Astros Minor League Playoff Recaps

Results for Saturday, September 7, 2019

Let's play two in the Carolina League!

PCL Semifinals: Iowa 5, Round Rock 4 (11 innings)

Series tied 2-2.

W- Dillon Maples
L- Ralph Garza Jr.

RR home runs: None.

For the third time in this series, a game has ended in walk-off fashion. Unfortunately for the Express, they've squandered two chances to close out this series. Every game in this series has been decided by one run.

Drew Ferguson grounded into a force out in the 3rd and an error on the play allowed Ronnie Dawson to score. Ferguson wound up scoring on a single by Jack Mayfield. Mayfield hit another RBI single in the 8th and Taylor Jones added an RBI single of his own later in the inning. Mayfield and Chas McCormick both finished 2-5 on the night.

Cristian Javier pitched 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out nine. Brendan McCurry was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he allowed two runs on two hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out two in 1.2 innings. Dean Deetz allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out the side in a scoreless 7th. Ralph Garza Jr. tagged in for 3.2 innings and allowed the winning run with two outs in the 11th on a sac fly, a hit, walked three, and struck out four.

Forrest Whitley will start a deciding game five at 12:38. He will be opposed by Trevor Clifton.

Carolina League South Final: Down East 5, Fayetteville 4 (8 innings)

Down East leads series 2-1.

W- Michael Matuella
L- Riley Cabral

Fayetteville home runs: Jeremy Peña (2, solo in 1st), Miguelangel Sierra (1, 2-run in 5th), Cal Stevenson (1, solo in 5th)

The Woodpeckers and Wood Ducks played another doubleheader as the Carolinas are still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. Down East scored one in the 7th to tie and one more in the 8th to walk off with the win in the first game.

Jojanse Torres pitched 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits (two-run homer), walked three, and struck out three. Humberto Castellanos allowed two runs (one earned, one inherited runner charged to him), a solo homer, and walked two in 2.2 innings. Riley Cabral couldn't get the final out of the 8th; he walked one and allowed the winning hit, a single.

All four of Fayetteville's runs in game one came via the homer; Jeremy Peña launched one to start the game and then Miguelangel Sierra (two-run) and Cal Stevenson (solo) went deep in the 5th. The three home run hitters all finished with two hits in game one.

Carolina League South Final: Fayetteville 7, Down East 2

Series tied 2-2.

W- Luis Garcia
L- Reid Anderson

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers scored twice in the 4th and then went off for four in the 5th to nab a 6-0 lead as they forced a decisive game five.

Luis Garcia was solid once again as he allowed two runs on a pair of solo homers, three other hits, walked one, and struck out ten in six innings. Jacob Billingsley finished it off by striking out two in a 1-2-3 7th.

Ruben Castro opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 4th and then an interference call allowed David Hensley to score another run. Fayetteville loaded the bases to lead off the 5th and that's how they got their four runs in the inning. Castro hit another RBI single, Scott Manea walked Chandler Taylor in, and Michael Papierski hit a two-run single. They loaded the bases again in the 7th and Marty Costes got plunked to bring in another run. Castro and Hensley had three hits apiece, while Papierski went 2-4.

The fifth and final game of this series will start at 3:00 Eastern.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Cal Stevenson's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Cal Stevenson, OF, Jeremy Peña, SS, and Miguelangel Sierra, IF, Fayetteville

All stats from game one of doubleheader.

Stevenson: 2-3, solo HR (1)
Peña: 2-4, solo HR (2)

Sierra: 2-3, 2-R HR (1)

Luis Garcia, RHP, Fayetteville

W, 6 IP, 5 H (2 solo HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 10 K in game two of doubleheader

David Hensley, IF, Ruben Castro, C, and Michael Papierski, C, Fayetteville

All stats from game two of doubleheader.

Hensley: 3-5, 2 2B, 2 R

Castro: 3-4, 2 RBI, R

Papierski: 2-4, 2 RBI, R

Jack Mayfield, IF, Round Rock

2-5, 2 RBI singles

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Astros' upper-level clubs got the better of their Royals counterparts on Wednesday.

Let's play two in Fayetteville!

Round Rock 3, Omaha 0

W- Kent Emanuel (5-1)
L- Eric Skoglund (1-3)
S- Felipe Paulino (6)

RR home runs: Josh Rojas (20, 2-run in 5th)

All of the runs in this game belonged to the Express.

Meanwhile, three pitchers combined to keep the Storm Chasers off the scoreboard. Kent Emanuel allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out five over seven shutout innings. Ralph Garza Jr. and Felipe Paulino finished things off with one scoreless inning apiece. Garza allowed a hit and fanned one in the 8th while Paulino worked around a couple of walks to get the save, striking out one.

Jack Mayfield scored the first run of the night on a Kyle Tucker groundout in the 4th and Josh Rojas smacked a two-run homer in the 5th inning. Mayfield and Nick Tanielu both finished 2-4; Mayfield also stole a base, his fifth on the year. Carlos Correa went 1-2 with a couple of walks and scored on Rojas' home run.

