Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Astros 2, Rangers 0 down on the farm.

Round Rock 4, Albuquerque 2

W- José Urquidy (6-4)
L- Chris Rusin (1-4)
S- Felipe Paulino (7)

RR home runs: None.

The E-Train got out to a fast start as they earned the split in this series.

José Urquidy pitched six innings and allowed a run on a solo homer, one of five hits that he allowed during his evening. He walked one and struck out nine. Dean Deetz took over for two innings and allowed a run on a wild pitch, a hit, walked three, and struck out three. Felipe Paulino worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Round Rock scored three in the 1st thanks to a Kyle Tucker sac fly and a two-run single from Nick Tanielu. Abraham Toro finished 3-5 with an RBI single in the 5th inning. Tanielu, Taylor Jones, Drew Ferguson, and Jamie Ritchie all finished with two hits on the night.

Round Rock has Wednesday off. They'll start a four-game series with Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 2

W- Chad Donato (5-10)
L- Tyler Phillips (5-9)

CC home runs: Jonathan Arauz (10, solo in 4th), Colton Shaver (19, solo in 5th), Jake Adams (18, 2-run in 5th)

A show of power propelled the Hooks to the victory.

Jonathan Arauz launched a solo homer in the 4th to open the scoring. Corpus scored three in the 5th thanks to a pair of homers from Colton Shaver (solo) and Jake Adams (two-run). In the 7th, Bryan de la Cruz hit a sac fly and Arauz grounded into a force out allowed Osvaldo Duarte to score. Adams finished 2-3 and went deep for the third game in a row.

Chad Donato allowed two runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out five in 5.2 innings. Nick Hernandez tagged in for 2.1 scoreless innings and allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out four. Erasmo Pinales allowed a hit and walked one in a scoreless 9th.

Brandon Bailey will take on Richelson Peña in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:15.

Fayetteville 5, Down East 3

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (7-2)
L- Sal Mendez (6-1)
S- Humberto Castellanos (6)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

Some timely hitting early on proved to be the key for the Woodpeckers as they came away with game one of this series.

Corey Julks kept the 1st inning alive by drawing a walk and Chandler Taylor joined him on the bases after getting plunked. Michael Papierski and Scott Schreiber both followed with RBI singles. Jeremy Peña ripped a double to extend the 2nd inning, Miguelangel Sierra drew a walk, and Julks followed with an RBI single. In the 4th, Sierra hit a sac fly and Julks added another RBI single to his ledger. Julks, Cal Stevenson, and David Hensley all had two hits on the night.

Parker Mushinski went four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked three, and struck out six. Leovanny Rodriguez was the first man out of the Fayetteville bullpen and he went 2.2 innings, allowing a run on two hits and fanning three. Riley Cabral followed with 1.1 scoreless innings; he allowed two hits and got all four of his outs via the strikeout. Humberto Castellanos worked around a walk in the 9th to close out the game.

Luis Garcia takes the mound for game two of this series and he'll go against Reid Anderson at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will kick off a three-game series with Beloit at 6:35. Jonathan Bermúdez gets the start in game one and he'll face Reid Birlingmair.

Connecticut 2, Tri-City 0

W- Keider Montero (2-1)
L- Jairo Lopez (3-2)
S- Kory Behenna (4)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats' bid to sweep the series was quashed as they were shut out.

Bryan Arias had a couple of base hits and he also drew a walk.

Kyle Serrano allowed a hit and walked one in a scoreless 1st inning. Jairo Lopez tagged in for 4.2 innings and he allowed two runs (one inherited runner scored and was charged to him), a hit, walked five, and struck out three. Christian Mejías allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out two in 2.1 innings.

The ValleyCats are back home and they'll begin a three-game series with Aberdeen at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 9, GCL Marlins 3

W- Jacob Billingsley (1-2)
L- Miguel De Los Santos (1-6)

GCL home runs: Gerry Castillo (1, 2-run in 1st), Yimmi Cortabarria (3, 3-run in 5th)

Both teams had nine hits, but the Palm Beach 'Stros got a couple of multi-run homers to propel them to victory.

Gerry Castillo launched a two-run homer in the 1st to open the scoring. Nerio Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch in the 4th and Yimmi Cortabarria whacked a three-run homer in the 5th. Colin Barber hit an RBI single in the 6th and they got a pair of RBI singles from Rainier Rivas and Rolando Espinosa in the 7th. Rivas and Barber both finished 2-4 on the day.

Cionel Perez allowed two hits and struck out two in the 1st inning. Jacob Billingsley and Heitor Tokar both pitched two scoreless innings; Billingsley allowed a hit and fanned three while Tokar allowed two hits and struck out one. Ryan Gusto was next; he pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two runs (one earned), a hit, walked three, and struck out three. Julio Robaina allowed a run on three hits and struck out one over the final 2.1 innings.

DSL Athletics 4, DSL Astros 2

W- Dangiover Gonzalez (2-3)
L- Ricardo León (1-3)
S- Stiven Montilla (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Astros held the A's to one scoring inning. Problem is... the A's scored four in that one inning.

Yohander Martinez ripped an RBI double in the 1st and Roilan Machandy scored on a wild pitch in 5th. Machandy stole three bases, giving him 11 in 17 games.

Fabricio Reina walked two and struck out six over four scoreless innings. Ricardo León got the 5th but he only got one out via strikeout; he allowed three runs (all inherited runners that scored) and walked three. Luis Vega allowed an unearned run of his own on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 3.2 innings.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fabricio Reina, RHP, DSL Astros: 4 IP, 2 BB, 6 K

Jake Adams, 1B, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2-R HR (18), 2 R; HR in three consecutive games

Nick Hernandez, RHP, Corpus Christi

2.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

José Urquidy, RHP, Round Rock

W (6-4), 6 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 9 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Round Rock

3-5, 2B, RBI, R

Photo from his Perfect Game profile

Colin Barber, OF, GCL Astros

2-4, RBI, 2 R

Jacob Billingsley, Fayetteville (currently rehabbing in GCL)

W (1-0), 2 IP, H, 3 K

Corey Julks, OF, Fayetteville

2-3, 2 RBI, R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, June 3, 2019

Round Rock was off

The E-Train is heading west this week and they will begin a three-game series in Las Vegas at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Midland 3

W- Brett Adcock (1-5)
L- Matt Milburn (2-3)
S- Colin McKee (4)

CC home runs: Granden Goetzman (12, 2-run in 3rd)

Both teams scored in one inning. Luckily for the Hooks, they scored more in their inning as they got four runs on a two-run double from Seth Beer and a two-run home run from Granden Goetzman. Abraham Toro went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Brett Adcock pitched seven innings and allowed three runs, all in the 4th, on four hits, walked two, and struck out four. Nick Hernandez hit two batters and struck out three in 1.2 innings and Colin McKee induced a force out to end the game.

