Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 15, 2019

Corpus Christi sweep!

Round Rock 5, Oklahoma City 3

W- Kent Emanuel (7-1)
L- Rob Zastryzny (3-5)
S- Brendan McCurry (6)

RR home runs: Nick Tanielu (14, 2-run in 4th)

After Round Rock scored three in the 4th, OKC responded with three in the top of the 5th to tie the game. The Express regained control with a pair in the bottom of the 5th and kept the Dodgers at bay the rest of the way.

Kent Emanuel went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out four. The bullpen finished things off with 3.1 scoreless; Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man and he allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out three in 1.1 innings. Brad Peacock worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out one, and Brendan McCurry finished things off by striking out the side in order in the 9th.

Round Rock's three in the 4th came on an RBI single from Kyle Tucker and a two-run blast from Nick Tanielu. Myles Straw put the E-Train back in front in the 5th with an RBI triple and he scored the final run of the evening on Drew Ferguson's sac fly. Tanielu and Straw both finished with two hits on the night.

Ryan Hartman goes up against Logan Bawcom in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 2, Frisco 1

W- Tyler Ivey (4-0)
L- Collin Wiles (0-3)
S- Enoli Paredes (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks swept the Roughriders out of the Coastal Bend region behind a pair of solid mound performances.

Tyler Ivey pitched 5.1 innings and allowed three hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked two, and struck out five. Enoli Paredes shut it down over the final 3.2 innings as he allowed just one hit, walked one, and struck out six.

Corpus Christi's two runs came in the 3rd inning as they were able to take advantage of a bases-loaded situation with one out. Colton Shaver lined into a force out that resulted in Jacob Meyers scoring the first run of the night and Jake Adams hit an RBI single.

The Hooks will now begin their final series against a South Division team in 2019 as they start a three-game set with Midland tonight at 7:15. Forrest Whitley will face James Naile in game one.

Down East 11, Fayetteville 1

W- Cole Uvila (5-3)
L- Shawn Dubin (4-5)
S- Jefferson Medina (5)

Fayetteville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (12, solo in 9th)

The Woodpeckers were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as they got hammered.

Miguelangel Sierra spoiled the shutout with his homer in the 9th, so... there's that.

When the pitching staff surrenders eleven runs in nine innings and no one had a clean outing, it was definitely a rough night at the office.

Fayetteville will start a three-game series in Frederick at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 3, Beloit 2

W- Matt Ruppenthal (4-6)
L- Chase Cohen (5-10)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos came alive after stretch time as they scored three in the bottom of the 7th to take the lead.

Quad Cities loaded the bases to lead off the 7th and they capitalized by taking the lead. Wilyer Abreu put them on the board with an RBI single. Grae Kessinger walked in Alex Holderbach to tie the game and Oscar Campos put the Banditos in front with a sac fly. Campos finished 3-3 on the night while Abreu went 2-4 with a stolen base.

José Alberto Rivera threw four innings and allowed two runs on an RBI triple and a sac fly, walked three, and struck out five. Matt Ruppenthal tagged in to throw five scoreless, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out seven.

R.J. Freure will get the start in the finale and he'll go up against Angello Infante at 6:35.

Tri-City 4, Aberdeen 3

W- Edgardo Sandoval (1-3)
L- Ryan Conroy (4-4)
S- Shea Barry (2)

TC home runs: Nate Perry (9, solo in 1st)

The ValleyCats held off a late charge from the Ironbirds to get even in this series.

Nate Perry whacked a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring. Luis Santana hit an RBI single in the 2nd and in the 3rd, Joe Perez ripped an RBI double and came around to score on a single from Juan Paulino. Santana finished 3-3 on the night while Perry and Perez finished 2-4; the two of them also scored twice, which meant that they scored all of Tri-City's runs.

Angel Macuare walked one and struck out three over two scoreless innings. Edgardo Sandoval tagged in for 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, walked one, and struck out four. Shea Barry got the last 1.2 innings and he walked one and struck out three to get the save.

Jairo Lopez will take on Kevin Magee in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 4, GCL Astros 2

W- Adrian Aybar (1-2)
L- Franny Cobos (3-1)
S- Jace Beck (1)

GCL home runs: Nerio Rodriguez (2, 2-run in 8th)

Nerio Rodriguez went 3-4 and smacked a two-run homer in the 8th; it's the second straight game in which he's homered. Rainier Rivas went 2-4; he's played in five games and he's recorded two hits in four of them.

Franny Cobos threw five innings and allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out three.

DSL Astros 7, DSL Braves 6 (11 innings)

W- Miguel Padilla (4-1)
L- Royber Salinas (2-3)

DSL home runs: None.

Things escalated in the 11th as the Dominican 'Stros broke a 3-3 tie with four in the top half and then had to fend off the Braves, who responded by scoring three in the bottom half.

Miguel Palma smacked a two-run triple in the 6th. Yohander Martinez went 2-4 with an RBI single and scored three runs.

