California League South Division Final Game 2 Recap

High Desert evened the South Division Final at one game apiece with their 15-7 victory on Sunday. Jason Martin and Johnny Sewald launched 2 home runs in the game; both of Martin's homers were solo shots, while Sewald hit a solo home run in the 1st and a 2-run shot in the 9th. Bryan Muñiz finished 2-4 with a 2-run single in the 5th inning and allowed a run on 2 hits in the 8th.

Martin now has 4 home runs this postseason, while those were Sewald's first two of the playoffs.

The pitchers.... got shelled, and I'll leave it at that.

Game 3 will be in Lancaster at 6:35 Pacific. Brock Dykxhoorn will take on Collin Wiles.

Game 2's Stars

Johnny Sewald, OF

2-5, 2 HR (2), 3 RBI

Jason Martin, OF

2-4, 2 solo HR (4)

Bryan Muñiz, 1B

2-4, 2 RBI; IP, 2 H, ER

Astros Minor League Playoff Recaps

Results for Friday, September 9, 2016

JetHawks move on after their show of force in the mini-series.

Texas League South Division Series: Midland 7, Corpus Christi 5

Midland leads series 2-1.

W- Kyle Friedrichs
L- Jacob Dorris

CC home runs: Bobby Boyd (1, 3-run in 4th)

The Hooks were stunned by a 5-run bottom of the 9th, which culminated with Viosergy Rosa hitting a walk-off grand slam to give the RockHounds the series lead.

All 5 Corpus Christi runs came in the 4th inning, as Bobby Boyd launched a 3-run homer, Drew Ferguson ripped an RBI double, and Garrett Stubbs flared a ball into right field for an RBI single. Stubbs and J.D. Davis had 3 hits apiece in the game.

Rogelio Armenteros went 5 innings and allowed a run on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Ryan Thompson was the first man out of the bullpen, and in 2 innings, he allowed a run on 4 hits and struck out 1. Michael Freeman got the first out of the 8th via strikeout. Jacob Dorris was next, and in 1.1 innings, he allowed 4 unearned runs (3 inherited runners charged to him), a single, walked 1, and struck out 2. Ryan Deemes served up the walk-off grand slam to Rosa with 2 outs in the 9th.

Cy Sneed will start game 4 of this series. He'll face Brandon Mann at 7:00.

California League South Division Mini-Series: Lancaster 21, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Lancaster wins series 2-1.

W- Akeem Bostick
L- Adam Bray

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin 2 (2; grand slam in 3rd, 2-run in 6th), Osvaldo Duarte (1, 2-run in 3rd), Kyle Tucker (1, 2-run in 6th), Bryan Muñiz (1, 3-run in 7th)

The JetHawks advanced to the South Division Final behind an incredible show of force. In the 2 games at The Hangar, they scored 38 runs and launched 12 home runs.

Just like Thursday, everyone in the original starting lineup had a hit and scored a run.

Akeem Bostick went 6.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 3. Ralph Garza Jr. walked 2 and struck out 3 in 1.1 innings, and Juan Carlos Santos allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in the 9th.

Next up for the JetHawks is the South Division Final and a date with High Desert. Game 1 from Adelanto will start at 6:35 Pacific.

Friday's Stars

Photo from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page

Lancaster JetHawks: W 21-6 vs. Rancho Cucamonga

Advanced to California League South Division Final

Jason Martin: 3-5, 2 HR (2), 7 RBI, 3 R

Bryan Muñiz: 4-5, 2B, 3-R HR (1), 3 R

Osvaldo Duarte: 3-5, solo HR (1), 3 RBI, 3 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Tacoma 5, Fresno 0

W- Joe Wieland (13-6)
L- Chris Cotton (0-1, 1-2 season)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies were kept off the board, and the Rainiers put this game away with 3 runs in the 6th.

Alejandro Garcia had 2 of Fresno's 3 hits in this game, which were all singles. Tyler Heineman had the other single.

Brady Rodgers was pulled after 2 innings, walking 1 and striking out 4. Chris Cotton was the first man out, and in 3 innings, he allowed an unearned run on a groundout, a single, and walked 2. Reymin Guduan only recorded one out in the 6th; he allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him), a single, and walked 2. Kevin Chapman allowed 2 hits and struck out 4 in 1.2 innings, and James Hoyt allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the 8th.

David Paulino will start game 3 of this series. He'll face Jarrett Grube at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 2

W- Trent Thornton (3-1, 10-5 season)
L- Ryne Slack (2-4)
S- Jacob Dorris (3, 13 season)

CC home runs: None.

Trent Thornton delivered yet another fine performance on the mound and the Hooks doubled up the Roughriders to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Thornton allowed 2 runs on 8 hits and struck out 2 in his 8 innings, and Jacob Dorris struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Drew Ferguson led off the 4th with a triple and scored the Hooks' first run on a sac fly from Mott Hyde. Frisco re-took the lead with a run in the 5th, but Corpus scored the final three runs of the game.

Ferguson drew a two-out walk in the 6th and scored the tying run on a Conrad Gregor triple. J.D. Davis drew a bases-loaded walk in the 7th, and Roberto Peña drove in the final run of the evening with a groundout in the 8th. Ferguson and Nick Tanielu finished with 2 hits apiece in this game.

In game 3 of this series, Francis Martes will face Connor Sadzeck. First pitch is at 7:05.

Lancaster 15, Rancho Cucamonga 1

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (10-4)
L- Felipe Gonzalez (3-7)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin (23, 3-run in 8th)

The JetHawks turned this game into a laugher by scoring 11 runs in the final 3 innings.

Everyone in the starting 9+1 scored a run, and Jason Martin, fresh off a 2-homer night, launched another home run.

Brock Dykxhoorn dominated on the mound, allowing 3 hits, walking 2, and striking out 8 over 7 shutout innings. Rancho spoiled the shutout by scoring a run off of Juan Carlos Santos in the 8th. In 2 innings, Santos allowed 6 hits and struck out 1. 

In the series finale, Akeem Bostick will face Chris Anderson. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Kane County 5, Quad Cities 2

W- Alex Gunn (1-0)
L- Framber Valdez (1-3, 4-4 season)
S- Austin Mason (3)

QC home runs: Stephen Wrenn (3, 12 season; 2-run in 3rd)

Stephen Wrenn's homer gave the Banditos a 2-1 lead, but that was their only scoring play of the game, and the Cougars scored the final 4 runs of the game to win on Wednesday. Bobby Wernes finished 2-4 out of the leadoff spot.

Framber Valdez allowed 3 runs (2 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 6.2 innings. Nick Hernandez got the final out of the 7th and the first two outs of the 8th; he allowed 2 unearned runs that scored after he left, 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Zac Person struck out 1 over the final 1.1 innings.

Hector Perez will start game 2 of this series. He'll go up against Carlos Hernandez at 7:00.