Brandon Bailey goes up against James Naile in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:15.

Winston-Salem 4, Fayetteville 2

W- Konner Pilkington (1-1)
L- Nivaldo Rodríguez (0-3, 3-4 season)
S- Jake Elliott (1)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers had another late rally brewing but once again, it got snuffed out. They left the bases loaded to end the game.

Nivaldo Rodríguez pitched five innings and allowed three runs (two earned), a solo homer, walked one, and struck out four. Enoli Paredes got the last four innings and one of the two hits he allowed was a solo homer. Paredes walked one and struck out six.

Fayetteville got a pair of RBI doubles from Bryan de la Cruz and Jonathan Arauz in the 3rd inning. Those were the Woodpeckers' only extra-base hits on the night.

The Woodpeckers and Dash will wrap up this series at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will start a three-game series against Peoria at 6:35. Unfortunately, a renewed flooding threat in the Quad Cities has forced this series to relocate to Peoria. José Bravo will take on Colin Schmid in game one.

DSL Astros 10, DSL Royals1 4

W- Marcos Eusebio (1-0)
L- Samuel Valerio (0-1)

DSL home runs: Miguel Palma (1, solo in 6th)

The Academy rode an early offensive outburst to a win on Monday.

Jonarkys Lopez opened things up in the 2nd with a two-run triple and he wound up scoring on a base hit from Tomás Ramirez. Cristian Gonzalez ripped an RBI double to bring Ramirez home and Sebastian Grullón hit an RBI single. Lopez led off the 4th with a triple and scored when Andrés Monzón hit into a groundout. Ramirez stole home and then Gonzalez smacked an RBI triple. Ayendy Ortiz hit an RBI single in the 5th and Miguel Palma launched his first career home run in the 6th.

Fabricio Reina pitched four innings and he allowed a run on a groundout, a triple, walked one, and struck out three. Daniel Pacheco was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed three runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on two hits, walked five, and struck out one. Marcos Eusebio allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out two in 1.2 innings. Edinson Batista and Juan De Los Santos pitched a scoreless inning apiece; Batista allowed a hit and walked one in the 8th, while De Los Santos walked one in the 9th.

The Astros will face the Rays 1 at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Tomás Ramirez, OF, DSL Astros: 2-4, RBI, 2 R, 2 SB (2)
Cristian Gonzalez, IF, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R
Jonarkys Lopez, C, DSL Astros: 2-2, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Seth Beer, 1B/OF, and Granden Goetzman, OF, Corpus Christi

Beer: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI

Goetzman: 1-4, 2-R HR (12)

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 4-3 vs. Midland

9 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Brett Adcock: W (1-5), 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Nick Hernandez: 1.2 IP, 2 HB, 3 K

Colin McKee: Save (4), 0.1 IP

Photo by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, Fayetteville

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 27, 2019

Let's finish up a game from last month and then play another one in Nashville!

From April 18: Round Rock 2, Nashville 0

W- Cy Sneed (3-5)
L- Tim Dillard (3-4)

RR home runs: Yordan Alvarez (20, solo in 3rd)

This game began on April 18 but was suspended due to severe weather. The first order of business on this Memorial Day was finishing up this game before getting to the regularly scheduled contest.

Corbin Martin originally started this game and he worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 1st, striking out one. Cy Sneed picked things up after play resumed and he didn't need any backup... he completed the shutout by allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out ten over the final eight innings.

Yordan Alvarez launched a solo homer with two outs in the 3rd and Jamie Ritchie hit a sac fly in the 4th inning. Alvarez went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with more than one hit in this game.

Round Rock 8, Nashville 4 (9 innings)

W- Gabriel Valdez (1-0, 3-2 season)
L- Zac Curtis (1-1)

RR home runs: None.

The E-Train seized control of this game thanks to a five-run 9th inning.

Brandon Bielak turned in a bare minimum quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) in his Triple-A debut, allowing six hits, walking three, and striking out five. Gabriel Valdez got the last three innings and he allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked one, and struck out five.

Myles Straw put Round Rock on the board with an RBI single in the 3rd inning. Yordan later added another run when he grounded into a force out that allowed Aníbal Sierra to score. He then ripped an RBI double in the 5th. The Sounds got that run back in the bottom of the 5th to tie the game... so let's fast-forward to the 9th.

A.J. Reed led off the 9th in scoring position and Nick Tanielu led things off with a walk. Quintana hit into a force out that resulted in Reed getting erased at third, but Sierra came through with a two-run double to break the tie. After Alex De Goti drew a walk, Kyle Tucker ripped an RBI double. Straw added a sac fly and Yordan capped off the scoring with an RBI single. Yordan, Straw, Tucker, and Quintana all finished with two hits in this game.

Game four of this series will start at 6:35. TBA will be opposed by Seth Maness.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks will begin a three-game series in Midland at 6:30. Brett Adcock will face Grant Holmes.

Lynchburg 5, Fayetteville 2

W- Juan Hillman (3-4)
L- Nivaldo Rodríguez (0-2, 3-3 season)
S- Anthony Gose (3)

Fayetteville home runs: Jonathan Arauz (4, solo in 6th)

The Woodpeckers' bats were held in check on Memorial Day as they could only muster up four hits.

Jonathan Arauz scored both of Fayetteville's runs in this game; he reached on a force out in the 4th and scored on Marty Costes' double. Arauz then launched a home run to lead off the 6th, extending his hitting streak to 11 games.

Nivaldo Rodríguez pitched five innings and allowed five runs on six hits (three-run homer), walked three, and struck out four. César Rosado allowed a hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in his first appearance since coming off the injured list. Nick Hernandez struck out one in a 1-2-3 8th.

The Woodpeckers will have Tuesday off as they head home. They will start a four-game series with the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Wednesday.

Quad Cities 5, Wisconsin 0

W- Brett Daniels (2-3, 3-3 season)
L- Aaron Ashby (3-2)

QC home runs: Freúdis Nova (1, solo in 6th)

The Banditos earned a series win by shutting out the Timber Rattlers on Memorial Day.

Austin Hansen allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out six in 4.2 innings and Brett Daniels allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out six over the final 4.1 innings to complete the shutout.

