up being Tacoma's only two hits of the evening. Shank's was an RBI single, which was the only run Coleman allowed in his 6 innings. He also walked 2 and struck out 7. Kevin Comer walked 1 and struck out 3 over 2 scoreless, and Jordan Jankowski struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Juan Centeno put Fresno on the board with an RBI single in the 3rd, which extended his hitting streak to 20 games. Reid Brignac broke the tie with a 2-run blast in the 7th and Jon Kemmer capped off the evening by launching a solo homer. D.J. Fisher went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

David Martinez will start game 3 of this series. He'll go up against Tyler Cloyd at 7:05 Pacific.

Tulsa 5, Corpus Christi 4

W- Yaisel Sierra (4-0)
L- Andrew Thome (3-3, 3-4 season)

CC home runs: Jon Singleton (9, 2-run in 3rd)

The Drillers scored 3 in the 9th to walk off with the win. This here is an example of getting the victory snatched from right under you.

Jon Singleton opened the scoring with a sac fly in the opening inning and then launched a 2-run homer in the 3rd. Ramon Laureano doubled to lead off the 9th and scored on a Jack Mayfield single. The two of them both finished 2-4 with a stolen base. Laureano now has 13 stolen bases, while Mayfield has 4 on the season. J.D. Davis went 2-3 and scored a run. Kyle Tucker has a hit in all four games he's played with Corpus and also stole a base, his first with the Hooks and 14th on the season.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 4.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 6, and struck out 4. Sean Stutzman was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 2.2 scoreless innings. Riley Ferrell got a double play to end the 8th inning. He came out for the 9th, but the first two men reached against him, which prompted Andrew Thome's entrance. Thome retired the first two Drillers he faced, but three straight singles gave Tulsa the win. Ferrell allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and had two inherited runners charged to him. Thome allowed 3 hits, a run of his own, and struck out 1.

Kyle Smith faces Walker Buehler at 7:05 in game 2 of the series.

Buies Creek 3, Carolina 2

W- Carlos Sierra (1-0, 1-1 season)
L- Freddy Peralta (0-3)
S- Nick Hernandez (7)

BC home runs: None.

The Mudcats tied the game with a pair in the top of the 7th but the Carolina Stros regained the advantage with a run after stretch time.

Anthony Hermelyn opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning and Stephen Wrenn added a sac fly. Rodrigo Ayarza ripped an RBI double in the 7th to put Buies Creek back in front. Anibal Sierra went 2-3 with a double and scored the go-ahead run.

Yoanys Quiala went 6.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned); both runs were inherited and charged to him following a wild pitch from Carlos Sierra and a passed ball on Hermelyn. He also allowed 2 hits, walked 5, and struck out 6. Sierra walked 1 and struck out 3 over 1.2 innings, and Nick Hernandez worked around a hit and a walk to earn the save, striking out the side in the 9th.

Framber Valdez starts the series finale. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 5, Kane County 4

W- Lucas Williams (1-1)
L- Ryan Burr (1-2)

QC home runs: Chuckie Robinson (5, grand slam in 8th)

This, on the other hand, is what you would call snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. All 5 Quad Cities runs came in the 7th and the 8th after Kane County took a 4-0 lead into the 7th inning stretch.

Gabriel Valdez went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Ronel Blanco was the first man out of the Banditos bullpen and went 2.1 innings, allowing 2 unearned runs on 2 hits, walking 2, and fanning 1. Lucas Williams allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 1.2 scoreless.

Ray Henderson's RBI double put Quad Cities on the board in the 7th inning. The fun started in the 8th. Jonathan Arauz singled to lead off the inning, but the rally was on the verge of never happening when Gabriel Bracamonte and Daz Cameron struck out. Ronnie Dawson kept the inning alive by walking and Yordan Alvarez also drew a walk to bring up Chuckie Robinson, who promptly cleared the bases and put Quad Cities in front with a grand slam. Alvarez finished 2-3 to extend his hitting streak to 8 games.