Vermont 5, Tri-City 3

W- Heath Bowers (3-7)
L- Erasmo Pinales (2-3)
S- Dalton Sawyer (3)

TC home runs: Connor Goedert (2, 7 season; solo in 3rd)

The ValleyCats tied the game at 3 in the top of the 6th... but the Lake Monsters quickly broke the tie with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the inning. 

Connor Goedert's solo blast in the 3rd inning put Tri-City on the board and tied the game at 1 at that point. Vermont responded with 2 in the bottom of the 3rd to regain the lead, but the ValleyCats clawed their way back into it, as Rodrigo Ayarza hit an RBI single in the 5th and Taylor Jones ripped an RBI double in the 6th. Ayarza went 2-4 out of the leadoff spot.

Jorge Alcala went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. Erasmo Pinales pitched 2 innings, and the 2 runs he allowed came on a home run hit by JaVon Shelby in the 6th inning. Pinales allowed one other hit, walked 2, and struck out 3. Devin Raftery threw a 1-2-3 9th; he got 2 groundouts and recorded a strikeout.

The ValleyCats are back at The Joe for their final home series of the season. Makay Nelson will start the first of a 3-game series with Staten Island at 7:00 Eastern, and he'll go up against his fellow Utahn, Kolton Mahoney.

Greeneville 6, Elizabethton 2

W- Jorge Guzman (2-3, 3-4 season)
L- Domenick Carlini (1-7)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros jumped out to a 5-0 lead to win their penultimate game of the season.

Juan Robles went 3 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Jorge Guzman was the first man out of the bullpen, and all he did in his 4 innings was allow 2 hits and strike out 5. The Twins spoiled the shutout with 2 runs off Reggie Johnson; both of them were unearned. Johnson allowed 2 hits and fanned 2 in his 2 innings of work.

Stijn van der Meer doubled to lead off the bottom of the 1st inning. He advanced to 3rd when Frankeny Fernandez laid down a sacrifice bunt and scored the first run of the evening on an Abraham Toro sac fly. In the 4th, Jonathan Arauz hit a sac fly and Ruben Castro added a 2-run single. Van der Meer hit a one-out single in the 5th and dashed home on a Frankeny Fernandez triple. Castro, who finished 2-4, capped off the scoring with an RBI triple in the 9th. Chaz Pal (2B, R) and van der Meer (2B, 2 R) also finished with 2 hits.

The Appy Astros will wrap up their season tonight at 7:00 Eastern. Diogenes Almengo will take on Jose Martinez.

GCL Astros 5, GCL Marlins 0

W- Bryan Abreu (2-4, 2-5 season)
L- Edward Cabrera (2-6)
S- Hansel Paulino (2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros busted out for 4 runs in the 4th, and 4 pitchers combined to keep the Marlins off the board.

Tyson Perez made his 2016 debut in the second-to-last game of the season, and he allowed a hit and struck out 1 in a scoreless 1st inning. Bryan Abreu was the first man out, and in 3 innings, he allowed 3 hits and struck out 5. Ronel Blanco allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 over 2.2 scoreless, and Hansel Paulino walked 1 and struck out 4 over the final 2.1 innings.

Bernardo Heras opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 4th inning, and Brody Westmoreland followed with an RBI single of his own. L.P. Pelletier capped off the scoring in the inning with a 2-run single, and Jose Benjamin ripped an RBI double in the 5th. Benjamin finished 3-4, while Pelletier and Wander Franco both went 2-4.

This game served as the GCL Astros' season finale; today's game with the Cardinals was cancelled due to wet grounds.

Wednesday's Stars

Jose Benjamin, OF, GCL Astros: 3-4, 2B, RBI, R

Lancaster JetHawks

W 15-1 vs. Rancho Cucamonga

Kyle Tucker: 4-5, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R

Jason Martin: 3-5, 2B, 3-R HR (23), 4 RBI, 2 R

Aaron Mizell: 2-4, 3B, 3 RBI, R

Brock Dykxhoorn: W (10-4), 7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K

Jorge Guzman, RHP, Greeneville

W (2-3, 3-4 season), 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Ruben Castro, C, Greeneville

2-4, 3B, 3 RBI

Trent Thornton and Jacob Dorris, RHPs, Corpus Christi

Thornton: W (3-1, 10-5 season), 8 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 K

Dorris: Save (3, 13 season), IP, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, July 9, 2016 

Let's play two in Fresno!

Game 1: Fresno 5, Reno 0

W- Brad Peacock (3-4)
L- Braden Shipley (7-5)

Fresno home runs: None.

In the first game of the twinbill, Brad Peacock dominated on the mound. He went the distance, allowing just 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 12. The 12 strikeouts is the most that he's recorded as a member of the Astros organization; his career high for Ks is 14, which occurred on May 13, 2011, when he was with Harrisburg in the Nationals organization.

Jon Singleton opened the scoring with a 2-run double in the 4th inning. Tyler White ripped a 2-run double of his own in the 5th, and Tony Kemp capped off the scoring in game 1 with a sac fly in the 6th. Singleton and Kemp both finished 2-3.

How did the Grizzlies fare in game 2?

Game 2: Fresno 4, Reno 3

W- James Hoyt (4-3)
L- Jimmie Sherfy (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Max Stassi (5, solo in 6th)

The Aces tied the game at 3 in the top of the 6th, but Max Stassi quickly re-established Fresno's advantage by smacking a solo homer in the bottom half. And so, the Grizzlies won their final series before the AAA All-Star break by sweeping the doubleheader.

Jordan Jankowski went 3 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Josh Fields and James Hoyt pitched 2 innings apiece; Fields allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 4, and Hoyt allowed a run on 4 hits and struck out 3.

Tony Kemp drove in the first run of game 2 with an RBI single in the 2nd inning, and Teoscar Hernandez added an RBI groundout later in the frame. Teoscar added an RBI single to his ledger in the 4th, and Stassi's home run in the 6th turned out to be the game-winning hit. Stassi finished 2-3 in the game, and Kemp did so as well.

The Triple-A All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 13 at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte. Brady Rodgers, James Hoyt, and Mike Hauschild will represent the Grizzlies on the Pacific Coast League All-Star team.

Fresno will return to action on Thursday when they begin a 4-game series in New Orleans.

Corpus Christi 7, Tulsa 6

W- Kyle Smith (3-5)
L- Ralston Cash (5-3)
S- Aaron West (12)

CC home runs: None.

The missed extra point turned out to be the difference here... sorry, I was still in football mode. I was covering the Texas State 7-on-7 Football Tournament in College Station this weekend, so I'm still trying to recover from that.

The Hooks trailed 6-0 after the 2nd inning, but they turned the tables on the Drillers, culminating in a 6-run 7th inning that put them in the lead.

