Nolan Fontana and Andrew Aplin: A Bromance for the Times

George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller. Nolan Fontana and Andrew Aplin. All-time great bromances.

Andrew Aplin and Nolan Fontana - September 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Earlier this month, I spoke with Fresno Grizzlies IF Nolan Fontana and OF Andrew Aplin about this epic bromance. They humored me and I think you'll enjoy the result.

In case you missed it, here are other recent interviews of Astros minor leaguers:

Grizzlies RHP Brady Rodgers
JetHawks C Garrett Stubbs
JetHawks OF Ramon Laureano
JetHawks RHP Josh James

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Tacoma 7, Fresno 6 in 10 innings

W- David Rollins (1-0)
L- Jandel Gustave (1-1)
S- Blake Parker (6)

Fresno home runs: Tyler Heineman (1, solo in 5th), Nolan Fontana (1, 3-run in 7th)

The Tacos successfully forced extra innings.... but the Rainiers got a run in the first extra frame to snatch the victory.

Tyler Heineman's solo shot put Fresno on the board in the 5th inning. They got 4 in the 7th as Matt Duffy ripped an RBI double and Nolan Fontana slammed a 3-run homer that gave the Tacos a 5-4 lead. That lead was short-lived, however, as Tacoma got 2 in the 8th to re-take the lead. But... the Tacos wouldn't trail for long, either.

Andrew Aplin led off the 9th by reaching on an error and advancing to 2nd. He made to 3rd following a Heineman flyout and scored the tying run on a single from Fontana. Fontana did his bit in keeping the Tacos in this one as both of his hits either gave them a lead (3-run homer) or tied the game (RBI single in 9th). Matt Duffy also recorded a 2-hit outing, while Aplin scored 2 runs.

Brady Rodgers had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 9 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4. Kevin Chapman allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 1 in the 7th. Edwar Cabrera came on for the 8th, and he retired the first man he faced, but a walk and a double put him in a bind, so James Hoyt came on to try to extricate Cabrera from this situation. Unfortunately, he could not, as both of Cabrera's runners scored on a wild pitch and a fielder's choice. Hoyt technically pitched 1.2 perfect innings, striking out 2, but the runners he inherited from Cabrera both scored. Jandel Gustave allowed the go-ahead run on a sac fly in the 10th. He allowed a single and issued an intentional walk.

Mike Hauschild will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 12:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 5, San Antonio 3

W- Francis Martes (2-2)
L- Bryce Morrow (0-4)
S- Brendan McCurry (4)

CC home runs: Alex Bregman (7, 2-run in 5th), D.J. Fisher (5, solo in 8th)

This Alex Bregman guy might have some potential. The Hooks climbed back above .500 by taking 3 of 4 from their I-37 rivals. They lost 9 of their last 10 to close out April, but they've turned it around in May, going 7-3 in their first 10 games this month.

Corpus got 2 in the 2nd to get on the board, as James Ramsay hit a sac fly, and Alfredo Gonzalez hit an RBI single. Bregman, who doesn't appear to be affected by his layoff, hit a 2-run homer in the 5th that put the Hooks in front, and D.J. Fisher provided a little breathing room with an inside-the-park solo homer in the 8th. Conrad Gregor finished 2-3; 8 of the 9 players in the Hooks lineup had a hit.

Francis Martes went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 3. Chris Cotton came out of the bullpen to throw 2.1 scoreless, allowing 1 hit, walking 1, and striking out 1. Brendan McCurry got the 5-out save; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Tonight, the Texas League iteration of the Lone Star Series starts once again as the Hooks welcome Frisco to Whataburger Field. Cy Sneed will look to bounce back from his roughest outing of the season as he'll start game 1. His opponent is Connor Sadzeck. First pitch is at 7:05.

Rancho Cucamonga 12, Lancaster 1

W- Yaisel Sierra (1-1)
L- Rogelio Armenteros (0-1, 0-3 season)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks got rocked in this one.

Rogelio Armenteros went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 4. Dean Deetz and Jacob Dorris both posted identical lines in 1.2 innings and 1.1 innings, respectively. The two of them allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Dorris got a rather rude welcome to the California League.

Lancaster's only run came in the 8th on an RBI double from Drew Ferguson. Garrett Stubbs extended his hitting streak to 9 games, and Ramon Laureano was 2-2 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base (9).

Lancaster will look to get off the canvas as Josh James will start game 2. He'll face Tommy Bergjans at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities and Burlington was postponed

Due to wet grounds. This series will conclude with a doubleheader, with game 1 starting at 6. Jose Luis Hernandez will take on Luis Peña in the first game, and Chris Murphy will face Jose Rodriguez in game 2.

Three Stars

3.

Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi

Go-ahead 2-R HR (7)

2.

Chris Cotton, LHP, Corpus Christi

Hold (1), 2.1 IP, H, BB, K

1.

Nolan Fontana, IF, Fresno

2-4, 3-R HR (1), 4 RBI

Honorable Mentions

Matt Duffy, 3B, Fresno: 2-5, 2B, RBI
- Duffy's bat is showing signs of life after a dreadful start.

Brendan McCurry, RHP, Corpus Christi: Save (4), 1.2 IP, H, BB, K
- McCurry just keeps on rolling.

D.J. Fisher, OF, Corpus Christi: Inside-the-park solo HR (5)
- Delivered an insurance run in breathtaking fashion. Hopefully that 4-4 game gives his bat the spark it needs.

Happy Birthday - 6/6

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

SS/2B Nolan Fontana (24)
Fontana was born June 6, 1991 in Winter Garden, Florida, and was drafted by the Astros in the 2nd round in 2012 out of the University of Florida in Gainesville. He is currently playing for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies.

Nolan Fontana - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Bonus Tweets of the Day

Today, I got the best news of my life, and I've never been more humbled. Go Astros

— Preston Tucker (@PrestonTucker25) May 7, 2015

CONGRATS TUCK!! #SECPower https://t.co/79dFHwcYzN

— Tony Kemp (@tonykemp6) May 7, 2015

So legit man. Congrats! https://t.co/a6NRRXwuxN

— Tyler Heineman (@theineman13) May 7, 2015

@PrestonTucker25 congrats on the well deserved promotion my man.

— brandon meredith (@bmeezytrain) May 7, 2015

The man @PrestonTucker25 reaction when he was told he would be a Big leaguer today. 😳 then 😃 followed by 😎 showtime

— Darin Downs (@DDowns99) May 7, 2015

Congrats to Tuck aka Taco aka BamBam on getting the call to the show! @PrestonTucker25

— Max Stassi (@MaxStassi10) May 7, 2015

Congrats to my roomie @PrestonTucker25 on getting the call today!!!

— Brady Rodgers (@Rodg_20) May 7, 2015

Congrats to @PrestonTucker25..you deserve every bit of this opportunity man. Go #Gators Go #Astros "YES...YES...YES!"

— Nolan Fontana (@nolanfontana) May 7, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 10, 2015

Fresno 8, Las Vegas 4

W- Dan Straily (1-0)
L- Matt Bowman (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (1, 2-run in 3rd), Nolan Fontana (1, solo in 5th)

The Grizz busted out for 5 in the 3rd inning, highlighted by Tucker's 2-run blast and a 2-run single from Matt Duffy. The two of them both finished 2-4, and Duffy opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Jon Singleton hit an RBI double in that 5-run 3rd inning. Nolan Fontana's homer led off the bottom of the 5th; he reached base in all 4 of his plate appearances, drawing a walk and scoring 3 times. And finally, Matt Dominguez had a sac fly in the 8th. He was the only player in the starting 9+1 to not have a hit, but he did have that sac fly.