Carson LaRue takes on Arnaldo Hernandez in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 3, Northwest Arkansas 1

W- J.B. Bukauskas (2-4)
L- Emilio Ogando (1-2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks got a couple in the 8th to take the lead and added an insurance run in the 9th as they came out on top in Northwest Arkansas.

Tyler Ivey allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, a hit, walked two, and struck out five in 2.1 innings of work. Carlos Sanabria was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he issued a walk while striking out four in 1.2 innings. J.B. Bukauskas took it home as he allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out seven over the last five innings.

Seth Beer got plunked with one out in the 8th and Lorenzo Quintana joined him on the bases following a double. Colton Shaver was intentionally walked to load the bases for Chuckie Robinson, who... struck out for the second out. It all fell to Osvaldo Duarte and he came through with a two-run single to put the Hooks on the board and in the lead. Beer capped off the scoring with an RBI single in the 9th. Duarte finished 2-3 on the night.

Bryan Abreu takes the mound for game two. He'll take on Conner Greene at 7:05.

Game 1: Fayetteville 4, Lynchburg 3 (8 innings)

W- Cody Deason (6-5)
L- Yapson Gomez (0-4)

Fayetteville home runs: Jake Adams (14, 2-run in 1st)

The Woodpeckers tied it with one in the 7th and scored another in the 8th to walk off with the win in game one.

Forrest Whitley got the start and he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 3.1 innings. Cody Deason got the last 4.2 innings and he allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked two, and struck out one.

Jake Adams whacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the 1st. Jeremy Peña kept the game alive by ripping a two-out double in the 7th and he came around to score the tying run on a single from Jonathan Arauz. Corey Julks started the 8th in scoring position and he scored the winning run on Michael Papierski's infield single. Papierski went 3-4 in game one. Peña (2B, R), Arauz (RBI, SB), and Julks (2B, 2 R) all finished with two hits.

Game 2: Fayetteville 3, Lynchburg 0

W- Jojanse Torres (8-0)
L- Brock Hartson (0-1)

Fayetteville home runs: Jake Adams (15, 2-run in 1st)

Extra innings not needed. Only one pitcher needed.

Jojanse Torres allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out eight as he threw a complete game, albeit a seven-inning complete game, for the first time in his career.

All three Fayetteville runs in game two came in the 1st. Corey Julks hit an infield single and an error on the play allowed Jonathan Arauz to score. Jake Adams followed by whacking a two-run home run.

The Woodpeckers are looking for the sweep and Brett Conine will take on Justin Garza at 7:00 Eastern.

Peoria 9, Quad Cities 5

W- Tony Locey (1-1)
L- Matt Ruppenthal (3-4)

QC home runs: Austin Dennis (3, solo in 3rd)

The Chiefs went off for seven in the 7th.

Abdiel Saldaña started off by allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out three over four scoreless. Unfortunately, Peoria teed off on Matt Ruppenthal and Luis de Paula. Layne Henderson restored some order as he allowed a hit and struck out two in a scoreless 9th, but the damage was done.

The Banditos opened the scoring in the 3rd as Austin Dennis went deep. Freúdis Nova followed with a double and he ended up scoring on an errant pickoff attempt. Trey Dawson scored on a wild pitch in the 7th and then he and Jonathan Lacroix drew bases-loaded walks in the 8th. Dawson and Dennis had two hits apiece.

Brett Daniels gets the start in game two of this series. He'll go against Michael Brettell at 6:35.

Brooklyn 9, Tri-City 2

W- Mitch Ragan (1-2)
L- Kyle Serrano (0-2)

TC home runs: None.

The Cyclones led 5-0 after the 1st and Tri-City never really threatened here.

Kyle Serrano and Michael Horrell got roughed up as Brooklyn got six runs off the two of them in the first two innings. Manny Ramirez and Blair Henley managed to throw three innings apiece afterward. Manny allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out five, while Henley allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked one, and fanned five.

Joe Perez was involved in both of the ValleyCats scoring plays; he drove in a run with a groundout in the 2nd and scored on a wild pitch in the 5th.

Tri-City and Brooklyn will conclude this series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Marlins 16, GCL Astros 6

W- Leudy Martinez (3-0)
L- Diosmerky Taveras (1-2)

GCL home runs: Yimmi Cortabarria (2, 3-run in 2nd)

The Palm Beach 'Stros scored six runs in the first two innings. Unfortunately, they were kept off the board for the remainder of this game.

Yimmi Cortabarria hit an RBI single in the 1st and launched a three-run homer in the 2nd. Before he went deep, Dexter Jordan grounded into a force out that scored Tyler Krabbe and he later scored himself on a wild pitch that Sean Mendoza struck out on. Cortabarria and Yefri Carrillo both finished with two hits on the day.

Tough day at the office for the pitching staff.

The Astros will take on the Nationals at noon Eastern.