Jeremy Peña opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. This would be the only scoring play until the 5th, when Austin Dennis hit a sac fly. Peña later hit into a force out that allowed Trey Dawson to score. Freúdis Nova led off the 6th with a homer and Dennis capped off a 3-3 day with an RBI single in the 7th inning. Dennis also stole a couple of bases, giving him ten on the season.

The Banditos will begin a three-game series against Beloit at 6:35. José Bravo will go against Joe DeMers.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 5-0 vs. Wisconsin

9 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 12 K

Austin Hansen (right): 4.2 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 6 K

Brett Daniels: W (2-3, 3-3 season), 4.1 IP, H, BB, 6 K

Austin Dennis, OF, Quad Cities

3-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R, 2 SB (10)

Yordan Alvarez, 1B/OF, Round Rock

Game 1: 2-4, solo HR (20)

Game 2: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Corbin Martin's participation occurred a month ago, but he's still part of the shutout.

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 2-0 @ Nashville; completion of a game suspended on April 18

9 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 11 K

Corbin Martin: IP, BB, K

Cy Sneed: W (3-5), 8 IP, 2 H, BB, 10 K

Gabriel Valdez, RHP, Round Rock

W (1-0, 3-2 season), 3 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 5 K

Jonathan Arauz, IF, Fayetteville

1-4, solo HR (4), 2 R

11-game hitting streak, also scored both of Fayetteville's runs

Fayetteville Woodpeckers bullpen

3 IP, H, 3 K

César Rosado: 2 IP, H, 2 K; first appearance since April 29 (was on IL)

Nick Hernandez: IP, K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 17, 2019

Nashville 9, Round Rock 3

W- Tim Dillard (2-2)
L- Cy Sneed (1-5)

RR home runs: Derek Fisher (7, solo in 9th)

The Sounds jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and that deficit proved to be too much for Round Rock to overcome.

Derek Fisher finished 3-5 and scored two of the three Express runs in this game. He scored on Yordan Alvarez's RBI single in the 3rd and then smacked a solo homer in the 9th inning. Myles Straw preceded Yordan's RBI single with an RBI base hit of his own. Alvarez and Alex De Goti both finished with two hits apiece.

The pitching got peppered to death in this one as 11 of Nashville's 12 hits were singles.

Cy Sneed only lasted 1.2 innings as he allowed three runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out one. Ralph Garza Jr. got Sneed out of a bases-loaded predicament unscathed, but Nashville ended up getting to him as well. In 1.1 innings, Garza allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, walked one, and struck out two. Forrest Whitley came on for four innings and he allowed four runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out four. Brendan McCurry got the last two innings and struck out two in a perfect outing.

Ryan Hartman faces Seth Maness in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:05.

Corpus Christi 1, Midland 0

W- Gabriel Valdez (2-2)
L- Daulton Jeffries (0-3)
S- Carlos Sanabria (2, 3 season)

CC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game and fortunately, it belonged to the Corpus Christi Hooks. Midland had plenty of chances for their own but they were thwarted with some fine defensive work.

Carmen Benedetti made a catch at the wall in the 5th and then with two outs and runners on the corners, Ronnie Dawson ended the inning by running down a ball in the gap. With runners on the corners and two outs in the 7th, Dawson made a diving stop to rob Greg Deichmann of extra bases and keep the Hounds off the board.

Tyler Ivey allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out six in four innings of work. Gabriel Valdez was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out one in three innings. Carlos Sanabria completed the shutout by walking one and striking out two over the final two innings.

Granden Goetzman's sac fly in the 2nd was the only scoring play in this game. Abraham Toro, who scored that one run, finished 2-3.

Carson LaRue gets the start in game three and he'll face Matt Milburn at 7:00.

Carolina 9, Fayetteville 2

W- Dylan File (4-3)
L- J.P. France (0-4)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

A couple of big early innings from the Mudcats doomed the Woodpeckers.

J.P. France pitched three innings and allowed seven runs (five earned) on eight hits (2-run homer), walked two, and struck out three. Nick Hernandez was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed a run, a hit, walked one, and struck out six in 2.2 innings. The run was an inherited runner that scored off a two-run home run that Leovanny Rodríguez allowed in the 6th. Leovanny went two innings and allowed two other hits while striking out five. Jacob Billingsley struck out one over 1.1 perfect innings.

Jonathan Arauz went 2-4 and hit an RBI single in the 4th. Corey Julks had a sac fly in the 5th.

Game two of this series begins at 5:00 Eastern.

Peoria 8, Quad Cities 0

W- Collin Schmid (1-0)
L- José Alberto Rivera (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

All of the scoring in this game was done in one inning... by the Chiefs.

José Bravo allowed five hits, walked one, and struck out two over five shutout innings. José Alberto Rivera came on for his season debut but I'm sure he'd like a mulligan. Riley Cabral was called upon to pick up the mess but he bored his share of Peoria's assault in the 6th. In 1.2 innings, Cabral allowed three runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out two. Devin Conn worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 8th inning.

One night after scoring 21, all Quad Cities could muster up were singles from Austin Dennis, Alex McKenna, Marty Costes, David Hensley, and César Salazar.

R.J. Freure goes up against Kyle Leahy at 6:35.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

José Bravo, RHP, Quad Cities: 5 IP, 5 H, BB, 2 K

Nick Hernandez, RHP, and Leovanny Rodríguez, RHP, Fayetteville

Hernandez: 2.2 IP, H, ER (inherited runner that was charged to him), BB, 6 K

Rodríguez: 2 IP, 3 H (2-R HR allowed), ER, 5 K

Derek Fisher, OF, Round Rock

3-5, solo HR (7), 2 R

Brendan McCurry, RHP, Round Rock

2 IP, 2 K

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 1-0 @ Midland

9 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 9 K

Tyler Ivey: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Gabriel Valdez: W (2-2), 3 IP, 2 H, BB, K

Carlos Sanabria: Save (2, 3 season), 2 IP, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Sorry, this is going out a bit later than usual since I'm wallowing over the Rockets' loss last night.

The A teams are currently traveling in different trajectories...

Round Rock 9, Omaha 7

W- Dean Deetz (2-0)
L- Scott Blewett (2-3)
S- Kent Emanuel (1)

RR home runs: Yordan Alvarez (14, 2-run in 6th)

The Express used a four-run 6th inning to take control and got a crucial insurance run in the 9th to secure the victory.