Dan Straily allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6 over 5 innings to record the win. Darin Downs tossed a 1-2-3 6th inning, and Jason Stoffel followed that up with a 1-2-3 inning of his own, striking out 2 in the 7th. Tommy Shirley allowed a hit and struck out 2 in a scoreless 8th, and Kevin Chapman gave up an unearned run and a hit in the 9th.

Alex White will face Darin Gorski in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 8, Springfield 2

W- Mark Appel (1-0)
L- Mike Mayers (0-1)
S- Kyle Westwood (1)

CC home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (1, solo in 7th)

The Hooks staked Mark Appel to a 5-0 lead after 0.5 innings, and he and Kyle Westwood did the rest as they held the Springfield offense in check.

The only ding on Appel's line was a solo homer hit by Aledmys Diaz in the 4th. He allowed just one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 5 innings. Westwood finished it off, allowing a run on a groundout hit by Diaz in the bottom of the 9th and 4 hits while striking out 1. He recorded 7 groundball outs against 1 flyball out.

Colin Moran kicked things off with an RBI double, which in turn, kicked off a 5-run top of the 1st. He and Carlos Correa were both sent home on a Telvin Nash single. Nash would score himself as Conrad Gregor added a sac fly, and Jon Kemmer delivered an RBI single in his first at-bat of the season. The Hooks added 1 in the 5th with a Teoscar Hernandez double, 1 in the 6th with a Carlos Correa double, and 1 more in the 7th as Teoscar led off the inning with his 1st homer of the year. Teoscar (2B, HR, 2 RBI), Tyler Heineman, Kemmer, Tony Kemp (2 runs scored), and Correa (2 2B, 2 BB) all turned in 2-hit performances.

Corpus will look to sweep this opening series as Josh Hader and Chris Devenski will face Thomas Lee (not the Motley Crüe drummer) at 6:10.

San Jose 5, Lancaster 0

W- Nick Vander Tuig (1-0)
L- Michael Feliz (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks were held to 5 hits as they were kept off the scoreboard. Chase McDonald went 2-4, and Danry Vásquez had the only extra-base hit: a double. He also walked twice.

Michael Feliz had a tough first go-round; he allowed 4 runs on 8 hits and struck out 4 in 2.2 innings. However, only one of those hits went for extra bases. Chris Cotton stopped the bleeding for a bit as he allowed just 1 hit (a double) and struck out 4 over 2.1 scoreless. Zach Morton pitched the final 4 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3.

In game 3, Evan Grills will face Keury Mella. First pitch is at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Peoria 2

W- Joe Musgrove (1-0)
L- Austin Gomber (0-1)
S- Jose Montero (1)

QC home runs: None.

M&M. Musgrove and Montero combined to shackle the Peoria offense for the final 5 innings.

Bryan Radziewski allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5 in 4 innings of work. Joe Musgrove tagged in and allowed 3 hits while striking out 5 over 4 scoreless, and Jose Montero closed it out, striking out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Everyone in the Quad Cities lineup had a hit except for Kristian Trompiz, who unfortunately had a hat trick. They got things started with a 3-run 3rd inning with a pair of RBI singles from Mott Hyde and Ryan Bottger and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Jamie Ritchie. Alfredo Gonzalez scored on an error in the 4th, and Nick Tanielu ripped an RBI triple in the 5th. Hyde, Tanielu, Bottger, and D.J. Fisher all had 2 hits; Fisher scored twice and stole his 2nd base of the year.

The Banditos will be looking for the sweep as Daniel Mengden and his glorious 'stache will face Daniel Poncedeleon in a battle of the Daniels. First pitch is at 6:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Corpus Christi

2-5, 2B, solo HR (1), 2 RBI

2.

Preston Tucker, OF, Fresno

2-4, 2-R HR (1)

1.

View image | gettyimages.com

Nolan Fontana, SS, Fresno
3-3, solo HR (1), BB, 3 R

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Mark Appel, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0); 5 IP, 2 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 4 K

Kyle Westwood, RHP, Corpus Christi

Save (1); 4 IP, 4 H, ER, K

2.

Chris Cotton, LHP, Lancaster

2.1 IP, H, 4 K

1.

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Quad Cities

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

Jose Montero, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (1); IP, 2 K

Honorable Mentions

Here are some other noteworthy lines from Friday's slate of games:

- Matt Duffy drove in 3 with his 2 singles last night in Fresno.
- Zach Morton allowing just 1 run in his 4 innings as the 2nd tandem starter for Lancaster.
- The 4 Fresno relievers (Downs, Stoffel, Shirley, and Chapman) locking down the Grizzlies' win.

(OK, OK. Kevin Chapman gave up a run in the 9th, but it was unearned and he finished the game without further incident.)

- Carlos Correa has turned into a slugging machine in the early going; all 3 of his hits this season are doubles.
- 2 nights, 2 multi-hit games for Tony Kemp.
- Jon Kemmer also had a nice season debut as he went 2-4 with an RBI for Corpus.

Happy Birthday - 6/6

Happy Birthday to ~

SS Nolan Fontana (23)
Drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2012 out of the University of Florida, Fontana started off a little bit slowly in his season at Corpus Christi, but through Wednesday's game, he is hitting a very solid .288/.438/.412 with 17 doubles, one triple and one home run in 51 games. He has walked 47 times to 51 strikeouts.

Three former Astros celebrate today as well ~

C Larry Howard (69)
Signed as a free agent by the Colt .45's in 1963, Howard finally made it to Houston in 1970. From 1970 to 1973, he was primarily a back up catcher to Johnny Edwards. He played in 129 games for Houston, hitting .238/.305/.342 and had a 37% caught stealing percentage.

1B/LF Dave Bergman (61)
A second round draft pick by the Yankees in 1974, Bergman came to Houston in a June 1977 trade with the Yankees and played in 213 games for the Astros before departing via trade to the Giants in April 1981. Frequently used as a pinch hitter, Bergman had a .246/.354/.319 batting line with the team.

OF Ken Ramos (47)
Ramos was a waiver claim from the White Sox in 1984. His entire major league career consisted of 15 plate appearances over 14 games in 1997. He never got that elusive big league hit, but he did get one RBI so he's got that going for him. Ironically, in 10 minor league seasons, he was an excellent hitter with a .300/.388/.395 line.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 22, 2014


New Orleans 3, Oklahoma City 2 in 10 innings

W- Grant Dayton (1-0)
L- Rhiner Cruz (1-1)

OKC home runs: None.

The RedHawks had to settle for the split as they walked off with a loss in the series finale. The Zephyrs tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the 9th, then put up 2 in the bottom of the 10th after the RedHawks regained the lead in the top of the inning.

Andy Simunic hit an RBI single in the 4th to put the RedHawks on the board first. In the 10th, Max Stassi reached on a foce attempt that scored Robbie Grossman to put OKC on top 2-1. Grossman finished 3-5 and added a double. Kiké Hernandez singled in the 2nd to extend his hitting streak to 9.