Bryan Martinez was the first man out of the bullpen and he went 4.2 innings and allowed a run on four hits and struck out two.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yohander Martinez, IF, DSL Astros: 2-4, RBI, 3 R

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 2-1 vs. Frisco

9 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 3 BB, 11 K

Tyler Ivey: W (4-0), 5.1 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Enoli Paredes: Save (1), 3.2 IP, H, BB, 6 K

Brendan McCurry, RHP, Round Rock

Save (6), IP, 3 K

Nick Tanielu, OF, and Myles Straw, UTIL, Round Rock

Tanielu: 2-3, 2-R HR (14)
Straw: 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, R

Nerio Rodriguez not pictured.

Franny Cobos, RHP, and Nerio Rodriguez, C, GCL Astros

Cobos: L (3-1), 5 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 3 K

Rodriguez: 3-4, 2B, 2-R HR (2)

Oscar Campos, C, Quad Cities

3-3, RBI

Matt Ruppenthal, RHP, Quad Cities

W (4-6), 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K

Nate Perry, C, Luis Santana, IF, and Joe Perez, 3B, Tri-City

Perry: 2-4, solo HR (9), 2 R

Santana: 3-3, 2B, RBI

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Let's play two in Myrtle Beach!

El Paso 9, Fresno 5

W- Kyle McGrath (3-2)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (2-1, 4-1 season)

Fresno home runs: Kyle Tucker (12, solo in 1st), Nick Tanielu (2, 6 season; 3-run in 2nd)

The Grizzlies got out to a quick 4-0 lead as Kyle Tucker and Nick Tanielu both homered for the second consecutive evening, but the Chihuahuas bit back ferociously and mauled them with a six-run 3rd and a three-run 4th to take control.

Tucker's solo shot opened the scoring. One inning later, Tanielu whacked a three-run homer. Tim Federowicz ripped an RBI double in the 5th, one of two doubles that he recorded on the night. Federowicz was the only man in the Fresno lineup to record a multi-hit game.

No Fresno pitcher threw three innings in this one. Brock Dykxhoorn went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out two. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed three runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 2.2 innings. Buddy Boshers allowed three hits and fanned five in two scoreless innings of work, and Reymin Guduan worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out two.

What will Cy Sneed have up his sleeve after the best start of his professional career? He'll get the start in game four of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Texas League All-Star Game

The 82nd Texas League All-Star Game ended in a 2-2 tie. No, seriously. Nine innings was not enough to determine a winner, so they went to a home run derby. Again, I'm not joking.

Randy César went 0-2 with a strikeout, but fortunately for him, this exhibition game does not snap his 41-game hitting streak. Josh Rojas and Alex De Goti both came on in the 6th inning; Rojas took over in left field for Josh Naylor and De Goti took César's place at third. Rojas went 0-2 with a strikeout and De Goti lined out to third and drew a walk. Taylor Jones got the start at first base and went 2-4 with a double in the game. He also hit the winning home run in the sudden-death home run derby...

Taylor Jones wins it for the South Division!! @cchooks pic.twitter.com/kvp9OSzZxz

— Midland RockHounds (@RockHounds) June 27, 2018

...and was named MVP of the game.

Taylor Jones is your Texas League All-Star Game MVP!!!

Jones won the game for the South in a Sudden Death Home Run Derby Showdown! pic.twitter.com/OO33Z2d6Hh

— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) June 27, 2018

The Hooks pitchers all got an inning of work in this game. Ryan Hartman was the second pitcher to appear for the South Division and he worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 2nd, striking out two. Corbin Martin threw a 1-2-3 4th inning. Framber Valdez came on for Martin in the 5th and allowed a hit and fanned two in a scoreless outing. Cionel Perez struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th.

The Corpus Christi Hooks will spend Wednesday on the road as they get set to start their tour of Arkansas. They will play three against the Arkansas Travelers beginning on Thursday.

Game 1: Buies Creek 4, Myrtle Beach 2

W- Brett Adcock (4-3)
L- Tyson Miller (6-6)
S- Jesús Balaguer (1)

BC home runs: None.

Buies Creek only scored in one inning, but it was enough for them to get the victory in game one of this twinbill.

All four of the Carolina Stros' runs in game one came in the 4th inning as Cody Bohanek opened the scoring with an RBI single. Bryan de la Cruz hit into a force out attempt that was botched, allowing Osvaldo Duarte to come home with another run. One batter later, Jake Adams ripped a two-run double. Corey Julks and Duarte finished with two hits apiece.

Brady Rodgers allowed four hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings. Brett Adcock's command and control completely deserted him; he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) and walked six in 1.2 innings. Jesús Balaguer pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed an RBI double that allowed one of Adcock's runners to score, walked two, and struck out two.

How would the Carolina Stros fare in the nightcap?

Game 2: Buies Creek 6, Myrtle Beach 0

W- Hector Perez (3-2)
L- Bryan Hudson (4-7)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros got the doubleheader sweep as Hector Perez pitched in every inning in a baseball game for the first time in his professional career in game two. Okay, it was a seven-inning game, but it still goes in the books as a complete game.

