Astros Farm Report: 6-24

Bringing you the latest news from down on the farm ...

Now that I am off the road (for now) and have a working computer, look for some new player interviews coming out over the next several days!

In case you missed it, Dustin pulled together all of the twitter info for the new draft picks. I have updated this to indicate which players have officially signed to date.

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Here are the latest roster moves. An ongoing list of all of the 2019 season transactions and roster moves can be found here.

With today being the first day of the season for the GCL, I expect several additional roster moves to be made prior to today's game.

6-23: LHP Jervic Chavez assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
6-23: RHP Felipe Paulino assigned to Round Rock
6-23: RHP Riley Ferrell assigned to Round Rock (Rule 5 pick returned by Marlins)
6-22: LHP Brayan de Paula assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
6-22: C Lorenzo Quintana assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
6-22: RHP Hunter Brown (5th round 2019) assigned to Tri-City
6-22: RHP Garrett Gayle (12th round 2019) assigned to Tri-City
6-22: RHP Derek West (14th round 2019) assigned to Tri-City
6-22: SS Luis Santana assigned to Tri-City from extended spring training
6-22: RHP Franny Cobos assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
6-22: OF Yefri Carrillo assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
6-22: 3B Yeuris Ramirez assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
6-22: OF Hector Martinez (Tri-City) released
6-22: RHP Jamie Melendez assigned to the DSL (17-year old from Mexico signed 4-30)
6-22: OF Jairo Jose assigned to the DSL (17-year old Dominican signed July 2018)
6-22: 1B Enmanuel Morrillo (DSL) released
6-22: C Jonarkys Lopez (DSL) released
6-21: LHP Reymin Guduan recalled to Houston from Round Rock
6-21: RHP Hunter Martin assigned to Quad Cities from Round Rock
6-21: IF Jack Mayfield optioned to Round Rock from Houston
6-21: C Garrett Stubbs optioned to Round Rock from Houston
6-21: LHP Brett Adcock (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
6-21: 1B J. J. Matijevic activated from the restricted list and assigned to Fayetteville
6-21: LHP Yeremi Ceballos assigned to the GCL from Quad Cities
6-21: 2B Yorbin Ceuta assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
6-21: OF E.P. Reese (25th round 2019) assigned to Tri-City
6-20: RHP Justin Ferrell assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
6-20: OF Austin Dennis assigned to Round Rock from Quad Cities
6-20: RHP Joe Smith sent to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment
6-20: OF George Springer sent to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment
6-20: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to Quad Cities from Corpus Christi
6-20: SS Grae Kessinger (2nd round 2019) assigned to Tri-City
6-20: C C. J. Stubbs (10th round 2019) assigned to Tri-City
6-20: RHP Michael Horrell (30th round) assigned to Tri-City
6-20: RHP Brayan de Paula assigned to Tri-City
6-20: RHP Felipe Paulino signed (contract purchased from the Sugar Land Skeeters)
6-19: LHP Cionel Perez optioned to Round Rock from Houston
6-18: C Max Stassi sent to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment (activated from IL 6-21)
6-18: OF Matthew Barefoot (6th round) assigned to Tri-City
6-18: OF Preston Pavlica (24th round) assigned to Tri-City
6-18: SS A. J. Lee (34th round) assigned to Tri-City
6-18: RHP Peyton Battenfield (9th round 2019) assigned to Tri-City
6-18: 1B Zach Biermann (23rd round) assigned to Tri-City
6-18: OF Yimmi Cortaberria assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
6-18: OF Franklin Pinto assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
6-17: SS Anibal Sierra assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
6-17: SS Luis Santana assigned to extended spring training from Corpus Christi
6-17: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL retroactive to 6-15
6-17: RHP Willy Collado assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-17: RHP Collin McHugh sent to Corpus Christi on a rehab assignment
6-17: RHP Peyton Battenfield (9th round 2019) signed
6-16: C Korey Lee (1st round 2019) assigned to Tri-City
6-16: RHP Brendan McCurry (Round Rock) activated from the IL
6-16: RHP Brady Rodgers (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
6-16: C Lorenzo Quintana (Round Rock) activated from the IL
6-16: C Oscar Campos assigned to Quad Cities from Round Rock
6-16: 3B/1B/C Colton Shaver assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-16: C Ruben Castro assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
6-16: SS Javier Bermudez assigned to the GCL from Corpus Christi
6-15: OF Corey Julks (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-15: RHP Ronel Blanco (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
6-15: RHP Humberto Castellanos assigned to Round Rock from Quad Cities
6-15: OF Jonathan Lacroix (Quad Cities) activated from the IL
6-14: RHP Hunter Martin assigned to Round Rock from Quad Cities
6-14: 2B Jose Altuve sent to Round Rock on a rehab assignment (activated from the IL 6-19)
6-14: RHP Collin McHugh sent to Round Rock on a rehab assignment
6-14: RHP Rogelio Armenteros called up to Houston from Round Rock
6-14: OF Wilyer Abreu assigned to extended spring training from Quad Cities
6-14: RHP Hansel Paulino activated from the IL and assigned to Tri-City
6-14: OF Alex McKenna (Quad Cities) activated from the IL