Cionel Perez will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Jon Duplantier at 6:35.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

That look you get when you know you got "all of it" @Crob_20 pic.twitter.com/vVr9p1krkL

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) June 3, 2017

Photo by Rich Guill

 Chuckie Robinson, C, Quad Cities

Go-ahead grand slam (5) in 8th

Jon Singleton, 1B, Corpus Christi

1-2, 2-R HR (9), 3 RBI

Casey Coleman's picture from the Iowa Cubs' Flickr page, taken by Chris Donahue

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers

W 4-1 vs. Tacoma

9 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 12 K

Casey Coleman: 6 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Kevin Comer: W (2-1), 2 IP, BB, 3 K

Jordan Jankowski: Save (5), IP, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 28, 2017

Fresno 7, Albuquerque 0

W- David Martinez (2-6)
L- Ryan Carpenter (2-4)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (6, solo in 5th), D.J. Fisher (11, 2-run in 6th), Max Stassi (3, 2-run in 7th), Preston Tucker (8, 2-run in 8th)

There was no scoring in the first four innings, but the Grizzlies changed that in a hurry when they homered in each of the next four frames. On the mound, three pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout.

David Martinez started it off with 7 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 4, and striking out 8. Kevin Comer and Tyson Perez both threw an inning to complete the shutout. Comer walked 1 and struck out 1 in the 8th, and Perez worked around a couple of hits in the 9th to finish off the game.

A.J. Reed broke a 0-0 tie in the 5th with a solo home run. D.J. Fisher smacked a 2-run homer in the 6th, and Max Stassi and Preston Tucker followed suit in the 7th and the 8th, respectively. Fisher finished 2-4 and also hit a double. Reed scored twice.

The Grizzlies and Isotopes will continue their series at 4:05 Pacific as David Paulino takes on Barry Enright.

Tulsa 3, Corpus Christi 1

W- Walker Buehler (1-0)
L- Dean Deetz (4-2)
S- Shea Spitzbarth (1)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (3, 4 season; solo in 5th)

Well, I ended up watching a loss in my first minor league baseball game. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, though.

Corpus was foiled in their bid to sweep the series, but they ended up taking 2 of 3 from Springfield and the Drillers on this homestand. This was a night dominated by the pitchers; both staffs combined to strike out 28 while the Drillers issued the only two walks of the evening.

The Hooks were held in check by Tulsa's pitchers and yet... they still weren't totally out of it. Unfortunately, they squandered a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 8th. Drew Ferguson just missed getting a game-tying 2-run double; the ball was just foul down the left-field line. He eventually got plunked to load 'em up. Alejandro Garcia singled in the 9th to bring the tying run up to the plate, but again, nothing came of that.

Jack Mayfield launched a solo homer in the 5th for the only Corpus run. Ferguson's double to lead off the 6th was their only other extra-base hit.

Dean Deetz went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 9. Sean Stutzman and Riley Ferrell combined to throw 4 scoreless out of the bullpen; Stutzman allowed 3 hits and fanned 4 over 2.2 innings, while Ferrell threw 1.1 perfect innings, striking out 2.

The Hooks have Memorial Day off. They'll begin a 3-game series in Springfield on Tuesday.

Buies Creek 4, Frederick 0

W- Hector Perez (3-2, 4-3 season)
L- Reid Love (1-1)

BC home runs: None.

After issuing 9 walks in his first three Carolina League appearances (9.2 IP), Hector Perez has issued just one in his next three, spanning 17.2 innings. On Sunday, he and Carlos Sierra combined on a 2-hit shutout. With this win, the Astros organization also went 2-0 against the Orioles on Sunday.

Perez allowed just one hit and struck out 9 in 6.2 innings. Sierra finished it off by allowing a hit and striking out 1 over the final 2.1 innings. The 9 strikeouts tie a career-high for Perez; he also struck out 9 for Quad Cities on August 13 last year.

Anibal Sierra opened the scoring with a 2-run single in the 5th inning. Pat Porter, who scored one of those runs, added an RBI single in the 6th, and Ryne Birk ripped an RBI double in the 7th for Buies Creek's final run. Birk finished 3-5 on the evening, while Porter and Jake Rogers had two hits apiece.

Franklin Perez will start the series finale and he'll face Cristian Alvarado. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Beloit 7, Quad Cities 5

W- Ty Damron (3-4)
L- Salvador Montaño (0-1)
S- Sam Sheehan (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos fought back to try and erase a 7-2 deficit but couldn't complete the task. The Snappers got to Quad Cities' pitching staff for 3 homers on Sunday.

Cionel Perez went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 7. Salvador Montaño allowed a walk and one hit in the 6th, but that one hit was a 2-run homer to Miguel Mercedes that put Beloit in front. Gabriel Valdez pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2.