It was essentially a bullpen night for the Express as no pitcher went more than three innings. Cionel Pérez went two innings to start off and he allowed four runs on five hits (two-run homer) and walked three. Dean Deetz was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed a run on two hits, walked one, and struck out four in three innings of work. Reymin Guduan and Kent Emanuel followed with two innings apiece; Guduan allowed two runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out one. Emanuel was the only Round Rock pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing; he allowed two hits, walked one, struck out one, and earned the save.

Not the best night for the pitching staff, but fortunately, the offense was able to pick them up.

Round Rock scored first thanks to a pair of RBI singles from Derek Fisher and Kyle Tucker in the 1st. Fisher added another RBI single to his ledger in the 4th and Nick Tanielu chipped in with an RBI single of his own in the 5th.

Garrett Stubbs walked to lead off the 6th; he moved to third on an Alex De Goti double and scored on Fisher's sac fly, which prompted the Storm Chasers to make a pitching change. Jack Mayfield greeted the new pitcher, Ben Lively, with an RBI single that put the Express in front. One batter later, Yordan Alvarez clubbed a two-run homer. De Goti finished 4-5 and he capped off the evening with an RBI single in the 9th. Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit except for Stubbs, who still managed to draw three walks on the night and also stole a base, his second. De Goti also recorded his second stolen base of the year.

Rogelio Armenteros faces Josh Staumont in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:35.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks will start a four-game series with Amarillo at 6:15.

Carolina 10, Fayetteville 7

W- Matt Hardy (5-0)
L- Shawn Dubin (0-2, 1-2 season)
S- Clayton Andrews (3)

Fayetteville home runs: Bryan de la Cruz (3, 2-run in 4th), Jake Adams (5, 2-run in 7th)

The Mudcats used an early onslaught to send the Woodpeckers to their fifth straight defeat.

Jake Adams opened the scoring when he lashed a two-run double in the 1st. Seth Beer had an RBI single in the 3rd and Bryan de la Cruz launched a two-run homer in the 4th inning. Adams whacked a two-run homer of his own in the 7th. He, de la Cruz, and Michael Papierski all finished with two hits on the day. De La Cruz's homer was his third of the season, which ties a career high that he set in 2016 when he also hit three homers for Greeneville. (He also played 16 games for Tri-City that season but didn't hit any home runs during that time.)

Shawn Dubin went 1.2 innings and allowed six runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on four hits, walked two, and struck out three. Jacob Billingsley was the first man out of the Fayetteville bullpen and the one run he allowed was an inherited runner that was charged to him. He also allowed a double, walked one, and struck out five. Tommy DeJuneas recorded three outs: he got the last two of the 5th and the first out of the 6th, all via the strikeout. He allowed two runs on three hits and walked one.

Nick Hernandez struck out one over 1.2 perfect innings. This was his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery during the 2017-18 offseason; he last pitched on September 3, 2017, for Corpus Christi. And finally, Leovanny Rodríguez allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in the 8th.

The Woodpeckers will look to avoid getting swept for a second consecutive series as Enoli Paredes goes up against Matt Smith at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, Lansing 0

W- Jojanse Torres (2-0)
L- Juan De Paula (3-3)

QC home runs: Jeremy Peña (2, 2-run in 1st)

Make it nine straight wins for the River Bandits as they shut the Lugnuts out for the second consecutive night to earn the sweep.

Nivaldo Rodríguez went four innings and allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out six. Jojanse Torres was the first man out of the Banditos' bullpen and he allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out six in three innings. Devin Conn and Riley Cabral completed the shutout with one scoreless inning apiece. Conn walked one and fanned one in the 8th and Cabral allowed a hit and struck out one in the 9th.

Jonathan Lacroix drew a one-out walk in the 1st and one batter later, Jeremy Peña smacked a two-run home run to open the scoring. César Salazar and Carlos Machado singled to lead off the 4th and they both came home on Trey Dawson's double. Dawson came around to score on Michael Wielansky's single and he also scored the final run of the evening on an error that allowed Ross Adolph to reach in the 5th. He (Dawson: 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Wielansky (RBI single), Machado (2B, R), and Austin Dennis (2B, SB) all had two hits on the night.

Well... the River Bandits are getting the rest of this week off. Their next series, which was supposed to be with the Great Lakes Loons, has been canceled because no one could agree on the venue. And apparently, the only acceptable solution for the Dodgers was if the series was moved to Great Lakes, which would essentially force the Banditos to hit the road with very little notice whatsoever. That's a real trash move, Dodgers.

Series canceled, @QCRiverBandits get an unexpected break https://t.co/6TcMKoooHZ via @qctimes

— Steve Batterson (@sbatt79) May 9, 2019

Quad Cities returns to action next Monday when they start a 12-game roadtrip with a doubleheader in Cedar Rapids.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jojanse Torres not pictured.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 6-0 vs. Lansing

9 IP, 7 H, 6 BB, 13 K

Nivaldo Rodríguez: 4 IP, 4 H, BB, 6 K

Jojanse Torres: W (2-0), 3 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 6 K

Devin Conn: IP, BB, K

Riley Cabral: IP, H, K

Trey Dawson - 70 death stare.

Jeremy Peña, SS, Michael Wielansky, IF, and Trey Dawson, IF, Quad Cities

Peña: 2-R HR (2)

Wielansky: 2-4, RBI

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

Alex De Goti, IF, Yordan Alvarez, 1B/OF, and Derek Fisher, OF, Round Rock

De Goti: 4-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (2)

Alvarez: 2-5, 2-R HR (14)

Fisher: 2-4, 3 RBI, R

Dean Deetz, RHP, Round Rock

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

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Bryan de la Cruz, OF, and Jake Adams, 1B, Fayetteville

De La Cruz: 2-5, 2B, 2-R HR (3), 2 R

Adams: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (5), 4 RBI

Jacob Billingsley, RHP, and Nick Hernandez, RHP, Fayetteville

Billingsley: 2.2 IP, H, ER (inherited runner charged to him), BB, 5 K

Hernandez: 1.2 IP, K; first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery

Beyond The Astros Top 30: Right-Handed Relievers

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]

Note: Although I included all of the left-handed pitchers in my previous post, I will be dividing the right-handers into relievers and starters due to the sheer number of pitchers I will be covering. Those listed as relievers are either currently being used in relief or appear to be headed in that direction.

RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVERS IN THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Riley Ferrell - November 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Dean Deetz - MLB #18, FG #21, BA #22
Deetz is new to this list, having only converted full time to the bullpen late in the 2017 season at AAA Fresno (1.56 ERA and 1.212 WHIP in nine appearances), but the move was not unexpected since he will be able to focus on his plus fastball/slider combo and relegate his less than effective changeup to the dustbin. Deetz continued working in relief in the Arizona Fall League to help acclimate him to the role, but an 80-game suspension which came down in January will delay any further development as a reliever until late in the season. Although Deetz's pitches play up in relief, particularly due to a bump in velocity directly resulting from the shorter stints (fastball sits mid 90's and can touch 97 or 98 in relief), his walk rate tends to spike with the higher velo as well as his ability to locate takes a hit. Although it was a small sample size, Deetz did appear to get the walks under control in the AFL as he allowed only four walks to 23 strikeouts in 11 innings of work. Perhaps he found his sweet spot between velocity and command. Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see. Deetz was drafted by the Astros in the 11th round in 2014 out of Northeast Oklahoma A&M and turned 24 in November. He was ranked #18 by MLB Pipeline, #21 by FanGraphs and #22 by Baseball America going into the 2018 season.

Riley Ferrell - FG #17, MLB #20, BA #27
Ferrell was ranked #20 in the Astros system by Baseball America going in to 2016, but fell off the list in 2017 as a May 2016 surgical repair to an aneurysm in his throwing shoulder severely limited his playing time. After making 38 appearances in 2017, all but two with the AA Corpus Christi team, Ferrell hit the rankings again -- #17 by FanGraphs, #20 by MLB Pipeline and #27 by Baseball America. Ferrell uses a mid-90's fastball that touches 98 to set up a plus slider that is virtually unhittable when his command is on. Ferrell compiled a 3.67 ERA and a 1.204 WHIP in 2017, walking 14 and striking out 60 in 54 innings but improved to a 2.45 ERA and 0.775 WHIP from July forward. He ended the season with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.243 WHIP, allowing only a 0.75 batting average in his final nine appearances. His Arizona Fall League season was more of a mixed bag. His critics want to see better control/command from him, but I think he made really good strides in that area in 2017. With a little more consistency, he should be headed to Houston by season's end. Ferrell was drafted in the third round in 2015 out of Texas Christian University and he turned 24 in October.

RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVERS BEYOND THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Erasmo Pinales - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Jesús Balaguer

Signed in April 2017, Balaguer is one of a growing contingent of Cuban players in the Astros system. Reported to have a 95-mph fastball at the time of his signing, I know virtually nothing else about Balaguer except that his results in his first season in the States were enough to pique my interest. He breezed through three games with rookie level Greeneville and five games with short season A Tri-City before he was finally challenged in his 10 appearances at Low A Quad Cities. For the season, he compiled a 2.73 ERA and a 1.061 WHIP, walking 15 and striking out 53(!) in 33 innings. Batters hit .175/.271/.263 against him; he converted four of his five save opportunities; he stranded 13 of 14 inherited runners; and he provided five innings of scoreless relief in three appearances in the postseason. Balaguer will be 25 in August so expect to see the Astros continue to push him through the system quickly.

Key: Balaguer will need to show that he can compete against more and more experienced hitters as he moves up through the system.

Jacob Dorris

Dorris has a fantastic back story and knows that, as a non-drafted free agent, he's playing with "house money" so he may as well enjoy himself. That attitude shows both on and off the field as the unorthodox sidearmer has bucked the odds so far to make it to AAA Fresno in his third pro season in 2017. Dorris started the season with 23 appearances at AA Corpus Christi before an early July promotion to Fresno, compiling a 4-2 record with three saves, a 3.00 ERA, a 1.222 WHIP in a total of 43 outings. He walked 28 while striking out 75 in 72 innings. And his numbers actually improved at the higher level (1.87 ERA, 1.040 WHIP and .185 BA).

Key: Historically, Dorris has struggled against lefty hitters and 2017 was no exception; southpaws hit .300/.398/.470 against him. He will need to figure out how to keep those pesky lefties in check in order to keep his forward momentum going.

Brock Dykxhoorn

Although used as a starter throughout the first four seasons of his pro career, Dykxhoorn was moved to the bullpen at the end of the 2017 season. That may have been a temporary move to facilitate the addition of high profile pitchers Forrest Whitley and Cionel Perez, but a permanent move to relief may turn out to be a good move for Dykxhoorn who has routinely put up better numbers in relief (through the back end of a tandem rotation or otherwise). For the season (all games with AA Corpus Christi), Dykxhoorn had a 5.45 ERA and a 1.579 WHIP in 76 innings as a starter (33 walks to 60 strikeouts) and a 1.93 ERA and a 1.243 WHIP in 23.1 innings of relief (7 walks to 24 strikeouts). That leads me to think that he lacks a consistent third pitch and his stuff may be a better fit for the 'pen. Dykxhoorn, who will be 24 in July, was drafted in the sixth round in 2014 out of Central Arizona College.

Key: If Dykxhoorn goes back to the rotation, he will have to find more consistency because when he gets hit, he has a tendency to get hit hard.

Justin Ferrell

In each of the last two seasons, Ferrell started out in the rotation, but ended up relegated primarily to the bullpen later in the season where his stuff played up. In 31.1 innings as a starter in 2017, he had a 7.18 ERA, a 1.619 WHIP and 12 walks to 25 strikeouts. In 51 innings out of the bullpen, he had a 2.47 ERA, a 1.176 WHIP and 17 walks to 64 strikeouts. 2018 will be the fifth season for the 2014 36th rounder out of Connors State College (OK) and he needs to be challenged to AA. Put him in the Hooks bullpen and give him a chance to sink or swim by the Bay. Ferrell will be 24 next month.

Key: Leave him in the bullpen and challenge him to the higher levels!

Nick Hernandez - FG #28+

Hernandez's second season began with an excellent 24 appearances with High A Buies Creek in which he compiled a 1.59 ERA and a 0.853 WHIP in 34 innings (11 walks to 48 strikeouts). His numbers after his early July promotion to AA Corpus Christi weren't quite as flashy (thanks in part to one particularly brutal outing); in 24.2 innings, Hernandez had a 5.84 ERA and a 1.297 WHIP (15 walks to 22 strikeouts). And although his walk rate and home run rate were elevated (he allowed four home runs in the aforementioned brutal outing) at the higher level, he was still the go-to guy in high leverage situations, stranding inherited bases loaded situations on four separate occasions out of his 11 appearances. Hernandez was drafted in the 8th round in 2016 out of the University of Houston; he turned 23 in December.

Key: Other than keeping those walks in check, I think Nick just needs to keep being Nick! It's worked well so far for him.