6-14: LHP Yeremi Ceballos assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
6-14: 3B Joe Perez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
6-14: 2B Yorbin Ceuta assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
6-14: RHP Christian Mejias assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
6-14: C Juan Paulino assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
6-14: RHP Franny Cobos assigned to Tri-City
6-14: RHP Lupe Chavez assigned to Tri-City
6-14: RHP Valente Bellozo assigned to Tri-City
6-14: OF Franklin Pinto assigned to Tri-City from the DSL
6-14: OF Hector Martinez assigned to Tri-City from extended spring training
6-14: 3B Yeuris Ramirez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
6-14: RHP Ernesto Jaquez (Tri-City) placed on the 7-day IL
6-14: LHP Jervic Chavez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
6-14: RHP Angel Macuare assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
6-14: RHP Manny Ramirez assigned to Tri-City from extended spring training
6-14: RHP Jayson Schroeder assigned to Tri-City from extended spring training
6-14: 3B Juan Pineda assigned to Tri-City from extended spring training
6-14: SS Grae Kessinger signed (2nd round 2019)
6-14: OF Colin Barber signed (4th round 2019)
6-14: OF E. P. Reese signed (25th round 2019)
6-13: C Max Stassi sent to Round Rock on a rehab assignment
6-13: OF Derek Fisher optioned to Round Rock from Houston
6-12: RHP Derek West signed (14th round 2019)
6-12: C Korey Lee signed (1st round 2019)
6-12: SS A. J. Lee signed (34th round 2019)
6-12: LHP Kevin Dickey signed (27th round 2019)
6-12: OF Preston Pavlica signed (24th round 2019)
6-12: RHP Danny Cody signed (17th round 2019)
6-12: RHP Blair Henley signed (7th round 2019)
6-12: OF Matthew Barefoot signed (6th round 2019)
6-12: RHP Chandler Casey signed (26th round 2019)
6-12: RHP Alex Palmer signed (20th round 2019)
6-12: 1B Zach Biermann signed (23rd round 2019)
6-12: OF Luis Guerrero signed (8th round 2019)
6-12: C C. J. Stubbs signed (10th round 2019)
6-12: RHP Cole McDonald signed (15th round 2019)
6-11: OF Chas McCormick assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
6-11: OF Austin Dennis assigned to Quad Cities from Round Rock
6-11: OF Bryan de la Cruz assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-11: RHP Michael Horrell signed (30th round 2019)
6-10: RHP Garrett Gayle signed (12th round 2019)
6-10: RHP Kevin Holcomb signed (13th round 2019)
6-10: RHP Hunter Brown signed (5th round 2019)
6-10: RHP Luis Vega assigned to the DSL
6-10: RHP Johangel Ramirez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
6-9: OF Yordan Alvarez called up to Houston from Round Rock
6-9: OF Austin Dennis assigned to Round Rock from Quad Cities
6-9: LHP Reymin Guduan optioned to Round Rock from Houston
6-8: OF Hector Martinez assigned to extended spring training from Corpus Christi
6-8: OF Ronnie Dawson (Corpus Christi) activated from the IL
6-8: C Lorenzo Quintana (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
6-8: C Cesar Salazar (Quad Cities) activated from the IL
6-8: LHP Julio Robaina assigned to extended spring training from Quad Cities
6-7: LHP Cionel Perez recalled to Houston from Round Rock
6-7: RHP Brady Rodgers optioned to Round Rock
6-6: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
6-6: C Oscar Campos assigned to Round Rock from Quad Cities
6-6: 2B Alfredo Angarita (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
6-6: RHP Yohan Ramirez assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-6: RHP Enoli Paredes assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-6: RHP Luis Garcia assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
6-6: RHP Austin Hansen assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
6-6: LHP Jonathan Bermudez assigned to Quad Cities from Corpus Christi
6-6: RHP Hunter Martin assigned to Quad Cities from Corpus Christi
6-6: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Tri-City from Corpus Christi
6-6: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
6-6: OF Ramiro Rodriguez assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
6-5: RHP Tommy DeJuneas assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-5: RHP Jayson Schroeder assigned to extended spring training from Quad Cities
6-4: LHP Reymin Guduan recalled to Houston from Round Rock
6-4: RHP Justin Ferrell assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
6-4: RHP Corbin Martin optioned to Round Rock
6-4: OF Chandler Taylor (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-4: OF Ramiro Rodriguez assigned to extended spring training from Fayetteville
6-3: RHP Gabriel Valdez (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
6-3: RHP Humberto Castellanos assigned to Quad Cities from Round Rock
6-2: OF Bryan de la Cruz (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-2: RHP Jacob Billingsley (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-2: C Alejandro Flores (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: OF Ronnie Dawson (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: RHP Willy Collado assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-1: RHP Hector Martinez assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
6-1: C Cesar Salazar (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: LHP Julio Robaina assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
6-1: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to extended spring training from Corpus Christi
6-1: RHP Manny Ramirez assigned to extended spring training from Quad Cities