Kent Emanuel only lasted 2 innings and allowed 6 runs on 8 hits (3-run homer) and struck out 2. However, the Hooks bullpen picked him up by keeping the Drillers off the scoreboard for the final 7 innings. Kyle Smith allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over 4 scoreless innings. Chris Cotton allowed a hit and walked 1 in 1.1 innings, and Aaron West pitched the final 1.2 innings to get the save; he allowed 2 hits and fanned 1.

Roberto Peña drove in Corpus Christi's first run with an RBI groundout in the 6th. The Hooks quickly found themselves down to their final out in the 6th, but Chase McDonald, Danry Vásquez, and Nick Tanielu all singled to load the bases. Alejandro Garcia followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Peña added an RBI single, and then James Ramsay hit a double. He was credited with 2 RBI on the play, and an error allowed him and Peña to score the go-ahead runs. McDonald and Garcia had 2 hits apiece; here's Ramsay's go-ahead double:





Inland Empire 6, Lancaster 2

W- Jason Hoppe (1-2)
L- Dean Deetz (4-5)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks scored first, but the 66ers finished up the game on a 6-0 run.

Lancaster's two runs both came in the 4th inning; Jason Martin grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Johnny Sewald, and one batter later, Trent Woodward hit an RBI single.

Dean Deetz went 7 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 3, and fanned 6. Kevin McCanna allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and struck out 1 in the 8th inning.

Clinton 3, Quad Cities 0

W- Luiz Gohara (1-0)
L- Albert Abreu (2-7)
S- Spencer Herrmann (2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos couldn't get much going on offense; that is because the top third of the order had all of the hits, and they were all singles. Myles Straw and Kyle Tucker both went 2-4, while Osvaldo Duarte finished 1-4.

Albert Abreu allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 2 in 5 innings. Chris Murphy allowed 3 hits and struck out 1 over 3 scoreless innings, and Ralph Garza Jr. worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th.

Tri-City 4, West Virginia 3

W- Enrique Chavez (1-0)
L- James Marvel (1-3)
S- Nick Hernandez (1)

TC home runs: None.

Tri-City hung on to the win by staving off a 9th-inning rally from the Black Bears.

Taylor Jones opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 4th. In the 5th, Stephen Wrenn legged out an RBI bunt single. Jones added an RBI single to his ledger in the 6th, and Alex DeGoti smacked an RBI ground-rule double in the 7th. Jones finished 3-4, while DeGoti (2B, RBI, SB [5]) and Brauly Mejia (2 R) both went 2-4.

Enrique Chavez allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 over 5 shutout innings. Hector Perez tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits, walking 4, and striking out 5. Nick Hernandez closed it out, but not before he allowed a 2-run double that cut the ValleyCats' lead to 1 and allowed the two runners he inherited from Perez to score. Hernandez struck out the side.

Elizabethton 4, Greeneville 3

W- Alex Schick (1-0)
L- Diogenes Almengo (0-1)
S- Colton Davis (3)

Greeneville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra 2 (8; solo in 1st, solo in 8th)

So, when will Miguelangel Sierra be promoted?

Sierra recorded his first career multi-homer game in this one by smacking two solo shots: the first led off the bottom of the 1st inning, and he sent another one out in the 8th. Luis Payano ripped an RBI double in the 9th to cut the Appy Astros' deficit to one run, but he was stranded there to end the game. Ray Henderson finished 2-4 with a double.

Diogenes Almengo went 2.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (all on a home run) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Patrick Sandoval allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6 in 4.1 innings, and Devin Raftery struck out the side in order in the 8th inning.

DSL Astros Blue 8, DSL Phillies 7 in 11 innings

W- Juan Cuevas (5-2)
L- Steiner Carmona (1-2)

Blue home runs: None.

Samir Caraballo finished 4-4 with a double and 2 RBI. Angel Tejeda finished 2-4 with 2 runs scored; Orlando Marquez also scored twice.

Juan Cuevas got the win, allowing 2 hits over 2 scoreless innings.

DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Rangers2 5

W- Miguel Matos (2-0)
L- Enmanuel Betances (0-2)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team surprised the Rangers with a late rally to take control.

Kendy Moya went 4-5 with a run scored, and Ronaldo Urdaneta was 2-4 with 2 RBI and a stolen base (7).

Miguel Matos allowed a solo homer to Adrian Pernalete in the 9th, which was the only run he allowed. Matos allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 5 in 3 innings of work.

Saturday's Stars

Photo by Bryan Green

Miguelangel Sierra, SS, Greeneville

2-4, 2 solo HR (8)

Brad Peacock, RHP, Fresno

CG, 3 H, BB, 12 K in game 1 of doubleheader

Kyle Smith, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (3-5), 4 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Enrique Chavez, RHP, Tri-City

5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Results for Sunday, July 10, 2016

Tulsa 7, Corpus Christi 6

W- Joe Broussard (3-0)
L- Michael Freeman (3-3)
S- Gus Schlosser (2)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (8, 10 season; 3-run in 7th)

Jack Mayfield's blast tied the game at 6, but the Drillers went back in front with a run in the bottom of the 7th.

Chase McDonald put Corpus on the board with an RBI infield single in the 4th, and one batter later, Mott Hyde added a 2-run single. McDonald finished 2-4 on the day.

Edison Frias went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Michael Freeman allowed 2 runs on 5 hits in 2 innings, and Ryan Thompson pitched a 1-2-3 8th.

Keegan Yuhl will start the series finale. He'll face Lisalverto Bonilla at 7:05.

Lancaster 17, Inland Empire 0

W- Akeem Bostick (1-1, 2-2 season)
L- Alex Klonowski (6-9)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin (16, 2-run in 6th), Brooks Marlow (4, 6 season; 2-run in 6th)

Total domination from the JetHawks on Sunday night.

On the mound, Akeem Bostick and Andrew Thome joined forces to throw a 3-hit shutout. Bostick allowed a hit, walked 4, and struck out 6 in 7 innings, and Thome allowed 2 hits and fanned 1 over the final 2 frames.

In the series finale, Brock Dykxhoorn will take on Justin Anderson. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Clinton 12, Quad Cities 5


W- Pablo Lopez (5-0)
L- David Schmidt (2-1, 3-2 season)
S- Joey Strain (7)

QC home runs: None.

It all went horribly wrong for the Banditos after the 5th inning as Clinton seized control with 8 runs in the 6th.

Hector Roa, who finished a home run shy of the cycle in 4 trips to the plate, smashed an RBI double in the 2nd to open the scoring. He added an RBI triple to his ledger in the 4th. Pat Porter finished 2-4 with an RBI single in the 8th. Later in the 8th, Kristian Trompiz hit a sac fly and Roa hit an RBI single.