Daz Cameron singled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, advanced to 3rd on an Alex De Goti single, and scored the first run of the game on a single from Marcos Almonte. De Goti moved to 3rd on a double play and then stole home. Unfortunately, Quad Cities was held off the scoreboard until the 7th, when Chuckie Robinson ripped a 2-run double. Osvaldo Duarte hit an RBI single in the 8th. Almonte and Robinson finished with 2 hits apiece.

Forrest Whitley will start the finale and he'll take on Matt Milburn at 5:15.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers

W 7-0 vs. Albuquerque

9 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 9 K

David Martinez: W (2-6), 7 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 8 K

 Kevin Comer: IP, BB, K

Tyson Perez: IP, 2 H

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno

2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (11)

Buies Creek Astros pitchers

W 4-0 @ Frederick

9 IP, 2 H, 10 K

Hector Perez: W (3-2, 4-3 season), 6.2 IP, H, 9 K (tied career-high)

Carlos Sierra: 2.1 IP, H, K

Perez has 22 strikeouts and 1 walk in his last 17.2 innings pitched.

Ryne Birk, 2B, and Pat Porter, 1B/OF, Buies Creek

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

Porter: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

4 IP, 3 H, 6 K

Sean Stutzman: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Riley Ferrell: 1.1 IP, 2 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, Quad Cities

2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 25, 2017

Let's play two in Buies Creek for real this time!

Fresno 5, Tacoma 2

W- Tyson Perez (1-0)
L- Ryan Kelly (0-1)
S- Kevin Comer (1, 2 season)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (7, 2-run in 5th)

Both teams put up crooked numbers in the innings which they scored. The Grizzlies put up one more.

Preston Tucker put Fresno on the board first when he smacked a 2-run shot in the 5th inning. Tacoma got a pair in the 6th to tie, but the Grizz had the final say in this one with a 3-run 8th inning.

Max Stassi doubled to lead off the 8th and Tony Kemp joined him on the bases by drawing a walk. Kemp was forced out at 2nd base but Tyler White beat the double play and advanced to 2nd on a D.J. Fisher groundout. Teoscar Hernandez got a free pass to 1st to set up a force at any base, but Colin Moran burned the Rainiers with a 2-run single to put Fresno in front. A.J. Reed went 2-4 and brought Teoscar home with a single to tack on some insurance.

Mike Hauschild went 5.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (both of which were inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 5. Tyson Perez came out to try to extract Hauschild from a bases-loaded predicament, but he was greeted with a 2-run single immediately after coming on. Perez went 1.1 innings and allowed one other hit and struck out 1. Kevin Comer allowed a hit and fanned 3 in 2 scoreless innings to earn the save.

Francis Martes gets the start in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Springfield 3 in 10 innings

W- Jacob Dorris (1-0)
L- Kevin Herget (0-2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks tied the game in the bottom of the 9th and walked off with the win and the series in the first extra frame. Neither team posted a crooked number, so Corpus won by scoring in more innings.

Drew Ferguson went 2-6 and opened the scoring with an RBI infield single in the 5th inning. Ramon Laureano also had a two-hit night and he too hit an RBI single that came in the 7th. Jack Mayfield walked in the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th. Tony Nuñez walked to lead off the 9th, advanced to 2nd on a Garrett Stubbs bunt single, and scored the winning run on a Kristian Trompiz single. Stubbs finished 3-5 with a double and a run scored and Trent Woodward went 2-4.

Rogelio Armenteros allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 over 5.2 shutout frames. Albert Minnis got the final out of the 6th and the first out in the 7th and allowed a run (unearned) on a wild pitch, a single, and struck out 1. Riley Ferrell followed with 1.2 innings; he allowed a run on 2 hits and fanned 2. Jacob Dorris pitched 2 innings and allowed a run on a force out, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Tonight, the Hooks welcome Tulsa to Whataburger Field. Brock Dykxhoorn goes first and he'll go up against Andrew Sopko at 7:05.

Game 1: Salem 5, Buies Creek 4

W- Dedgar Jimenez (5-1)
L- Brett Adcock (1-2, 2-2 season)
S- Trevor Kelley (3)

BC home runs: Jake Rogers (3, 9 season; solo in 5th)

Buies Creek's comeback bid fell one run short.

Jake Rogers led off the 5th with a solo homer. Ryne Birk followed with a double then advanced to 3rd thanks to an error on the play. He would score on an Anthony Hermelyn groundout. Arturo Michelena hit a 2-run single in the 7th to cut the deficit to one run, but that was as close as they could get. Birk finished 2-3 and scored twice.