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL

C Ruben Castro - activated 5-25
RHP Nick Hernandez - activated 5-8
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna - activated 4-29
RHP Hansel Paulino - activated 6-14
RHP Erasmo Pinales - activated 5-20; back on IL 5-24
RHP Abdiel Saldana
RHP Kyle Serrano
RHP Jairo Solis

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension)
1B/OF J.J. Matijevic (50-game suspension) - activated 6-21

2019 STANDINGS

Up and down arrows denote an increase or decrease in win percentage over the last week.

AAA ROUND ROCK (Pacific Coast League/American Southern Division)

🠋 2nd 44-31 .587 3.0GB W1

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

🠉 2nd 36-39 .480 1.0GB L1 (Overall)
T1st 3-3 .500 -.-GB L1 (Second Half)

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

🠉 4th 35-38 .479 15.5GB W4 (Overall)
1st 4-0 1.000 -.-GB W4 (Second Half)

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)
1st half Division Winner

= 1st 45-24 .652 -.-GB W1 (Overall)
3rd 2-1 .667 0.5GB W1 (Second Half)

SHORT SEASON A TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League/Stedler Division)
 🠉 3rd 4-5 .444 3.0GB L1

ROOKIE LEVEL GULF COAST LEAGUE (East Division)
Starts play today

ROOKIE LEVEL DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Northwest Division)
🠋 6th 8-10 .444 3.0GB L3

WATCH THIS SPACE

I plan to use "this space" to feature players who are currently flying below the radar, but who deserve a look.

Willy Collado - June 2019
Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Willy Collado is in his fourth season with the Astros. After putting up some excellent numbers for the Quad Cities bullpen in 2018, Collado has proven that his prior season was not a fluke. After starting his season with four appearances with Quad Cities, Collado earned a promotion to Fayetteville and was recently sent to Corpus Christi for the second time this season. Collado has not allowed an earned run in 16 of his 20 appearances this season and boasts a 1.49 ERA and a 1.046 WHIP with 15 walks to 44 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. Collado turned 21 in March. Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Mitch Lambson - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

LHP Mitch Lambson was drafted by the Astros in the 19th round in 2011 out of Arizona State University and spent the better part of five seasons in the Astros system prior to being traded to the Braves in July 2015. He later spent time in the Brewers organization, independent league baseball and the Mexican League. Lambson is currently pitching for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in the independent American Association. In seven starts, he is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.220 WHIP (11 BB:31 K in 50 IP).

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

St. Petersburg, Russia - 2010

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Former Astros in Independent/International Leagues (2018)

There are several former Astros already playing internationally or who are slated to play with the Indy League clubs that start up between late April and mid-May. I'll update this post with any late additions I see as the independent baseball season gets closer. If you see any former Astros or former Astros farm hands that I missed, leave a note in the comments and I'll include them in my next update.

Each year MLB affiliates pick up players from independent baseball. Last year, RHP Kevin McCanna (Astros 2015 13th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system) started his season with the independent Sioux City Explorers club, but was picked up by the Diamondbacks organization and 1B Conrad Gregor (Astros 2013 4th round pick; 2013-2016 Astros farm system) was picked up by the Red Sox from the New Jersey Jackals. And 3B  Bobby Wernes (Astros 2015 30th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system) had signed with the Traverse City Beach Bums, but was picked up by the Rockies organization before playing a single game for the Bums. There are several players on this list that could very well make their way back into affiliated baseball ... I wish them all the best of luck!

Jio Mier - April 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

JAPAN CENTRAL LEAGUE

Yakult Swallows
OF Nori Aoki (2017 Astros)

JAPAN PACIFIC LEAGUE

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
1B/DH Japhet Amador (2013-2014 Astros farm system)

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
RHP Dennis Sarfate (2007 Astros)
It is Sarfate's 8th season playing in Japan.

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
3B Brandon Laird (2012-2013 Astros system)

Saitama Seibu Lions
IF Kaz Matsui (2008-2010 Astros)

KOREAN BASEBALL ORGANIZATION

Doosan Bears
OF Jimmy Paredes (2010-2013 Astros system)

LG Twins
RHP Henry Sosa (2011-2012 Astros system)
Sosa is in his 7th season with the KBO.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

Diablos Rojas del Mexico
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo (2013-2016 Astros farm system)
C Carlos Corporan (2011-2014 Astros)

Guerreros de Oaxaca
RHP Arcenio Leon (2005-2012 Astros farm system)

Leones de Yucatan
RHP Paul Clemens (2011-2014 Astros system)
OF Leo Heras (2013-2016 Astros farm system)
OF/2B Ruben Sosa (Astros 2011 23rd round pick; 2011-2014 Astros farm system)