Elieser Hernandez allowed 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 over 5 shutout innings. David Schmidt, Adam Whitt, and Zac Person all allowed 4 runs out of the bullpen. Schmidt only got 1 out in the 6th. He allowed a hit and walked 3, and 2 of the runs that were charged to him were inherited runners. Whitt pitched 2.2 inning and allowed 4 runs of his own on 4 hits and struck out 1. Person's 4 runs came on 3 hits, and he also walked 2 in the 9th inning.

Jose Luis Hernandez will start the series finale. He'll face Jeffeson Medina at 7:00.

Tri-City 5, West Virginia 3

W- Austin Nicely (2-1)
L- Danny Beddes (0-1)
S- Sean Stutzman (2)

TC home runs: Spencer Johnson (2, 4 season; grand slam in 3rd)

Spencer Johnson led Division I in home runs this past spring, and he's showing off that power. His slam in the 3rd inning put Tri-City on the board and in the lead. Rodrigo Ayarza added an RBI single in the 5th inning. Taylor Jones went 2-4.

Austin Nicely went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and fanned 1. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen, and he allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 3 scoreless. Sean Stutzman struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Tonight, the ValleyCats are in Niles, Ohio, best known as the birthplace of former U.S. President William McKinley. They will be starting a 3-game series with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at 7:05 Eastern. Dustin Hunt will face Luis Jimenez.

Greeneville 4, Elizabethton 1

W- Nathan Thompson (1-0)
L- Sean Poppen (0-2)
S- Salvador Montaño (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros got a couple of late insurance runs to provide some separation between them and the Twins.

Troy Sieber opened the scoring with an RBI single. Tyler Wolfe finished 2-5 with an RBI single in the 7th, and in the 8th, Vicente Sanchez hit an RBI groundout and Marcos Almonte added an RBI single. Almonte and Gabriel Bracamonte also had 2 hits in the game.

Tyler Britton and Nathan Thompson both threw 4 innings; Britton allowed 4 hits and struck out 6, while Thompson allowed a solo homer to Amaurys Minier in the 7th which accounted for Elizabethton's only run. Thompson allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 3. Salvador Montaño worked around a walk to close out the game.

Abdiel Saldaña will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 6, GCL Nationals 5 in 10 innings

W- Dariel Aquino (1-1)
L- Matt Pirro (1-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Nationals tied this game with 4 in the top of the 7th, but the Kissimmee Stros walked off with a victory in the first extra frame.

Bryan Abreu allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5 over 4 scoreless innings. Manuel Gonzalez allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, a single, and struck out 1 in the 5th. Ian Hardman was next; he went 1.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits and struck out 1. Cris Santamaria allowed a hit in 1.1 innings, but the 2 runners he inherited from Hardman scored on a sac fly and a wild pitch. Dariel Aquino went 2.1 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.

Juan Piñeda (2 RBI, R, 2 SB [2]) and Reiny Beltre (RBI, R) both finished 2-4. Beltre was plunked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to bring in the winning run.

Sunday's Stars

Photo by Bryan Green

Juan Piñeda, 2B, GCL Astros

2-4, 2 RBI, R, 2 SB (2)

Photo from MiLB.com

Hector Roa, OF, Quad Cities

3-4, 3 RBI; finished HR shy of cycle

Photo from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page

Lancaster JetHawks: W 17-0 @ Inland Empire

Jason Martin: 2-5, 2-R HR (16), 2 R
Brooks Marlow: 3-5, 2B, 2-R HR (4, 6 season), 6 RBI

Tony Nuñez: 3-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R

Bryan Muñiz: 4-6, 4 R

Akeem Bostick: W (1-1, 2-2 season), 7 IP, H, 4 BB, 6 K

Andrew Thome: 2 IP, 2 H, K

Astros Farm Report: 6-6

A couple of roster moves and a brief video in today's abbreviated Astros Farm Report

TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

6-5: RHP Kevin Comer activated from the 7-day DL
6-3: RHP Justin Ferrell activated from the 7-day DL

It was a surprise for me to see Kevin Comer headed to the bullpen shortly before yesterday's game. Comer disappeared to the DL back in April and I hadn't heard another word about him since. According to Comer, he had a shoulder issue and has been rehabbing in Kissimmee. I hope to see him back in action while I'm in Lancaster. I would love to see Comer get consistent back-end relief work. I think he will really shine in that role.

Gabriel Bracamonte - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Another pending move is the addition of  C Gabriel Bracamonte here in Lancaster. He hasn't been added to the roster yet, though. When I saw him in his catcher's gear, I was confused because his build was not that of Garrett Stubbs or Jamie Ritchie. He reminds me of Roberto Pena, build-wise. Let's hope he's as proficient behind the plate as Pena is.

LAGNIAPPE

One thing I'd been eager to see in person was RHP Jacob Dorris whose unorthodox pitching style has been known to baffle many a hitter. I was not disappointed in the least. Here is Dorris with one of his hapless victims from Sunday.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 26, 2016

Lancaster took flight and left Stockton in the dust.

Let's play 2 in Beloit!

Fresno with the....

Fresno 5, Oklahoma City 4

W- Brady Rodgers (3-3)
L- Zach Lee (6-2)
S- James Hoyt (10)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (3, solo in 2nd), Preston Tucker (1, solo in 6th)

The Grizz completed the sweep as they withstood a late rally from the Dodgers that cut their lead to 1. On the offensive side, Jon Kemmer and Preston Tucker posted multi-hit performances.

Kemmer went 3-3 with 2 runs scored and put Fresno on the board first with his solo shot in the 2nd inning. Fresno got 3 in the 5th as Nolan Fontana hit an RBI single and Danny Worth smacked a 2-run double. Big Tuck finished 2-4 with 2 runs scored and smacked a solo homer in the 6th for Fresno's final run.

Brady Rodgers went 6.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Jandel Gustave got the final out of the 7th and threw a 1-2-3 8th, striking out 2. James Hoyt worked around a hit to record his 10th save of the season, striking out 2 in a scoreless 9th.

Tonight, the Grizzlies will begin a 4-game set against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Mike Hauschild will start game 1, and he'll face Tyler Cravy at 7:05 Pacific.

Arkansas 8, Corpus Christi 4

W- Troy Scribner (3-2)
L- Kyle Smith (0-5)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as the Travs got the jump on Kyle Smith.

Smith allowed 8 runs on 10 hits (2 2-run homers and a solo), walked 3, and struck out 1 in 3.2 innings. Angel Heredia stopped the bleeding with 3.1 scoreless; he allowed 4 hits and struck out 5. Michael Freeman walked 1 and struck out 1 in 2 scoreless innings.

J.D. Davis put Corpus on the board with a sac fly in the 7th. Later in the inning, Alejandro Garcia whacked a 2-run double. Alex Bregman finished 2-4 with an RBI double in the 8th. Carlos Gomez continued his rehab by serving as the Hooks' 1B coach in this one.

