Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Fresno 14, Oklahoma City 3

W- César Valdez (2-0)
L- Sam LeCure (2-2)

Fresno home runs: Matt Duffy 2 (4; 3-run in 1st, 2-run in 3rd), Jon Singleton (13, solo in 7th)

Unlike Monday, where the Grizzlies had to come from behind, the Tacos put the Dodgers to the sword with a sustained offensive onslaught.

César Valdez was the beneficiary of the generous run support, but he turned in a solid outing himself, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 5 in 5 innings. Josh Fields and Reymin Guduan pitched 2 innings apiece out of the bullpen; Fields allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, while Guduan allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and fanned 4.

Matt Duffy clubbed 2 homers in this one; his first was a 3-run shot that put Fresno on the board first in the 1st. He added a 2-run homer to his ledger in the 3rd. Max Stassi added an RBI single in the 3rd. Danny Worth hit an RBI single in the 4th, and then the Tacos put up another crooked number in the 5th as Jon Kemmer smacked an RBI double, Nolan Fontana hit a sac fly, and Jon Singleton ripped a 2-run double. Stassi and Fontana hit RBI doubles in the 6th, and Singleton closed the Tacos' account with a solo blast in the 7th.

Everyone in the starting 9+1 recorded a hit; Jack Mayfield, who entered the game as a defensive sub, did not have a plate appearance. Everyone in the starting 9+1 scored a run except for Fontana. Jon Kemmer finished 3-5, scored 3 runs, and stole a base (3). Andrew Aplin (2 BB, 2 R, SB [7]), Danny Worth (RBI, 2 R), Jon Singleton (2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R), Matt Duffy (2 HR, 5 RBI), and Max Stassi (2B, 2 RBI, R) all had 2 hits on the night.

Today, the Grizzlies will send Joe Musgrove out to the mound. He'll face a rehabbing Hyun-Jin Ryu at 11:05 A.M. Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, Arkansas 4

W- Cy Sneed (3-1)
L- Blayne Weller (2-6)
S- Brendan McCurry (8)

CC home runs: Alex Bregman (12, solo in 1st), J.D. Davis (8, 2-run in 1st)

The Hooks got the jump on the Travs to take game 1 of this series.

Alex Bregman kicked things off by putting Corpus on the board first with a solo homer in the 1st. D.J. Fisher followed that up with a single, and one batter later, J.D. Davis wasted little time in extending his hitting streak to 12 games with a 2-run blast. In the 5th, Fisher drove in 2 with a single and Bregman scored on a fielder's choice hit by Davis. Alfredo Gonzalez drove in the Hooks' last run of the evening with an RBI triple in the 8th. Gonzalez (3B, RBI), Fisher (2 RBI, R), and Conrad Gregor (R) each had 2 hits on the night, while Bregman scored 2 runs.

Cy Sneed went 5.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 6. Eric Peterson allowed a solo homer to Angel Rosa in the 7th, which was the only run he allowed in his 1.1 innings. Peterson, who was making his Texas League debut, allowed one other hit, walked 1, and fanned 1. Brendan McCurry got the 2-inning save; the only run he allowed came on a solo homer from Stephen McGee in the 9th. McCurry allowed one other hit and struck out 1.

Keegan Yuhl will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Victor Alcantara at 7:05.

Lancaster 11, Stockton 9

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (4-1)
L- Zack Erwin (1-5)
S- Jacob Dorris (1)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin (4, solo in 3rd)

The JetHawks stormed out of the gate with a 6-run 1st and held off a Stockton rally to get the win.

Lancaster scored 6 in the 1st without an extra-base hit. Bobby Boyd led off with a walk and advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. Tony Nuñez joined him on the bases by reaching on an error, and the two successfully executed a double steal. Boyd scored the JetHawks' first run when Ramon Laureano hit into a fielder's choice. Bryan Muñiz and Jamie Ritchie followed with RBI singles; and Johnny Sewald beat out a bunt single. On the ensuing error, Muñiz scored, while Sewald and Ritchie advanced to 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Kristian Trompiz followed with an RBI single, and Luis Reynoso added an RBI groundout.

Ritchie added a sac fly to his ledger in the 2nd, and then Jason Martin clubbed a solo shot in the 3rd. Nuñez scored on a wild pitch in the 4th, Laureano scored on an error in the 6th, and Martin drove in the final run of the night with an RBI double in the 7th.

Martin (2B, HR, 2 RBI, R), Nuñez (SB [1, 10 season], 3 R), Laureano (2B, RBI, 2 R), and Muñiz (RBI, R) all had 2 hits on the night. Muñiz extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 6. Scott Weathersby tagged in for 1.2 innings, allowing 5 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Jacob Dorris allowed 2 hits and fanned 5 to get the save.

Elieser Hernandez will be on the mound for the JetHawks tonight. He'll face Riley Gossett at 6:35 Pacific.

Beloit 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Kyle Friedrichs (3-2)
L- Franklin Perez (0-1)
S- Cody Kurz (5)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got a run in the 9th, but they couldn't get the tying run across.

Franklin Perez went 4 innings and allowed a run on a balk, 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Adam Whitt worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 1. Kevin McCanna pitched the final 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

Bobby Wernes scored Quad Cities' only run on a wild pitch in the 9th. Kyle Tucker drew a walk and advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, but he was stranded there to end the game. With a steal of 2nd base in the 4th, Little Tuck became the first player in the system to steal 20 bases this year.

Makay Nelson will start for Quad Cities tonight. He'll take on Boomer Biegalski at 6:30.

Three Stars

3.

Embed from Getty Images

César Valdez, RHP, Fresno
W (2-0), 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

2.

Photo from MiLB.com

Jacob Dorris, RHP, Lancaster

Save (1), 2.1 IP, 2 H, 5 K

1.

Matt Duffy, 3B, Fresno

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

Honorable Mentions

Jon Kemmer, OF, Fresno: 3-5, 2B, RBI, 3 R, SB (3)
- Kemmer is now on a 6-game hitting streak.

Bryan Muñiz, 1B, Lancaster: 2-5, RBI, R
- Muñiz's bat has really come alive during his 11-game hitting streak.

Cy Sneed, RHP, Corpus Christi: W (3-1), 5.2 IP, 3 H (solo HR), 2 ER, BB, 6 K
- Other than a clunker in Midland, Sneed has been excellent since coming over from the Brewers.

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno: 2-4, 2B, solo HR (13), 3 RBI, 2 R
- Jay Sing's power has been on full display as of late.

Tweet of the Day

I could get used to this... #Astros #CrushCity pic.twitter.com/1TcDdUEJmD

— Preston Tucker (@PrestonTucker20) October 7, 2015

Before They Were Astros: 3B/1B Matt Duffy

Jeremy Schmidt is back with another entry in his "Before They Were Astros" series, this time looking back at Matt Duffy on the heels of the news that Duffy will be joining the Astros tomorrow in Arlington. You can also read more about Duffy in my February 2012 interview with him and this June 2013 one as well. You can find Schmidt on twitter at @Jeremy_IP_TTM.

Matt Duffy - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Before They Were Astros: Matt Duffy

Matt Duffy has been called up to the Astros and is set to make his major league debut in Arlington against the Rangers this week. Duffy is a 6’3” 215 pound right handed corner infielder who the Astros drafted in the 20th round of the 2011 draft out of the University of Tennessee. Duffy, in what has become a trademark of Houston drafts, is a high OBP player. How did he get to this point in his career? Keep reading to find out.

Matt Duffy played his high school baseball at a small all boys parochial school in Needham, Massachusetts named St. Sebastian’s School. It is a small school by many standards supporting an enrollment of only 375. While there Duffy batted .542 with 7 home runs to lead his team to the Massachusetts Independent School League title in 2007. He also pitched a shutout in the championship game.

Duffy went on to enroll at the University of Vermont where, as a freshman, he played all 51 games for the Catamounts. He acquitted himself quite well slashing .308/.363/.455 as a 19 year old. Duffy also pitched in 5 games picking up 2 saves with a 2.57 ERA. Despite Duffy’s impressive season the Catamounts didn’t make it to postseason play after finishing the season 27-24 and in the middle of the pack in conference play.