Perez allowed seven hits and struck out eight as he went the distance. All but one of the hits he gave up were singles.

Buies Creek scored three in the 1st and three more in the 4th. Abraham Toro scored the first run on a wild pitch and Bryan de la Cruz tacked on a two-run single. All three Buies Creek runs in the 4th came on another wild pitch and an error: De La Cruz, Carlos Canelón, and Jonathan Arauz all scored on some shambolic pitching and defense from the Pelicans. Jake Meyers, Cody Bohanek, and Duarte all finished with two hits in the second game.

Cristian Javier will face Alex Lange in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Wisconsin 5, Quad Cities 0

W- Christian Taugner (3-6)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (2-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got shackled once again on Tuesday.

David Hensley hit a double. Scott Schreiber, and Marty Costes had the other two Quad Cities hits.

Leovanny Rodriguez went six innings and allowed five runs on five hits (two-run homer), walked two, and struck out seven. Carlos Sanabria walked one and struck out three over 1.2 scoreless, and Brendan Feldmann allowed a hit and struck out two in 1.1 innings of work.

Quad Cities will look to avoid the sweep and get on the scoreboard in this series; they haven't scored in 24 innings. First pitch is at 6:35.

Staten Island 2, Tri-City 0

W- Nolan Martinez (1-0)
L- Hansel Paulino (0-1)
S- Reiver Sanmartin (1)

TC home runs: None.

Two runs were scored in this game. Unfortunately, they did not belong to the ValleyCats, and as a result, they were foiled in their bid to sweep the Baby Bombers. They had runners on second and third with one out in the 9th but couldn't get any of them across.

Jeremy Peña and Trey Dawson both finished 2-4 on the evening.

Jose Luis Hernandez allowed three hits and struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings. Hansel Paulino was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and went 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out three. Riley Cabral and Juan Pablo Lopez both threw scoreless innings; Cabral allowed a hit, issued a walk, and struck out the side in the 7th, while Lopez allowed a hit and fanned one in the 8th.

The ValleyCats have Wednesday off as they travel back upstate. They'll start a three-game set with Hudson Valley on Thursday.

GCL Marlins 8, GCL Astros 7

W- Julio Frias (1-1)
L- Elian Rodriguez (0-1)
S- Tanner Andrews (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros scored five in the 8th to cut the deficit to one run, but they couldn't get that tying run across.

Elian Rodriguez went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs (five earned, one inherited runner charged to him) on four hits, walked three, and struck out three. Jonathan Bermúdez made his pro debut as the first man out of the GCLstros bullpen and allowed an unearned run of his own on four hits in 1.2 innings. Manny Ramirez allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out five in four innings, and Freylin Garcia struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Patrick Mathis put the Palm Beach Stros on the board with an RBI double in the 1st and scored on a single from Yeuris Ramirez. All five of the GCLstros' runs in the 8th came with two outs in the inning. Nerio Rodriguez hit a two-run single and Yorbin Ceuta followed with an RBI base hit of his own. Sean Mendoza drew a bases-loaded walk and Freudis Nova legged out an infield single to score another run. Nerio and Mathis both finished with two hits on the afternoon.

DSL Astros 6, DSL Braves 5

W- Wender Oberto (1-1)
L- Jose Olague (1-1)
S- Flaer Gonzalez (2)

DSL home runs: Yimmi Cortabarria (1, solo in 2nd)

The Academy held the Braves to three hits but still had to hang on for the win.

Yimmi Cortabarria smacked a homer to lead off the 2nd inning. Marco van der Wijst scored on a wild pitch later on. Abraham Castillo hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and the Academy got two more in the 4th on a sac fly from Jeury Castillo and an error that allowed Yefri Carrillo to score. Carrillo scored again on a Carlos Hurtado groundout in the 6th. Cortabarria and van der Wijst finished with two hits apiece.

Heitor Tokar plunked two guys and struck out six over four scoreless innings. The two hit batters and a balk were pretty much the only things that went wrong for him on Tuesday. Jose Betances worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 5th. Wender Oberto tagged in for three innings and allowed three runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out two. Jeremy Molero got two outs in the 9th, one via strikeout, but he also issued a couple of walks, hit a couple of guys, and allowed two unearned runs on a wild pitch. One of the HBPs came with the bases loaded. Flaer Gonzalez got the last out of the game without incident.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, DSL Astros: 2-3, solo HR (1)

Nerio Rodriguez, C, GCL Astros: 2-3, 2 RBI, R
Manny Ramirez, RHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K

The @astros signed two Brazilians today! RHP Heitor Tokar and 3B Victor Coutinho, best hitter in 🇧🇷 #astros @BenBadler @JesseSanchezMLB pic.twitter.com/z2Wbgvv5KH