Nick Tropeano had a strong start, as he allowed just 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8 over 6.2 shutout innings. Kevin Chapman faced 1 batter; he struck out Rob Brantly to end the 7th. In his first appearance as a member of the Houston Astros organization, Alex White threw a 1-2-3 8th inning, and it took him 9 pitches (7 strikes) to do so. New Orleans finally cracked the OKC pitchers as they got all 3 of their runs off of Rhiner Cruz. 1 of those 3 runs was earned. Rhiner pitched 1.1 innings and also allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

The RedHawks will now begin the final leg of their Big 12 Tournament roadtrip, as they're set to begin 4 with Memphis starting tonight at 7:05. David Martinez will face Tim Cooney in game 1.

Corpus Christi 3, Arkansas 1

W- Kyle Smith (1-2; 5-2 season)
L- Brandon Sisk (0-2)
S- Michael Dimock (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks took this one on the strength of a 3-run 7th.

Leo Heras led off the 7th by getting plunked. He advanced to 3rd on a Tyler Heineman double, and scored the tying run on a wild pitch. Nolan Fontana put Corpus on top with a 2-run single, which turned out to be the difference in this game. Matt Duffy was the only player in the starting 9+1 to have a multi-hit game; he went 2-4

Kyle Smith, after a rough introduction to the Texas League, threw his 2nd straight 1-run outing. He went 6 innings and allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. The bullpen took it from there; Pat Urckfitz allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless, and Michael Dimock worked around a 2-out single to shut the door, striking out Vance Albitz to end the game.

The Hooks will look for the sweep as they send out Brady Rodgers. He'll face Orangel Arenas at 7:10.

Bakersfield 8, Lancaster 2

W- Mike Dennhardt (1-0)
L- Kent Emanuel (1-1; 1-3 season)

Lancaster home runs: Rio Ruiz (4, solo in 3rd), Tony Kemp (3, solo in 5th)

The JetHawks dropped the series as their offense was shackled, save for the 2 solo blasts you see above. Yesterday was Rio's birthday, so that was a rather nice present for himself.

Kent Emanuel pitched 5 innings and allowed 5 runs (all on home runs) on 7 hits (2-run and 3-run homers) and struck out 4. Tyson Perez went 2 innings and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and fanned 2. Jamaine Cotton worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

The Hawks are back home, and they'll welcome Inland Empire to The Hangar for the weekend and Monday. Lance McCullers gets the start in the opener; he'll face Mike Clevinger at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 11, Cedar Rapids 6

W- Chris Lee (2-2)
L- Aaron Slegers (4-2)

QC home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (3, 3-run in 3rd)

Well, that was fun. The River Bandits were up by as much as 10-3 after the 4th. They did get outscored 4-1 the rest of the way, but that touchdown lead provided enough cushioning for them as they took the opener of this series.

Everyone in the starting 9+1 had a hit. The top 2/3rds of the lineup had 2 hits, while the bottom third had 1. Ronnie Mitchell, who was hitting 7th, had the big hit, though: he smacked a 3-run blast (3) in the 3rd as part of a 6-run outburst. He also brought home QC's first run of the evening on a sac fly in the 2nd. Also taking place in the 3rd inning was a 2-run double from Conrad Gregor and an RBI double by Tyler White.

The Bandits were a home run shy of the cycle in the 4th, as they got an RBI double from Brett Phillips, who scored on a triple from Chan-Jong Moon, who scored on a Gregor single. And finally, in the 7th, Thomas Lindauer brought White home for the final Bandits run of the night with an RBI single.

Chris Lee went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Andrew Thurman pitched 3, and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and fanned 5. Frederick Tiburcio finished it out as he worked around a hit to do so. He struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

In the middle game of this series, Michael Feliz will face Ryan Eades at 7:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Nolan Fontana, 2B/SS, Corpus Christi

Go-ahead 2-RBI single in 7th

2.

#169991352 / gettyimages.com

Conrad Gregor, 1B, Quad Cities
2-5, 2B, 3 RBI, R

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Tyler White, 3B, Quad Cities
2-3, 2B, RBI, 3 R

1. Happy birthday Rio!

Rio Ruiz, 3B, Lancaster
Solo HR (4)

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

#162314184 / gettyimages.com

Alex White, RHP, Oklahoma City
IP; organizational debut after Tommy John surgery in 2013

2.

Kyle Smith, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-2), 6 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 5 K

1.

Nick Tropeano, RHP, Oklahoma City

6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Sweep!

Oklahoma City 8, Memphis 3

W- David Martinez (3-2)
L- Scott McGregor (0-3)

OKC home runs: Jon Singleton (8, solo in 3rd), Jonathan Meyer (1, solo in 3rd)

The RedHawks earned the split as they jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first third of the game, then added 3 more in the 7th to secure the victory.

David Martinez went 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits and walked 1. Bobby Doran tagged in for 3 innings and gave up 2 runs (both in the 8th) on 4 hits and walked 1, and Rhiner Cruz worked around a pair of 2-out hits to finish it off, striking out the side in the 9th. All 3 OKC strikeouts belonged to Cruz.

Robbie Grossman began the game with a walk and opened the scoring when he came home on a Domingo Santana single. Ronald Torreyes added an RBI single in the 2nd, and then Singleton and Meyer both hit solo blasts in the 3rd. Kiké Hernandez added to the lead in the 7th when he hit a 2-run double, and Singleton chipped in once again with a sac fly. Meyer, who finished 2-4, scored OKC's final run as he scored on a wild pitck from Nick Greenwood/Erik Castro walk in the 8th. Grossman reached safely in all 5 of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with 2 runs scored and 3 walks.

After getting today off, the RedHawks will welcome Nashville to Bricktown for a 4-game series beginning Thursday. Mike Foltynewicz and Rudy Owens are scheduled to be Thursday's pairing; they'll take on Ariel Peña at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 6, Midland 5 in 12 innings

W- Andrew Robinson (3-0)
L- Conner Crumbliss (0-1); he actually started in RF in this game.

CC home runs: Chris Epps (1, grand slam in 2nd)

The Hooks found themselves in a 5-0 hole as the RockHounds jumped on Aaron West in the first 2 innings. They responded by landing a haymaker in the 2nd in the form of Chris Epps' grand slam, and Andrew Aplin tied the game with an RBI single in the 4th. 15 zeros on the board later, Nolan Fontana finally put up a 1 in the bottom of the 12th with his 4th hit of the evening, a single to bring home Jio Mier. Aplin, Matt Duffy, and Mier all had 2 hits; Fontana finished 4-7.

West went 3.1 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. The bullpen proceeded to throw 8.2 scoreless to pick him up. Alex Sogard was first up, and he allowed 2 hits and walked 1 in 2.2. The next 3 relievers threw 2 innings apiece: Jordan Jankowski allowed a hit while striking out 3. Travis Ballew allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. And finally, Andrew Robinson allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3.

Luis Cruz and Ross Seaton will take on Andrew Werner in game 3 at 7:10.

Lancaster 5, Inland Empire 1

W- Josh Hader (1-0)
L- Alex Keudell (0-3)

Lancaster home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (2, 2-run in 1st)

The JetHawks took off with 4 in the 1st... and they were never seriously threatened in this one as they won rather handily, leading 5-0 after 2 innings and holding the 66ers to 3 hits.