Returning to Vermont for the 2009 season Duffy continued his excellent performance and exceeded his freshman numbers rather easily. As a sophomore Duffy lead the team hitting .388 with a near .500 on base percentage. He hit 13 homeruns while driving in 57 in 50 games all while walking more than he struck out. Again the team’s success did not match Duffy’s as they missed postseason play. Duffy was named the American East Player of the Year to put a cap on his season. Early in that sophomore season, Duffy found out that Vermont would be ending its baseball program which resulted in his transfer to Tennessee to finish out his college career.

Matt Duffy’s first season at the University of Tennessee would see him move from shortstop to third base as he started 53 of 56 games. Duffy responded well to tougher competition hitting .304/.382/.444 on the season. He performed better as the season progressed hit .348 in SEC play. The Vols didn’t fair quite so well finishing conference play 12-18 finishing 10 games back of Preston Tucker and Nolan Fontana’s Florida Gators.

Duffy after going undrafted as a junior returned to Tennessee for his senior season. Much like the improvement between his freshman and sophomore years at Vermont, Duffy improved on his previous year’s performance by upping his slash line .312/.429/.497 again while walking more than he struck out. There wasn’t much more Duffy could do for his team as he lead the Vols in doubles, RBIs, walks, HBP, and OPS all while starting all 54 games.

Matt Duffy was selected with the 610th pick of the 2011 draft by the Astros and began his pro career with the short season Tri-City Valley Cats after signing. He would preform well to finish in his first taste of pro ball sporting an OPS of .787. 2012 would see Duffy promoted to the A level Lexington Legends in the South Atlantic league. Here Duffy would solidify himself as an interesting prospect as his power began to develop turning in 16 homeruns and 32 doubles. He posted a .387 OBP aided by 41 (yes 41) HBP.

2013 would see Duffy’s timeline sped up as he continued to prove himself capable at each level. Duffy began 2013 in hitter friendly Lancaster where he slashed .323/.397/.553 with 19 homeruns and 84 RBI in exactly 100 games. That performance led to a promotion to AA Corpus Christi for the final month of the season. Duffy’s 2014 season would begin with 2 more months with the Hooks where he improved on his final month of 2013 to post a AA total of 73 games with a line of .285/.326/.457. Following his promotion to AAA Oklahoma City to finish 2014, Duffy hit a quality .279/.333/.448 with 12 homeruns.

Matt Duffy returned to AAA for the start of the 2015 season, only this time to the new Astros’ AAA affiliate Fresno Grizzlies. Duffy’s 5th minor league season would be different than his first 4, oddly enough it would be a breakout season that somehow didn’t get him elected to a mid-season all-star team as he did in his first 4 seasons. Duffy’s season at Fresno was part of juggernaut team that will have to play for the PCL championship without him. He hit .294 with 20 homeruns and 104 RBI while scoring 94 runs on the way to winning the PCL MVP award and leading the Grizzlies to a franchise best 84-59 record and first playoff appearance since 1998.

Over the past few seasons the Astros’ marketing team has dubbed the day a highly touted prospect gets called up as the name of that prospect –day (SpringerDay, CorreaDay). In Duffy’s case the city of Fresno beat the Astros to the punch in proclaiming September 9th Matt Duffy day in recognition of his outstanding season and MVP award. Happy DuffyDayPartDuex Astros fans.

- Jeremy Schmidt -

Previous Posts:

Before They Were Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel

Bonus Tweet of the Day

Matt Duffy with a duck fart RBI single over the third baseman's head to extend Fresno's lead to 3-1 Btm 2. #MiLB

— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) July 18, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 20, 2015 and Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Fresno 8, Las Vegas 4

W- Tommy Shirley (2-0)
L- Matt Bowman (0-3)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (3, solo in 4th), Preston Tucker (5, 2-run in 4th)

The heart of the Grizzlies order struck terror into the extraterrestrials (OK, the humans playing for the team with the extraterrestrial mascot) as Jon Singleton, Matt Duffy, and Preston Tucker all went 3-5 with 2 runs scored.

Tucker put Fresno on the board first in the 1st with a 2-run single, and he made his way around the bases on a wild pitch and a Matt Dominguez infield single and scored on a single from Alex Presley. Singleton smacked a solo shot with 2 outs in the 4th. One batter later, Duffy doubled, and then it was Tucker's turn to go deep. L.J. Hoes drove in the final Grizzlies runs with a 2-run double in the 8th. Presley and Hoes had 2 hits apiece; everyone had a hit except for Joe Sclafani.

Tommy Shirley went 5.2 innings, and the only 2 hits he surrendered came off the bat of Dilson Herrera, who took him deep in the 5th. He walked 2 and struck out 4. Darin Downs faced one batter and retired him to end the 6th inning. Josh Fields allowed a hit and walked 2 over 2 scoreless, and James Hoyt was able to close it out, although he had to weather a storm to do so. He allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 9th.

Tulsa 2, Corpus Christi 1

W- Chris Anderson (3-0)
L- Travis Ballew (0-1)
S- Chris Reed (1)

CC home runs: Carlos Correa (2, solo in 6th)

Mr. Correa broke the monotony of a scoreless tie with his 2nd blast of the season, but that was the only run that the Hooks could put up on the scoreboard. Carlos had 2 of the 3 Corpus hits; the other was a single hit by Tyler White, who was making his 2015 debut. Tony Kemp also did this in the 6th inning:


Aaron West was solid, although a high pitch count forced an early exit. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 5 over 4.2 scoreless innings. Travis Ballew was the first man out, and he threw a scoreless 6th, However, the Drillers took the lead off of him as Paul Honecker hit a 2-run homer with 2 outs in the top of the 7th. He allowed one other hit and struck out 2. Jandel Gustave struck out 1 over 2 perfect frames.

Rancho Cucamonga 13, Lancaster 8

W- Victor Araujo (1-1)
L- Edison Frias (2-1)

Lancaster home runs: Chase McDonald (3, 2-run in 2nd)

The JetHawks found themselves behind the 8-ball early as Edison Frias got rocked for 6 runs in the 1st inning. Despite the rough start, the JetHawks picked themselves up off the canvas and fired back and very nearly erased a 7-run deficit. Sadly, they were buried by a 6-run 6th inning from Rancho.

Frias only got 2 outs; he allowed 5 hits (2 2-run homers) and walked 1. Tyler Brunnemann got the JetHawks out of the inning, but not before allowing a run of his own. He threw 1.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 1. Brian Holmes tagged in for 3 innings; he allowed 6 runs (3 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Ambiorix De Leon technically had a scoreless outing, but he did allow the 2 runners he inherited from Holmes to score. De Leon allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and fanned 2 over 3 innings.

Chase McDonald continued his outstanding start to the season as he went 3-5 with a 2-run homer (3) in the 2nd, an RBI single in the 3rd, and scored 2 runs. Brett Phillips remained on fire as he finished 2-3, ripping a 2-run triple in the 3rd. The other JetHawks run in the 3rd inning came on a Jose Fernandez single. A.J. Reed drew a walk in the 7th. He would advance to 2nd on a McDonald single, took 3rd on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball. Brian Holberton scored on a wild pitch in the 8th. J.D. Davis was 2-5 with a run scored.

Kane County 8, Quad Cities 6

W- Nick Baker (1-0)
L- Chris Lee (0-1)
S- Luis Ramirez (1)

QC home runs: D.J. Fisher (4, solo in 5th)

The Bandits were thwarted in their bid for a sweep as the Cougars doubled them up from the 5th to the 8th innings, outscoring them 6-3.

Quad Cities got on the board first with 3 in the 1st inning, as Nick Tanielu and Mott Hyde hit RBI singles, and Jake Nottingham added an RBI groundout. D.J. Fisher is putting his power on display as he led off the 5th with his 4th homer of the year. The other run in the 5th inning came on a Ryan Bottger groundout. Bobby Boyd grounded into a force out that scored Alfredo Gonzalez in the 8th.

Kevin Comer went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Chris Lee tagged in for 3.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits and striking out 4. Albert Minnis worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Monday's Three Stars: Position Players

Fresno sweep!