Brett Adcock pitched 5 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits (solo and 3-run homers), walked 2, and struck out 5. Cristian Javier made his season debut as the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen and in 1.2 innings, he walked 3 and also struck out 3. Nick Hernandez got the final out of the 7th inning.

Would game 2 have a better result for the Astros?

Game 2: Salem 5, Buies Creek 1

W- Daniel Gonzalez (1-0)
L- Jorge Alcala (1-1, 3-1 season)
S- Gerson Bautista (2)

BC home runs: None.

The Red Sox swept the twinbill to come out on top in the battle of the Carolina League's best.

Anibal Sierra spoiled the shutout with an RBI single in the 7th inning. Pat Porter's double was the Astros' only extra-base hit in game 2.

Jorge Alcala went 3.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Howie Brey pitched the final 3.1 innings and the one hit he allowed was a 2-run homer hit by Chad de la Guerra in the 7th inning. He also walked 2 and struck out 3.

Buies Creek is on the road again. Matt Bower will start the first of a 4-game series against the Frederick Keys (Orioles). He'll face Brian Gonzalez at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Peoria 0

W- Enoli Paredes (1-3)
L- Bryan Dobzanski (0-4)
S- Ryan Hartman (1)

QC home runs: Osvaldo Duarte (3, solo in 2nd)

Osvaldo Duarte took another step towards righting the ship following a rough start in the Carolina League, while Enoli Paredes and Ryan Hartman joined forces to keep the Chiefs off the scoreboard.

Paredes pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5, while Hartman finished it off by allowing 4 hits and striking out 5 in 4 innings of work.

The Banditos scored a pair in the opening frame off a bases-loaded situation and didn't need a hit to do so: Marcos Almonte walked in Stephen Wrenn and one batter later, Ronnie Dawson got plunked, which allowed Carmen Benedetti to score. Osvaldo Duarte launched a homer to lead off the 2nd and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 3rd. Duarte, Wrenn, Rodrigo Ayarza, and Yordan Alvarez finished with two hits apiece.

Quad Cities welcomes the Beloit Snappers to Modern Woodmen Park for the weekend. Dustin Hunt starts game 1 and he'll go up against Brendan Butler at 6:35.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Enoli Paredes' photo taken by Bryan Green

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers

W 4-0 vs. Peoria

9 IP, 6 H, BB, 10 K

Enoli Paredes: W (1-3), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K

Ryan Hartman: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, 5 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Quad Cities

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

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Corpus Christi

5.2 IP, 4 H, BB, 8 K

Drew Ferguson, OF, and Kristian Trompiz, IF, Corpus Christi

Ferguson: 2-6, RBI; 22-game hitting streak

Trompiz: Walk-off RBI single in 10th

Kevin Comer, RHP, Fresno

Save (1, 2 season), 2 IP, H, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 19, 2017

Welcome to the Carolina League, Jorge Alcala!

Fresno 10, Memphis 2

W- Kevin Comer (1-0)
L- Luke Weaver (3-1)

Fresno home runs: D.J. Fisher (10, solo in 7th)

Memphis starter Luke Weaver allowed just one run in his four starts prior to this contest. The Grizzlies tagged him for 6 runs in the first two frames; 4 of those runs were earned. Fresno scored 4 more in the 7th for good measure as they took game 1 from the Redbirds.

Mike Hauschild went 4.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 8 hits, walked 5, and struck out 3. The bullpen picked him up and finished this one off with 4.2 scoreless innings.

Kevin Comer was first; he got Hauschild out of a bases-loaded predicament in the 5th and went on to throw 1.2 perfect frames, striking out 2. Reymin Guduan followed with 2 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3. Aaron West worked around a hit to finish the game, striking out 1 in the 9th.

D.J. Fisher and Teoscar Hernandez hit one-out singles in the 1st inning to bring up Colin Moran, who put the Grizz on the board with an RBI single. Teoscar wound up scoring on a wild pitch, and Tyler White, who was at the plate at the time, wound up ripping an RBI double. Reid Brignac and Andrew Aplin led off the 2nd with singles; Brignac eventually scored on a Tony Kemp groundout. Fisher reached on a fielder's choice and Teoscar singled and advanced to 2nd on the play. They both scored on an error that allowed Moran to reach; he ended up moving to 3rd on another error on the play.