DSL Astros 5, DSL Rays1 0

W- Reimy Beltre (3-0)
L- José Gonzalez (1-4)

DSL home runs: Miguel Palma (4, solo in 2nd)

After getting rocked by the Royals 1 the last couple of days, the Dominican 'Stros got back on track by blanking the Rays 1.

Jaime Melendez and Reimy Beltre started things off with four scoreless innings apiece. Melendez allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out three, while Beltre allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out five. Edinson Batista struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th to complete the shutout.

Miguel Palma smacked a two-run home run in the 2nd to open the scoring. Jesús Liranzo singled to lead off the 5th, advanced to third on Palma's double, and scored on an errant pickoff throw. Carlos Hurtado had an RBI single in the 6th and Andrés Monzón smacked an RBI triple in the 9th. Palma finished 2-3 on the afternoon.

Both of these teams will play again at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

DSL Astros pitchers: W 5-0 @ DSL Rays 1
Jaime Melendez: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Reimy Beltre: W (3-0), 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K
Edinson Batista: IP, K

Miguel Palma, C, DSL Astros: 2-3, 2B, 2-R HR (4), 2 R

Tyler Ivey's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 3-1 @ Northwest Arkansas

9 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 4 BB, 16 K

Tyler Ivey: 2.1 IP, H, unearned run, 2 BB, 5 K

Carlos Sanabria: 1.2 IP, BB, 4 K

J.B. Bukauskas: W (2-4), 5 IP, H, BB, 7 K

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL

2-3, go-ahead 2-RBI single in 8th

Felipe Paulino's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 3-0 vs. Omaha

9 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Kent Emanuel: W (5-1), 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: IP, H, K

Felipe Paulino: Save (6), IP, 2 BB, K

Jake Adams, 1B, Fayetteville

2 two-run home runs (15); one in each game of doubleheader

Jojanse Torres, RHP, Fayetteville

W (8-0), CG (7 IP), H, BB, 8 K in game two of doubleheader

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, GCL Astros

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

Austin Dennis, UTIL, Quad Cities

2-4, solo HR (3)

Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Manny Ramirez, RHP, Tri-City

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 23, 2019

Fayetteville sweep!

Round Rock 8, Iowa 3

W- Cionel Pérez (1-1)
L- Colin Rea (8-2)

RR home runs: Josh Rojas (4, 12 season; solo in 1st)

The E-Train busted out for three in the 4th and three in the 5th to seize control of this one.

Josh Rojas led off the game with a homer. A.J. Reed ripped a two-run double in the 4th and he came home on Chas McCormick's sac fly. Reed drew a bases-loaded walk in the 5th and Garrett Stubbs followed with a two-run single. Jack Mayfield capped off the afternoon with an RBI single in the 8th. Nick Tanielu, Taylor Jones, and Mayfield all finished with two hits on the day.

Corbin Martin and Cionel Pérez both pitched four innings with varying results. Martin allowed three runs on six hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out five. Cionel allowed three hits and struck out four in a scoreless outing. Felipe Paulino, in his return to the Astros organization, struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Brandon Bielak will get the start in the fifth and final game of this series. First pitch is at 12:08.

Springfield 12, Corpus Christi 5

W- Roel Ramirez (2-1)
L- Yohan Ramirez (0-2, 1-4 season)

CC home runs: Colton Shaver 2 (2, 8 season; solo in 4th, 3-run in 6th), Lorenzo Quintana (5, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks, doing business as the Raspas like they usually do on Sundays, were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as the Cardinals got six in the 6th to seize control.

Yohan Ramirez went four innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits, walked four, and struck out four. J.B. Bukauskas was the first man out of the bullpen and he, unfortunately, bore the brunt of that big 6th inning from Springfield. Let's just leave it at that. Justin Ferrell threw 2.2 innings and he allowed three hits, one of which was a two-run homer, walked one, and struck out one. Tommy DeJuneas was the only Corpus pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing as he struck out the side in order in the 9th.

Both teams scored a run in the 2nd; the Raspas got theirs on a solo homer from Lorenzo Quintana. Colton Shaver launched a solo shot in the 4th and then whacked a three-run homer in the 6th. He and Osvaldo Duarte both finished 2-4 on the evening.

The Hooks have now reached their All-Star break. The 2019 Texas League All-Star Game will take place Tuesday in Tulsa. Bryan Abreu, Carlos Sanabria, Colin McKee, and Abraham Toro will represent Corpus Christi.

Corpus returns to action Thursday.

Fayetteville 3, Myrtle Beach 2

W- Austin Hansen (1-0, 5-1 season)
L- Alexander Vargas (1-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Michael Papierski (5, solo in 3rd), Marty Costes (3, 5 season; 2-run in 4th)

Two big swings of the bat and a pair of fine pitching performances carried the Woodpeckers to a sweep of their first series in the second half.