Jon Singleton, 1B

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

Matt Duffy, 3B

3-5, 2 2B, 2 R

Preston Tucker, OF

3-5, 2-R HR (5), 4 RBI, 2 R

Monday's Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Tommy Shirley, LHP, Fresno

W (2-0), 5.2 IP, 2 H (solo HR), ER, 2 BB, 4 K

2. 

Aaron West, RHP, Corpus Christi

4.2 IP, 3 H, 5 K

1. 

Jandel Gustave, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, K

Monday's Honorable Mentions

- Tony Kemp may have gone 0-4, but he probably pulled off the defensive play of the year in the Astros minors.
- Chase McDonald has probably been the best hitter in the Lancaster lineup in the early going.
- After a slow start, Brett Phillips has caught fire and has remained on fire for the JetHawks.

Games of April 21, 2015

Salt Lake 6, Fresno 5 in 11 innings

W- Frank Herrmann (1-0)
L- James Hoyt (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Domingo Santana (3, solo in 7th)

The Grizzlies scored 1 in the 9th to tie the game at 3 and took the lead with 2 in the top of the 11th.... only to walk off with the loss after the Bees stung them for 3 in the bottom of the inning.

Alex Presley went 3-5 and put Fresno on the board first with a 3rd-inning RBI single. Domingo's 3rd homer led off the 7th inning, and Joe Sclafani came through in the clutch with an RBI single in the top of the 9th. Domingo scored the go-ahead run on a Ronald Torreyes fielder's choice in the 11th, and Presley struck again with an RBI single. Domingo finished 4-5, while Jon Singleton went 2-6 with a double and triple.

Jake Buchanan had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 9 hits and striking out 3, Jordan Jankowski was the first man out; he allowed a hit, walked 2, and fanned 3. In his AAA debut, Tyson Perez tossed 2 perfect innings. James Hoyt couldn't close it out as Salt Lake got 3 off of him in the bottom of the 11th. 2 of those runs were earned; he allowed 4 hits and struck out 1.

Dan Straily will take on Nick Tropeano at 5:35 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 0

W- Kent Emanuel (1-0)
L- Julio Urias (1-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks staved off a sweep as they blanked the Drillers, which was an encouraging end to a pretty tough series that saw Tulsa rally in order to get the wins in the first 2 games. They got the win by knocking around the 18-year-old phenom, Julio Urias.

Tony Kemp went 2-5 and opened up the scoring with an RBI infield single in the 3rd. Jio Mier busted the game open in the 4th by clearing the bases with a triple, and one batter later, he came home on a Roberto Peña single. Telvin Nash coaxed a bases-loaded walk in the 5th. Conrad Gregor finished 2-4 and scored on Jio's triple.

Kent Emanuel started things off with 5 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Mitch Lambson allowed just 1 hit and fanned 3 over 3 scoreless, and Dan Minor finished things off, working around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th.

After a day off, the Hooks travel to Frisco as they close out the month on the road.

Lancaster 7, Rancho Cucamonga 6 in 11 innings

W- Gonzalo Sañudo (1-0)
L- Randy Fontanez (1-2)

Lancaster home runs: None.

Lancaster nipped the Quakes in extras, thanks to Chase McDonald's RBI single in the top of the 11th.

A.J. Reed got things started with an RBI single in the 1st. The JetHawks got a pair of sac flies from J.D. Davis and Reed in the 3rd. Jobduan Morales added an RBI single in the 6th, and later in the inning, Chan-Jong Moon hit into a fielder's choice that scored James Ramsay. Moon hit an RBI single in the 8th. He was back at it again in the 11th as he led off with a double. He'd score on McDonald's single. Moon, Brett Phillips, and Ronnie Mitchell all finished with 3 hits, while McDonald and Davis had 2 each.

Michael Feliz got the start; he went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned), a single, walked 3, and struck out 6. Zach Morton tagged in for 4 innings, allowing 2 unearned runs on 7 hits and striking out 3. Frederick Tiburcio allowed a game-tying 2-run home run to Brandon Trinkwon in the bottom of the 9th. He allowed 2 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 1, and Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless to get the win.

In the rubber game, Troy Scribner will take on Scott Barlow at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 4, Peoria 3

W- Eric Peterson (1-0)
L- Zach Loraine (0-2)
S- Jose Montero (3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos took the series opener as they scored a couple in the 8th to take the lead.

Alfredo Gonzalez went 2-4 with a stolen base (1) and put Quad Cities on the board first with a 2nd-inning RBI single. Jamie Ritchie drew a bases-loaded walk in the 4th to tie the game at 2, and he struck again in the 8th with an RBI triple that tied the game again. He scored the go-ahead run one batter later, when D.J. Fisher singled. Fisher, who also stole a base (3), and Kristian Trompiz also had 2 hits apiece.

Bryan Radziewski went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6. Eric Peterson was the first man out of the bullpen; he allowed an unearned run on 3 hits and struck out 3 over 2 innings, and Jose Montero got a 2-inning save, striking out 3.

In game 2 of this series, Joe Musgrove faces Austin Gomber at 11:00 A.M.

Tuesday's Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Jio Mier, IF, Corpus Christi

Bases-clearing 3B in 4th

2. 

Chan-Jong Moon, SS, Lancaster

3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 SB (5)

1.

Domingo Santana, OF, Fresno

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

Tuesday's Five Stars: Pitchers

Can I really rank these performances objectively?

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0), 5 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 K

Mitch Lambson, LHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, H, 3 K

Dan Minor, RHP, Corpus Christi

IP, H

Tyson Perez, RHP, Fresno

AAA debut: 2 IP

Jose Montero, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (3), 2 IP, 3 K

Tuesday's Honorable Mentions

- D.J. Fisher has opened up the Midwest League slate on a tear and is putting himself
- After a 2-20 start, Kristian Trompiz looks like he's getting himself going at the plate.
- Brett Phillips status: still en fuego.
- Bryan Radziewski and his big curveball have gotten out to a fine start in Quad Cities.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Let's play 2 in Lancaster!

Fresno 9, Salt Lake 8 in 11 innings

W- Kevin Chapman (1-1)
L- Ryan Mattheus (0-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies staked Jake Buchanan to a 7-0 lead after the first inning, and everything was academic from there, right? Nope. That lead was dented when the Bees scored 3 in the top of the 7th and vanished in the 9th as they put up 5 to tie the game after the Grizz stopped the bleeding for a moment with a run in the 8th. Ugh. However, as the old adage goes... a win is a win is a win.

Matt Duffy got things started with an RBI single. After Preston Tucker lined out for the 2nd out of the 1st inning, the Grizzlies got three RBI singles in a row from Matt Dominguez, Max Stassi, and Ronald Torreyes. Stassi scored, and Torreyes advanced to third on an error that allowed Andrew Aplin to reach. Aplin proceeded to steal 2nd, his 2nd stolen base of the season. And then, Joe Sclafani clubbed a 2-run triple. Duffy, who finished with a career-high 5 hits, added another RBI single in the 8th. He then doubled to lead off the bottom of the 11th, and then Nolan Fontana was summoned to pinch-run. Preston Tucker was given a pass to 1st base, which brought up Matt Dominguez. Craziness ensued, as Dominguez laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by Salt Lake 3B Kyle Kubitza and thrown away, allowing Fontana to come home with the winning run. Dominguez, L.J. Hoes (3B, 2 R), and Sclafani (2-R 3B, R) had 2 hits apiece; Ronald Torreyes went 3-5.

Jake Buchanan pitched 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Jordan Jankowski struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 8th. James Hoyt came on to finish it off... but the Bees had other plans. He failed to retire any of the 5 batters he faced in the 9th, allowing 5 runs (3 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits and walking 1. Kevin Chapman didn't help matters by allowing the Bees to empty the bases off of him, which in turn put 3 runs on James Hoyt's account, but he made amends for that by shackling them in extra innings. Chapman wound up throwing 3 scoreless (well, there is that matter of allowing 3 inherited runners to scored), allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6.

The Grizzlies will look for the sweep as Dan Straily squares off against our old friend Nick Tropeano. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks are preparing for their first game at Whataburger Field as they welcome Springfield for 3 games. In the opener, Mark Appel will take on Mike Mayers at 7:05.