— Baseball Brazil (@baseball_brazil) July 2, 2017

Photographer unknown, picture provided to Baseball Brazil

Heitor Tokar, RHP, DSL Astros

4 IP, 6 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi
2-4, 2B, MVP of Texas League All-Star Game

Corbin Martin's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Texas League All-Star pitchers: Ryan Hartman, Corbin Martin, Framber Valdez, and Cionel Perez
Hartman: IP, H, 2 K
Martin: IP; 2 groundouts, 1 flyball out
Valdez: IP, H, 2 K
Perez: IP, K

Hector Perez, RHP, Buies Creek
CG, 7 H, 8 K in game two of doubleheader

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Buies Creek (on rehab)
3 IP, 4 H, 2 K in game one of doubleheader

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Buies Creek
2-3, 2B, R in game one of doubleheader
2-3, R in game two of doubleheader

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Buddy Boshers, LHP, Fresno
2 IP, 3 H, 5 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, June 22, 2018

Albuquerque 7, Fresno 5

W- Keith Hessler (3-1)
L- Mike Hauschild (5-6)
S- D.J. Johnson (11)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (10, 3-run in 4th)

The Grizzlies fought back from an early 6-0 hole but couldn't quite complete the comeback.

Jon Kemmer put Fresno on the board and cut the deficit in half by launching a three-run homer in the 4th inning. A.J. Reed and Tony Nuñez hit RBI singles in the 5th and the 8th, respectively. Reed and Kyle Tucker both finished 3-5 on the night. Garrett Stubbs went 2-4 with two runs scored and stole a base (4).

Mike Hauschild... struggled, and I will not elaborate further. Fortunately, the bullpen picked him up by allowing one unearned run over the final seven innings. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings. Kent Emanuel was next. He allowed the unearned run on two hits and fanned four in 2.1 innings. Andrew Thome and Reymin Guduan both pitched a scoreless inning. Thome allowed a couple of hits in the 8th and Guduan allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one in the 9th.

This series concludes today with a doubleheader. Game one will start at 5:05 Pacific. Trent Thornton will take on TBA in game one and Rogelio Armenteros goes up against Antonio Senzatela in game two.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 0

W- Kevin Hill (2-1)
L- Edgar Arredondo (0-1)

CC home runs: Eduardo de Oleo (1, 2-run in 5th)

The Blue Ghosts only had four hits, but they scored all of the runs in this game. Corpus has recorded three shutouts in their last five games.

Eduardo de Oleo broke up Edgar Arredondo's no-hitter and opened the scoring with a 2-run shot in the 5th inning. Ryne Birk walked to lead off the 7th. He then stole second and scored on a double from Chas McCormick. Randy César capped off the evening with a Little League home run in the 8th; his triple extended the Texas League record hitting streak to 39 games. Yordan Alvarez also had a base hit to extend his streak to 16 games.

Framber Valdez allowed four hits and struck out two over four shutout innings. Kevin Hill, in his first appearance since being activated from the disabled list, allowed a hit in a scoreless 5th. Cionel Perez tagged in for three innings, allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out two. Riley Ferrell completed the shutout by striking out two in a 1-2-3 9th.

Akeem Bostick will take on Jonathan Hernandez in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Carolina 7, Buies Creek 2

W- Braden Webb (4-5)
L- Tyler Ivey (0-2, 1-5 season)

BC home runs: J.J. Matijevic (6, 9 season; solo in 1st)

The Carolina Stros scored in the first and the last inning. Unfortunately, the Mudcats scored seven runs in between.

J.J. Matijevic swatted a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring and Osvaldo Duarte added an RBI single in the 9th.

Tyler Ivey went 4.2 innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits, walked one, and struck out four. Colin McKee allowed a hit and got the final out of the 5th with a strikeout. Carson LaRue tagged in for three innings and allowed three runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out six. Adam Bleday worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Buies Creek and Carolina will continue their series at 5:00 Eastern.

Beloit 4, Quad Cities 1

W- Nick Highberger (2-3)
L- Yohan Ramirez (5-6)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos tied the game with a run in the 7th... only to see the Snappers regain control late.

Jairo Solis allowed a run on four hits, walked one, and struck out four over five innings of work. Yohan Ramirez only allowed one hit in his three innings but it was a costly one: Hunter Hargrove got him for a two-run homer that broke the 1-1 tie. Ramirez walked one and struck out three. Dariel Aquino allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out one in the 9th.

Logan Mattix scored the lone Quad Cities run on a wild pitch in the 7th. Alfredo Angarita drew three walks.

TBA will face Mitchell Jordan at 6:35.

Lowell 11, Tri-City 4

W- Rio Gomez (1-0)
L- Juan Robles (0-1)

TC home runs: None.

A 9-0 deficit put the ValleyCats way behind the eight-ball.

All three of Enmanuel Valdez's hits were doubles. Both of Ramiro Rodriguez's hits were doubles. Austin Dennis got his first professional hit and RBI with a single in the 4th and Andy Piñeda followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Juan Piñeda ripped an RBI double in the 6th and after he drew a walk in the 8th, Dennis brought him in with a base hit.