Tony Kemp led off with a single, and then Teoscar Hernandez opened things up with his 2-run homer. The blast extended Hernandez's hitting streak to 8 games. After Carlos Correa lined out, Rio Ruiz got on board with a single, then scored on a Brandon Meredith double. Meredith came around to score on Danry Vasquez's single. Jordan Scott led off the 2nd with a double, advanced to 3rd on a Kemp flyout, and scored on a wild pitch. Kemp, Correa, and Ruiz each had 2 hits; Correa now has 3 straight multi-hit outings.

Coming off his worst outing of the season, Josh Hader bounced back impressively. He went 5 innings and allowed a run on just 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Chris Devenski allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 3 scoreless frames, and Jamaine Cotton struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Mark Appel, after a period of extended rest, will make his return to the JetHawks rotation. He and Mike Hauschild will face Tyler DeLoach at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 11, Clinton 2

W- Pat Christensen (1-1)
L- Eddie Campbell (1-1)

QC home runs: Thomas Lindauer 2 (2, 2-run in 3rd, 2-run in 4th)

Well, that was quick. In his 2nd game of the season, QC native Thomas Lindauer became the new clubhouse leader in home runs as he belted a couple of 2-run shots off of Clinton starter Eddie Campbell and added an RBI single in the 8th. In fact, the two new additions to the River Bandits roster wasted little time in making an impact on their club. Alex Gonzalez, who spent all of last year in the GCL, got the start at 3B and went 2-5 with a pair of run-scoring doubles in the 3rd (1 RBI) and the 9th (2). He also scored the only run that wasn't batted in when he came home on an error that allowed Jobduan Morales to reach in the 4th. Chase McDonald also had himself a pair of RBI doubles in the 3rd and the 9th.

Adrian Houser went 4 innings and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Pat Christensen worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 5th. Gonzalo Sañudo tagged in for 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and striking out 3. He's now on a 39-inning scoreless streak dating back to last season. Andrew Walter walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th to end it.

Chris Lee and Andrew Thurman will be the pairing for game 3, and they'll be taking on Carlos Misell. First pitch is at 6:30.

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Gonzalo Sañudo, RHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, 2 H, 3 K

2. Corpus bullpen

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Combined: 8.2 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 7 K

Alex Sogard, LHP, Jordan Jankowski, RHP, Travis Ballew, RHP, and Andrew Robinson, RHP

Sogard: 2.2 IP, 2 H, BB

Jankowski: 2 IP, H, 3 K

Ballew: 2 IP, 2 H, BB, K

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

1.

@jhader17 was lights out in winning game #1 against the Snappers! pic.twitter.com/G1Hc4G54do
— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) September 8, 2013

Josh Hader, LHP, Lancaster
W (1-0), 5 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 7 K

@ddddeevvvoooo En Fuego! pic.twitter.com/wV2IRNfXoH
— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) September 5, 2013

Chris Devenski, Lancaster
3 IP, H, 2 K

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Robbie Grossman, CF, Oklahoma City

2-2, 2 R, 3 BB

2.

MiLB.com

Alex Gonzalez, 3B, Quad Cities

2-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI

Nolan Fontana, 2B/SS, Corpus Christi

4-7, GW RBI single in 12th

1.

Thomas Lindauer, SS, Quad Cities

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 14

Swept.

New Orleans 14, Oklahoma City 8

W- Bryan Evans (1-1)
L- David Martinez (2-1)

OKC home runs: George Springer (2, solo in 4th)

After 2 fine outings, Team DorInez (Bobby Doran and David Martinez) got knocked around as the RedHawks were forced to settle for a split in this series. This game was the last of 8 straight against New Orleans, and OKC finished 6-2 in this stretch. OKC rallied with 4 in the 7th to make it a 10-8 game, but the Zephyrs put it away with a 4-1 run in the final 2 innings, getting 2 in the 8th and 9th.

Jon Singleton was 1-3 with an RBI groundout in the 1st, walked twice, and scored twice. George Springer went 2-3 with a homer (2) to lead off the 4th inning. Erik Castro added an RBI single later in the inning. Ruben Sosa opened the scoring in the 7th with a sac fly, and then the RedHawks got a pair of bases-loaded walks from Max Stassi and Castro, with a Domingo Santana RBI infield single sandwiched in between. Andy Simunic was just added to the roster and made his debut in this game; he went 1-2 with a run scored after coming on for Ronald Torreyes in the 7th.

Martinez went 4 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and walked 2. Doran only went 3.1 innings and gave up 6 runs (1 inherited) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Darin Downs pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1.

The RedHawks will now head out on a roadtrip. Their first stop will be in Colorado Springs for 4. Mike Foltynewicz and Rudy Owens will start the opener against Dan Houston. First pitch will be at 7:35/6:35 Mountain.

Springfield 2, Corpus Christi 1

W- Kurt Heyer (1-1)
L- Luis Cruz (2-1)
S- Dean Kiekhefer (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks just couldn't get the bats going, and couldn't capitalize on a fine pitching performance in which Luis Cruz and Ross Seaton combined on a 3-hitter.

Nolan Fontana (2-3 with a triple and a double) and Andrew Aplin (3-4) went a combined 5-7; Aplin drove in Fontana with his 3rd single of the night in the 6th. Fontana hit a double in the 1st and attempted to score on Aplin's 1st single, but was thrown out at home.

Luis Cruz went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Ross Seaton had a fine outing after tagging in, as he allowed a hit and fanned 5 over 4 scoreless frames.

Tommy Shirley and Matt Heidenreich will take the hill for the series finale, and they will be opposed by Zach Petrick. First pitch is at 7:10.

High Desert 11, Lancaster 10

W- Andrew Kittredge (1-1)
L- J.D. Osborne (0-1)
S- Will Mathis (1)

Lancaster home runs: Rio Ruiz (1, 3-run in 8th)

Just your garden-variety California League game, with 22 runs, 29 hits, and crooked numbers aplenty. Of course, as a garden-variety California League game, it got topsy-turvy late: the Mavs scored 4 in the bottom of the 7th to take a 9-6 lead. Lancaster responded with 4 of their own in the top of the 8th to regain the lead, which was 10-9, and then in the bottom of the inning, the Mavs plated 2 without getting a hit to re-take the lead for themselves.

Mark Appel made his first appearance in the biggest hitter's park in professional baseball, and his first foray into High Desert lasted 3 innings. He allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 4. Juan Minaya allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 4th. Mike Hauschild tagged in for 3 innings and gave up 5 runs on 8 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 3. J.D. Osborne came on for the 8th and issued 2 straight walks on 8 balls. Jamaine Cotton came on and walked the first batter he faced. He technically threw a scoreless inning, allowing a hit and walking one, but he allowed both of the runners that he inherited from Osborne to score via a double play and a wild pitch.

Teoscar Hernandez was on fire, as he went 3-5 with a 2-run double in the 3rd, another RBI double in the 6th, and an RBI single in the 8th. Rio Ruiz had a monster night as well; he finished 4-5 with a 2-run double of his own in the 3rd and a huge 3-run homer in the 8th which gave the JetHawks a 10-9 lead at that time. The only run that was not batted in was scored by Roberto Peña as he dashed home on a wild pitch in the 4th. It was a rather eventful night for Peña behind the plate as well; he was charged with 2 passed balls. On the flip side, he was 3-3 in catching potential base-stealers. High Desert CF Aaron Barbosa will be regretting the fact that he even thought about testing Peña, as he got caught stealing 2nd twice. The other victim was Vladimir Guerrero's nephew, Gabriel.