Game 1: Lancaster 5, Stockton 1

W- Edison Frias (2-0)
L- Dylan Covey (1-1)
S- Tyler Brunnemann (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks got on the board in the series thanks to an outstanding start from Edison Frias, who allowed just 1 hit, walked 2, and struck out 5 over 5 shutout innings. Adrian Houser came on for his season debut in the 6th and had a tough go of it, but then again, it was the first time he came out this year. An error and a wild pitch didn't exactly help his cause, and he faced not one, but two separate bases-loaded situations. He allowed a run on a force out play, a single, and walked 2. Tyler Brunnemann was called on to get the JetHawks out of this jam, and he did so by inducing an inning-ending double play. That's clutch. He worked around a 1-out walk to finish off the first game of the twinbill, striking out 1.

J,D. Davis had a big game 1 as he went 3-3 with a double and 2 RBI singles. The first RBI single was the first run of the game, and he added another one in the 5th. Chase McDonald hit an RBI double in the 4th. The other 2 JetHawks runs were scored by Danry Vásquez in the 1st on a double play, and A.J. Reed in the 4th on another double play.

What would game 2 hold in store for Lancaster?

Game 2: Stockton 7, Lancaster 3

W- Jonathan Joseph (1-0)
L- Brian Holmes (0-1)
S- Brendan McCurry (2)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks had to settle for the split, and they dropped the series.

They had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th, but all they could muster up was a sac fly from Davis. James Ramsay hit a sac fly in the 3rd, and McDonald hit an RBI single in the 6th. Jose Fernandez went 2-3 with a run scored, and Jobduan Morales finished 3-3 with a run scored.

Brian Holmes went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. In his season debut, Ambiorix De Leon pitched a scoreless 6th, but the wheels fell off for him in the 7th as he allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and walked 2 while striking out 1. Chris Cotton cleaned up the mess as he retired all 3 batters he faced after coming on, striking out 2.

The JetHawks hit the road for the first time this season. First stop, High Desert for 4. Zach Morton will face Luis Parra in game 1 at 6:35 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, Beloit 2 through 4.5 innings

This game was suspended due to a problem with the lighting. They'll finish this one up tomorrow, and then a 7-inning game will follow. Joe Musgrove will take on Jordan Schwartz in that game. The 2 Quad Cities runs came courtesy of a double hit by Ryan Bottger in the 4th that tied this game.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Joe Sclafani, UTIL, Fresno

2-6, 3B, 2 RBI, R

2. 

His MiLB.com profile picture.

J.D. Davis, 3B, Lancaster

Doubleheader: 4-6, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, SB (1)

1. 

Matt Duffy, 3B/1B, Fresno

5-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R

*The 5 hits are a career-high.

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Kevin Chapman, LHP, Fresno

W (1-1), 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K

*There's a small penalty for allowing inherited runners to score.

2. 

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP, Lancaster

Save (1) in game 1 of doubleheader; 1.2 IP, BB, K

1. 

Edison Frias, RHP, Lancaster

W (2-0) in game 1; 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

Honorable Mentions

- Chase McDonald continues his fine start to the season.
- The Fresno offense has been on a torrid start to their year.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 12, 2015

Las Vegas 8, Fresno 7

W- Hansel Robles (1-0)
L- Kevin Chapman (0-1)
S- Cody Satterwhite (1)

Fresno home runs: Matt Duffy (1, 2-run in 1st)

The Grizzlies rallied to make it a 1-run game and had the bases loaded with one out in the 9th, but... no cigar. And so, they had to settle for the split.

Matt Duffy's 2-run blast in the 1st opened up the scoring. In the 6th, Preston Tucker hit an RBI single, and Matt Dominguez ripped a 2-run double. Fresno got plenty of traffic in the 9th as Joe Sclafani singled and advanced to 3rd on a Jon Singleton double. One batter later, Duffy brought them both home with a 2-run single. Tucker drew a walk, and then Max Stassi was hit by a pitch (on his head... again) to load the bases. Unfortunately, Alex Presley grounded into the game-ending double play. Sclafani finished 2-3 and scored 3 runs. Singleton was 2-5 with that double and scored twice. Duffy and Presley also went 2-5.

Luis Cruz went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (all on home runs) on 4 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 1, and struck out 5. Darin Downs allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 6th. Kevin Chapman was charged with the loss; he got 2 outs in the 7th, but allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jason Stoffel came on and faced a bases-loaded situation in the 7th; he allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Chapman to score. Stoffel walked 2 and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. Jordan Jankowski allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the 9th inning.

In the second leg of their season-opening homestand, the Grizzlies are hosting Salt Lake for 4 games. In game 1, Brady Rodgers will face Zach Stewart at 6:35 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Tulsa 0

W- Lance McCullers (1-0)
L- Jeremy Kehrt (0-1)

CC home runs: Telvin Nash (2, solo in 3rd)

4 games, 4 wins for the Hooks. 4 pitchers collaborated on the first Hooks shutout of the year.

Conrad Gregor and Teoscar Hernandez led off the 2nd with a single and a walk, respectively. Gregor came around to score the game's first run on a Leo Heras single. One batter later, Teoscar scored on a Brandon Meredith single. Telvin Nash homered for the 2nd straight game; this one was a solo shot in the 3rd. Meredith, who finished 2-4, brought home the final run of the afternoon with an RBI double in the 6th inning. Leo Heras and Tony Kemp also finished 2-4. Carlos Correa went 0-5, but he stole his first base of the season.

Lance McCullers was solid in his AA debut, and he brought the heat too; he was clocked as high as 99 with his fastball. He allowed 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 7 over 5 shutout innings. Travis Ballew tagged in for 2 innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 3. Dan Minor, in his season debut, worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 8th, and Tyson Perez finished it off with a 1-2-3 9th inning.

In the middle game of this series, Mike Hauschild will face Matt Shelton at 7:05.

Lancaster 2, San Jose 1

W- Frederick Tiburcio (1-0)
L- Mason McVay (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks got the split to begin the year; both of their wins came in walk-off fashion via RBI singles. Both teams traded sacrifice flies in the 2nd inning; the JetHawks got theirs courtesy of Jose Fernandez. Jobduan Morales delivered the game-winner in the bottom of the 9th after he had gone 0-3, striking out in all 3 of his trips to the plate. Chan-Jong Moon went 2-4 with a double, and Chase McDonald finished 2-3 with a run scored and a walk.

Troy Scribner has put up some gaudy numbers since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He had an outstanding 2015 debut as he allowed just 1 run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 over 6 innings. Tyler Brunnemann was the first man out; he allowed a hit and walked 2 over 2.1 scoreless. Those 2 walks came in the top of the 9th, which brought about Frederick Tiburcio's entrance. He immediately gave up a single to Austin Slater, which loaded the bases. However, Tiburcio extricated himself from that pickle by striking out Tyler Horan and Brian Ragira to end the threat. And, when Morales came through, he got the win.

Lancaster will now host Stockton for 3 games. In the opener, Adrian Houser will take on Lou Trivino at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Clinton 2

W- Austin Chrismon (1-0)
L- Patrick Peterson (0-1)

QC home runs: Jake Nottingham (1, solo in 5th)

The Banditos won their first game in front of their home crowd as they broke out for 5 runs in the 5th.

Jake Nottingham started it all off in that inning with a home run. Bobby Boyd, D.J. Fisher, and Nick Tanielu followed with RBI singles, and Tanielu wound up scoring on an error. Nottingham led off the 6th with a double, and after making his way around the bases, he'd score on a sac fly from Boyd. Alfredo Gonzalez scored on a balk in the 8th. Nottingham wound up finishing a triple shy of the cycle, and Boyd went 2-3 with his first stolen base of the season.

Austin Chrismon was excellent in his 6 innings; after giving up singles to the first 2 batters of the game, which Clinton got a sac fly out of, he went on a roll, retiring 18 of the final 19 batters he faced. Those 2 singles were the only hits he allowed in 6 innings, and that run was unearned. Chrismon walked 1 and struck out 3. Eric Peterson, whose twin brother, Patrick, was the starting pitcher for Clinton in this game, was the first man out of the bullpen, and he allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1 in 2 innings. Ryan Thompson worked around a hit to finish off the game, striking out 2 in the 9th.