Olmecas de Tabasco
RHP Cesar Valdez (2016 Astros farm system)

Pericos de Puebla
LHP Mitch Lambson (Astros 2011 19th round pick; 2011-2015 Astros farm system)
C Bernardo Heras (2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Saraperos de Saltillo
LHP Raul Valdes (Astros 2014)

Sultanes de Monterrey
RHP Edgar Gonzalez (2012-2013 Astros)

Tecolotes de los Dos Loredos
IF Anderson Hernandez (2010-2011 Astros system)

Tigres de Quintana Roo
OF Jason Bourgeois (2010-2011 Astros)

Toros de Tijuana
RHP Hector Ambriz (2012-2013 Astros)
RHP Gerardo Sanchez (2012-2013 Astros farm system)
3B Jio Mier (Astros 2009 1st round pick; 2009-2015 Astros farm system)

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

Lancaster Barnstormers
IF Rico Noel (2018 Astros farm system)
LHP Tommy Shirley (Astros 2010 9th round pick; 2010-2016 Astros farm system)

York Revolution
1B/OF Michael Burgess (2013 Astros farm system)
RHP Zac Grotz (Astros 2015 28th round pick, 2015 Astros farm system)
RHP Jay Gause (Astros 2014 10th round pick; 2014 Astros farm system)

New Britain Bees
LHP Kevin Chapman (2012-2016 Astros system)
RHP Sam Gervacio (2005-2011 Astros system)
RHP Mark Hamburger (2013 Astros farm system)
LHP Andy Van Hekken (2008-2011 Astros farm system)
IF Reid Brignac (2017 Astros farm system)

Long Island Ducks
LHP Ashur Tolliver (2017 Astros system)

Pennsylvania Road Warriors
LHP Luis Cruz (Astros 2008 9th round pick; 2008-2015 Astros farm system)
C Marlon Avea (2011-2016 Astros farm system)
OF/1B Edwin Gomez (2012-2013 Astros farm system)

Somerset Patriots
LHP Brett Oberholtzer (2011-2015 Astros system)

Sugar Land Skeeters
RHP Jared Mortensen (Astros Rule 5 draft pick in December 2016; appeared in 3 games for Fresno in April 2017)
RHP Felipe Paulino (2003-2010 Astros system)
RHP Mitch Talbot (Astros 2002 2nd round pick; 2003-2006 Astros system)
OF Luke Scott (2004-2007 Astros system)
OF Willy Taveras (2004-2006 Astros system)

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
RHP Travis Ballew (Astros 2012 23rd round pick; 2012-2015 Astros system)
LHP Sebastian Kessay (Astros 2013 22nd round pick; 2013-2017 Astros farm system)

Gary Southshore Railcats
RHP Daniel Minor (Astros 2012 9th round pick; 2012-2105 Astros farm system)

Sioux Falls Canaries
LHP Joe Bircher ( Astros 2012 10th round pick, 2012-2013 Astros farm system)
IF Tyler Wolfe (Astros 2016 39th round pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Winnipeg Goldeyes
OF Reggie Abercrombie (2008-2009 Astros system)

Kansas City T-Bones
C Christian Correa (2015-2017 Astros system)

Sioux City Explorers
OF Jay Austin (Astros 2008 2nd round pick, 2008-2012 Astros farm system)
RHP Andrew Thurman (Astros 2013 2nd round pick, 2013-2014 Astros farm system)

Texas Airhogs
LHP Michael Freeman (Astros 2015 7th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)

CAN-AM LEAGUE

Ottawa Champions
RHP Austin Chrismon (Astros 2013 26th round pick, 2013-2015 Astros farm system)

Rockland Boulders
RHP Ryan Deemes (Astros 2015 36th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)
C Marcus Nidiffer (2010 Astros farm system)

Sussex County Miners
LHP David Rollins (2012-2014 Astros farm system)
C Martin Figueroa (Astros 2017 32nd round pick; 2017 Astros farm system)

Trois-Rivieres Aigles
RHP Chris Murphy (Astros 2015 24th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system)
C Anthony Hermelyn (Astros 2015 4th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)

FRONTIER LEAGUE

Schaumberg Boomers
RHP Kyle Westwood (2013 13th round pick; 2013-2015 Astros farm system)
On the suspended list

Washington Wild Things
OF Hector Roa (2012-2016 Astros farm system)

Windy City Thunderbolts
RHP Devin Raftery (2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Evansville Otters
LHP Austin Nicely (Astros 2013 10th round pick; 2013-2016 Astros farm system)

River City Rascals
RHP Reggie Johnson (2016-2017 Astros farm system)
RHP Lucas Williams (Astros 2016 40th round draft pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Lake Erie Crushers
LHP Ben Smith (Astros 2014 17th round pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)
(Pro debut was delayed due to recovery from Tommy John surgery followed by a battle with Burkitt lymphoma)

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 Monday, April 13, 2015

Fresno 9, Salt Lake 8

W- Richard Rodriguez (1-0)

L- Zach Stewart (0-1)

S- James Hoyt (1)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (1, 3-run in 3rd), Domingo Santana (1, solo in 6th)

The Grizzlies started this one off well behind the 8-ball as the Bees struck for 6 in the top of the 1st inning. However, they responded with an 8-run 3rd inning, and Richard Rodriguez and the bullpen backed up Brady Rodgers as they restored some order to the game.