Michael Papierski smacked a solo homer in the 3rd and Marty Costes launched a two-run homer in the 4th. Papierski, Jacob Meyers, and Miguelangel Sierra all had two hits on the day.

Nivaldo Rodríguez pitched four innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out three. Austin Hansen tagged in for the last five innings and he allowed a solo homer, walked two, and struck out six.

The Woodpeckers will begin a three-game series in Salem at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities and Beloit was postponed

Due to rain rendering the field unplayable. This game will be made up during Quad Cities' next trip to Beloit, which will be from July 27-29.

After a day off on Monday, the Banditos will begin a four-game series with the Burlington Bees that's split between Burlington and the Quad Cities. The first two will be in Burlington.

Vermont 7, Tri-City 6 (11 innings)

W- Jorge Martinez (1-1)
L- Luis de Paula (0-1)

TC home runs: Nathan Perry (1, solo in 6th), Zach Biermann (2, solo in 8th)

The Lake Monsters nipped the ValleyCats in extras to avoid the sweep.

Peyton Battenfield struck out four over three perfect innings. Manny Ramirez was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and he got two outs in the 4th via strikeout, but he also allowed three runs on two hits and walked three. Hansel Paulino got Ramirez out of a bases-loaded predicament by getting the final out of the 4th with a strikeout. Paulino ended up going 2.1 innings and he allowed two hits, one of which was a solo homer, and struck out four.

Julio Robaina was next and he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked two, and struck out three in two innings. Garrett Gayle allowed the runner that he inherited from Robaina to score on a sac fly that tied the game at 6 in the 9th inning. He also allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one. Luis de Paula pitched the final two innings and allowed what turned out to be the game-winning sac fly and struck out two.

Tri-City got back in the game when Korey Lee hit a two-run single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 4th. Luis Santana doubled to lead off the 5th and he scored the tying run on an error that allowed E.P. Reese to reach. Nathan Perry clubbed a solo homer in the 6th and Zach Biermann put the ValleyCats in front by whacking a two-run homer in the 8th. Reese (R, SB), Grae Kessinger (2B, 2 R), Korey Lee (2 RBI), and Santana (2B, R) all had two hits on the night.

After a day off, the ValleyCats will hit the road to kick off a three-game series against the Lowell Spinners.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Colton Shaver, IF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 HR (2, 8 season), 4 RBI

Felipe Paulino's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Round Rock Express bullpen

5 IP, 3 H, 5 K

Cionel Pérez: W (1-1), 4 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Felipe Paulino: IP, K

"WOODPPECKERS"

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 3-2 @ Myrtle Beach

9 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

Nivaldo Rodríguez: 4 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Austin Hansen: W (1-0, 5-1 season), 5 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Michael Papierski, C, Fayetteville

2-5, solo HR (5)

Peyton Battenfield not pictured.

This is Korey Lee's mugshot on MiLB.com.

Peyton Battenfield, RHP, and Korey Lee, C, Tri-City

Battenfield: 3 IP, 4 K

Lee: 2-5, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 9, 2019

Salt Lake 6, Round Rock 5

W- Max Herrmann (1-1)
L- Ronel Blanco (1-1, 4-1 season)
S- Simon Mathews (1)

RR home runs: Kyle Tucker (21, solo in 1st), A.J. Reed (8, solo in 9th)

The Express got held in check on Sunday to slow down their recent rampage.

Corbin Martin went three innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, walked two, and struck out three. Ronel Blanco was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he allowed five hits, one of which was a two-run homer. Blanco also walked one and struck out three in his 2.2 innings of work. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed a hit and fanned four over the final 2.1 innings.

Kyle Tucker opened the scoring by whacking a solo home run in the 1st inning. Round Rock got two more in the opening frame thanks to a Drew Ferguson sac fly and a Nick Tanielu single. Taylor Jones ripped an RBI double in the 3rd and A.J. Reed led off the 9th with a homer that cut the Bees' lead to one run. Tucker, Jones, and Aníbal Sierra all finished with two hits on the afternoon.

Brandon Bielak will start the series finale and he'll take on Matt Sandoval at 1:05 Mountain.

Amarillo 6, Corpus Christi 0

W- Emmanuel Ramirez (5-4)
L- Brett Adcock (1-6)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks, doing business as the Raspas like they do every Sunday, had nothing going for them on offense. As a result, they had to settle for the split and they couldn't take sole possession of first place in the Texas League South. All four teams are separated by one game.

Chas McCormick doubled and drew a couple of walks.

Brett Adcock went four innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits, walked one, and struck out two. Layne Henderson struck out one in a 1-2-3 5th, and Enoli Paredes threw four perfect innings in his Texas League debut, striking out five.

Corpus Christi has Monday off as they embark on their last roadtrip of the first half. The first leg begins on Tuesday with the opener of a three-game series against the Arkansas Travelers.