Juan Robles and Carlos Hiraldo both threw three innings... and they both had a tough time getting anything going against the Spinners offense. Mark Moclair worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 7th, striking out one in his pro debut. Luis de Paula allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two over two scoreless frames.

Bryan Abreu will take on Hunter Hayworth in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Nationals 11, GCL Astros 9

W- Fausto Segura (1-0)
L- Joey Gonzalez (0-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros' comeback attempt against their complex mates fell short.

Nerio Rodriguez and Wilyer Abreu both finished with three hits on the day. Rodriguez ripped a two-run double in the 6th and Abreu smacked an RBI double of his own in the 9th. Abreu also scored three runs. Hector Martinez had a base hit, walked twice, and also scored three times. Nathan Perry and Ronaldo Urdaneta each drove in two.

Edgardo Sandoval allowed a run on two hits in the 1st inning. Jose Bravo allowed a hit and struck out one in the 2nd inning. Joey Gonzalez, the Astros' 28th-round pick from Stetson, was next... and he probably wants a mulligan on his debut. Christian Mejias would probably also like a mulligan on his US debut. Fredis Guerrero allowed a run on three hits in 2.1 innings.

DSL Rays1 13, DSL Astros 3

W- Luis Arias (2-1)
L- Fabricio Reina (1-2)

DSL home runs: Yefri Carrillo (1, solo in 9th)

Tough day for the Academy. Yefri Carrillo and Valente Bellozo were the two bright spots on Friday; Carrillo went 3-4 and smacked a solo homer and Bellozo allowed a hit and struck out one over 3.1 scoreless innings.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yefri Carrillo, OF, DSL Astros: 3-4, 2B, solo HR (1), 2 R
Valente Bellozo, RHP, DSL Astros: 3.1 IP, H, K

Nerio Rodriguez, C, GCL Astros: 3-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R
Wilyer Abreu, OF, GCL Astros: 3-4, 2B, RBI, 3 R

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Enmanuel Valdez, IF, Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, and Austin Dennis, OF, Tri-City

Valdez: 3-5, 3 2B, R

Rodriguez: 2-5, 2 2B, 2 R

Dennis: 2-4, 2 RBI

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jairo Solís, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers, dba Corpus Christi Blue Ghosts

W 4-0 vs. Frisco

9 IP, 7 H, BB, 6 K

Framber Valdez: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 K

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

Cionel Perez: 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K

Riley Ferrell: IP, 2 K

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.

Previous Posts:
Shortstop
Second Base
First Base

Third Base
Center Field
Right Field

Left Field

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 31, 2017

The Astros system is facing off against their counterparts from the Royals.

Fresno 6, Omaha 4

W- James Hoyt (2-0)
L- Sam Selman (0-1)
S- Jumbo Diaz (1)

Fresno home runs: Alejandro Garcia (1, 2-run in 2nd)

The Grizzlies edged the Storm Chasers by scoring a couple of runs to break a 4-4 tie in the last two innings.

Both teams scored twice in the 1st inning; J.D. Davis ripped an RBI double to open the scoring and came around to score on a Jon Kemmer single. Alejandro Garcia smacked a 2-run homer in the 2nd inning. This was Fresno's last scoring play until the 8th; in the meantime, Omaha scored a run in the bottom of the 2nd and tied the game with another run in the 6th.

Reid Brignac drew a one-out walk in the 8th and put the Grizz back in front when he scored on Juan Centeno's double. Tony Kemp led off the 9th with a double and scored on Jack Mayfield's double. Kemp finished 2-5 with a couple of stolen bases (19).

Trent Thornton went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (solo homer) and struck out 7. James Hoyt allowed 2 hits and struck out 4 in 2 scoreless innings, and Jumbo Diaz worked around a couple of walks to get the save in his Fresno debut.

Fresno and Omaha will wrap up their series with a day game. Kent Emanuel takes on Jake Junis at 12:05.

San Antonio 12, Corpus Christi 0

W- Brett Kennedy (11-5)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (3-5)

CC home runs: None.

I would like to courteously abstain from recapping this game.

Well, Nick Hernandez did throw 1.1 perfect innings, so there's a bright spot.

Framber Valdez goes up against Eric Lauer in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 4, Wilmington 2

W- Matt Bower (5-5)
L- Jacob Bodner (5-1)

BC home runs: Rodrigo Ayarza (1, 8 season; solo in 3rd)

Both teams scored twice in their scoring innings. The Carolina Stros had one more than the Blue Rocks.

Rodrigo Ayarza opened the scoring in the 3rd by smacking his first Carolina League home run. Anibal Sierra followed with a single and scored on a triple from Stephen Wrenn. Randy César broke a 2-2 tie with a 2-run single in the 8th inning. Ayarza, César, and Sierra all finished with 2 hits on the night.

Jorge Alcala allowed one scoring play in his 5 innings, a 2-run homer hit by Roman Collins in the 5th. Alcala allowed 2 other hits and struck out 4. Matt Bower pitched 4 scoreless for the win, allowing a hit and striking out 4.