The Hooks will welcome the other Arkansas club, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, to Whataburger Field for the weekend. Game 1 of this series is at 7:05; Corpus has yet to announce a starter for tonight's game.

Lancaster 29, Stockton 11

W- Ryan Deemes (1-0, 2-0 season)
L- Brett Graves (2-5)

Lancaster home runs: Bryan Muñiz 2 (5; 2-run in 4th, solo in 6th), Jason Martin (5, 3-run in 3rd), Ramon Laureano (1, grand slam in 4th), Brooks Marlow (1, 3 season; 2-run in 6th), Garrett Stubbs (5, solo in 7th), Bobby Boyd (3, grand slam in 7th)

Ladies and gentlemen, the Lancaster Effect.

- Everyone in the lineup scored. Muñiz and Martin scored 4 apiece, while everyone else scored 3 runs.
- Bobby Boyd and Ramon Laureano both hit grand slams and stole their 20th bases of the season.
- Boyd entered this game with 8 RBI on the season; he drove in 9 in this game.
- Laureano hit his first home run, which means that Kristian Trompiz now has the most RBI without a home run in the system.

Rogelio Armenteros, Alex Winkelman, and Ryan Deemes all pitched 3 innings. Armenteros allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Winkelman, who was making his California League debut, allowed 6 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. The only run that Deemes allowed was a solo homer from Sandber Pimentel in the 7th. He allowed one other hit and struck out 3.

The JetHawks will start a 4-game series with High Desert tonight at 6:35 Pacific. Dean Deetz will be on the mound tonight.

Game 1: Quad Cities 5, Beloit 3

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (2-2)

L- Boomer Biegalski (4-1)

QC home runs: Dex McCall (2, solo in 4th), Pat Porter (2, 2-run in 5th)

The Banditos took the first game of the twinbill by seizing control with a 4-run 5th inning.

Makay Nelson went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and fanned 2 over the final 3 innings to get the win.

Dex McCall's solo shot in the 4th put Quad Cities on the board. Aaron Mizell and Myles Straw ignited the 5th-inning outburst with a pair of singles, and they both moved into scoring position on an Osvaldo Duarte sac bunt. Connor Goedert tied the game at 2 with a sac fly, and McCall ripped an RBI double to put the Bandits in front. One batter later, Pat Porter delivered the big blow, smacking a 2-run homer. McCall finished 2-3.

What did game 2 have in store for Quad Cities?

Game 2: Quad Cities 4, Beloit 3

W- Albert Abreu (1-5)
L- Jared Lyons (2-2)
S- David Schmidt (1)

QC home runs: None.

Once again, the Banditos used a 4-run 5th to edge the Snappers. As a result of the twinbill sweep, they took 2 of 3 in the series and got their payback on the Snappers, who swept them in a doubleheader a couple of weeks ago.

Quad Cities' 4 runs in the 5th inning of game 2 came on a couple of sac flies from Myles Straw and Anthony Hermelyn and a couple of RBI singles from Arturo Michelena and Connor Goedert. Kyle Tucker finished 2-3 with a double and a run scored and was the only player on either side to record a multi-hit game in game 2.

Albert Abreu went 6.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Juan Carlos Santos came on to get the final out, but he hit a batter and issued a walk. David Schmidt was able to get the final out, though.

The Banditos are back home, where they'll start a 4-game series with Peoria tonight at 7. Jose Luis Hernandez will take on Brennan Leitao in the opener.

Three Stars

3.

.@DextureMcCall27 pic.twitter.com/3d4PWuyU0a

— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) April 18, 2016

Photo by Rich Guill
Dex McCall, 1B, Quad Cities
2-3, 2B, solo HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R in game 1 of doubleheader

2.

Jon Kemmer, OF, Fresno

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

1.

Photo from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page

Lancaster JetHawks: W 29-11 vs. Stockton

29 R, 23 H

Bobby Boyd: 4-7, Grand Slam (3), 9 RBI, 3 R

Jason Martin: 5-5, 3-R HR (5), 6 RBI, 4 R

Honorable Mentions

Albert Abreu, RHP, Quad Cities: W (1-5), 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 8 K
- The 3 earned runs may make the final line a little less attractive, and Abreu has largely been up-and-down this year, but there is no doubt that there is a frontline starter in the making. For him, it's just all about putting everything together.

Ryan Deemes, RHP, Lancaster: W (1-0, 2-0 season), 3 IP, 2 H (solo HR), ER, 3 K
- Deemes hasn't been fazed by the extreme environment of Lancaster.

Preston Tucker, OF/DH, Fresno: 2-4, solo HR (1), 2 R
- Tucker has broken out of the post-optioned-to-AAA doldrums with a nice little 4-game hitting streak.

Angel Heredia, RHP, Corpus Christi: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 K
Michael Freeman, LHP, Corpus Christi: 2 IP, BB, K
- Heredia and Freeman both did a nice job to ensure that Arkansas did no further damage.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 16, 2016

The Astros' affiliates had their way against the Padres' affiliates to start the work week.

Nashville 4, Fresno 1

W- Zach Neal (5-1)
L- Mike Hauschild (3-4)
S- J.B. Wendelken (2)

Fresno home runs: Matt Duffy (1, solo in 7th)

The Sounds broke a scoreless tie with 4 in the 6th, and the Grizzlies were unable to respond.

Matt Duffy's solo homer in the 7th was Fresno's only scoring play and one of only three hits on the evening for them. Danny Worth and Jon Singleton had the other two hits; both were singles.

All 4 of Nashville's runs in this game were unearned. Mike Hauschild went 5.1 innings and had 3 inherited runners charged to him. He allowed 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6. Kevin Chapman got the final 2 outs of the 6th via strikeout, but in between those 2 punchouts, Jon Kemmer's miscue in the field resulted in 3 runs for the Sounds; all of those runs were charged to Hauschild. Chapman also allowed an RBI double with 2 outs in the inning; that run was also unearned. Josh Fields got 2 outs in the 7th, walking 1 and striking out 1, and Juan Minaya allowed a hit and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings.

The Grizzlies will look to avoid the sweep tonight as Tommy Shirley takes the mound. He'll face Dillon Overton at 6:35.

Corpus Christi 8, San Antonio 0

W- Brian Holmes (3-1)
L- Bryce Morrow (0-5)

CC home runs: Alex Bregman (8, 2-run in 9th)

Please keep Danry Vásquez and Mott Hyde in your thoughts! They were both involved in a nasty collision while attempting to field a pop fly in the 1st inning of this game. Both of them had to be taken off the field via ambulance.

As for the game itself, the Hooks completely overwhelmed the Missions to take game 1 of this series.