Wilmington 5, Fayetteville 3

W- C.J. Eldred (1-0)
L- César Rosado (2-1)
S- Robert Garcia (1)

Fayetteville home runs: Bryan de la Cruz (4, solo in 1st), Marty Costes (2, 4 season; solo in 4th), Michael Papierski (3, solo in 6th)

Well, they didn't lose in walk-off fashion, but the Woodpeckers got burned by another late rally from the Blue Rocks. Wilmington scored three in the bottom of the 8th to take the lead in this one.

J.P. France allowed two runs on three hits, walked two, and struck out four in six innings of work. César Rosado threw a scoreless 7th but everything unraveled on him in the 8th as he only got one out and left the bases for Leovanny Rodríguez, who couldn't get him out of the predicament. Rosado allowed a hit, walked two, struck out two, and all three of the runners that Leovanny inherited were all charged to him. Leovanny got the last two outs of the 8th, one via strikeout, but not before he allowed a go-ahead bases-clearing double.

Fayetteville's three runs came via the solo homer. Bryan de la Cruz led off the game with one, Marty Costes smacked one in the 4th, and Michael Papierski went deep to lead off the 6th. Papierski, Costes, and Jonathan Arauz all finished 2-4.

The Woodpeckers will start a three-game set with Myrtle Beach at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 5, Kane County 3

W- Joey Gonzalez (1-1, 1-2 season)
L- Franklyn Soriano (2-2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos' bats came alive after a rain delay. Also, Cedar Rapids' split in their doubleheader with Peoria resulted in the Banditos clinching a playoff berth. Their magic number to clinch the division is now down to two.

José Bravo pitched six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, walked four, and struck out five. Joey Gonzalez came on after play resumed and he shut the Cougars down, allowing two hits and striking out five over the final three innings.

Freúdis Nova ripped an RBI double in the 4th to put Quad Cities on the board. With two outs in the 7th, Jeremy Peña kept the inning alive by legging out an infield single. César Salazar got plunked and David Hensley legged out an infield single of his own to load the bases for Freúdis, who brought Peña in... by getting plunked. That prompted Kane County to make a pitching change and Michael Wielansky greeted new Cougars pitcher Wesley Rodriguez with a bases-clearing double that put the Banditos in the lead. Wielansky, Peña, and Hensley all finished with two hits on the evening.

The Banditos and Cougars will wrap up this series at 6:35.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Layne Henderson not pictured.

This is Enoli Paredes' mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

5 IP, 6 K

Layne Henderson: IP, K

Enoli Paredes: 4 IP, 5 K; Texas League debut

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Joey Gonzalez, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-1, 1-2 season), 3 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Michael Wielansky, IF, Quad Cities

2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI; go-ahead bases-clearing 2B in 7th

J.P. France, RHP, Fayetteville

6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Michael Papierski, C, and Marty Costes, OF, Fayetteville

Both players finished 2-4 with a solo home run.

Papierski: 3 HR

Costes: 2 HR with Fayetteville, 4 on the season

Ralph Garza Jr., RHP, Round Rock

2.1 IP, H, 4 K

Taylor Jones, 1B/OF, and Kyle Tucker, OF, Round Rock

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

Tucker: 2-5, solo HR (21)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 27, 2018

El Paso 2, Fresno 0

W- Eric Yardley (2-0)
L- Trent Thornton (3-3)
S- Luis Castillo (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies were held in check on Sunday.

Trent Thornton turned in a solid outing, but unfortunately for him, he did not receive any kind of run support. Thornton went six innings and allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out eight. Buddy Boshers struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th, and Matt Ramsey allowed two hits and struck out one over two scoreless innings.

Cody Bohanek went 2-4 out of the #9 spot in the order. Fresno drew six walks and only struck out twice on offense, but they couldn't get much of anything going.

Rogelio Armenteros will take on Jesse Scholtens in game four of this series. First pitch is at 4:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 3

W- Alex Winkelman (2-2)
L- Mitchell White (0-2)
S- Erasmo Pinales (2)

CC home runs: Taylor Jones (8, solo in 1st), Randy César (6, solo in 6th)

Both teams had innings in which they scored either one run or two runs. Corpus had two pairs of these innings while Tulsa had just one.

The one run that Alex Winkelman allowed in his five innings came on a solo homer hit by D.J. Peters in the 1st. He allowed one other hit, walked four and struck out seven. Chris Nunn allowed two hits and struck out four over two scoreless innings. Ralph Garza Jr. was next out of the bullpen and in 1.1 innings, he had an unearned run charged to him and struck out two. It got a little challenging in the 9th as Erasmo Pinales allowed a run of his own on three hits, along with one of Garza's runs, but he was able to get the last two outs of the game, one via strikeout.