Game 2 of this series will start at 6:35 Eastern.

Kane County 4, Quad Cities 3

W- Emilo Vargas (5-4)
L- Devon Carr (0-2)
S- Trevor Simms (4)

QC home runs: Troy Sieber (4, solo in 2nd)

The Banditos scored in more innings, but the Cougars put up the only crooked numbers in this game.

Josh Rojas hit an RBI single in the 1st to open the scoring. Troy Sieber launched a homer to kick off the 2nd, and Kristian Trompiz hit an RBI single in the 6th. Quad Cities stranded two runners in scoring position to end the 7th and the 8th and also stranded a man on 2nd to end the game.

Patrick Sandoval and Devon Carr threw 4 innings each. Sandoval allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6, while Carr allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and struck out 4.

The River Bandits and Cougars will conclude this series at noon. Carson LaRue will be on the mound for Quad Cities.

Tri-City 1, Vermont 0 in 10 innings

W- Reggie Johnson (4-0)
L- Marc-Antoine Berube (2-2)

TC home runs: None.

After 9 innings worth of zeroes, the ValleyCats finally found a way to break through in the first extra frame. On the mound, they held the Lake Monsters to one hit in 10 innings. For the first 7.1, they had a no-hitter going.

Tyler Ivey started things off and went 4.2 innings, walking 1 and striking out 3. Diogenes Almengo was the first man out of the bullpen and struck out 1 in his 1.1 innings. Carlos Hiraldo allowed the only hit. He went 3 innings, walking 3 and striking out 6 in the process. Reggie Johnson struck out the side in order in the 10th inning.

With both teams dealing on the mound, there were very few chances on either side. Tri-City had a few... Bryan De La Cruz found himself in scoring position twice early on. He singled to lead off the 1st and then stole 2nd base, but he was stranded there. He then tripled in the 3rd, but once again, no one could bring him in. Mike Papierski walked in the 4th, moved to 2nd on a Jonathan Arauz walk, and then stole 3rd. But again, the ValleyCats couldn't make the breakthrough. Miguelangel Sierra walked to lead off the 7th and then stole 2nd base and moved to 3rd on the errant throw down. Yes... he was left at 3rd to end the inning.

Things took a turn for the better in the 10th when J.J. Matijevic ripped a double and then moved to 3rd on a wild pitch. Adrian Tovalin walked and moved to 2nd on defensive indifference, which prompted Vermont pitcher Marc Berube to give Papierski a free pass to 1st. Jake Adams had a golden sombrero, but he won the game via shrimp. That's a walk-off walk if you're not familiar with the term. De La Cruz went 2-4 to account for half of the ValleyCats' hits.

Matt Ruppenthal faces Brian Howard to wrap up the series. First pitch is at 11:00 AM Eastern.

Greeneville 6, Burlington 1

W- Humberto Castellanos (3-0, 5-0 season)
L- Sal Biasi (1-1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Royals opened the scoring in this game, but the Appy Astros had the final word by scoring the last 6 runs of the evening.

Felipe Tejada allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5 in 4.2 innings. Humberto Castellanos tagged in for the last 4.1 innings and shut it down, allowing a hit and striking out 5.

Greeneville took control with 3 runs in the 5th. Martin Figueroa scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch and their other two runs came on RBI singles from Cody Bohanek and Gilberto Celestino. Jose Benjamin went 0-3, but he still managed to drive in a couple of runs. He hit a sac fly in the 6th and grounded into a force out in the 8th that scored Brody Westmoreland. Celestino added a sac fly to his ledger in the 7th. Wilson Amador went 3-4 with a triple and scored twice. Figueroa reached in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-2 and walking twice.

Leovanny Rodriguez will take on Nathan Webb in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Marlins 11, DSL Astros Blue 10

W- Raul Brito (5-2)
L- Angel Macuare (2-3)
S- Anderson Vera (2)

Blue home runs: Nerio Rodriguez (4, 3-run in 1st), Luis Coronel (1, 3-run in 6th)

The Blue team almost erased a 7-run deficit. Almost.

Everyone in Team Blue's lineup had a hit and scored a run. Despite the fact that everyone chipped in, they still came up one run short. Wilyer Abreu led the way in the hits department by finishing 3-5. Nerio Rodriguez and Luis Coronel were one of four players with 2 hits and they both smacked 3-run homers.

The Marlins probably took notice of what Nerio did behind the plate on Friday, because they did not attempt to steal on him. Nerio threw out 5 would-be thieves, in addition to smacking a homer on offense.

The pitching staff struggled early on, but Freylin Garcia restored a little order by allowing a run on 3 hits in the last 4 innings.

DSL Cubs1 9, DSL Astros Orange 5

W- Edward Vasquez (3-2)
L- Cristofer Melendez (0-2)
S- Jean Garcia (2)

Orange home runs: Freudis Nova (2, solo in 3rd), Ramiro Rodriguez (4, solo in 3rd)

Both teams scored 3 in the 3rd, but the Cubs took control with 2 more in the 4th and 3 in the 5th.