Game 2 of this series features Brock Dykxhoorn on the mound for the River Bandits. He'll face Lukas Schiraldi at 7:00.


Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Bobby Boyd, OF, Quad Cities

2-3, 2 RBI, R, SB (1)

2. 

Jake Nottingham, C, Quad Cities

3-4 (triple shy of the cycle), HR (1)

1. 

Matt Duffy, 3B, Fresno

2-5, 2-R HR (1), 4 RBI

Three Stars: Pitchers

Ooh, tough decision. Once again, I find myself unable to rank 3 outstanding mound performances. So, once again, the #1 star for pitchers will go to all three Three Stars candidates: Austin Chrismon, Troy Scribner, and Lance McCullers.

Austin Chrismon, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-0); 6 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 3 K

Troy Scribner, RHP, Lancaster

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

Lance McCullers, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0); 5 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Honorable Mentions


- Frederick Tiburcio getting himself, and Tyler Brunnemann, out of a hazardous situation by getting the final 2 outs of the 9th via strikeout.
- Joe Sclafani has done nothing but perform since entering the organization, and he's continuing to make the most of his opportunities.
- Jobduan Morales was having a rough afternoon, but he pulled himself together and delivered the game-winning hit.
- Chase McDonald played all 4 games in the San Jose series and recorded 2 hits in 3 of them.
- Travis Ballew, Dan Minor, and Tyson Perez helped finish off Tulsa by keeping them off the scoreboard.
- Jon Singleton played in all 4 games of the Vegas series and got a hit in all of them. His struggles in Houston last year were well-documented, but we haven't heard the last of him. He can still be a contributor to the Astros.

Tweet of the Day

Goodbye home
— Matt Duffy (@meduffy13) February 23, 2015

Happy Birthday - 2/6

Happy Birthday to ~

3B Matt Duffy (26)
Drafted in 2011 in the 20th round out of the University of Tennessee, this Massachusetts native split his season between Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City. In 136 games, he hit .288/.336/.451 with 22 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 84 RBI.

RHP David Paulino (21)
Obtained from Detroit as the PTBNL in the Jose Veras trade, Paulino spent the entire 2014 season on the DL after having undergone Tommy John surgery.

RHP Josue Uribe (20)
Signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic prior to the 2014 season, Uribe pitched his first season in the Dominican Summer League. In 16 bullpen appearances, he was 2-2 with a 1.08 ERA, a 1.000 WHIP and four saves.

One former Astro celebrates the day as well ~

RHP Bill Dawley (57)
Originally drafted by the Reds in the seventh round in 1976, Dawley came to Houston in a March 1983 trade with that organization. In 157 appearances for the Astros from 1983 to 1985, he was 22-13 with 21 saves, a 2.71 ERA and a 1.171 WHIP.  He made the All-Star team in 1983 as a rookie.

The Astros Third Base Conundrum

When Brian McTaggart of MLB.com tweeted out a question Monday regarding how Astros fans felt about the signing of SS Jed Lowrie to a three-year contract, I replied with a one-word response, "Underwhelmed." A friend of mine responded, "he's solid, likely declining, but front loaded contract, and not a markedly better option available than him." I don't disagree with that, but there are other factors involved in molding my opinion.

I will admit that I was somewhat put off by Jed Lowrie's response to the buttshot heard 'round the world last year. Fine, have your say and move on. But the response lingered on for over a week which I found to be a bit excessive. I'll admit that I am not a professional athlete (not even close!), but it seems to me that getting plunked on the heinie is not worthy of a daily press briefing. But I digress. (Don't I always?)

Seriously, I have no lingering issues with the aforementioned unfortunate episode. I actually like Lowrie. I had a very nice conversation with him one day about his trip to Africa. I even gave him a little advice for an upcoming trip that he and his wife were taking to Ecuador. Dang it, I'm digressing yet again.

I also do not have an issue with his play at shortstop. I think he is solid at the position and will bring some needed stability to the position, plus he will provide a solid, albeit unspectacular, bat in the lineup. I'm not wild about signing him for three years, but so long as he doesn't soil the bed linens, and assuming that there isn't a repeat of anything like this incident, the Astros should be able to trade him in a year or two if need be. So even that isn't a particular problem for me.

My problem lies with the idea that, in the event that Carlos Correa is ready for the major leagues in late 2015 (as I think will be highly likely), the Astros have stated that they will just move Lowrie on over to third base until Colin Moran or Rio Ruiz are ready to play at the hot corner on the big stage. Jed Lowrie has played precisely 83 games at third base in his major league career, the majority of those in 2008, none since 2011. Lowrie has a decent bat for a shortstop, but will not provide the offensive output you want to see from a corner outfielder. I'm not a huge fan of shoving guys into positions just to find a place for them if their talents don't dovetail well with the position.

So, let's have a little chat about third base. Matt Dominguez has been a fan favorite when it comes to his defense, but his bat has always been a question mark, and he has not necessarily given the Astros the answer to that question that they wanted. The third base job is his to lose in Spring Training. The problem is that he may very well do that if he doesn't show marked improvement with the lumber. Jeff Luhnow has alluded to Marwin Gonzalez as a possibility at third. Personally, I feel that Marwin's best use is as a utility infielder. Third is not his natural position, and he has shown himself to be a much better middle infielder.

The presumed third basemen in waiting, according to the Astros front office are Colin Moran and Rio Ruiz. Let's take Ruiz first. I think Ruiz is going to be a terrific player, but he is at least a year away, more likely two years. He needs the time, the at-bats, and the continued development at third base. He should not be rushed. He will let us know when he is ready. So, let's put Rio to the side for the time being.

Colin Moran has only played 28 games at AA. He can definitely hit, but he has not developed the power that is expected from a third baseman yet. When I saw him in Corpus at the end of the season, I was left a bit bewildered by what I saw from him. And then I read this EXCELLENT piece in Baseball Prospectus that put my thoughts into words beautifully. I'm not sure that Colin Moran is ultimately even going to be a third baseman, much less the Astros third baseman of the future. I'd love to see him prove me wrong, but in any event, I cannot see him being legitimately considered for the position in 2015.

So, apparently there are no other options at third base for the coming season? Well, yeah, there is another option. And for the life of me I can't figure out why this player gets no love from the front office. Let's take a look at Matt Duffy:

• Hit .293/.367/.468 in his four years in the organization
• Hit .302/.340/.455 in 49 games in Corpus in 2014 before his promotion
• Hit .279/.333/.448 in 87 games in Oklahoma City after his promotion
• Hit .354/.374/.469 in August (OKC) in 28 games

Matt Duffy can hit. He's always been able to hit. And he always makes the adjustments he needs to make. I have no reason to believe that he can't make the same adjustments in Houston. He can hit to all fields although his power is to the left side. He would love the Crawford Boxes. His lefty/righty splits got a little lopsided for the season (.256/.311/.383 vs. RHP and .382/.410/.649 vs. LHP), but they evened out a bit for Oklahoma City as he hit .267/.322/.419 against righthanders at the higher level. Over his career, he has had reasonably good lefty/righty splits.

Still doubtful? Let's dig a little deeper for our SABR minded friends. (Click on the name for the player's Fangraphs page.)

Matt Duffy in 2014
wOBA at AA: .361
wOBA at AAA: .343
WRC+ at AA: 128
WRC+ at AAA: 100
ISO at AA: .153
ISO at AAA: .168

Colin Moran in 2014
wOBA at A+: .340
wOBA at AA: .341
WRC+ at A+: 110
WRC+ at AA: 114
ISO at A+: .100
ISO at AA: .107

Matt Dominquez in 2014:
wOBA: .260
WRC+: 63
ISO: .115

Jed Lowrie in 2014:
wOBA: .300
WRC+: 93
ISO: .106

Duffy seems to stack up pretty well by those parameters as well. He does fall short in walk rate (4.9% for the season up to 6% at OKC) and strikeout rate (18.7%) when compared with Lowrie and Moran, but he represents an improvement over Dominguez.