D.J. Fisher opened up the scoring by ripping an RBI triple. He also scored on the same play thanks to an error. J.D. Davis added an RBI groundout in the 3rd. Alex Bregman had a hand in Corpus Christi's final three scoring plays; he smacked a 2-run double in the 5th, scored on a Teoscar Hernandez sac fly in the 7th, and capped off the night with a 2-run homer in the 9th. He finished 3-4 with 2 doubles, the 2-run shot, and scored 3 runs. Conrad Gregor, who just earned his degree from Vanderbilt, also finished 3-4. D.J. Fisher had a double to go along with his RBI triple. James Ramsay was 0-2, but he walked 3 times and scored 3 times.

Brian Holmes allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6 over 5 shutout innings. Michael Freeman and Chris Cotton threw 2 scoreless innings apiece to finish it off. Freeman allowed a hit, while Cotton allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2.

Francis Martes will start for Corpus tonight. He'll face Luis Diaz at 7:05.

Lancaster 19, Lake Elsinore 0

W- Rogelio Armenteros (1-1, 1-3 season)
L- Thomas Dorminy (1-5)

Lancaster home runs: Bryan Muñiz (2, 2-run in 3rd), Jamie Ritchie (2, grand slam in 4th)

The JetHawks took this series in emphatic fashion, scoring 19 runs in a game for the second time this season. They did all of their damage in the first 4 innings, then called off the dogs.

Everyone in the lineup scored.

While Lancaster's offense laid waste to Lake Elsinore's pitchers, Lancaster's pitchers rendered Lake Elsinore's offense useless as Rogelio Armenteros and two relievers tossed a shutout. Armenteros allowed 4 hits and struck out a career-high 9 over 6 shutout innings. Ryan Thompson allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 1.2 scoreless, and Eric Peterson got the final 4 outs of this one, striking out 3.

Lancaster will now begin a 3-game series with Inland Empire tonight at 6:35 Pacific. Trent Thornton will start game 1.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will begin a 3-game series with Clinton today at 11:00 A.M. They have not announced a starter for this game.

Three Stars

Too many individuals to list, so the winning teams share the honors for this one.

Photos are from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page. It is one of the most comprehensive sites for sports logos out there, and I enjoy browsing around there when I'm bored.

Corpus Christi Hooks, W 8-0 @ San Antonio

Alex Bregman: 3-4, 2 2B, 2-R HR (8), 4 RBI

D.J. Fisher: 2-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, R

Brian Holmes: W (3-1), 5 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Michael Freeman: 2 IP, H

Chris Cotton: 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K

Lancaster JetHawks, W 19-0 vs. Lake Elsinore

All players in lineup scored at least 1 run

Nick Tanielu, Jamie Ritchie, and Kristian Trompiz: 4 hits each

Rogelio Armenteros: W (1-1, 1-3 season), 6 IP, 4 H, 9 K

Ryan Thompson: 1.2 IP, H, 2 K

Eric Peterson: 1.1 IP, 3 K

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.

A Look at the Lancaster JetHawks Opening Day Roster

There are not a lot of repeat customers on the Opening Day JetHawks line-up as many players were either promoted to Corpus or (sadly) released. The 'Hawks started their season on the road, losing 4-3 to Giant's affiliate San Jose. Lancaster's home opener will be next Thursday, the 14th, when they will face High Desert, the High A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

Josh James and Elieser Hernandez - August 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Pitching in Lancaster is always an adventure, but when only four healthy pitchers on your Opening Day roster have experience in the California League, it could get downright scary! With Bryan Radziewski, Evan Grills and Christian Powell starting the season on the DL, Akeem Bostick is the only starter with experience at the level. That would certainly explain why Bostick wasn't promoted to Corpus; the JetHawks need an experienced hand. (There is a bit of a logjam in front of him as well.)

Bostick is joined by Elieser Hernandez, Brock Dykxhoorn, Josh James and hard throwing Dean Deetz, all of whom played at Quad Cities in 2015. Trent Thornton, a 2015 fifth round draft pick out of UNC, appeared in Tri-City last year and is leap-frogging Quad Cities in his assignment to Lancaster. Deetz had one of the highest groundball out rates in the system in 2015 and Elieser Hernandez had one of the highest flyball out rates; it will be interesting to see how those tendencies may translate at The Hangar.

Kevin Comer spent time in Lancaster last season in both the starting rotation and in relief. Riley Ferrell, the 3rd round pick from 2015, was used out of the bullpen (when he wasn't on the DL), but he may very well be given a rotation spot if he's gained consistency in a heretofore seldom used changeup. I wouldn't be surprised to see Comer or Ferrell go back and forth from bullpen to rotation as the need arises, but I remain unconvinced that both aren't better suited for the 'pen.

Andrew Walters, a 2015 JetHawk, will return as will Ryan Thompson who appeared for Lancaster at the end of the 2015 season. Angel Heredia and Eric Peterson, two of the more consistent relief pitchers in the organization in 2015, arrive from Quad Cities and Scott Weathersby, a 2015 10th rounder who started a couple of games in addition to his relief work, arrives from Tri-City. As you may have noticed, there is a complete lack of left-handed pitching on the staff. I wouldn't be surprised to see assistance on that front arrive from the 2016 Quad Cities staff sooner rather than later.

Jamie Ritchie is the experienced hand behind the dish for Lancaster, having played for the JetHawks the latter third of the 2015 season. Garrett Stubbs is another 2015 draft pick (8th round) who merited a promotion to Lancaster in only his second season. Stubbs was the 2015 Johnny Bench winner for outstanding college catcher and is definitely a player to watch. Also catching on the squad will be the less experienced Richard Gonzalez who topped out at Tri-City last season.

Marc Wik returns to the 'Hawks after a terrific winter campaign in Australia. He is a true utility player who can play most infield and outfield positions. Jose Fernandez, a journeyman Astro, is in his seventh season. They will be joined by 2015 Quad Cities farmhands 3B Nick Tanielu, 1B Bryan Muniz and SS Kristian Trompiz.

The entire outfield will be new this year (except for utility player Wik). Arriving from Quad Cities are Jason Martin, Bobby Boyd, Ramon Laureano and Drew Ferguson (19th round 2015). Alejandro Garcia, a 24-year old Cuban signing who spent his 2015 season with the DSL, will start his first domestic season with the Astros in Lancaster. I expected Garcia to be moved very aggressively this season and that is definitely the case.

It could be an interesting season for the JetHawks with the lack of experience at the level. Don't be surprised to see a rough start for a few of these players with things leveling out later in the year.