Freudis Nova and Ramiro Rodriguez launched back-to-back solo shots in the 3rd inning. Fildex Perfecto, Euclides Chavez, and Jeury Castillo also drove in a run. Rodriguez finished 2-3 and scored twice.

As was the case with the Blue team, Team Orange managed to restore some semblance of order late in the game. Jesús Bernaez worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 6th, striking out 2. Fabricio Reina allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 3 innings of work.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, DSL Astros Orange: 2-3, solo HR (4), 2 R
Nerio Rodriguez, C, DSL Astros Blue: 2-4, 3-R HR (4), 2 R
Luis Coronel, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-5, 3-R HR (1)

Tyler Ivey's and Diogenes Almengo's photos are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 1-0 vs. Vermont

10 IP, H, 4 BB, 13 K; no-hitter through 7.1 innings

Tyler Ivey: 4.2 IP, BB, 3 K

Diogenes Almengo: 1.1 IP, K

Carlos Hiraldo: 3 IP, H, 3 BB, 6 K

Reggie Johnson: W (4-0), IP, 3 K

Jorge Alcala's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 4-2 @ Wilmington

9 IP, 4 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 8 K

Jorge Alcala: 5 IP, 3 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 4 K

Matt Bower: W (5-5), 4 IP, H, 4 K

Randy César, 3B, and Rodrigo Ayarza, UTIL, Buies Creek

César: 2-4, go-ahead 2-RBI single in 8th

Ayarza: 2-4, solo HR (1, 8 season)

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Greeneville Astros pitchers: W 6-1 @ Burlington

9 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 10 K

Felipe Tejada: 4.2 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 5 K

Humberto Castellanos: W (3-0, 5-0 season), 4.1 IP, H, 5 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 28, 2017

Fresno with the...

Fresno 4, New Orleans 2

W- Mike Hauschild (5-1)

L- Scott Copeland (7-10)
S- Jordan Jankowski (10)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (22, solo in 6th), Jack Mayfield (4, 18 season; solo in 6th), Max Stassi (12, solo in 8th)

Tacos > King Cake

The Tacos used three late homers to sweep the Baby Cakes out of the Central Valley.

Mike Hauschild turned in an outstanding start as he allowed a run on a wild pitch, a single, walked 1, and struck out 6 in his 6 innings of work. Kevin Comer struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 7th and got an out in the 8th, but ran into a little trouble after allowing a walk and a single. Reymin Guduan got the last two outs of the inning without further incident. Jordan Jankowski struck out 1 in the 9th and shook off a solo homer and a double to get the save.

A.J. Reed's solo blast in the 6th tied the game at 1. Two batters later, Jack Mayfield put the Tacos in front with his solo shot. Reed went 3-4 and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 7th. Max Stassi whacked a solo shot of his own in the 8th inning.

Rogelio Armenteros will start the first of a 4-game series in Omaha at 7:05. He'll go up against Andres Machado.

Corpus Christi 3, Midland 1

W- Franklin Perez (1-1, 5-3 season)

L- Dustin Hurlbutt (3-2)

S- Josh James (3)

CC home runs: Jon Singleton (17, 3-run in 3rd)

Sidebar: I always have to chuckle a little whenever I type out "Hurlbutt."

The Hooks only had one scoring play, but it produced more runs than Midland's scoring play.

Jon Singleton's 3-run homer in the 3rd proved to be enough offense on Friday night. Garrett Stubbs finished 2-4.

Franklin Perez got a little payback on Midland after they got to him in a doubleheader on Sunday. He went 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Josh James brought it home by allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and fanning 5 over the final 4 innings.

Alex Winkelman faces A.J. Puk in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Down East 5, Buies Creek 2

W- Tyler Ferguson (1-5)

L- Sean Stutzman (0-1, 1-2 season)

S- Kelvin Vasquez (1)

BC home runs: None.

The Wood Ducks scored the last 5 runs of the game to win 5-2 for the second consecutive night.

Both Buies Creek runs came in the 2nd on an Anthony Hermelyn RBI double and an RBI single from Spencer Johnson.

Brett Adcock allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and struck out 5 in 5 innings. Sean Stutzman threw a 1-2-3 6th, but the Wood Ducks got to him for 3 runs in the 7th to break a 2-2 tie. One of the runs was earned, the one hit he allowed was a 2-run double, and he recorded a strikeout. Erasmo Pinales got a strikeout in a 1-2-3 8th inning.

Hector Perez starts game 3, and he'll take on Steven Bruce at 6:00 Eastern.

Clinton 6, Quad Cities 5 in 10 innings

W- Seth Elledge (1-0)

L- Devon Carr (0-1)

QC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (2, 8 season; 2-run in 5th)

The Banditos briefly had the lead in the 5th, but the LumberKings tied it and ended up walking off with the win and the series in the first extra frame.