Kevin Hill

Hill spent the majority of his season with Low A Quad Cities and High A Buies Creek with a short but successful fill-in stint at AA Corpus Christi thrown in. For the season, he had a 1.95 ERA and a 0.990 WHIP in 64.2 innings (26 appearances), walking 21 and striking out 68. If that wasn't good enough for you, from June 18th forward, he held batters to a .149 batting average with a 0.70 ERA and a 0.780 WHIP. With numbers like that, Hill isn't getting the notice that he deserves! Hill was drafted in the 25th round in 2016 out of the University of South Alabama where he had a reputation for great command and pitch sequencing. He will be 26 in August.

Key: Hill needs to be challenged. He should start the season in AA, but if he is able to come even close to his 2017 results, he should get kicked up to AAA sooner rather than later.

Brendan McCurry

McCurry's 2017 season was more than a bit uneven, starting rough and ending rough but peaking with an excellent July (0.00 ERA and 0.913 WHIP in 11 games, 15.1 innings). Overall, he was 4-2 with six saves, a 4.43 ERA and a 1.410 WHIP, walking 12 and striking out 52 in 44.2 innings (35 appearances) for AAA Fresno. Known for using varying arm angles for deception, McCurry wasn't able to fool quite as many hitters in 2017 as his hit rate per nine innings spiked to an unsustainable 10.3. McCurry was originally drafted by Oakland in the 22nd round in 2014 and came to Houston in the November 2015 Jed Lowrie trade. He turned 26 in January.

Key: Consistency (and missing a few more bats)! McCurry has been incredibly dominant at times, but he hasn't been able to sustain that yet at the AAA level. He's had an excellent Spring Training and I hope to see him carry that over into the regular season.

Erasmo Pinales

I have been a fan of Pinales since I saw him in Tri-City in 2016. He can throw so many different pitches at widely varying speeds, can crank up the velo when needed, generates a lot of ground ball outs and swing-and-miss, and is almost as effective against lefties as right-handers. His 3.69 ERA (21 games with Low A Quad Cities and 12 games with High A Buies Creek) is inflated by a couple of bad outings. He only allowed multiple runs in five of his 33 appearances. He had a 1.131 WHIP and allowed a .198 batting average in 61 innings, walking 26 and striking out 63. He can give you multiple innings, close (six saves in 2017) and should be able to make a spot start since he was used as a starter prior to 2017. I really like his versatility. Pinales was signed in May of 2013 and will be going in to his sixth season, having turned 23 in November.

Keys: Now that Pinales has been moved to the bullpen, he should be able to move more quickly (and needs to). He was able to lower his walk rate in the second half of the season last year; I would like to see him maintain that.

Andrew Thome

Thome started the 2017 season with four appearances in High A Buies Creek and then spent the remainder of the season shuttling back and forth between AA Corpus Christi (28 games) and AAA Fresno (8 games). Thome performed well with Corpus Christi, going 4-4 with seven saves, a 2.85 ERA and a 1.195 WHIP (13BB:33SO in 41IP) and less well at Fresno, thanks in large part to one dreadful outing (in an overall dreadful 22-1 loss) in which he allowed five earned runs in one inning of work. Thome isn't a flamethrower, but has good sink on his fastball and induces a ton of ground balls. Thome was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2015 and turned 25 in January.

Keys: Hit the ground running to show that he can compete against AAA hitters. His hit rate in Fresno last season, although a limited sample size, was far too high. As a NDFA, he almost needs to outperform draft picks; missing more bats is vital.

Ryan Thompson

Thompson had a very similar season to Thome's, shuttling back and forth between AA Corpus Christi (31 games) and AAA Fresno (6 games) with similar results. Thompson was 2-3 with six saves, a 2.59 ERA, a 1.186 WHIP and 11 walks to 59 strikeouts in 59 innings at the lower level. And like Thome, one disastrous outing at the higher level (seven runs in one inning) really blew up his numbers. Also like Thome, Thompson needs to miss a few more bats. But one thing that really sets Thompson apart is his ability to strand inherited runners. He kept 26 of his 31 inherited runners from scoring. Thompson also gets his share of groundball outs, but his side arm delivery generates a nice amount of swing-and-miss through its deception. Thompson was drafted by the Astros in the 23rd round in 2014 out of Campbell University (NC) and will be 26 in June.

Keys: Miss more bats, improve his splits against lefties and prove he can compete in AAA. He was Mr. Consistent at AA; he needs to replicate that at AAA.

Others to Watch (in alphabetical order):

José Betances
Although Betances didn't make a good first impression in 2017 (eight walks and one strikeout in 2.2 innings), the sample size is just too tiny to make too much out of it, especially considering the young Dominican just turned 18 in October. When signed for around $280,000 last July, Oz Ocampo of the Astros described Betances as having a low to mid-90's swing-and-miss fastball and a hard slider, both of which project as plus pitches.

Robert Corniel
At first blush, Corniel's 2017 numbers may not seem very impressive (4.15 ERA and 1.471 WHIP in 18 bullpen appearances, 34.2 innings), but considering that he made all but three of those appearances in Low A Quad Cities after spending 2016 in the Dominican Summer League, that he had a 1.35 ERA and 0.975 WHIP (.146 BA) in his final eight games, and that he converted two saves in his four postseason appearances while allowing zero runs, he suddenly becomes more interesting. Corniel, who will be 23 in June, was originally signed in July 2012 and missed the 2014 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Luís de Paula
Signed in November 2016, de Paula got off to a good start in his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League, collecting four saves with a 1.38 ERA and 1.038 WHIP in 19 appearances (26 innings). However, he struggled at times with walks and he was 21 in November which means that he'll need to be moved more aggressively.

Brendan Feldmann
Feldmann, a non-drafted free agent out of Lindenwood University in Missouri, was kept in the rookie level Gulf Coast League despite allowing his only earned run of the season in his first of 12 appearances. He only pitched 16.2 innings, but that may very well have been by design to limit his workload as he pitched 121 innings, including four complete games, in his final year with Linwood. In any event, his 2-1 record with two saves, a 0.54 ERA, a 0.600 WHIP (one walk to 21 strikeouts) and the fact that he stranded 10 of 13 inherited runners is enough for me to say, "Watch this space!," regardless of where he pitches in 2018 and in what role. Feldmann will be 24 in April.