LANCASTER JETHAWKS

RHP Akeem Bostick
RHP Kevin Comer
RHP Deen Deetz
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn
RHP Riley Ferrell
RHP Angel Heredia
RHP Elieser Hernandez
RHP Josh James
RHP Eric Peterson
RHP Ryan Thompson
RHP Trent Thornton
RHP Andrew Walter
RHP Scott Weathersby

C Richard Gonzalez
C Jamie Ritchie
*C Garrett Stubbs

IF Jose Fernandez
1B Bryan Muniz
3B Nick Tanielu
SS Kristian Trompiz
*IF/OF Marc Wik

*OF Bobby Boyd
OF Drew Ferguson
OF Alejandro Garcia
OF Ramon Laureano
*OF Jason Martin

Starting the season on the DL

LHP Evan Grills
RHP Christian Powell
LHP Bryan Radziewski

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

The 2016 Houston Farm System Handbook is now on sale at the low price of $7.99 ($2 off regular price for 2 days only). Get yours today!

2015 Lancaster Offensive Efficiency

2015 Lancaster Offensive Efficiency

By Jeremy Schmidt ( @Jeremy_IP_TTM and @TXLScouting )

When you think about the Cal League, Lancaster in particular, a launching pad offensive environment comes to mind. The 2015 Lancaster JetHawks took full advantage of their extreme hitter friendly ballpark to lead the league with 6.34 runs per game and 174 homeruns. When looking at the offensive efficiency numbers in a league with such polar extreme hitting conditions as the Cal League the averages relative to the league average will usually have a wide spread. The 2015 edition of the JetHawks had a team OE of 48.43 which was nearly 19% better than the league average of 40.72. As talented as the team was the park effects of The Hangar further inflated the offensive numbers. Below are the OE numbers for the JetHawk players that had at least 100 plate appearances. [Click here for the Offensive Efficiency formula.]

1. A.J. Reed - 62.03
2. Sean McMullen - 58.85
3. Chase McDonald - 57.12
4. Brett Phillips - 55.87
5. Derek Fisher - 53.00
6. J.D. Davis - 50.86
7. Ronnie Mitchell - 50.05
8. Jamie Ritchie - 48.25
9. James Ramsay - 47.54
10. Mott Hyde - 46.64
11. Jack Mayfield - 46.55
12. Danry Vasquez - 45.85
13. Marc Wik - 43.88
14. Alex Bregman - 43.06
15. Alfredo Gonzalez - 42.26
16. Brian Holberton - 37.59
17. Jose Fernandez - 28.05

A.J. Reed really took off to start the season and played his way to AA where he continued to mash. Sean McMullen took full advantage of the positive run scoring environment in his short stint with the team; he should start next season back in Lancaster. Chase McDonald finished second in the league in homeruns with 30; aside from his power numbers, McDonald’s stats are nearly identical to last season at Quad Cities. Brett Phillips was spectacular, although he was hurt on the base paths getting caught stealing 43% of the time. Derek Fisher was very good after joining the team; he showed a great power and speed combination in spite of a lower than expected batting average. J.D. Davis matched his numbers from 2014 at a higher level which is a very good sign going forward. Ronnie Mitchell finished with double digit totals in doubles, triples, and homeruns. Jamie Ritchie after his late season call up racked up 25 walks against just 27 strikeouts in only 164 plate appearances; he is another in a very deep catching position for the Astros’ farm system. James Ramsay led the team in hits with 160 but his efficiency number was hurt by being caught stealing 12 times. Mott Hyde in half a season at Lancaster played very well, improving his stock as a 26th round pick. Danry Vasquez played his way to a AA promotion even though his traditional stats didn’t line up with his OE number. Vasquez struggled with the Hooks. Marc Wik is a solid on base player, but it looks like he will end up being squeezed out by other outfielders with louder tools. [Note from Jayne: Wik is being used as a super utility player. As long as he continues to do a lot of things reasonably well, I think he has the opportunity to fill that niche role for some team at some point.] Alex Bregman, the Astros’ first pick in the 2015 draft, played very well in Lancaster. His OE number was hurt by 4 caught stealing and grounding into 5 double plays in limited plate appearances in Lancaster. Alfredo Gonzalez didn’t hit for much power in limited time. Brian Holberton walked at a good rate but did not do much else at the plate. Jose Fernandez did not have a very good year at the plate and was subsequently demoted to Quad Cities.

Traditional statistics for the above players can be found here http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/cYote

Stay tuned for more covering the other Astros farm clubs.

Lancaster JetHawks: 2015 Season in Review

Lancaster ended the season with a 75-65 record in third place in their division, three games behind High Desert and Rancho Cucamonga who were tied for first. The JetHawks made it to the playoffs as a wild card and, although they won the first game in the three-game South Division mini-series which would have sent them to the Division Finals, they ultimately dropped the next two games to High Desert and did not advance. Let's take a look at the team performance within the league and some of the individual standouts.

Keegan Yuhl - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Note all rankings are out of 10 total teams

LANCASTER JETHAWKS TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .291 (1st)
On-base percentage: .369 (1st)
Slugging percentage: .481 (1st)
Doubles: 288 (T3rd)
Triples: 67 (1st)
Home runs: 174 (1st)
Walks: 588 (1st)
Strikeouts: 1196 (3rd)
Stolen bases: 115 (5th)

As you can see, this team had a ton of power and also drew a lot of walks, but they also struck out at a fairly high clip.

LANCASTER JETHAWKS TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 4.60 (7th)
WHIP: 1.417 (7th)
Walks: 463 (2nd)
Strikeouts: 1183 (5th)

A 4.60 ERA might not sound that impressive to some, but it is very good for a team that played half of their games in The Hangar and another dozen or so games in High Desert. That 4.60 mark was the best for the JetHawks since 2008. That walk rate on the other hand ... not so good. But before we dive any further into the pitching on the team, let's first look at some of the offensive standouts.

LANCASTER JETHAWKS BATTING LEADERS (minimum 50 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: A.J. Reed (.346 - 1st in the league)
On-Base Percentage: A.J. Reed (.449 - 1st in the league)
Slugging Percentage: A.J. Reed (.638 - 1st in the league)
Doubles: James Ramsay (32)
Triples: Ronnie Mitchell (11 - T2nd in the league)
Home Runs: Chase McDonald (30 - T2nd in the league)
RBI: J.D. Davis (101 - 2nd in the league)
Stolen Bases: Derek Fisher (23 - 8th in the league)
Walks: A.J. Reed (59 - 2nd in the league)
Runs: J.D. Davis (93 - 3rd in the league)

1B A.J. Reed (22)
Reed may have been promoted to Corpus Christi in mid-July, but he spent enough time in the California League to lead the league in several categories and to win the league Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Postseason All-Star awards. Reed slashed .346/.449/.638 with 16 doubles, four triples, 23 home runs, 81 RBI and 59 walks to 73 strikeouts in his 82 games at that level.

1B Chase McDonald (23)
McDonald's playing time increased following Reed's promotion to Corpus and he ended the season with a .279/.358/.592 line over 105 games with 30 doubles, one triple, 30 home runs and 80 RBI. McDonald's slugging percentage was second in the league behind only A.J. Reed.