So, Duffy's defense must be awful, right? Wrong. He is a solid defensive player. I specifically talked to him (and with his coach and manager) about his defense in this interview from 2013 because I had seen such an improvement from him in that area. In 2014, Duffy had a .961 fielding percentage and a 2.49 per game range factor in his 70 games played at third base (he was moved to first base for a number of games). Not quite as good as Matt Dominguez's 2014 numbers (.972 fielding percentage and a 2.53 per game range factor), but not that far off either. (The last time Lowrie played third base in 2011, he had a .948 fielding percentage and a 2.79 per game range factor.)

Competition is a good thing and I hope that Matt Duffy is given a legitimate opportunity to compete for the Astros third base job. I think he has earned that much. What he does with the opportunity is up to him, but I think he may surprise some people.

Oh, and one more thing to like about Duffy ... having been hit by pitches 41 times in one season (in 2012) shows that he knows how to take a hit by pitch.

Anywho, since one is limited to 140 characters at a time, "underwhelmed" was the best response I could come up with on short notice. With all of that said ... Welcome Back to Houston, Jed Lowrie!*

*provided that you don't block Carlos Correa for a nanosecond and don't take up residence at third base

Tweet of the Day

.@meduffy13 with 1300 feet worth of homers tonight...ya do the math , that's 3 bombs!!!!!!!
— Max Stassi (@MaxStassi10) June 10, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 26, 2014

Oklahoma City 6, Memphis 4

W- Paul Clemens (3-0)
L- Kurt Heyes (0-1, 2-3 season)
S- Jason Stoffel (5)

OKC home runs: Jon Singleton (13, 2-run in 3rd), Kiké Hernandez (3, 4 season; 2-run in 5th)

The word of the day is dozen. The RedHawks jumped out to a 6-0 lead as they wrapped up their Big 12 Tournament roadtrip on a winning note. Their 7-5 record on the roadtrip is the first time that they've finished with a winning record on the Big 12 Tournament roadtrip since 2010. It got a little too close for comfort late, though.

Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Erik Castro, who missed out on the party. Gregorio Petit opened the scoring in the 2nd with an RBI single. Singleton's 2-run blast in the 3rd gave him a baker's dozen of home runs. Ronald Torreyes went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 4th, and Kiké Hernandez's 2-run homer in the 5th extended his hitting streak to a dozen games. Singleton and Austin Wates also had 2 hits apiece; Wates had a double and a steal (12).

Paul Clemens started it off with 5 shutout innings; he allowed 3 hits and struck out 3. Alex White followed that up with 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 1. Josh Zeid had a tough time; he got 2 outs in the 8th, but not before the Redbirds got 4 runs (1 earned; 2 inherited runners charged to him) off of him. He allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Kevin Chapman got the final out of the 8th and the first 2 of the 9th, allowing 2 hits and walking 3. Jason Stoffel entered with 2 runners on and 2 outs; he shut the door.

Two weeks after playing their last home game before embarking on this roadtrip, the RedHawks are finally home, and they've got the place to themselves. Well, actually, they're beginning a 4-game series with Omaha starting tonight at 7:05. Nick Tropeano will face Brett Tomko in the opener.

Northwest Arkansas 5, Corpus Christi 3

W- Sam Selman (3-3)
L- Michael Dimock (1-2)
S- Andrew Triggs (3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks ended up dropping 2 of 3 to the Naturals as Michael Dimock was tagged for a pair of runs in the 5th.

The offense was powered by Matt Duffy, who went 4-5 and is now on a 7-game hitting streak. He put the Hooks on the board in the 2nd with an RBI single (down 2-1) and came home on a double from Preston Tucker which tied the game at 2. Duffy would go on to add an RBI double in the 7th, while Tucker finished 2-5. Delino DeShields was 1-5 with a steal (18). Joe Sclafani started a game in the outfield for the first time as a pro (not sure if he did it in Australia this past winter). He was in left field and went 1-4 with a double and is now on a modest 4-game hitting streak. Sclafani has a hit in 12 of his last 13 games.

Jordan Jankowski pitched 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Dimock pitched 1.2 innings and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits. The last time Dimock allowed a run was May 2, so this outing put an end to a nice scoreless run for him. Pat Urckfits allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2.1 innings.

The Hooks are back home, and for this homestand, they'll be welcoming the Arkansas teams to Corpus Christi. First up is 3 with the Travelers. Tommy Shirley will face Drew Rucinski in the opener; first pitch is at 7:10.

Lancaster 6, Inland Empire 5

W- Dan Minor (4-1)
L- Jairo Diaz (2-3)

Lancaster home runs: Dan Gulbransen (2, grand slam in 6th)

Under the watchful eyes of Jayne and Astros Social Media Director Amanda Rykoff (well, she was there for the weekend, not sure if she saw this game), the JetHawks ran off 6 unanswered to take this game, and take 3 of 4 in this Memorial Day series.

It looked rather dire as they were down 5-0, but that changed in a hurry in the 6th inning. Carlos Correa led off the inning with a single, and Rio Ruiz brought him home with a double to put them on the board, down 5-1. An error and a single later, the bases were loaded for Dan Gulbransen, who came through in a huge way as he belted the game-tying grand slam. The JetHawks completed the comeback in the 8th as Roberto Peña hit a single to send Danry Vásquez home with the eventual game-winning run. It was great night for Vásquez as he finished 4-4 with 2 runs scored.

Gonzalo Sañudo went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs (all on a 2-run homer and a 3-run homer) on 7 hits and struck out 2. J.D. Osborne threw 1.1 scoreless, walking 3 and striking out 1. Dan Minor went 2.2 scoreless and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.

The JetHawks will now have a brief getaway from The Hangar as they're in Lake Elsinore for 3 games starting tonight at 6:05 Pacific. Kyle Westwood will take on Joe Ross in the series opener.

Burlington 7, Quad Cities 5 in 10 innings

W- Alan Busenitz (1-3)
L- Tyler Brunnemann (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits jumped out to a 5-0 lead through 3.5 innings, but the Bees stung them for 7 unanswered, which culminated in a walk-off 2-run home run in the first extra frame.

The game started off swimmingly for the Bandits as they put up 4 in the 1st on an RBI double from Brett Phillips, who scored on an RBI single from Conrad Gregor. Later in the inning, Ronnie Mitchell added a 2-run single. Jon Kemmer went 2-4 and led off the 4th with a double. He would score on a Chan-Jong Moon fielder's choice. Brett Phillips and Brian Holberton finished with 2 hits apiece.

Adrian Houser allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Kevin Comer pitched 3 innings and the only ding on his line was a solo homer from Eric Aguilera in the 8th. He allowed 2 other hits and struck out 4. Andrew Walter allowed a run (on a sac fly) and a hit in the 9th. Tyler Brunnemann walked off with the loss after he gave up the 2-run homer to Mike Fish with 1 out in the 10th.

QC will look to avoid the sweep as Andrew Thurman and Chris Lee will take on Clint Sharp at 6:30.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Danry Vásquez, LF, Lancaster

4-4, 2 R

2.

Matt Duffy, 3B, Corpus Christi

4-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

1.

Jon Singleton, 1B, Oklahoma City

2-5, 2-R HR (13), 2 R

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Kevin Comer, RHP, Quad Cities
3 IP, 3 H (solo HR), ER, 4 K

2.

Dan Minor, RHP, Lancaster
2.2 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K
0.00 ERA in May

1.

#471425789 / gettyimages.com

Paul Clemens, RHP, Oklahoma City
W (3-0), 5 IP, 3 H, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 25, 2014

Let's play 2 in Burlington, because a game needed to be finished.

Memphis 3, Oklahoma City 2

W- Scott McGregor (1-5)
L- Jake Buchanan (4-4)
S- David Aardsma (7)

OKC home runs: Kiké Hernandez (2, 3 season; solo in 4th)

The RedHawks made it a 1-run game, but they just couldn't get over the hump.

Jake Buchanan had a bare minimum quality start (6 IP, 3 ER or less); he allowed 8 hits and walked 2. Bobby Doran struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings.

Kiké Hernandez put the RedHawks on the board as he hit a solo homer in the 4th. That blast extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Max Stassi reached on an error in the 7th and scored when Andy Simunic grounded into a force out.