Both teams got a run in the 1st inning via the home run; Taylor Jones demolished a Mitchell White offering to put Corpus Christi on the board. Ryne Birk walked to lead off the 2nd. He then stole second and scored on a Stephen Wrenn double. Jamie Ritchie joined Wrenn on the bases by drawing a walk, and then they proceeded to advance a base by stealing them. Aníbal Sierra brought Wrenn in with a groundout. Randy César extended his hitting streak to 20 games by launching a solo home run in the 6th inning. The Hooks got a couple of runs in the 7th on a pair of RBI singles from Alex De Goti and Myles Straw. Jones, Ritchie, and De Goti all finished with two hits on the evening. César is the second player in the system to have a 20-game hitting streak; Tony Kemp had a 20-game hitting streak from April 23 to May 14.

The Hooks have today off. They'll begin a three-game series in Springfield tomorrow evening.

Buies Creek 1, Lynchburg 0

W- Brandon Bielak (4-3)
L- Justin Garza (2-2)
S- Hector Perez (1)

BC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game and it belonged to Buies Creek.

J.J. Matijevic singled to lead off the 2nd and scored the only run of the day on a double from Chas McCormick, which was the only extra-base hit from either side.

Brandon Bielak allowed two hits and struck out six over five shutout frames and Hector Perez completed the shutout by not allowing a hit over the final four innings. Perez walked two and struck out three during his stint on the mound.

Carson LaRue will start the series finale. He'll face Sam Hentges at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Peoria 3

W- Parker Mushinski (2-0)
L- Alvaro Seijas (1-3)

QC home runs: Mike Papierski (2, 2-run in 1st), Colton Shaver (5, 2-run in 8th)

The Banditos got out to a fast start and had to withstand a bit of a run from the Chiefs, but a three-run 8th inning gave them the breathing room they needed.

Corey Julks opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and on the ensuing error, Bryan de la Cruz was able to score another run. It took a little while, but Julks managed to come home when Mike Papierski smacked a home run. Roman Garcia added an RBI single in the 3rd inning. Papierski led off the 8th with a single and one batter later, Colton Shaver launched a homer. After Garcia went down for the first out of the inning, Jonathan Lacroix walked. He moved to third on a Jake Meyers double and scored the final run of the night on a single from de la Cruz.

Meyers went 3-5 and hit two doubles. Julks, de la Cruz, Papierski, Shaver, and Lacroix all finished with two hits.

Parker Mushinski went five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, walked two, and struck out three. The bullpen shut it down over the last four innings. Adam Bleday walked one and struck out four in three innings, and Carlos Sanabria worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Leovanny Rodriguez will start the series finale for Quad Cities. He'll face Zach Prendergast at 5:15.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 1-0 vs. Lynchburg

9 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K

Brandon Bielak: W (4-3), 5 IP, 2 H, 6 K

Hector Perez: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 BB, 3 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

L (3-3), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Alex Winkelman, LHP, and Chris Nunn, LHP, Corpus Christi

Winkelman: W (2-2), 5 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Nunn: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi

2-4, solo HR (8)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Adam Bleday, LHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, BB, 4 K

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Mike Papierski, C, and Colton Shaver, 1B, Quad Cities

Papierski: 2-2, 2-R HR (2), 3 R, BB

Shaver: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (5)

Beyond the Astros Top 30: Catchers

As the old year fades away and the new season approaches, it's time to start looking at those players of interest who are beyond the Astros Top 30 (or 32 ... see below). These players may not ever make a Top 30 list (or they may), but a combination of projections, actual results, incremental improvements and intangibles keep them in the mix as interesting players to watch. I am not including any players in these posts who have already made their major league debuts since, presumably, anyone reading my blog is already very familiar with those players.

Now that all of the major players (Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline and Baseball America) have weighed in with their Astros Top Prospect Lists, I've integrated all of the rankings into one consensus top prospect ranking that includes 32 Astros players (16 were ranked on all four lists, nine were on three of four and the final seven were on two of four). I highly recommend checking out the included links for all of the great information provided.

[UPDATES TO FINAL 2018 PRE-SEASON RANKINGS SHOWN IN RED.

BA= BASEBALL AMERICA, BP = BASEBALL PROSPECTUS,

FG=FANGRAPHS, MLB = MLB PIPELINE]

CATCHERS IN THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Garrett Stubbs - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Nathan Perry (L/R) - BP #11+
Drafted by the Astros in the fifth round in 2017 out of Bassett High School (VA), Nathan Perry was ranked as a Baseball Prospectus "Next 10" prospect. They were high on his defensive abilities, but less sold on his offensive upside, particularly since he was limited to 27 games in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in his first pro season (hitting .229/.325/.357) but liked his approach, raw power and on-base potential. Although it was a limited sample size, Perry did show improvement at the plate as his short season progressed, hitting .333/.486/.556 with eight walks to six strikeouts in his 12 games in August and September. Defensively, Perry only played in 12 games behind the dish and caught two of 10 on the base paths. Perry will turn 19 on July 7th.