Ángel Heredia
It is not an exaggeration to say that 2018 is a make or break year for Heredia as it will be his seventh season in the Astros organization. Heredia was out from late May of 2016 to mid-August 2017 and, although I don't recall ever hearing that he had Tommy John surgery, the timeline would fit. He only appeared in seven rehab appearances at the end of the season between the Gulf Coast League and Tri-City. A small-sized pitcher, Heredia has shown some promise in the past, but he will have to hit the ground running this season to maintain his roster spot in AA Corpus Christi. He will be 26 in July.

Hunter Martin

Martin, drafted in the 20th round in 2017 out of the University of Nashville, did make three starts in his 12 appearances so a relief role is still a maybe, but he did fare somewhat better in relief. His 3.86 ERA and 1.439 WHIP are somewhat inflated by one bad outing, the final of his season. When signed, he was said to have a high 80's to low 90's fastball, a changeup that projects as above average and the ability to spot the ball to both sides of the plate. Martin was a short season A Tri-City All-Star in his first season and I'll be interested to see what he does in his sophomore season. Martin turned 23 in December.

Colin McKee

McKee has one of the lower hit rates and one of the higher walk rates in the system. If he can rein in the walks, he could be interesting to watch. Drafted in the 18th round in 2016 out of Mercyhurst College (PA), McKee has a good pitcher's build and features a low 90's fastball and a plus slider. In 41 innings (17 appearances) in 2017 for short season A Tri-City, he had a 3.51 ERA and a 1.268 WHIP, walking 33 and striking out 53. Batters hit .137/.303/.194 against him; I will be keeping my eye on that middle number in 2018. McKee will be 24 in June.

Matt Ramsey

Ramsey was signed by the Astros as a minor league free agent in December 2017 (after spending time in the Rays, Marlins and Brewers organizations). He spent most of his 2017 season with the AA Biloxi team as a 27-year old (he turned 28 in September), going 3-3 with 27 saves, a 3.65 ERA and a 1.353 WHIP, walking 18 and striking out 58 in 44.1 innings. It's hard for me to get too excited about someone his age who has only pitched in five games at AAA and who has been less than stellar in Astros Spring Training games, but since he was ranked highly in the Marlins organization going into 2015 before getting derailed by back issues, I will give him the benefit of a doubt.

Carlos Sierra

Sierra had a successful season in 2017, compiling a 3-2 record with two saves, a 2.83 ERA and a 1.099 WHIP in 29 appearances between Low A Quad Cities (4 games) and High A Buies Creek (25 games). He walked 24 while striking out 60 in 57.1 innings of work and held batters to a .186/.273/.290 line. HOWEVER, he allowed 17 of 24 inherited runners to score. Sierra may have had a great season, but he needs to get better at putting out fires. The Cuban-born right-hander will be 24 in October.

Peter Solomon - FG #28+

Solomon may get an audition as a starter in the Astros organization, but since he primarily pitched in relief for Notre Dame in his final season before getting drafted in the fourth round, I'm including him with the relief corps. And since he only pitched one inning in his first pro season, there's no way to really know. Solomon is said to have a low to mid-90's fastball, a fringy slider and a curveball that flashes plus. However, there are a whole lot of buts in the scouting reports. He's had shoulder issues, control problems, needs to add bulk to his projectible frame and struggled in a starting role with Notre Dame. I will be keeping an eye on him, but it appears that he has a few hurdles to overcome when he gets down to work in 2018. He will be 22 in August.

Previous Posts:

Shortstops
Second Base
First Base

Third Base
Center Field
Right Field

Left Field
Catchers

Utility Players

Lefty Pitchers

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Appy Astros sweep!

Fresno 6, Albuquerque 3

W- Kyle Smith (1-0, 3-1 season)
L- Matt Flemer (2-6)
S- Tyson Perez (3)

Fresno home runs: D.J. Fisher (17, 3-run in 1st), Tyler White (12, solo in 5th)

Charlie Morton had a very nice outing as he continues to work his way back to full strength.

Morton allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 4 scoreless innings. Kyle Smith got the next 4 innings and did alright until he ran into trouble in the 8th. He allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits and struck out 1. Tyson Perez struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th for the save.

The Tacos got a 3-run blast from D.J. Fisher (17) in the opening frame and got 1 each in the 4th, 5th, and the 6th to come away with the victory. Reid Brignac smacked an RBI triple in the 4th, Tyler White launched a solo homer in the 5th, and Preston Tucker brought in Fresno's final run of the night with an RBI single in the 6th. Brignac (3B, RBI), Tony Kemp (2B, R), and Colin Moran (2B) turned in 2-hit performances.

Trent Thornton will take on Barry Enright in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Texas League All-Star Game

The South All-Stars erupted for 7 runs in the 4th to run away with a 10-3 win.

Drew Ferguson started in RF and went 2-3 with 2 walks and scored a run out of the leadoff spot. J.D. Davis got the start at 3B and went 2-4 with a 2-run single in that massive 4th inning. Jon Singleton went 0-4 as the starting 1B, and Garrett Stubbs, who started at catcher, hit a bases-clearing triple in the 4th and scored twice.

Rogelio Armenteros got the start and allowed a 2-run homer to Chuck Taylor, one of 3 hits that he allowed in the 1st inning. He struck out 2.

Corpus Christi returns to action on Thursday in Northwest Arkansas.

Carolina 6, Buies Creek 5 in 15 innings

W- Eric Hanhold (5-2)
L- Sebastian Kessay (4-2)
S- Quintin Torres-Costa (1)

BC home runs: Alex De Goti (1, 4 season; solo in 3rd), Stephen Wrenn (1, 4 season; 2-run in 9th)

Stephen Wrenn smacked a 2-run homer to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th and that's how the game remained until the Mudcats broke through with a run in the 15th.

Both teams scored 2 runs in the 3rd; Buies Creek got theirs on an Alex De Goti solo blast, and then Myles Straw followed with a triple and walked home after a balk was called. Straw, who finished 3-7 with a stolen base (18), added an RBI single to his ledger in the 8th. Wrenn connected for his first Carolina League homer to tie the game with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th. Jake Rogers finished 2-4 with a double and scored on Wrenn's homer.

Matt Bower went 2.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Howie Brey was the first man out of the Carolina Stros bullpen and threw 3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walking 1, and striking out 3. Sean Stutzman followed with 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3. Not sure why he's in Buies Creek when he's been doing relatively well in Corpus; it was probably just for him to get work during the Texas League All-Star break.

Anyway, Nick Hernandez was next and he struck out 7 over 4 perfect frames. Sebastian Kessay allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 2 innings.

Buies Creek and Carolina will continue their series at 7:00 Eastern as Framber Valdez faces Kodi Medeiros.