Carlos Correa lifted himself off the canvas by going 2-6 with 2 runs scored. However, he struck out with runners on 1st and 2nd to end the game.

knowyourmeme.com

Jordan Scott was 2-3 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 runs scored.

Game 2 of this series features the team of Kyle Westwood and Vince Velasquez as they take on Tyler Pike. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities and West Michigan was postponed

Due to snow. A doubleheader is scheduled for 4:30 P.M. Kent Emanuel will face Jeff Thompson in game 1, and Jandel Gustave will oppose Kevin Ziomek in game 2.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Andrew Aplin's profile on Perfect Game

Andrew Aplin, RF, Corpus Christi

3-4, RBI single in 6th

Nolan Fontana, SS, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2B, 3B, R, BB

2.

Photo courtesy of Brian Green

Teoscar Hernandez, CF, Lancaster

3-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, outfield assist

1.

Rio Ruiz, 3B, Lancaster

4-5, 2 2B, 3-R HR (1), 5 RBI

Two Stars: Pitchers

1 (tie).

Ross Seaton, RHP, Corpus Christi

4 IP, H, 5 K

Luis Cruz, LHP, Corpus Christi

L (2-1), 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 3 K

A Final Look at the Arizona Fall League Astros

Although the Arizona Fall League isn't technically over as the Championship Game between Mesa and Surprise will be played on Saturday at 2:10 (and televised on the MLB Network), the season is over for the "Astros Eight" who played for the Peoria Javelinas. First a look at how the pitchers performed:



It's hard to take much away from these small sample sizes, but I would like to point out a few items of interest. RHP Matt Heidenreich saved his best performance for last. In his final start, he allowed only one hit in his four innings. He struck out an AFL season high of six batters and didn't walk anyone. His fall numbers definitely compared favorably to a season in which he struggled to put up an 8.23 ERA and a 1.811 WHIP in 25 appearances in Corpus Christi and which saw him spending time on the DL and on a rehab assignment.

RHP Jonas Dufek made the Fall Star team and continued to exhibit his 2013 regular season effectiveness. RHP Andrew Robinson was a victim of small sample size, one particularly rough outing and questionable defense (only five of his 13 runs allowed were earned). Unlike Heidenreich, LHP Alex Sogard saved his worst for last. Back out his final outing and he had a 1.46 ERA and a 1.216 WHIP.



Now, a few tidbits about the participating position players. From everything I've read about 1B Japhet Amador, he definitely has light tower power, but he is still a bit raw. Much has also been written about his weight. Interestingly enough, an insider article posted by Jose de Jesus Ortiz today at Baseball Amerca indicates that the Astros put him on a weight management program and he has definitely dropped a few.

CF Delino DeShields, another Fall Star team member, was at the center of conflicting reports about his effort level, but he definitely put up decent numbers. I heard from more than one person that he was being overly aggressive on the basepaths. SS Nolan Fontana just simply didn't have a very good fall campaign. He only managed two hits in his last 10 games and his OBP was far below his normal eye-popping numbers.

3B Jonathan Meyer, originally a member of the taxi squad, ended up as a starter toward the end of the season as one of the other players had to leave the team for personal reasons. From all accounts, Meyer shone defensively at third base and also put up very good offensive numbers. To top that off, according to this article from Jim Callis, Meyer was nominated for the AFL's Stenson Award for sportsmanship.

Astros Minor League Playoff Recaps

Here are the complete playoff schedules, results and probable matchups.

Sunday's Games

San Antonio over Corpus Christi 5-3
San Antonio struck early with four runs in the first two innings and Corpus Christi was never able to overcome. Starter David Rollins didn't exactly help himself out with two wild pitches and a throwing error as he allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits. He was followed by four scoreless frames from Carlos Quevedo. Edgar Martinez allowed one run in his one rehab inning before giving way to Alex Sogard for a scoreless ninth. Ronnie Torreyes singled in two runs in the fifth inning and Preston Tucker scored in the eighth inning on an Erik Castro ground out, but it turned out to be too little, too late and the Corpus Christi team is done for the season. Domingo Santana was three-for-four with a double; and Matt Duffy went two-for-three.

Inland Empire over Lancaster 7-4
Inland Empire took advantage of Colton Cain early to tie the series at one a piece. Cain only lasted two and two-thirds innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits. Three of those runs came on two home runs. Mike Hauschild was called upon for long relief and allowed one run over his three and a third innings and was followed by scoreless outings from Gera Sanchez and Blair Walters. Jordan Jankowski let the final 66ers run come across in the ninth. Kenny Long retired the final two batters of that frame. Down 5-0 going in to the bottom of the third inning, the 'Hawks came back with four in the bottom of the third as two walks and a hit batter were followed by a Nolan Fontana (2x5) triple. Fontana then scored on an Andrew Aplin sac fly. But they were unable to hit the run column again, including failing to bring home Chris Epps after hitting a lead off triple in the seventh. M.P. Cokinos went two-for-four in the game.

Beloit over Quad Cities 4-3
Beloit also knotted the series with Quad Cities with their win. And once again, the opposition scored early, this time scoring four runs off Zach Morton in the first one and two-thirds innings. Jamaine Cotton did a beautiful job over the next three and a third innings, allowing only one walk and striking out four. J.D. Osborne (2IP 1H 1B 1SO) and Patrick Christensen (1IP 1H 1SO) followed. Quad Cities cut in to the Beloit lead with RBI singles from Brian Blasik (2x4) and Tony Kemp (2x4 BB) in the second inning. They scored again in the fourth on a Teoscar Hernandez single driving in Jordan Scott (2x4). But ultimately, they left 10 on base and went 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Player of the Day: Had it not been for Nolan Fontana's three RBI triple, the Lancaster loss would have been a lot more lopsided.

Pitcher of the Day: Jamaine Cotton earns the honors by giving his team the opportunity to get back in the game. Unfortunately, they didn't take advantage of that opportunity.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Tuesday's Games

Tuscon over Oklahoma City 13-6
This is the second straight start in which Asher Wojciechowski has scuffled. In five innings, he allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out four. Rhiner Cruz and Jose Cisnero were each charged with three runs out of the bullpen. George Springer's two-run inside the park home run in the first got things started for OKC. A Jose Martinez (2x4 R) sac fly RBI in the third, RBI doubles from Jon Singleton and Marwin Gonzalez in the fourth, and a Carlos Perez (2x4) RBI single in the sixth rounded out the scoring. Trevor Crowe went three-for-five with a double and scored a run, and Brandon Laird was three-for-four and scored twice.