Rodgers struggled in his 4 innings as he gave up 7 runs on 11 hits and struck out 2. Rodriguez was the first man out; he allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and walked 1 in 2.2 innings. He left with 2 runners on in the top of the 7th for Kevin Chapman, who got the final out without incident. Josh Fields worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 1, and James Hoyt closed it out with a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.

8 of the 9 Fresno runs came in the 3rd inning. Domingo's walk to lead off the inning turned out to be the spark that ignited it all. He advanced to 3rd on an L.J. Hoes single and scored the Grizzlies' first run on a Ronald Torreyes groundout. After a Joe Sclafani walk, Alex Presley hit an RBI single. One batter later, Jon Singleton clubbed a 3-run home run to make it a 1-run game. After Matt Duffy struck out, Preston Tucker and Max Stassi reached with singles. Santana, in his second trip to the plate in the inning, tied the game with an RBI single. Hoes proceeded to give the Grizz the lead with a 2-run single. The other run came in the 6th, courtesy of a solo homer smacked by Santana, who finished 2-3 with 3 runs scored and a walk. L.J. Hoes also went 2-3, while Preston Tucker finished 2-4. Tucker has recorded a hit in all 5 games.

Brad Peacock was originally scheduled to make his 2nd rehab start, but he was recalled to Houston, where he'll be starting against Oakland tonight. Salt Lake will have Garrett Richards on the mound for a rehab start. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 3

W- Mike Hauschild (1-0)

L- Chin-hui Tsao (0-1)

S- Tyson Perez (1)

CC home runs: None.

Corpus Christi has stormed out of the gate with 5 straight wins. They were outhit 11-6 in this game, but they doubled up the Drillers in the column that matters the most. 

The difference was Carlos Correa's bases-clearing double in the 6th inning, which broke a 3-3 tie. Brandon Meredith kicked things off with a 2-run single in the 2nd, and in the 4th, Jio Mier hit an RBI single that was deflected into the outfield by Tulsa starter Matt Shelton.

Hooks pitchers did not issue a walk in this game. Mike Hauschild went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits (solo homer) and struck out 8. Mitch Lambson was the first man out, and he fired 2 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 3. Jandel Gustave struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th, and Tyson Perez worked around a hit to record his first save of the season.

The Hooks will look to sweep their season-opening roadtrip as Aaron West and Kent Emanuel will square off against Chris Anderson this afternoon. First pitch is at 12:05.

Stockton 13, Lancaster 4

W- Lou Trivino (1-0)

L- Blaine Sims (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

Tough night for the JetHawks pitchers as they got hammered by the Ports. It was an especially rough night behind the plate for Jobduan Morales, who was charged with 4 passed balls. 

Chase McDonald hit a sac fly in the 4th and ripped an RBI double in the 6th. The JetHawks added 2 more runs in the 6th as Danry Vásquez drove in a run on a groundout and Marc Wik hit an RBI double of his own. Danry finished 2-4 with a double. 

Blaine Sims went 5 innings and allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Randall Fant pitched the next 3 innings, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits (solo and 3-run homers), walking 1, and striking out 1. Chris Cotton pitched the 9th and allowed a 2-run homer to Franklin Barreto. He allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 1.

In game 2 of this series, Edison Frias and Brian Holmes will take on Dylan Covey at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 6, Clinton 2

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (1-0)

L- Lukas Schiraldi (0-1)

S- Josh James (1)

QC home runs: D.J. Fisher (1, 2-run in 3rd), Jake Nottingham (2, solo in 3rd)

The Bandits took the series as they scored 6 in the first third of the game and got an outstanding start from Brock Dykxhoorn. 

The big Canadian allowed just 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6 over 5 shutout innings. Josh James pitched the final 4 innings; the LumberKings spoiled the shutout when Nelson Ward hit a 2-run homer off of James in the 6th, but those were the only 2 runs they could muster up. James allowed one other hit, walked 2, and struck out 3.

Nick Tanielu had a big night at the plate, going 3-4 with 2 doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. His first double opened up the scoring in the bottom of the 1st. Kristian Trompiz hit a sac fly in the 2nd. After Jamie Ritchie led off the 3rd with a walk, D.J. Fisher smacked his 1st homer of the year. Tanielu followed that up with his 2nd double of the game, and he would score on a wild pitch/error. Jake Nottingham homered for the 2nd straight game; his solo shot was the final Quad Cities run of the game.