In the final game of this long, long roadtrip for OKC, Paul Clemens will take on Kurt Heyer. First pitch is at 1:05.

Northwest Arkansas 7, Corpus Christi 4

W- J.C. Sulbaran (2-3)
L- Luis Cruz (4-5)
S- Malcom Culver (4)

CC home runs: Matt Duffy (5, 2-run in 6th)

The Naturals raced out to a 6-0 lead after the 4th as they got even in the series.

Luis Cruz went 5 innings and allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (2 solos and a 2-run homer) and struck out 4. Alex Sogard was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen; he went 2 innings and allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jorge De Leon struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th.

The Hooks got on the board in the 6th thanks to a 2-run shot from Matt Duffy (5) and an RBI single from Jio Mier. The two of them had 2 hits apiece, as did Tyler Heineman and Joe Sclafani. Mier brought Duffy home with a bases-loaded walk in the 8th. Delino DeShields was 1-5 with a steal (17).

In the series finale, Jordan Jankowski will face Sam Selman at 1:05.

Lancaster 12, Inland Empire 5

W- Zach Morton (1-0, 3-1 season)
L- Mark Sappington (0-1, 1-5 season)

Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (4, 2-run in 8th)

The JetHawks scored in their final 5 innings as they took 2 of 3 in the series. They went on an 11-1 run from the 4th to the 8th, which proved to be the decisive stretch. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Teoscar Hernandez, who still walked twice, stole a base (15), and scored a run despite suffering through a hat trick at the plate.

They had the bases loaded with no one out in the 1st, but could only muster up a run that scored on a double play. A pair of walks reloaded the bases, but Danry Vásquez flew out to end the inning.

Vásquez, who finished 2-5, redeemed himself with an RBI double in the 4th that gave Lancaster a 2-1 lead. After the 66ers tied the game at 2 in the 5th, the Carloses (?) gave the JetHawks the lead with a couple of RBI singles in the bottom of the inning. After Roberto Peña walked to begin the 6th, he scored on a Jordan Scott triple. Scott came home on a Tony Kemp single. Peña got in on the fun with a 2-run single after stretch time. Correa went deep (4) in the 8th, and Vásquez finished it off with a 2-run single. Correa and Kemp had 3 hits each, while Scott joined Vásquez in the 2-hit club. Perdomo (6) and Scott (3) also recorded steals.

Zach Morton got his first win as a JetHawk as he allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1 over 5 innings of work. Brian Holmes pitched 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 9th, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 2. Mitch Lambson worked around 2 hits to finish the game, striking out 1.

Gonzalo Sañudo gets the start in the series finale; he'll face TBA at 5:00 Pacific.

From May 21: Burlington 12, Quad Cities 4

W- Trevor Foss (1-1)
L- Edison Frias (1-2)

QC home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (2, solo in 3rd)

Note: That was Mitchell's 2nd home run at the time.

Unfortunately, the wheels fell off in the 9th as the Bees stung Edison Frias for a pair of 3-run homers as part of an 8-run 9th. Frias, who came on after play was resumed, got through 2 innings without incident, but he unraveled in the 9th. He got 1 out in the 9th, but gave up 8 runs on 8 hits (2 3-run homers, an RBI single, and an RBI double) and walked 1. Chris Cotton cleaned up the mess as he retired both Bees hitters he faced, striking out 1.

There wasn't much change in the River Bandits' side of the ledger; Brian Holberton ultimately finished 3-4.

Regularly Scheduled Game: Burlington 3, Quad Cities 2

W- Harrison Cooney (3-3)
L- Frederick Tiburcio (0-1)
S- Ben Carlson (3)

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

The River Bandits shot themselves in the foot in the 7th as they had an error, a couple of wild pitches, while Burlington scored 2 to take the lead.

The Bandits had 3 hits in this one; one was a solo shot from Jack Mayfield (2) that opened the scoring in the 2nd. The other 2 hits came in the form of a Thomas Lindauer single and a James Ramsay double in the 3rd. Both came with 1 out; but all they mustered up in that situation was a Chan-Jong Moon sac fly.

Evan Grills pitched 6 innings and allowed a run (on a solo homer from Eric Aguilera) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Frederick Tiburcio was tagged with both runs in the 7th; both were unearned. He pitched 2 innings and also allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 5.

In the middle game of this series, Adrian Houser will take on Ryan Etsell at 2:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

2.

Matt Duffy, 3B, Corpus Christi

2-5, 2-R HR (5), 2 R

Jio Mier, SS, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2 RBI, BB

1.

Tony Kemp, 2B, Lancaster

3-5, RBI, 2 R

Carlos Correa, SS, Lancaster

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

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Danry Vásquez, LF, Lancaster

2-5, 3 RBI

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Bobby Doran, RHP, Oklahoma City

2 IP, 2 K

2.

Zach Morton, RHP, Lancaster

W (1-0, 3-1 season), 5 IP, 6 H (solo HR), 2 ER, K; 9 groundouts, 2 flyouts

1.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Evan Grills, LHP, Quad Cities

6 IP, 6 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 20, 2014

Upper-level clubs in action in the afternoon, while the A teams get a day off.

Memphis 5, Oklahoma City 4

W- Jose Almarante (1-0)
L- Darin Downs (0-2)

OKC home runs: Max Stassi (4, 2-run in 6th)

The RedHawks walked off with a loss in game 2 as Oscar Taveras broke a 4-4 tie by doubling home former Lamar Consolidated star Randal Grichuk.

Max Stassi put the RedHawks on the board and tied the game with his 2-run homer in the 6th. OKC then added 2 more in the 8th to take the lead; Enrique Hernandez hit an RBI single and Domingo Santana scored on an error that allowed Jonathan Meyer to reach base. Jon Singleton hit.... wait for it......... a bunt single.

Jake Buchanan got the start and went 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits (solo homer) and fanning 2. Rhiner Cruz walked the bases loaded (one intentional) in the 5th but was able to avert disaster. Jose Cisnero pitched 2.1 innings and gave up a game-tying 2-run homer to Scott Moore THE GOAT in the 8th. He allowed one other hit, walked 2, and struck out 3. Darin Downs got the final 2 outs of the 8th, one via strikeout, but failed to retire the 2 batters he faced in the 9th... Grichuk and Taveras.

In game 3 of this series, Nick Tropeano and Collin McHugh will take on Zach Petrick, who was just recently called up from Springfield. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 7, Frisco 5

W- Andrew Robinson (2-0)
L- Jerad Eickhoff (1-1)
S- Tommy Shirley (1)

CC home runs: Matt Duffy (1, 3-run in 1st), Leo Heras (1, solo in 1st), Telvin Nash (1, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks avoided the sweep thanks to an early home run barrage and used an outstanding effort from the bullpen to weather a 5-run 3rd from Frisco, which culminated in Tommy Shirley's perfect day. The win snapped a 5-game losing streak.

Corpus jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the 1st, and all 4 runs came off of 2-out home runs. Andrew Aplin and Preston Tucker drew walks, and then Matt Duffy sent a Jerad Eickhoff pitch out to open the scoring. One batter later, Leo Heras went back-to-back with Duffy. Telvin Nash sent out his first of the year in the 2nd to extend the Hooks lead to 5-0.

Frisco got 5 in the 3rd off Matt Heidenreich, but the tie was short-lived as Joe Sclafani blooped a ball into shallow left field to bring Chris Epps home and put the Hooks back on top 6-5 in the 4th. Duffy finished 3-5; his 3rd hit was clutch, as he drove in a much-needed insurance run with a single in the 9th. Preston Tucker was 2-3 with a run scored and a couple of walks.

Matt Heidenreich opened with 2 scoreless, but the wheels fell off for him in the 3rd as Frisco tagged him for 5 runs in the inning. Heidenreich went 3 innings and gave up 6 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 3.

The bullpen was excellent as they finished the game with 6 scoreless and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 7. Andrew Robinson threw 1.2 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 1. Pat Urckfitz got the final out of the 5th to extricate Robinson from a little jam, and Tommy Shirley suffocated the life out of the Roughriders' offense, striking out 6 in 4 perfect innings to end it.