Northwest Arkansas over Corpus Christi 10-1
This game was closer than the score would indicate, at least until the wheels fell off in the seventh inning. Mike Foltynewicz got the start and allowed three runs on six hits (two home runs) and three walks while striking out two. T.J. Geith finished off the sixth and started the seventh, but left the game in favor of Cameron Lamb with one out and two on in the frame. After issuing an intentional walk, Lamb served up a grand slam to Lane Adams. It was Adams second home run of the game. After Lamb re-loaded the bases on a single, walk, and hit batter, he allowed another run on a bases loaded walk. Lamb was victimized by Lane Adams yet again in the eighth inning as Adams hit his third home run of the night, a two-run shot, to give him seven RBI. He had hit a total of eight home runs in the prior 111 games of the season. The lone Hooks run came in the fifth as Preston Tucker (2x4 2B BB R) hit a lead-off double and scored later in the inning on an Erik Castro (2x4) single. Jonathan Meyer went two-for-three with a double and a walk.

Lancaster over Inland Empire 11-5
Luis Cruz (7IP 7H 4R 1BB 8SO) had a solid start and was rewarded with the win. He was followed by two innings from Kenny Long who allowed three hits, including a solo home run. The 'Hawks got the party started in the second inning with a grand slam from Nolan Fontana. Inland Empire came back with four in the top of the fifth to tie it, but Lancaster countered with five runs in the bottom of the frame on a two-RBI single from Tyler Heineman (1x4 BB 3R) and a three-run home run from Dan Gulbransen (3x5 2B HR 4RBI 2R). Gulbransen doubled in another run in the seventh and Delino DeShields (2x5 2B) had an RBI single for the final run of the evening. Chris Epps was one-for-four with a walk and scored twice. Andrew Aplin stole his 23rd base of the season and Delino DeShields got number 43.

Quad Cities - Off Day

New York-Penn League All-Star Game
AL All-Stars over NL All-Stars 4-3
The Tri-City representatives to the All-Star game were confusingly enough on the National League roster (although that is where they belong, as well as the rest of the Houston affiliates). Michael Feliz and Andrew Walter were each perfect in their one-inning appearances; however, Chris Cotton allowed one run on one hit as a couple of wild pitches came back to bite him in his inning of work. As the starting DH, Chan Moon went one for two and scored a run.

Johnson City over Greeneville 10-3
Frederick Tiburcio and Kevin Ferguson were ambushed to the tune of ten runs on fourteen hits (three home runs) over their combined five innings. Christian Garcia and Ryan Connolly followed out of the 'pen with scoreless outings. The Astros put up two in the second as Darwin Rivera scored on a fielding error and Brian Holberton scored on a Tanner Mathis sac bunt. The only other run came across in the fifth as Thomas Lindauer scored on a Angel Ibanez sac fly. The Astros were held to five hits, but that total included doubles from Ibanez and Wallace Gonazalez.

GCL Tigers over GCL Astros 6-4
Kent Emanuel pitched two innings in his third outing with the GCL and has still not allowed a run. Austin Nicely followed and allowed four runs on three hits and three walks in his three and a third innings. Devonte German gave up one run in the sixth and was charged with the blown save and the loss. Jean Batista (2x4) drove in all the runs with an RBI single in the first and a three-run home run in the third. The Astros never seriously threatened after the third. Luis Reynoso went two-for-four with a walk and scored twice.

DSL Astros over DSL Royals 2-1
Edwin Villarroel got his fourth win in a very nice start, pitching five shutout innings and allowing five hits and no walks. He struck out four. Robert Corniel, Yonquelys Martinez and Angel Heredia (S,10) all provided scoreless relief. The lone Royals run came off Starlyng Sanchez in the seventh inning. Hector Roa drove in one run in the sixth and the other came across as Randy Cesar scored from third on a double play. Kristian Trompiz went two-for-four and Arturo Michelena was two-for-three with a double, walk and a run.

Player of the Day: After playing in five road games, Dan Gulbransen got his first taste of Lancaster and seemed to like it pretty well as he drove in four and only lacked a triple for the cycle. I would be remiss if I didn't give honorable mention to Nolan Fontana for his grand salami.

Pitcher of the Day: The pitching on the DSL team has been solid all season with pitchers like Edwin Villarroel leading the way. In 12 starts, Villarroel is 4-4 with a 2.10 ERA and a 1.150 WHIP. He has walked only nine batters while striking out 38 in his 55+ innings.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Thursday's Games

Oklahoma City over New Orleans 2-1
Brad Peacock (6IP 3H 1R 1BB 7SO) pitched a beauty of a start for his fourth RedHawks win, with a solo home run the only blemish on his night, and he received three frames of perfect relief from Hector Ambriz, Jose Valdez and Josh Zeid. OKC got just enough offense with one run scoring in the third on a George Springer (2x4 RBI SB) single driving in Robbie Grossman (2x3 BB R SB) and the second and final run coming in as Che-Hsuan Lin singled, took third on an error and scored on a wild pitch.

Springfield over Corpus Christi 2-1
R.J. Alaniz (2H 3BB 4SO) pitched seven shutout innings, only to see his lead evaporate as Pat Urckfitz and Jorge de Leon gave up home runs in the eighth and ninth respectively. The Hooks only managed one run in the fourth as Rene Garcia (2x4 2B RBI) singled in Drew Muren. Erik Castro had the only other extra base hit, a double.

Lancaster over Inland Empire 10-5
Starter Luis Cruz (6H 1R 1BB 5SO) cruised through five and two-thirds innings before allowing his only run of the game. The bullpen, in the form of Cameron Lamb and T.J. Geith, scuffled a bit in the eighth, allowing three runs across in the frame before Travis Ballew came in to put out the fire. Ballew gave up one run of his own in the ninth. The 'Hawks scored early, powered in large part by a three-run home run from Telvin Nash (3x5 BB 4RBI 2R) in the first and played add-on through the game, culminating in a three runs scored with two outs in the ninth as the 'Hawks took advantage of a throwing error and two wild pitches from Inland Empire pitcher Michael Johnson. Delino DeShields was three-for-five and scored two runs. DeShields has been en fuego, hitting .480 over his last six games and stealing seven bases. In addition, he turned an unassisted double play in the ninth inning last night. Similarly, Nolan Fontana appears to be back on top of his game. He went two-for-three with a double, three walks, an RBI and scored two runs. Andrew Aplin and M.P. Cokinos were both one-for-five with a walk, two RBI and a run scored, and Aplin stole a base as well. Chris Epps was two-for-four with a double and a walk.

Kane County over Quad Cities 7-4
Starter Juan Minaya (3IP 4H 3R 4BB 2SO) took the loss, but neither Mitch Lambson (3IP 3H 2R 0BB 2SO) nor Jamaine Cotton (2IP 4H 2R 0BB 2SO HR) had very effective outings either. The Bandits put up one in the second on a Jobduan Morales bases loaded walk and one more in the second as Jesse Wierzbicki (3x4 RBI R SB) singled in Teoscar Hernandez (2x5 2B 2RBI R). The final two runs came in the ninth on a Hernandez two-run double.

Lowell over Tri-City 4-2
I can't give you much of an eyewitness account of this one as travel delays kept me from getting to the game until the bottom of the fifth. Starter Kevin Comer (3.1 6H 3R 2BB 5SO) was long gone by the time I got there, replaced by Charles Basford (1.2IP 2H). I did, however, get to see Evan Grills pitch two and two-thirds innings (3H 1R). The lefty worked quickly and got one ground ball out after another with great defense behind him. Richard Rodriquez pitched a perfect final one and a third. The 'Cats weren't able to string together enough hits to overcome. James Ramsay was two-for-four with a run; Chan Moon was two-for-three with a stolen base; and Ernesto Genoves was one-for-three with an RBI sac fly. I hope to bring Mark Appel and the 'Cats better luck in tonight's game.