Chuckie Robinson (R/R) - MLB #27, FG #28+
I'm a bigger fan of Robinson than most so I was happy to see him debut at #27 on the MLB Pipeline prospect list and receive a mention in the FanGraphs write-up as well. Robinson, drafted in the 21st round in 2016 out of the University of Southern Mississippi, had a very nice second professional season at the plate with the Low A Quad Cities team, hitting .274/.330/.463 with 32 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 77 RBI in 108 regular season games. In the postseason, he hit .256/.293/.590 with one double, four home runs and eight RBI over nine games. The biggest question marks about Robinson are whether or not his long, aggressive swing will translate at the higher levels and how much he can improve on his receiving skills, but he's a hard worker with excellent strength, good bat speed and raw power, and a very nice arm; Robinson's caught stealing rate in 80 games behind the plate in 2017 was 41%. Robinson turned 23 in December. Side note: Robinson is a third generation catcher whose grandfather spent time in the White Sox organization in the 60's and whose father spent time in the Royals and Cubs farm systems.

Garrett Stubbs (L/R) - BP #11+, FG #15,  BA #18, MLB #24
Stubbs, the Astros 2015 eight round pick out of USC, is probably the best all-around defensive catcher in the Astros system with plus receiving skills and arm strength. Stubbs was ranked by all four of the prospect listings (noted in the above intro) with a high ranking of #15 by FanGraphs and a low of #24 by MLB Pipeline. Universally, Stubbs's detractors single out his small stature (and thus questionable durability) as the biggest obstacle to his emerging as a front-line catcher in the MLB. And Stubbs, unfortunately, was working through some injuries in 2017 which did nothing to quiet those doubts. His offensive output in 2017 did take a hit (.236/.324/.331 in 75 games in AA Corpus and .221/.341/.286 in 23 games in AAA Fresno), but one pundit attributed that as much to the old trying-to-do-too-much syndrome as it did to injuries. His caught stealing rate fell off as well (32% in 2017), but he still has a 44% lifetime rate. Stubbs, however, is extremely smart and a very hard worker; I feel confident that he will continue to make the adjustments necessary to get the most out of his stature and his abilities. If, as others say, his ceiling is as a back-up backstop in the majors, that's not a bad thing, but I wouldn't count him out just yet. Stubbs will be 25 in May.

CATCHERS BEYOND THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Anthony Hermelyn - May 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Jose Alvarez (R/R)
Signed out of Venezuela in July 2016 for $195,000, Alvarez made a splash in his very first professional game behind the dish in 2017 by catching four would-be base stealers. When first signed, Oz Ocampo of the Astros praised Alvarez's receiving skills and his strong, accurate throws, as well as his solid hitting ability with good bat speed and swing path. Alvarez only played in 20 games as a catcher in his first season (21 at first base) and had a caught stealing rate of 50% (20 of 40), but let's not talk about those 12 passed balls ... yet. After all, he won't be 18 until June! Offensively, Alvarez started off the season well but tailed off dramatically later in the season, ending with a .204/.324/.217 line, walking 25 times to 34 strikeouts.
Keys: Since he won't be 18 until June, it's a little early to be talking about keys for Alvarez, but I'll give him two things to work on in 2018 -- start developing more of the gap power that Baseball America projected him to have and keep those passed balls in check. If he can improve to the point that he gets a promotion to the States by the end of the season, that will say a great deal about Alvarez's potential.

Anthony Hermelyn (R/R)
Hermelyn, who played his 2017 season with High A Buies Creek, has largely flown under the radar, but made enough progress in 2017 to keep himself in the mix. Although he had a somewhat uneven season at the plate, he ended it with a very respectable .242/.337/.333 with 15 doubles, three home runs and an improved walk-to-strikeout rate of 38 walks to 55 strikeouts in 74 games (43BB:95K in 87 games in 2016). He also improved to a 40% caught stealing rate (16 of 40), and was charged with only three passed balls and zero errors in 51 games at the position. Hermelyn was drafted in the fourth round in 2015 out of the University of Oklahoma. He turned 24 this past November.
Key: With the trade of Jake Rogers in July, Hermelyn has been given an opportunity to step up and that's exactly what he will need to do. If he can continue to make incremental improvements, both offensively and defensively, and do so while continuing to climb the ladder to the higher levels of the organization, he could definitely hang around for a while. [UPDATE: Well, I was definitely wrong on this one. Hermelyn was released prior to the 2018 season.]

Michael Papierski (S/R)
Papierski, drafted by the Astros in the ninth round in 2017 out of LSU, hopes to challenge for the title of best defensive catcher in the Astros system. With good receiving and framing skills, a solid arm and the smarts to communicate well with his pitchers, he seems to be headed in the right direction. And although he only managed to hit .198 in his first his first 37 pro games with short season A Tri-City, his .377 on-base percentage and .380 slugging percentage seem to portend better things to come as he becomes acclimated to the pro ranks (particularly if he keeps demonstrating the plate discipline that resulted in a ratio of 30 walks to 29 strikeouts). Papierski's caught stealing rate in his first 35 games behind the plate was 29% (9 of 22 caught).
Key: Papierski is not expected to hit for high average, but I do expect him to put that .198 average from 2017 in the rearview mirror this season. He will need to show that he can hang in there offensively while solidifying his skills behind the plate. If he does that, he could move up the ladder quickly. Papierski turned 22 this past Monday.