Fisher led off the 7th with a homer. The Grizzlies then got an RBI single from A.J. Reed, an RBI double from Juan Centeno, and a run-scoring groundout from Brignac. Centeno extended his hitting streak to 16 games with that two-bagger. Fisher (solo HR, 3 R), Teoscar (RBI, 2 R), Moran (RBI, 2 R), Reed (2B, RBI, R), and Andrew Aplin all finished with two hits on the evening. Fisher is the first man in the system to hit 10 home runs this year.

Francis Martes will go up against Marco Gonzales in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 2, Frisco 1 in 10 innings

W- Josh James (3-1)
L- Joe Filomeno (0-2)
S- Andrew Thome (2, 3 season)

CC home runs: Jon Singleton (8, solo in 2nd), Antonio Nuñez (2, solo in 10th)

Nine innings wasn't enough to decide the outcome of this game, but the Hooks only needed one extra inning to do just that.

The two solo shots you see above were the Hooks' only scoring plays of the game. Tony Nuñez entered this season with zero career home runs; he now has two after sending one out in the first extra frame to put Corpus in front. Drew Ferguson went 2-4 with a stolen base (9); he is now on a 16-game hitting streak. He appeared as a pinch-runner on May 11 but did not have a plate appearance, so his streak is technically still active.

Rogelio Armenteros issued a walk and struck out 5 in 5 shutout innings. Josh James tagged in for 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on a wild pitch, 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Andrew Thome earned the save with a 1-2-3 10th; he got two groundball outs and struck out Drew Vettleson to end the game.

Cy Sneed gets the call in game 2. He'll face Ariel Jurado at 7:05.

Buies Creek 7, Down East 1

W- Jorge Alcala (1-0, 3-0 season)
L- Wes Benjamin (2-4)
S- Sebastian Kessay (1)

BC home runs: Spencer Johnson (1, 4 season; 3-run in 5th), Ryne Birk (3, 2-run in 7th)

Make it 2-0 for the Astros system over the Rangers on Friday night.

The Carolina Stros broke a 0-0 game wide open by scoring 4 runs in the 5th inning. Three of those runs came off the bat of one Spencer Johnson, who connected for his first Carolina League home run.

Before Johnson launched that 3-run homer off Wes Benjamin, Ryne Birk opened the scoring with a sac fly. Jason Martin went 3-4 with a sac fly in the 6th, and Birk capped off the scoring with a 2-run blast in the 7th. Johnson and Myles Straw both finished 2-4. After a terrible slump that saw his average drop to .218 on May 10, Birk has responded with hits in 7 of his last 8 games.

Jorge Alcala was a winner in his first Carolina League start; he went 6 innings, and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer hit by Josh Altmann in the 6th. Alcala allowed 2 other hits, walked 3, and fanned 6. Sebastian Kessay struck out 2 over 3 perfect frames to finish off the game.

Yoanys Quiala will take on Richelson Peña in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Kane County 5, Quad Cities 0

W- Jon Duplantier (4-0)
L- Enoli Paredes (0-3)
S- Jake Winston (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos are not enjoying their time in Chicago's suburbs... they were blanked for the second consecutive night.

Rodrigo Ayarza went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game. Ayarza also extended his hitting streak to 8 games. Stephen Wrenn tripled, which was Quad Cities' only extra-base hit of the evening.

Enoli Paredes went 4.1 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Ronel Blanco extracted him from a bases-loaded jam in the 5th and then got victimized by some not-good defense in the 7th; Quad Cities committed 3 errors in the bottom of the 7th which led to 4 runs, all of which were unearned. Blanco went 2.2 innings and allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Salvador Montaño threw a 1-2-3 8th.

Ryan Hartman gets the start in game 3. First pitch is at 6:30.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jorge Alcala's photo by Bryan Green

Buies Creek Astros pitchers

W 7-1 @ Down East

9 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Jorge Alcala: W (1-0, 3-0 season), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Sebastian Kessay: Save (1), 3 IP, 2 K

Always one in every crowd.... @BigJohnson_34 pic.twitter.com/sVUN2pdDIW

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) April 27, 2017

Photo by Rich Guill

Spencer Johnson, 1B, Buies Creek

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

Ryne Birk, 2B, Buies Creek

1-3, sac fly, 2-R HR (3), 3 RBI

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers

W 2-1 (10 innings) @ Frisco

Rogelio Armenteros: 5 IP, BB, 5 K

Josh James: W (3-1), 4 IP, 5 H, unearned run, BB, K

Andrew Thome: Save (2, 3 season), IP, K

Antonio Nuñez, IF, Corpus Christi

Go-ahead solo HR (2) in 10th

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno

2-5, solo HR (10), 3 R

Fresno Grizzlies bullpen

W 10-2 vs. Memphis

4.2 IP, 4 H, BB, 6 K

Kevin Comer: W (1-0), 1.2 IP, 2 K

Reymin Guduan: 2 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Aaron West: IP, H, K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 15, 2017