Greeneville over Bristol 2-1
Sebastian Kessay (1H 2SO) pitched the first inning for the Astros and was followed by five terrific innings from lefty Christopher Lee (2H 0R 0BB 7SO). Krishawn Holley allowed the only run (unearned) in the seventh. Tyler Brunneman (1IP 1H) and J.D. Osbourne (1IP 2SO) rounded things out. The Astros made the most of only four hits, scoring in the fourth on a Bobby Borchering home run and in the seventh on an RBI single from Darwin Rivera scoring Tanner Mathis. Jack Mayfield was one-for-three with a double and a walk.

GCL Astros over GCL Yankees 3-1 in 9 innings (Completion of 7/3 suspended game)
Joe Bircher got his second rehab start (pitching on 7/3 before the game was suspended), allowing one unearned run on one hit while striking out three in two and a third innings. Ambiorix de Leon (5.2IP 2H 1BB 6SO) picked up when the game resumed and earned his first win of the season. Erick Gonzalez pitched the ninth to earn his second save. The Astros got on board in the first with an RBI double from Tyler White, added one in the third on a Jean Batista (2x4 R) RBI single in his first rehab appearance, and scored the final run in the sixth on a Yonathan Mejia (2x3) RBI single. Jason Martin was one-for-three with a double, walk and run scored.

GCL Astros over GCL Yankees 5-1 in 7 innings
Another strong starting performance as Agapito Barrios went five innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight before giving way to two perfect innings from Troy Scribner who K'd five of the six batters he faced. The Astros scored two in the first on Yonathan Mejia (2x4 2B 2RBI) and Tyler White RBI singles. Mejia drove in another run on a double in the fourth with the other two runs in that frame coming across courtesy of a fielding error and a balk. Jacob Nottingham was one-for-three with a double and a walk.

DSL Mariners at DSL Astros - Suspended after three innings
The game was suspended with the Astros up 4-0.

Player of the Day: Nolan Fontana appears to be back to being Nolan Fontana (which is a very good thing). In addition to an excellent night at the plate on Thursday, he is hitting .333/.490/.487 with six doubles, 10 RBI and 11 walks in his last 10 games.

Pitchers of the Day: I'm going to do something different today because there were so many outstanding pitching outings so I'm going to recognize several pitchers today ~

Brad Peacock - 6IP 3H 1R 1BB 7SO HR (Peacock is 4-2 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.113 WHIP in 9 outings for OKC)
R.J. Alaniz - 7IP 2H 0R 3BB 4SO
Luis Cruz - 5.2IP 6H 1R 1BB 5SO (Cruz is 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA and a 0.992 WHIP over his last 9 appearances at Lancaster)
Chris Lee - 5IP 2H 0R 0BB 7SO
Agapito Barrios - 5IP 3H 1R 0BB 8SO
Troy Scribner - 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 5SO
Ambiorix de Leon - 5.2IP 2H 0R 1BB 6SO

These pitchers combined for 36 and a third innings with a 0.74 ERA and a 0.661 WHIP. That was an impressive night of pitching!!!

Astros Minor League Recaps

Tuesday's Games

Oklahoma City over Albuquerque 4-3
Starter Asher Wojciechowski did not start off well as he walked three and then gave up a two-out bases clearing double in the first inning, but then settled in nicely to put up five additional scoreless innings; and Eric Berger, Jose Valdez and Josh Zeid kept the door tightly shut. [As a side note, it was announced yesterday that Jarred Cosart and Jason Stoffel were named to the All-Star team. I have been a fan of Stoffel and I still am, but I really think Josh Zeid earned that spot with the season he's had.] The RedHawks countered in the bottom of the frame with two runs on RBI singles from George Springer (1x4 2RBI) and Jon Singleton (1x4), and took the lead in the fifth as Brandon Laird (2x4 2B RBI R) doubled in one run and Jonathan Villar (1x3 BB 2R SB) scored a second on a ground out. Jose Martinez was two-for-four and Robbie Grossman was one-for-two with two walks and scored a run.

Corpus Christi - Travel Day

Lancaster over Bakersfield 12-1
The good news is that the tandem rotation is over. The bad news is that the JetHawks haven't announced who will constitute the 6-man rotation yet. The best news is that Lancaster just got their 50th win of the season more than two weeks before they achieved that benchmark last season. Tyson Perez got the start and allowed the only run of the game, an unearned run in the fifth, as he pitched six very strong innings allowing only three hits and one walk. He was followed by two perfect innings from Cameron Lamb and one perfect inning from Michael Dimock. The JetHawks scored early and often with big RBI nights from Delino DeShields (2x3 2B 2BB 2RBI 3R), Nolan Fontana (2x3 2B 2BB 3RBI 2R), Andrew Aplin (1x3 2B BB 2RBI 2R) and M.P. Cokinos (2x5 2B 3RBI).

Quad Cities over Clinton 7-6
The tandem rotation at Quad Cities is over as well. Steve Batterson of the Quad Cities Times reported that the 6-man rotation will consist of Colton Cain, Lance McCullers, Vincent Velasquez, Juan Minaya, Jordan Jankowski and Mike Hauschild. Joe Bircher (rehabbing with the GCL), Brian Holmes and Daniel Minor are all currently on the DL and didn't make the cut.

Lance McCullers had a tough start in this one, allowing six runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out four over only three and two-thirds innings. Two of those runs came across as Juri Perez (3.1IP 2H 1BB 2SO) took the mound in relief of McCullers. John Neely pitched the final two frames (2H 2SO) and was rewarded with a "W" as the River Bandits scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in controversial fashion (h/t to Appy Astros). Down 6-1 at one point, Quad Cities chipped away at the Clinton lead with good performances from Jordan Scott (2x5 2B RBI R), Jesse Wierzbicki (1x3 BB HR 2RBI R), Rio Ruiz (2x4 2B 2R) and Roberto Pena (1x4 2B 2RBI).

Vermont over Tri-City 2-1 in 7 innings (Game 1)
Kyle Westwood got the start and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out four, and was followed by an inning from Albert Minnis (1H 0R 0BB). The bad news is that Tri-City was held to four hits in the game. The good news is that three of those hits were doubles (Tony Kemp, Dan Gulbransen and Ronnie Mitchell). Mitchell scored the lone Tri-City run in the fifth on a ground out.

Tri-City over Vermont 2-1 in 7 innings (Game 2)
Chris Cotton (2IP 1SO), Andrew Walter (4IP 1H 1R 2SO HR) and Patrick Christensen (1IP 3SO) combined on this one-hitter. Unfortunately, that lone hit happened to be a solo home run. The two ValleyCats runs came in the fourth as Dan Gulbransen scored on a Jon Kemmer ground out and Adam Nelubowich drove in Luis Alvarez with a single. Tri-City only managed five hits in this one, two of those being Alvarez doubles.