The Bandits will look for the sweep as they send Kevin Comer to the mound. He and Chris Lee will take on Jeffeson Medina at 7:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

View image | gettyimages.com

L.J. Hoes, OF, Fresno
2-3, 2 RBI, R

2.

Nick Tanielu, IF, Quad Cities

3-4, 2 2B, RBI, R

1.

View image | gettyimages.com

Domingo Santana, OF, Fresno

2-3, solo HR (1), 3 RBI, 3 R, BB

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Richard Rodriguez, RHP, Fresno

W (1-0); 2.2 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB

2.

Mitch Lambson, LHP, Corpus Christi

Hold (1); 2 IP, 3 H, 3 K

1.

Brock Dykxhoorn, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-0); 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Honorable Mentions

- Jon Singleton continues his torrid start. Like I said, we haven't heard the last of him.
- Chase McDonald has really shined in the early going for Lancaster.
- Jake Nottingham has provided some outstanding early returns at the plate for Quad Cities.
- Kevin Chapman, Josh Fields, and James Hoyt kept Salt Lake at bay and secured the win.
- Carlos Correa does what Carlos Correa does: hit doubles. Pretty soon, those doubles will be turning in to homers... 

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, April 9, 2015

Happy Minor League Opening Day, everyone! And what a way to open up the season with an organizational....

Fresno 2, Las Vegas 1

W- Jake Buchanan (1-0)
L- John Church (0-1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The reincarnated Tucson Toros came out on top in their first game as an Astros affiliate since 1997.

This game was scoreless until the bottom of the 6th, when Matt Duffy grounded into a force out that allowed Nolan Fontana to score. After the 51s tied the game at 1 in the top of the 7th, Matt Dominguez proceeded to untie it with an RBI double in the bottom half of the inning, and that was the difference. Jon Singleton finished 2-3.

Brad Peacock started things off with 4.2 scoreless. He didn't allow a hit, but he did hit someone and he also issued 5 walks, compared with just 2 strikeouts. Jordan Jankowski came on to finish off the 5th and he did so by striking out Matt Reynolds. Jake Buchanan took over from there, and he allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1 over 4 innings of work.

In the 2nd game of this series, Dan Straily will face Matt Bowman at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 9, Springfield 4

W- Mitch Lambson (1-0)
L- Joey Donofrio (0-1)
S- Angel Báez (1)

CC home runs: Brandon Meredith (1, 3-run in 4th)

The Hooks had a 16-hit assault as they seized control of the game from the Cardinals in the middle stages of the game. All 9 of their runs were scored from the 4th-7th innings.

Brandon Meredith put Corpus on the board and in the lead with a 3-run shot in the 4th, the first home run in the Astros' minor league system for 2015. Conrad Gregor went 3-5 with 2 runs scored, and 1 of those 3 hits was an RBI single in the 5th. In the 6th inning, #1 himself, Carlos Correa, smacked a 2-run double. He'd come around to score on a Telvin Nash double. And finally, Tony Kemp finished 4-5 with a 2-run single in the 7th. He also scored a run, drew a walk, and stole a base. Meredith, Nash, Tyler Heineman, and Teoscar Hernandez all had 2 hits apiece; Heineman scored twice. Meredith didn't have a double, like the other three, but he does have the homer.

Kent Emanuel went 3.2 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits, walking 2, and fanning 1. Mitch Lambson came on in relief and got the win as he held the Cardinals to just 1 hit over 2.1 scoreless frames. Angel Báez got the 3-inning save in his organizational debut; he allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.

In game 2, the team of Mark Appel and Kyle Westwood will take on Mike Mayers at 7:10.

Lancaster 3, San Jose 2

W- Edison Frias (1-0)
L- Jeff Soptic (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks began their defense of their California League championship by walking off with the win. They had been trailing 2-0, but they scored the final 3 runs of this game. Danry Vásquez was the hero in this one as he blooped a ball over San Jose SS Christian Arroyo's head in the bottom of the 9th, and James Ramsay hustled home with the winning run. Ramsay scored 2 of Lancaster's 3 runs.

Lancaster tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the 7th on a safety squeeze from Chan-Jong Moon and an RBI single from Brett Phillips, who finished 2-5 and also had a triple. Chase McDonald smacked a couple of doubles in his 4 trips to the plate.

Brian Holmes went 3.1 innings and allowed a 2-run homer to Ryder Jones in the 4th inning, which turned out to be the only runs for the Giants. He allowed 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Tyler Brunnemann allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 1.2 scoreless, and Edison Frias shackled the San Jose offense, allowing 2 hits and striking out 4 over 4 scoreless.

In game 2 of this season-opening 4-game set, Michael Feliz will face off against Chase Johnson at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Peoria 3

W- Kevin Comer (1-0)
L- Fernando Báez (0-1)

QC home runs: Sean McMullen (1, 2-run in 8th)

The Chiefs put up 3 in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 3-1 lead, but the Banditos scored the game's final 6 runs as they opened up their 2015 campaign with a victory.