Nashville 4, Fresno 1

W- Chris Bassitt (1-0)
L- Casey Coleman (1-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizz dropped game 1 to the Sounds, but they spoiled the shutout, at least.

Tony Kemp doubled to lead off the 9th and scored the Grizzlies' only run on a Preston Tucker sac fly. Teoscar Hernandez and Juan Centeno had 2 hits apiece; Centeno extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

Casey Coleman went 5.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (2 solo shots), walked 2, and struck out 6. Kevin Comer was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 2.1 innings. Ryan Thompson allowed a hit, issued an intentional walk, and plunked another guy, but he managed to throw a scoreless 9th.

The series continues at 6:35 Pacific as David Martinez goes up against Jharel Cotton.

San Antonio 2, Corpus Christi 0

W- Michael Kelly (2-1)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (0-3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks offense went MIA in game 1.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 5.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 10 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Riley Ferrell followed with 2.1 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 3.

Drew Ferguson and Garrett Stubbs had the only two Corpus hits; Stubbs hit a double.

Kyle Smith will take the mound in game 2. He'll face Enyel de los Santos at 7:05.

Buies Creek 4, Myrtle Beach 2

W- Sebastian Kessay (3-1)
L- Tommy Thorpe (2-2)
S- Ralph Garza Jr. (2)

BC home runs: Anthony Hermelyn (1, 2-run in 7th)

Business picked up after 6 innings of no scoring as both sides scored twice in the 7th inning. Buies Creek, however, had the final say as they scored two more in the 8th.

Anthony Hermelyn opened the scoring with a 2-run homer in the 7th inning. Anibal Sierra walked to lead off the 8th, advanced to 2nd on a passed ball, and scored the go-ahead run on a Jason Martin double. Martin scored the final run of the evening on a double from Myles Straw. Ryne Birk and Randy César had 2 hits apiece.

Framber Valdez tossed 6 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 5. Sebastian Kessay pitched the 7th inning and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 over the final 2 innings to record the save.

Elieser Hernandez would have started game 2... but he was just placed on the DL. His replacement will face Adbert Alzolay at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 7, Burlington 1

W- Carson LaRue (4-1)
L- Travis Herrin (0-3)
S- Abdiel Saldaña (1)

QC home runs: Chuckie Robinson (2, solo in 4th), Taylor Jones (2, solo in 5th)

It was a nice day for the Banditos: They got a couple of fine pitching performances, scored in four straight innings, and inched closer to .500.

Carson LaRue and Abdiel Saldaña joined forces to take down Burlington; LaRue allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7 in 6 innings, and Saldaña allowed a hit, walked 2, and fanned 3 over the final 3 innings.

No one in the Quad Cities lineup stood out on offense, but they did their part and also took advantage of a couple of gaffes in the field. Chuckie Robinson opened the scoring with a solo blast in the 4th inning, his second straight game with a homer. Taylor Jones launched a solo shot in the 5th,

Rodrigo Ayarza led off the 6th by drawing a walk and scored on an error following a sac bunt from Marcos Almonte. Robinson, who joined Ayarza on the bases after walking, moved to 3rd on the Bees' miscue and scored on a sac fly from Yordan Alvarez. Stephen Wrenn ripped an RBI double in the 7th and ended up scoring thanks to an error on the play. Almonte capped off the afternoon with a sac fly later in the inning.

The River Bandits and the Bees will continue their series with another afternoon outing. Dustin Hunt will take on Joe Gatto at 11:00 AM.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Framber Valdez, LHP, Buies Creek

6 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K

Abdiel Saldaña's photo by Bryan Green

Carson LaRue, RHP, and Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, Quad Cities

LaRue: W (4-1), 6 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 7 K

Saldaña: Save (1), 3 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Riley Ferrell, RHP, Corpus Christi

2.1 IP, H, 3 K

Kevin Comer, RHP, Fresno

2.1, H, BB, 3 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, Quad Cities

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

HR in 2nd straight game