Greeneville - Off Day

GCL Astros - Postponed

DSL Astros over DSL Athletics 4-1 in 6-1/2 innings (called early due to rain)
Juan Hernandez, Junior Garcia and Juan Delis combined to allow only four hits in the abbreviated win. The Astros put up one in the third courtesy of a Jarico Reynoso home run and then added three more in the top of the seventh before the game was called. Brian Pena and Dariel Aquino (RBI) both went two-for-three. Hector Roa was one-for-three with a triple, RBI and run scored.

Players of the Day: I can't decide between Delino DeShields and Nolan Fontana, so let's go with both! DeShields' bat appears to be heating up as he has been seven-for-fifteen in his last four games. Similarly, since coming back after 10 days out of the line-up, Fontana is hitting .313 with five doubles, eight RBI and eight walks to five strikeouts in his last eight games.

Pitcher of the Day: Tyson Perez gets some love today for a great outing and for transitioning Lancaster into the post-piggyback era.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Sunday's Games

Nashville over Oklahoma City 5-3
Philip Humber got the start and allowed three runs on 10 hits in his five innings before giving way to two innings from Eric Berger (2H 2R/1ER 1BB 1SO HR) who was pegged with the loss. Rhiner Cruz walked two batters and struck out two in the eighth. Jonathan Villar led off the game with a triple and scored on a Marwin Gonzalez sac fly in the first. Jose Martinez (2x4) added on another run in the fourth on a solo home run. The final RedHawks run scored in the fifth on a Jon Singleton (2x4) RBI single scoring Brandon Laird. George Springer was two-for-three.

Tulsa over Corpus Christi 1-0
It was a definite pitchers' duel in Corpus Christi as the two teams combined for only seven hits on the night. Starter David Martinez allowed one run on four hits and struck out five in his seven innings and earned a hard luck loss. Lefty Kyle Hallock pitched a perfect eighth and ninth, striking out one. Kike Hernandez, Rene Garcia (2B) and Zach Johnson had the only Hooks hits. Domingo Santana and Drew Muren each walked twice.

Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 17-3
It's hard to believe that this was actually a close game at one point with Lancaster taking a 4-2 lead into the sixth inning. Aaron West took the mound for the 'Hawks and gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits and struck out eight in his five innings of work. He was followed by four innings from Tommy Shirley whose one hit allowed happened to be a solo home run. Shirley walked one and struck out three. The offense scored four runs off a rehabbing Ted Lilly, including a Chris Epps (2x5 3B HR 3R HBP) solo homer. The good guys then put up a four-spot in the sixth which was followed by a two-run home run from Brandon Meredith (4x6 2B HR 4R) in the seventh which was followed by this ....

Lancaster Top of the 8th

• Pitching Change: Pedro Guerrero replaces Lindsey Caughel.
• Telvin Nash walks.
• With MP Cokinos batting, wild pitch by Pedro Guerrero, Telvin Nash to 2nd.
• MP Cokinos walks.
• Matt Duffy flies out to right fielder Scott Schebler.
• Chris Epps flies out to left fielder O'Koyea Dickson.
• Brandon Meredith singles on a ground ball to left fielder O'Koyea Dickson. Telvin Nash to 3rd. MP Cokinos to 2nd.
• Ryan McCurdy singles on a pop up to second baseman Scott Wingo. Telvin Nash scores. MP Cokinos to 3rd. Brandon Meredith to 2nd.
• With Delino DeShields batting, wild pitch by Pedro Guerrero, MP Cokinos scores. Brandon Meredith to 3rd. Ryan McCurdy to 2nd.
• Delino DeShields walks.
• Nolan Fontana singles on a ground ball to right fielder Scott Schebler. Brandon Meredith scores. Ryan McCurdy to 3rd. Delino DeShields to 2nd.
• Pitching Change: Scott Wingo replaces Pedro Guerrero, batting 8th.
• Defensive Substitution: Pedro Guerrero replaces designated hitter Carl Crawford, batting 1st, playing second base.
• Andrew Aplin hits a grand slam (6) to center field. Ryan McCurdy scores. Delino DeShields scores. Nolan Fontana scores.
• Telvin Nash flies out to center fielder Casio Grider.

Yeah, those two Rancho pitchers? They are both infielders. And they pitched like infielders, allowing seven runs combined including an Andrew Aplin (1x5 5RBI) grand slam to cap it all off. Nolan Fontana (4x6 2-2B 4RBI R), Matt Duffy (2x6 2B 2R) and Ryan McCurdy (3x4 2RBI 2R 2HBP) all had good afternoons.

Quad Cities over Clinton 4-1

Mike Hauschild (5IP 3H 10SO) and Jordan Jankowski (3IP 4H 4SO) combined for eight shutout innings. Neither pitcher allowed a free pass. Gera Sanchez gave up the only Clinton run on a solo home run in the ninth. The Bandits put up two in the second, one more in the third as Rio Ruiz (2x4 RBI) drove in Carlos Correa (1x4 2B R) and the final run in the fourth on Austin Elkins' fourth home run of the season. After a slow start, Rio Ruiz is now heating up, hitting .325/.372/.500 over his last 10 games. Carlos Correa is hitting .425/.452/.600 in his last 10.

Tri-City over Connecticut 6-2

Starter Michael Feliz (3H 6SO) allowed one run via a solo home run in his six innings and was awarded the win. He was followed by three innings from Andrew Thurman (3H 1R 1BB 6SO). Tri-City got on the board early with a two-run homer from Dan Gulbransen (2x3 BB) in the first inning. They added four more in the third as Conrad Gregor (1x3 BB RBI 2R) and Jake Rodriguez (2x2 2RBI 2BB) drove in three with RBI singles and Ronnie Mitchell scored on a wild pitch. Tony Kemp was three-for-four with a double, walk, two stolen bases and a run scored.

Greeneville at Burlingon - Postponed

Player of the Day: Normally a grand slam would get you Player of the Day honors, but when the salami comes off a second baseman? Not so much. Sorry, Andrew. Nolan Fontana had a breakout game with two RBI doubles and a RBI single solidifying his recent progress at the plate.

Pitcher of the Day: Mike Hauschild has settled in beautifully and he pitched a gem on Sunday, allowing only three hits while striking out 10 batters. In his last ten games, he is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.038 WHIP. He has walked six and struck out 38 during that time frame.

Happy Birthday - 6/6

SS Nolan Fontana (22)
Drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2012 out of the University of Florida, Fontana is in his first full season in the organization. In 39 games for Lancaster so far this season, he is hitting .315/.449/.493. He was just recently activated from the DL after spending the second half of May out of action.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

C Larry Howard (68)
Signed as a free agent by the Colt .45's in 1963, Howard finally made it to Houston in 1970. From 1970 to 1973, he was primarily a back up catcher to Johnny Edwards. He played in 129 games for Houston, hitting .238/.305/.342 and had a 37% caught stealing percentage.

1B/LF Dave Bergman (60)
A second round draft pick by the Yankees in 1974, Bergman came to Houston in a June 1977 trade with the Yankees and played in 213 games for the Astros before departing via trade to the Giants in April 1981. Frequently used as a pinch hitter, Bergman had a .246/.354/.319 batting line with the team.

OF Ken Ramos (46)
Ramos was a waiver claim from the White Sox in 1984. His entire major league career consisted of 15 plate appearances over 14 games in 1997. He never got that elusive big league hit, but he did get one RBI so he's got that going for him. Ironically, in 10 minor league seasons, he was an excellent hitter with a .300/.388/.395 line.