3B J.D. Davis (22)
Davis had a great sophomore season, hitting .280/.370/.520 with 28 doubles, three triples, 26 home runs and 101 RBI in 120 games.

OF James Ramsay (23)
Ramsay really came into his own in 2015, hitting a robust .322/.384/.463 with 32 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 64 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 127 games. His average and on-base percentage were third in the league; he was second in the league in hits with 160; and his 88 runs scored were fourth in the league.

OF Ronnie Mitchell (24)
Aside from leading the Astros systems in triples, Mitchell had a very nice season, hitting .286/.356/.496 with 27 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs and 72 RBI.

SS Alex Bregman (21)
The 2015 first round draft pick spent only 29 games with Quad Cities before his promotion to Lancaster where he hit .319/.364/.475 with eight doubles, four triples, three home runs, 21 RBI, eight stolen bases to four caught stealing and 12 walks to 17 strikeouts in 37 games. For the season, Bregman hit .294/.366/.415 with 13 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 34 RBI, 13 stolen bases to six stolen bases and 29 walks to 30 strikeouts in 66 total games.

Several other players were promoted to Lancaster during the season as well. Here's a look at their numbers with Lancaster and their season totals:

IF Mott Hyde (23)
.312/.384/.447 24-2B 4-3B 2HR 49RBI in 74 games at Lancaster
.304/.384/.433 40-2B 5-3B 3HR 67RBI in 124 games for the season

OF Derek Fisher (22)
.262/.354/.471 10-2B 7-3B 16HR 63RBI in 84 games for Lancaster
.275/.364/.483 21-2B 8-3B 22HR 87RBI in 123 games for the season

C Jamie Ritchie (22)
.308/.422/.444 11-2B 2-3B 1HR 8RBI in 39 games at Lancaster
.281/.426/.393 21-2B 4-3B 5HR 35RBI in 111 games for the season

OF Sean McMullen (23)
.293/.394/.511 8-2B 3-3B 2HR 16RBI in 25 games at Lancaster
.255/.343/.429 21-2B 6-3B 7HR 48RBI in 91 games for the season

A few other players were promoted from Lancaster to Corpus Christi during the 2015 season. We'll look at Jack Mayfield and Alfredo Gonzalez, in particular, in conjunction with the Corpus season review, but I did want to make a special note regarding OF Danry Vasquez. Vasquez hit .315/.365/.470 in 40 games in Lancaster, but was unable to duplicate those numbers in his 73 games for the Hooks. He was hitting much better by the end of the season, though, and is over three years younger than the average Texas League position player so there is no reason to believe that Vasquez won't be able to make the necessary adjustments to fully catch up with the higher levels at some point.

LANCASTER JETHAWKS PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 50IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Keegan Yuhl (1.94 in 79IP)
WHIP: Keegan Yuhl (1.203 in 79IP)
Strikeouts: Troy Scribner (111 in 100IP)
Saves: Tyler Brunnemann (5)

It is sometimes difficult to gauge how well a pitcher has done in the California League so I'm going to simply point out a few pitchers that thrived at the level, and a few more that did a good job of surviving it.

RHP Keegan Yuhl (23)
Yuhl was promoted from Quad Cities in mid-May and was so successful with the JetHawks that he earned a spot in the starting rotation by mid-July. Yuhl was 4-1 with a 1.94 ERA and a 1.203 WHIP in 24 appearances (8 starts) for Lancaster. For the season, he compiled a 1.74 ERA and a 1.139 WHIP in 98.1 innings of work.

LHP Brian Holmes (24)
Holmes flourished with Lancaster this season leading to his late May promotion to Corpus Christi. In seven games (four starts) at the level, he had a 2.37 ERA and a 0.923 WHIP over 30.1 innings.

RHP Frances Martes (19)
Martes spent the bulk of his season with Quad Cities where he had a 1.04 ERA and a 0.885 WHIP in 52 innings, but he excelled at Lancaster as well with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.114 WHIP in 35 innings. He was promoted to Corpus Christi in late August and ended the season with a 2.04 ERA and a 1.092 WHIP in 101.2 innings over 19 games (16 starts).

RHP Joe Musgrove (22)
Musgrove also climbed the ladder this season and compiled a 2.40 ERA and a 0.967 WHIP in six games (four starts) for Lancaster. (Look for more about Joe in the Hooks season review coming soon.)

LHP Bryan Radziewski (23)
Following Radziewski's early May promotion to Lancaster, he put together a very solid season with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.357 WHIP in 84 innings at the level (18 games/14 starts). For the season, Radziewski had a 3.48 ERA and a 1.264 WHIP in 106 innings of work.

RHP Kevin Comer (23)
Comer's 4.45 ERA and 1.324 WHIP in 62.2 innings pitched for Lancaster following his early June promotion to Lancaster were solid, but he really excelled down the stretch when he was used solely out of the bullpen. In 30.1 innings out of the bullpen for the JetHawks, he had a 1.78 ERA and a 0.857 WHIP.

RHP Michael Freeman (23)
The 2015 7th round draft pick made quick work of Lancaster following an early August promotion from Quad Cities, compiling a 0.49 ERA and a 0.709 WHIP in seven bullpen appearances (18.1IP) before receiving an early September promotion to Corpus Christi. He ended the season with a combined 1.17 ERA and a 0.991 WHIP in 17 games (38.1IP).

LHP Chris Cotton (24)
Cotton's introduction to Lancaster last season was a tad bit rough, but he came back in 2015 and tamed the beast, putting up a 1.40 ERA and a 1.052 WHIP in 13 appearances (25.2IP) at the level before receiving a late May promotion to Corpus Christi.

RHP Edison Frias (24)
Frias managed a very respectable 4.18 ERA and a 1.280 WHIP in 79.2 innings over his 18 games (14 starts) for Lancaster prior to his August 1st promotion to Corpus Christi.

RHP Michael Feliz (22)
I'll be honest. I totally forgot that Feliz started the season with Lancaster, but he managed a solid 4.41 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP in eight games (five starts) at the level prior to his late May promotion to Corpus Christi.

RHP Tyler Brunnemann (24)
Brunnemann had a 3.50 ERA and a 1.232 WHIP in 38 bullpen appearances for Lancaster prior to a late August promotion to Corpus. He walked 22 and struck out 70 in 61.2 innings.

LHP Steve Naemark (25)
Naemark only tossed 4.1 innings for the JetHawks (2.08 ERA and 0.923 WHIP), but it was the last stop on his remarkable journey that saw him drafted in the 40th round and promoted three times in a little over two month's time. He ended the season with a 1.47 ERA and a 0.880 WHIP in 21 bullpen appearances (30.2 innings).

Previous Season Reviews:
Dominican Summer League Astros
Gulf Coast League Astros
Greeneville Astros

Tri-City ValleyCats
Quad Cities River Bandits