Kristian Trompiz doubled to lead off the 3rd, and one batter later, he scored the first run of the season on a wild pitch. Sean McMullen finished with 3 RBI; his first came on a sac fly in the 4th. QC got a pair in the 5th as Alex Hernandez hit a sac fly and Jake Nottingham was plunked with the bases loaded, which gave the River Bandits a 4-3 lead. McMullen provided some insurance in the top of the 8th as he smacked a 2-run homer. Jamie Ritchie finished 2-4 with a double and drove in the final run of the evening with an RBI single in the 9th. D.J. Fisher* went 1-2 with 3 walks and a stolen base.

Chris Lee got the nod on Opening Day and that 3-run 3rd put a damper on his final line. He allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1 in 4 innings of work. Kevin Comer tagged in and got the win as he struck out 2 over 4 near-perfect innings; the only thing that went wrong for him was hitting Peoria DH Nick Thompson with a pitch in the 8th. The Closer, Ryan Thompson, worked around a double to finish it off, striking out 1.

Game 2 of this season-opening series pits Bryan Radziewski against Austin Gomber. First pitch is at 7:00.

*For a big-time Houston Rockets fan like me, the name "Derek Fisher" brings up some incredibly unpleasant memories. So, from here on out, I'll be calling him D.J. (Joseph is his middle name.)

If he's reading this, I hope he'll understand. Plus, as, D.J. Fisher, he'll fit right in with A.J. Reed and J.D. Davis!. 

Three Stars: Position Players

Corpus sweeps the Three Stars for position players on this Opening Night.

3.

Conrad Gregor, 1B

3-5, RBI, 2 R

2. 

Brandon Meredith, RF

2-4, 3-R HR (1)

1. 

Tony Kemp, 2B

4-5, 2 RBI, R, BB, SB (1)

Three Stars: Pitchers

All three of these guys were outstanding on the mound after coming out of the bullpen, so it wouldn't really be fair for me to rank them. So, Mitch Lambson, Kevin Comer, and Edison Frias are all sharing the top spot.

Kevin Comer, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-0), 4 IP, 2 K

Mitch Lambson, LHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0), 2.1 IP, H

Edison Frias, RHP, Lancaster

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

Honorable Mentions

There were some pretty solid performances from this first night of Minor League Baseball, but alas, I can only choose 3 standout performances for position players and pitchers. Here are a few other noteworthy highlights:

- Angel Báez made a pretty good first impression with his new organization.
- Although the 5 walks are definitely a minus, Brad Peacock still managed to keep Las Vegas off the scoreboard in both the run and the hit columns.
- Brett Phillips got off to a nice start with his triple and RBI single.
- Tyler Brunnemann pretty much picked up where he left off in the California League championship series.
- Jake Buchanan cruised through his 4 innings; he only needed 30 pitches!

Arizona Fall League Recap

Well, I enjoyed my 3 weeks off from recapping, but the next phase has begun: the Fall and Winter leagues. I will now be reprising my role as recapper-in-chief.

Scottsdale 7, Salt River 4

W- Julian Hilario (1-0)

L- Archie Bradley (0-1)

S- Nefi Ogando (1)

Salt River home runs by Astros players: None.

The Scorpions struck for a pair of 3-run innings, which were the only crooked-numbered innings in the game. 

Rio Ruiz was the DH for Salt River and hit 2nd. He went 0-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and a run scored. 

And on the pitching side, Mitch Lambson and Tyson Perez were the final 2 Rafters hurlers of the night. Both of them pitched 2 innings. Lambson allowed a run on a solo homer from Greg Bird in the 7th. He allowed one other hit and struck out 2, while Tyson gave up 2 hits and fanned 4 over 2 scoreless.

Salt River and Scottsdale will play again at Scottsdale Stadium at 6:35 Mountain. 

Happy Birthday - 7/20

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Mitch Lambson (24)
Drafted in the 19th round out of Arizona State in 2011, Lambson started his season with Lancaster where he appeared in 17 games out of the bullpen, compiling a 1-1 record with two saves, a 3.32 ERA and a 1.154 WHIP before receiving his promotion to Corpus Christi in mid-May. In 10 appearances with the Hooks, Lambson has a 0.66 ERA and a 0.878 WHIP.

One former Astro celebrates the day as well ~

OF Gary Woods (60)
Woods came to Houston in a December 1978 trade with the Blue Jays and played for Houston in 1980 and 1981. In 74 games for Houston, he hit .264/.315/.368. He was first in fielding percentage in the National League as an outfielder in 1982.

An Interview with JetHawks LHP Mitch Lambson

LHP Mitch Lambson has long intrigued me, but it wasn't until the end of May on my recent trip to Lancaster that I finally spoke with him more than briefly. Lambson has always had a terrific strikeout to walk ratio, but this season it's even more impressive than in years past. He currently has 27 strikeouts to 4 walks in 20.2 innings pitched or a 6.75 SO/BB rate.