Lorenzo Quintana (R/R)
Quintana is defintely on the older side for this list, having turned 29 just yesterday, but he will be making his U.S. pro debut in 2018 after spending seven seasons in Cuba, the last of which was the 2014-2015 season. He was signed by the Astros in October for a reported $200,000. Quintana hit .310/.377/.438 in 422 games in Cuba with 62 doubles, nine triples, 35 home runs, 204 RBI and 232 runs scored. Over those 422 games, Quintana walked 126 times while striking out 206 times, but in his last two seasons, he improved to a ratio of 58 walks to 52 strikeouts in 118 games. He has a lifetime 30% caught stealing rate and has been known to steal a base or two himself. In his 2013-2014 season, he stole 15 bases and was caught six times. Quintana is said to be a good contact hitter who uses all fields, but beyond that, I haven't seen much written about him. He is expected to start the season at Buies Creek.
Key: If Quintana can adjust to the U.S. system, he should fly through the organization quickly.

Jamie Ritchie (R/R)
Going in to his fifth professional season, Ritchie is on the bubble with me. He's off-the-charts smart, has great athleticism and works incredibly hard, but he hasn't gotten past "potential MLB back-up catcher" in my mind. His 2017 season with Corpus Christi (.256/.382/.335 with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs and a 24% caught stealing rate) screams "average" at me. He does have really great plate discipline and on-base skills, but he's never going to be a power hitter and, although he's a solid receiver, his arm still projects to be average at best. The good news is that catchers usually get as many chances as it takes to make things work and Ritchie will do everything in his power to adjust and improve. Ritchie, who was drafted in the 13th round in 2014 out of Belmont University, will be 25 in April. [Author's Note: It hurts my heart to write anything negative about a great guy like Ritchie and I hope he makes me look like a complete ninny in 2018.]
Key: If Ritchie isn't going to be elite defensively (and I don't think he will be), he needs to up his offensive game and show that at the highest levels of the organization.

Nerio Rodriguez (R/R)
Rodriguez's father (also Nerio Rodriguez) spent five seasons catching in the minors before converting to pitcher. He played in five seasons in the majors for the Orioles, Blue Jays, Indians and Cardinals. The younger Rodriguez signed with the Astros in 2016 for $450,000 and played his first season with the Dominican Summer League in 2017. Rodriguez hit .203/.306/.346 in 44 games, peaking with a .282/.360/.518 line in 22 games in July. Although he is expected to project as a better offensive player than defensive player, he did manage a 54% caught stealing rate (14 of 26) in his 19 games behind the plate. Rodriguez has been on my radar since his July 28th game in which he caught five would-be base stealers and hit a home run, the combination of which reportedly no other player has ever accomplished in a pro game at any level ever! Rodriguez will be 19 in September.
Key: Rodriguez spent a lot more time at DH than at catcher in 2017. If the Astros intend to keep him at the position, he will need to get a lot more work in to stick at that position.

Others to Watch:

Gabriel Bracamonte (R/R)
I'll be watching Bracamonte as much because I like the guy (which, in turn, makes me root for him) as for any other reason. Bracamonte only caught 24 games in 2017 and has only progressed as far as 12 games at Low A Quad Cities in four professional seasons. Unfortunately, his bat did not translate well in those 12 games at the higher level. Overall, though, Bracamonte has shown the ability to catch up offensively; he'll just need to start doing it a lot more quickly since he turns 23 in May. His lifetime caught stealing rate is 38%.

Jose Carrillo (R/R)
Much like Bracamonte, my concerns with Carrillo are largely due to his slow progression up through the system. It took him until the end of his third professional season to make it to the States for eight games at the end of the 2017 season. He hit .250/.326/.296 in his 44 games in the Dominican Summer League prior to the promotion and managed a 56% caught stealing rate (10 of 18) in his 26 games behind the plate. He just turned 20 in January.

Orlando Marquez (R/R)
Marquez is yet another of these young Venezuelan catchers (like Bracamonte and Carrillo) who has shown promise, but is in danger of aging out of the system. In 28 games with the Gulf Coast League in 2017, he hit .268/.346/.380 and caught four of 10 would-be base stealers. However, he will be 24 in March and hasn't progressed beyond the rookie level Gulf Coast League in four professional seasons.

Brandon Benavente (S/R)
Benavente is the last of my Venezuelan catchers who haven't quite been able to break through. Benavente's great arm is evident in his astonishing 67% caught stealing rate in 2017 (36 of 54), and pundits were effusive in their praise for his defensive abilities when he signed for $262,500 in 2014, but he has never been able to break through with the bat. In his third pro season, Benavente was stuck below the Mendoza line and was also stuck in the Dominican Summer League after playing in a handful of games in the States in 2016. He will be 21 in September and time is no longer his friend.

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