Cristian Javier went 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Dustin Hunt was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 4. Jesús Balaguer made his Midwest League debut and threw 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6. Clinton scored the winning run off Devon Carr with a 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th. Carr allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Chuckie Robinson opened the scoring by ripping an RBI double in the 1st inning. Osvaldo Duarte walked to lead off the 2nd. He then stole 2B (9, 12 season), advanced to 3rd on the errant throw down, and scored on a wild pitch. Robinson doubled to begin the 5th and ended up scoring on a Daz Cameron groundout. Troy Sieber, who drew a 1-out walk, came home on Abraham Toro's 2-run blast.

Toro (2-R HR), Robinson (2 2B, RBI, R), and Carmen Benedetti all finished with 2 hits on the night.

Yohan Ramirez gets the start as the Banditos begin a 3-game series in Kane County at 6:30.

Tri-City 3, Staten Island 2

W- Parker Mushinski (3-0)

L- Brian Trieglaff (1-1)

TC home runs: Jake Adams (7, solo in 9th)

For a second straight night, the ValleyCats trailed 2-1 heading into the 9th inning. For a second straight night, they walked off with a victory.

Hunter Martin, Alex House, and Parker Mushinski all threw 3 innings. Martin and House both allowed a run on 3 hits; Martin struck out 3, while House had 2 strikeouts. Mushinski walked 1 and struck out 1 in his outing.

Corey Julks put Tri-City on the board with an RBI single in the 4th inning. This was their only scoring play until the 9th, when Jake Adams greeted Brian Trieglaff with a solo homer to tie the game at 2. Jonathan Arauz reached on an error and made it all the way to 3rd. Miguelangel Sierra sent everyone home happy with a walk-off RBI single. Adams went 2-4 on the night.

Kit Scheetz starts the series finale. He'll go up against Jhony Brito at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville and Bristol was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 6:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros Blue 5, DSL Red Sox 4

W- Jose Antonio Hernandez (2-1)

L- Andres Jimenez (5-1)
S- Jervic Chavez (2)

Blue home runs: Nerio Rodriguez (3, solo in 4th)

The Blue team had to withstand a furious 9th-inning charge from the Red Sox to escape with the win.

Nerio Rodriguez made a little history on Friday: he became the first catcher in Minor League Baseball history to hit a home run and throw out 5 of 5 would-be base stealers in the same game. 

Wilyer Abreu hit an RBI single in the 3rd and added a sac fly in the 8th. Nerio added an RBI double to his ledger in the 8th. Kendy Moya went 2-3 with an RBI single in the 4th and scored twice. Ronaldo Urdaneta went 2-3 with a stolen base (18) and scored a run. 

Antonio Pujols allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over 4 scoreless to start. Jose Antonio Hernandez was the first man out of the bullpen and went 3 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3. Jean Reyes pitched a scoreless 8th, but he hit the wall in the 9th. He ended up allowing 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 1. Jervic Chavez allowed a hit and struck out 2 to get the save after coming on for Reyes.

DSL Dodgers2 12, DSL Astros Orange 2

W- Ricardo Hernandez (3-1)

L- Yulian Frontado (1-2)

Orange home runs: None.

Team Orange broke a scoreless tie with a pair in the 6th, but the Dodgers scored the last 12 runs of the day.

Freudis Nova went 3-4 and opened the scoring with an RBI double. He'd eventually score on a Jose Carrillo sac fly. Ramiro Rodriguez went 3-4 with a double and Deury Carrasco finished 2-4.

Asael Uribe went 4 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Wender Oberto struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 5th. After Uribe and Oberto.... it was rough sailing to the end. I'll leave it at that.

Friday's Stars

Photo from MLB Pipeline

Freudis Nova, IF, DSL Astros Orange

3-4, 2B, RBI, R

#Astros' Nerio Rodriguez, 17, caught 5 of 5 stealing in DSL today. That's happened 2x in @MLB since 1924. He also homered. Never happened. pic.twitter.com/ZlSAAWkJ1g

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 28, 2017

Nerio Rodriguez Jr., C, DSL Astros Blue

2-4, 2B, solo HR (3), 2 RBI; caught all 5 potential base-stealers

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 3-1 vs. Midland

9 IP, 5 H, ER, 3 BB, 10 K

Franklin Perez: W (1-1, 5-3 season), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Josh James: Save (3), 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K

Mike Hauschild, RHP, Fresno

W (5-1), 6 IP, H, ER, BB, 6 K

A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

3-4, solo HR (22), 2 RBI

Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B/C, and Chuckie Robinson, C, Quad Cities

Toro: 2-5, 2-R HR (2, 8 season)

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jesús Balaguer, RHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K in Midwest League debut

Jake Adams' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Miguelangel Sierra's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Jake Adams, 1B, and Miguelangel Sierra, SS, Tri-City

Adams: 2-4, game-tying solo HR (7) in 9th

Sierra: Walk-off RBI single

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 3-2 vs. Staten Island

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

Hunter Martin: 3 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K

Alex House: 3 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K

Parker Mushinski: W (3-0), 3 IP, BB, K