Mitch Lambson - May 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Lancaster Pitching Coach Don Alexander weighed in on Lambson, "Mitch does what he does. He's a left-handed pitcher that works on the plate, changes speed extremely well, is not afraid to challenge hitters. He commands his fastball on both sides of the plate and he changes speeds. And if you can do that, you have a chance to be successful."

The first question I had for Lambson was regarding his pitch repertoire, "I don't really know my velocity because I don't throw too hard so I try not to look at them. I throw a 4-seam fastball, a change up and a slider, breaking ball, whatever you want to call it. That's it. That's all I've got."

I also wanted to know to what he attributed his reverse splits (lefties have always hit better off of him than righties), "I think my change up is my best off-speed pitch and it works well against right-handed hitters [but] I'm still learning how to throw it to the lefties. And my breaking ball is hit or miss sometimes. I just hang it, leave it up a little bit [sometimes]."

With the draft still approaching when I spoke with Lambson, I was curious about his draft experience back in 2011, "I was actually in the weight room working out. I had my phone with me because at some point during the day I was expecting to get a call and that's when I got it. I was pretty excited. The Astros guy called me and told me they were going to take me 19th round and it was emotional. It was special. That's what I've always wanted since I was a little kid."

In response to my question about changes in the Astros minor league system since he came aboard, he replied, "It's different. At least on the minor league side we're winning a lot of games so there's a different atmosphere. There's a winning atmosphere. There's a good attitude around the clubhouse. At Spring Training and all the teams I've been with have good attitudes. We're playing to get better individually and to win games as a team."

What is he working on this season? Lambson responded, "Like we were just talking about, getting the left-handed hitters out. I've got to work on that. I think that's just my breaking ball, working to get that better." Of what he's accomplished so far this season, he said, "I think I got off to a decent start, but there's a lot of baseball left to be played. It's a long year so I've just got to keep working every day and try to get better every day. It's such a long season that if you inch forward every day, by the end of the year you realize that, 'Oh, I got way better through that whole year,' but day to day it doesn't seem like much."

Who in the Astros system has a pitch he'd like to steal? "I'd like to steal a lot of guys velocity. That would be nice. I'd say Lance McCullers has a good breaking ball so that would be nice if I could pick up that. There's a lot of guys with a lot of talent in our system. It would be nice to steal a lot of pitches."

Who would Lambson least like to face in the batter's box? "I'd say obviously Carlos Correa is a really good player. He's a really good hitter. His approach at the plate is ... he's tough to get out. You have to really fool him and make good pitches. He's not going to get himself out. But we have a lot of hitters like that. Teoscar's [Teoscar Hernandez] got great power at the plate. It would be tough to face him because if you make a mistake, he'll make you pay. I'd say overall a lot of our hitters have really good approaches at the plate."

Noting that Carlos Correa is a standout in the field as well, I asked Lambson if there was anyone else he really liked to have playing behind him in the field, "I'd say Tony Kemp. At the end of last year and this year, he's a great defender at second base. Rio playing third is great. Our outfield ... there's a lot of good players out there like Teoscar. [If] you give him a chance to throw somebody out, he's going to throw him out. And actually, I've been really lucky the last two years to have Roberto Pena behind the plate. And Jobduan Morales too behind the plate. Those guys defensively are some of the best I've ever thrown to."

Since Lambson played with Andrew Aplin at Arizona State, I asked him for his take on Aplin, "I haven't played with him yet here with the Astros, but in college ... just a good person to be around, a good clubhouse guy, great attitude. Defensively, he's one of the best outfielders and he can hit a little bit too." Although Lambson is originally from Oregon, his family now lives is Arizona where his brother Mark also pitched for Arizona State.

On what he would do if he couldn't play baseball, "I really love the game so hopefully coach or give lessons to stay around the game if I could. I'd go back to school and get my degree and see where that took me. I've always liked Motocross so if I could just pick a sport besides baseball to be really good at, it would probably be that, but that's a dangerous sport. It doesn't mix with baseball."

Lambson was a workhorse out of the bullpen in 2013 for Quad Cities, making 41 appearances for a total of 71+ innings. I asked him about his durability and he noted, "My first Spring Training I dealt with a little bit of injury at the beginning of Spring Training, but other than that, I've fortunately been healthy. I think that has a lot to do with the trainers and the strength coaches we have. They have us on programs that keep us strong and healthy and at the same time don't overdo it so we get fatigued. I think that's definitely why."

Mitch Lambson - May 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

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

I really enjoyed talking with Mitch and found him to be a breath of fresh air. I don't know whether it comes across in his answers or not, but he is someone who is very comfortable in his own skin. He's able to poke a little fun at himself and at the same time is generous with his praise of others. He doesn't ever seem too high or too low. All of which brings me to one final statement from Don Alexander who praised Lambson for his mindset and his approach, "We always talk about how you go about your business. He goes about his business extremely well."

Thank you for your time, Mitch, and best of luck as the season continues.