The Hooks will return home to welcome the Midland RockHounds to Whataburger Field for 4 games. In the series opener, Brady Rodgers and Colton Cain will take on Harvard alum Shawn Haviland. First pitch is at 7:10.

Lancaster was off

The JetHawks will begin a 4-game series against Inland Empire tonight at 7:05 Pacific. Lance McCullers and Kyle Smith will start the opener against Ryan Crowley.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will make the hour-long drive up to Clinton to begin a 4-game series against the LumberKings beginning at 6:30. Evan Grills and Michael Feliz will take on Edwin Diaz in the opener.

Three Stars

3.

Max Stassi, C, Oklahoma City

1-4, 2-R HR (4)

2.

Matt Duffy, 3B, Corpus Christi

3-5, 3-R HR (1)

1. Corpus bullpen/piggybacker

Andrew Robinson, RHP, Corpus Christi

1.2 IP, H, BB, K

Pat Urckfitz, LHP, Corpus Christi

0.1 IP

Tommy Shirley, LHP, Corpus Christi

Save (1), 4 IP, 6 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, April 10, 2014

Oklahoma City 8, New Orleans 2

W- David Martinez (2-0)
L- Chaz Roe (0-1)

OKC home runs: George Springer (1, solo in 8th), Jon Singleton (2, solo in 8th)

Sweep! The RedHawks also got their 5th straight win in the process as they broke a 2-2 tie with 6 runs in the 8th. Before that outburst, Japhet Amador had all the RBIs for OKC, as he hit an RBI single in the 4th and added a sac fly in the 6th. Then, George Springer led off the 8th with his 1st home run of the year, and the RedHawks never looked back. One batter later, Jon Singleton went back-to-back (2) to double OKC's lead. Ronald Torreyes chipped in with an RBI single that scored Max Stassi, and on the ensuing error, Domingo Santana scored. And finally, Gregorio Petit provided the cherry with a 2-run double. He, Springer, and Jonathan Meyer had 2 hits apiece. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Austin Wates, who missed out on the party by going 0-4 with a walk and 2 strikeouts, snapping his season-opening 6-game hitting streak.

Bobby Doran went 4.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer) and struck out 3. Raúl Valdés retired the only batter he faced to end the 5th. David Martinez tagged in to get the victory with 4 scoreless. He allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and fanned 2.

Both teams will face off against each other in another 4-game series; the only difference will be a change of venue. Rudy Owens and Mike Foltynewicz will face Elih Villanueva in the opener in OKC at 7:05. Owens and Foltynewicz will be starting on two different Opening Days: They got the nod for the actual one on May 3, and they'll be taking the hill for OKC's first home game.

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 0

W- Luis Cruz (2-0)
L- Dan Winkler (0-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks took the series opener despite being no-hit for 6 innings. But.... it appeared that the 7th inning stretch was exactly what the Hooks offense needed.

Nolan Fontana got things started by drawing a walk. Andrew Aplin then proceeded to break-up the no-hitter with a single that sent Fontana to 3rd. They didn't have to wait long for a 2nd hit, as Matt Duffy opened the scoring with a single to bring Fontana home. Preston Tucker followed suit by bringing Aplin home. Duffy would score the 3rd run of the game on a Leo Heras groundout. And then... what?

Still not sure what I just witnesses on that last scoring fiasco!!! Craziness!
— Sarah Nelson (@HooksFanSarah) April 11, 2014

What GameDay says:

Jiovanni Mier reaches on a fielder's choice out, second baseman Taylor Featherston to third baseman Joey Wong to catcher Tom Murphy. Preston Tucker out at home. Enrique Hernandez scores. Jiovanni Mier to 3rd. Throwing error by shortstop Cristhian Adames.

So, in conclusion:

The Hooks added 2 more in the 8th on an Aplin sac fly and another Duffy RBI single. Duffy finished 2-4. Fontana went 1-3 with a double and scored twice. Delino DeShields was 0-3, but drew a walk, scored, and stole a base (5).

Ross Seaton tossed 5 shutout innings and allowed 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Luis Cruz had some harrowing moments in his 3 innings, but escaped unscathed every time. Most notably, he tightroped out of a bases-loaded, no out situation by getting 2 strikeouts and a force out at home. Cruz gave up 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Jordan Jankowski worked around a single to finish it, striking out 2.

In the middle game of this series, Matt Heidenreich and Tommy Shirley will face Jonathan Gray. First pitch is at 7:10.

Lancaster 6, Lake Elsinore 5 in 11 innings

W- Juan Minaya (1-0)
L- Trevor Gott (0-1)
S- Mitch Lambson (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The Storm forced extra innings with a pair in the bottom of the 9th, but the tie didn't last very long as Tony Kemp put the JetHawks ahead with a sac fly, and Mitch Lambson extricated himself from a little trouble to end it.

Kemp was 2-5 and scored the first run of the evening on a Teoscar Hernandez double. Hernandez also finished 2-5 and added a couple of steals (3). Brandon Meredith also had himself a 2-hit night; he led off the 4th on a single, advanced to 2nd on a Danry Vasquez groundout, and scored on an error that allowed Roberto Peña to reach. A pair of wild pitches in the 5th allowed Hernandez and Carlos Correa to score. Kemp hit a 2-out double in the 6th and would score on a ball that was smacked by Hernandez that was momentarily caught, then dropped. Hernandez wound up advancing to 3rd on the E, one of 4 on the night for Lake Elsinore.

Mark Appel fared much better in his second go; he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (solo homer) and struck out 6 in 5 innings. Mike Hauschild had a solid piggyback outing, but the wheels fell off for him in the 9th. He went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Juan Minaya got the win by striking out 2 in a 1-2-3 10th, and Lambson worked around a hit and a walk to finish it off, striking out 2.

In game 2 of this series, Vince Velasquez and Kyle Westwood will join forces as they take on TBA at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Lansing 3

W- Michael Feliz (1-0)
L- Brady Dragmire (0-1)
S- Andrew Walter (1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits avoided the sweep as they scored 3 in the 7th and one more in the 9th to give themselves a little more separation.

Catfish Elkins was 0-4, but he brought home QC's first run of the evening with an RBI groundout in the 2nd. Jobduan Morales walked to lead off the 7th, and made has way to 3rd on a sac bunt and a groundout. Brett Phillips then drew a walk, and both of them would score on an from Lansing CF D.J. Davis that allowed Tyler White to take 2nd. White would eventually score on a Conrad Gregor single. James Ramsay doubled to begin the 9th and advanced to 3rd on a Phillips single. A White GIDP allowed Ramsay to score the all-important insurance run. Phillips finished 3-4 with a run scored and Gregor went 2-5.

Evan Grills had a very nice start; in 5 innings, he allowed a run on 5 hits and struck out 5. Michael Feliz tagged in for 2 innings, and he gave up 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Pat Christensen fanned 1 in a 1-2-3 8th, and Andrew Walter worked around a walk to close the door.

In the 2nd leg of their roadtrip, the River Bandits will travel to the heart of Michigan to play 3 games with the Great Lakes Loons. In the series opener, Gonzalo Sanudo and Adrian Houser will take on James Campbell. First pitch will be at 6:05 Eastern/5:05 Central.

Three Stars: Pitchers


3.

Mark Appel, RHP, Lancaster
5 IP, 3 H (solo HR), 2 ER, 6 K

2.

David Martinez, RHP, Oklahoma City
W (2-0), 4 IP, 3 H, BB, 2 K

Evan Grills, LHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 5 H, 5 K

1. Corpus Christi pitchers, combining on a shutout

Ross Seaton, RHP

5 IP, 5 H, BB, 6 K

Luis Cruz, LHP

W (2-0), 3 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Jordan Jankowski, RHP

IP, H, 2 K

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Matt Duffy, 3B/1B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 RBI, R

Brett Phillips, CF, Quad Cities

3-4, R

2. The Lancaster 1-2 made their presence felt once again.

Teoscar Hernandez (#4 on right), CF

2-5, 2B, RBI, R, 2 SB (3)

Tony Kemp, 2B

2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R

1. Cue "When will he be coming up?"

George Springer, RF, Oklahoma City
2-3, solo HR (1), 2 R, 2 BB, SB