Quad Cities 6, Wisconsin 5

W- Gabriel Valdez (2-0)
L- Miguel Sanchez (2-4)
S- Erasmo Pinales (4)

QC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (7, solo in 4th)

Erasmo Pinales had a nice outing of the bullpen and the Banditos got a run in the 6th to break a 5-5 tie.

Wander Franco opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Ronnie Dawson started off the 4th with a homer. Quad Cities got 3 in the 5th after Gabriel Bracamonte scored on a wild pitch. Dawson then added an RBI single to his ledger and Franco scored on an error. Jonathan Arauz scored the go-ahead run on another wild pitch in the 6th inning.

Arauz (HR shy of cycle, 2 R) and Dawson (solo HR, 2 RBI) both finished 3-5 on the day, while Franco went 2-5.

Gabriel Valdez went 6 innings and allowed 5 runs on 9 hits (2 solo homers), walked 1, and struck out 4. Erasmo Pinales shut it down over the last 3 innings, walking 2 and striking out 2 for the save.

Forrest Whitley will take the mound in game 3 of this series. He takes on Zach Brown at 7:05.

Tri-City was off

The ValleyCats will play a doubleheader to start a new series in Connecticut with game 1 beginning at 6:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 8, Bristol 5

W- Juan Robles (1-0)
L- Domingo Robles (0-1)
S- Ian Hardman (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros scored in 6 of 9 innings and withstood a 3-run 9th from the Pirates to earn the sweep.

Austin Kerns allowed a run on a double and struck out 1 in the 1st inning. Cole Watts allowed 2 hits and walked 2 in 2 scoreless innings. Juan Robles tagged in for 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. Willy Collado got 2 outs in the 9th, but he also allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and walked 1. Ian Hardman walked the first man he faced to load the bases but got the last out of the evening with a strikeout.

Both teams scored a run in the 1st; Greeneville's came on a Brody Westmoreland RBI double. Chas McCormick ripped a 2-run double in the 2nd inning. Gilberto Celestino scored on an error in the 4th. The Appy Astros got RBI singles from McCormick in the 7th and another from Joan Mauricio in the 8th. Cody Bohanek ripped an RBI double and came around to score on a Frankeny Fernandez single in the 9th inning.

McCormick (2B, 3 RBI, R), Bohanek (2B, RBI, 2 R), and Roman Garcia (2B, 3B, R) all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Tim Hardy will start the first of a 3-game series in Johnson City. He'll face Franyel Casadilla (I'm suddenly hungry) at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Marlins 14, GCL Astros 9

W- Karl Craigie (1-0)
L- Johsson Arias (0-1, 0-2 season)

GCL home runs: Richard Slenker (1, 2-run in 5th)

The Marlins got 4 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to seize control of this one.

Vicente Sanchez finished 3-4 and scored 3 runs. Richard Slenker hit a 2-run homer in the 5th for his first pro home run. Juan Piñeda (2 RBI) and Enmanuel Valdez had 2 hits apiece. Orlando Marquez drove in 2, while Ihan Bernal and Hector Martinez both drove in a run.

Jheyson Caraballo allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 in 3 innings. The bullpen.... struggled, and I think I'll leave it at that. Tanner Duncan was the only GCLstros pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing, striking out 2 over 2 perfect innings.

DSL Astros Blue 7, DSL Marlins 4

W- Christopher Javier (2-0)
L- Franklin Brioso (0-2)
S- Oscar Severino (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team took advantage of 5 Marlins miscues on Tuesday.

Ronaldo Urdaneta stole 2nd base in the 2nd inning and scored thanks to a couple of errant throws. In the 3rd, Yorbin Ceuta smacked an RBI double and trotted home on an Anthony Rodriguez triple. Rodriguez wound up scoring on a balk. Nerio Rodriguez doubled and eventually scored on an error that allowed Urdaneta to reach. In the 5th inning, Rhandall Sanchez drew a bases-loaded walk to score Anthony, and Nerio scored on a wild pitch.

Ceuta finished 4-5 on the day, while the Rodriguezes both finished with 2 hits.

Angel Macuare allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 1st inning. Christopher Javier was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 3 scoreless. Nathanael Ventura got 2 strikeouts in the 5th and allowed a single; the runner eventually scored on a wild pitch. Ventura also issued 2 walks and hit another batter. Antonio Pujols allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and fanned 2 in 3 innings. Yulian Frontado got the last out of the 8th. Oscar Severino worked around a couple of hits to finish the game, striking out 1.

DSL Astros Orange 12, DSL Cubs 10

W- Diosward Gonzalez (2-1)
L- Yovanny Cruz (1-1)
S- Luis De Paula (2)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team stormed out to a 12-0 lead and then had to withstand a massive charge from the Cubs that included an 8-run 9th inning.

Diosward Gonzalez allowed 3 hits and fanned 4 over 5 shutout innings. The bullpen almost suffered a meltdown of epic proportions, but Rafael De Paula finally managed to get that elusive final out.

Jose Carrillo didn't have a hit, but that didn't prevent him from scoring 3 runs. The first run came on a Michael Garcia groundout in the 2nd inning. Fildex Perfecto drove in the first of 5 runs in the 3rd with a double. Perfecto scored on a Freudis Nova single. Nova wound up scoring on an error, and then Luis Barajas and Garcia followed with an RBI single and a sac fly, respectively.

Team Orange scored 3 in the 5th on RBI singles from Garcia and Sean Mendoza and an RBI double from Renaigel Martis. Garcia hit a 2-run single in the 6th and Mendoza hit another RBI single later in the frame.

Mendoza went 3-4 out of the #9 spot in the order, while Martis (2 2B, RBI, R) and Alvarez (2B, RBI, 3 R) had 2 hits apiece.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yorbin Ceuta, SS, DSL Astros Blue: 4-5, 2B, RBI, R
Sean Mendoza, IF, DSL Astros Blue: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Juan Robles, RHP, Greeneville

W (1-0), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 9 K

Photo from MiLB.com

Chas McCormick, OF, Greeneville

2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R

Erasmo Pinales, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (4), 3 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Quad Cities

3-5, solo HR (7), 2 RBI

Sean Stutzman, LHP, and Nick Hernandez, RHP, Buies Creek

Stutzman: 3.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Hernandez: 4 IP, 7 K; perfect outing

Myles Straw, OF, Buies Creek

3-7, 3B, RBI, R, SB (18)

Derek Fisher, OF, and Tyler White, IF, Fresno

Fisher: 3-R HR (17) in 1st)

White: solo HR (12), 2 R