Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Happy Blogiversary!

Tri-City sweep!

Round Rock 20, El Paso 12

W- Brendan McCurry (3-1)
L- Robbie Erlin (0-1)

RR home runs: Kyle Tucker 2 (30; 2-run in 1st, 2-run in 6th), Alex De Goti 2 (13; solo in 2nd, 3-run in 5th)

32 runs, 38 hits, eight home runs... just another night in Triple-A.

Everyone in Round Rock's lineup recorded at least one hit. Alex De Goti hit for the cycle; he and Kyle Tucker launched two home runs. The E-Train scored in every inning.

José Urquidy didn't have much fun on the mound but fortunately, the offense and the bullpen picked him up. Brendan McCurry was the first man out of the Express bullpen and he walked three and struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings. Brad Peacock threw a 1-2-3 7th inning and Ralph Garza Jr. allowed a solo homer and struck out three over the final two innings.

Kent Emanuel will take on Jerry Keel in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Frisco 5, Corpus Christi 2

W- Tyler Phillips (5-8)
L- Brett Adcock (1-8)
S- DeMarcus Evans (4)

CC home runs: Osvaldo Duarte (12, solo in 1st)

The Hooks were held to just two hits as they dropped this series in the Metroplex.

Osvaldo Duarte scored both of Corpus Christi's runs in this game; he whacked a solo homer in the 1st and scored on an error that allowed Colton Shaver to reach in the 6th inning.

Brett Adcock went 1.2 innings and allowed five runs on four hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out three. Carlos Sanabria was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he struck out four in 2.1 innings; one of his strikeout victims struck out on a ball in the dirt and managed to reach base safely. Colin McKee and Andre Scrubb pitched two scoreless innings apiece; McKee walked two and struck out two and Scrubb walked one and struck out three.

Brandon Bailey gets the start for Corpus in the opener of a four-game series in Midland. He'll face Kyle Friedrichs at 7:00.

Fayetteville 13, Wilmington 5

W- Luis Garcia (8-4)
L- Jonathan Bowlan (5-3)

Fayetteville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (10, 2-run in 2nd)

The Woodpeckers blew this game wide open with nine runs in the 8th. Wilmington responded with three runs in the 9th but the 11-run cushion proved to be comfortable enough.

Luis Garcia turned in a fine outing as he allowed just two hits, walked three, and struck out ten over six shutout innings; the ten punchouts tie a career-high. Joey Gonzalez went two innings and he allowed two runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out three. Riley Cabral got the 9th and allowed two hits, one of which was a three-run homer, walked one, and struck out the side.

Miguelangel Sierra opened the scoring in the 2nd by whacking a two-run homer. Fayetteville got two more in the 3rd on a pair of RBI singles from Michael Papierski and Scott Manea. The real fun began in the 8th.

Cal Stevenson and Papierski walked to lead off the inning and then Fayetteville got three consecutive RBI singles from Ross Adolph, Chandler Taylor, and Manea. Sierra added an RBI double to his ledger and then David Hensley and Scott Schreiber followed with RBI singles. Hensley and Schreiber both advanced on a passed ball and Stevenson drew another walk to load the bases for Papierski, who hit an RBI single. Schreiber scored when Adolph beat a double play attempt and Stevenson capped off the inning by scoring on a wild pitch.

Stevenson was the only player in the Woodpeckers' lineup to go hitless, but he did score twice in the 8th. In fact, everyone in the lineup scored a run. Manea finished 3-4 on the night while Sierra and Schreiber both finished 2-4 with two runs scored.

J.P. France will go up against Kris Bubic in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Clinton 3

W- Luis de Paula (1-1)
L- Josh Roberson (1-3)
S- Lupe Chavez (2)

QC home runs: Wilyer Abreu (2, 3-run in 2nd)

The Banditos, doing business as the Quad Cities Treasure Hunters on Tuesday, staved off a comeback attempt from the LumberKings to take the opener of this series.

Wilyer Abreu launched a three-run homer in the 2nd to open the scoring and Oscar Campos ripped an RBI double in the 4th. Campos finished 2-3 on the night.

Felipe Tejada walked one and struck out three over three scoreless innings. Luis de Paula was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out four in two scoreless innings. Lupe Chavez got the last four innings and he allowed three runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out six.

The Banditos and LumberKings will continue their series at 6:35 as Jonathan Bermúdez takes on Remey Reed.

Tri-City 3, Lowell 2

W- Shea Barry (2-1)
L- Kris Jackson (2-3)

TC home runs: None.

The Spinners scored twice in the 8th to take the lead... only for the ValleyCats to walk off with the win in the bottom of the 9th. That's now six straight victories for Tri-City.

Peyton Battenfield and Derek West started things off with three scoreless innings apiece. Battenfield allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out three; West also allowed a hit and walked one and also struck out five. Hunter Brown tagged in for two innings and he allowed two runs on three hits while striking out three. Shea Barry allowed a hit in a scoreless 9th.

Yeuris Ramirez reached on an error in the 7th which allowed C.J. Stubbs to score the game's first run. Nate Perry drew a walk with one out in the 9th and Juan Ramirez came on to pinch-run for him. Juan advanced to second on a wild pitch and Stubbs joined him on the bases after drawing a walk. Luis Santana grounded into a force out and just narrowly beat a game-ending double play. Yeuris tied the game with an RBI single and Santana scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

Tri-City will now start a new series with Hudson Valley and they'll kick it off with a doubleheader starting at 5:05 Eastern. This is to make up a game that was originally scheduled for July 6.

DSL Royals1 6, DSL Astros 0

W- Dario Peralta (2-2)
L- Danny Subero (0-2)

DSL home runs: None.

Tough afternoon for the Dominican 'Stros as the Royals put the clamps on them.

The only hits they mustered up were singles from Omar Díaz, Ricardo Balogh, and Ayendy Ortiz.

Danny Subero pitched 1.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out one. Luis Vega was the first man out of the DSLStros' bullpen and he allowed a hit and struck out three over 2.1 scoreless innings. Miguel Padilla allowed an RBI triple, walked two, and struck out one in 1.1 innings. Fabricio Reina got the last four innings and he allowed two unearned runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out one.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Round Rock Express: W 20-12 @ El Paso

20 R, 23 H, E

Bullpen: 4.1 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 3 BB, 5 K

The Express scored in all nine innings of Tuesday's game.

Kyle Tucker: 3-4, 2 HR (30), 5 RBI, 4 R

Alex De Goti: 5-6, 2 HR (13), 6 RBI, 3 R; hit for the cycle

Nick Tanielu: 3-6, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R

Drew Ferguson: 3-5, 3B, 4 R

Brendan McCurry: W (3-1), 1.1 IP, 3 BB, 2 K

Brad Peacock: IP; one groundball out, two fly ball outs

Ralph Garza Jr.: 2 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 3 K

Luis Garcia, RHP, Fayetteville

6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 10 K

Scott Manea, C, and Miguelangel Sierra, IF, Fayetteville

Manea: 3-4, 2 RBI, R

Sierra: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (10), 3 RBI, 2 R

Peyton Battenfield, RHP, and Derek West, RHP, Tri-City

Battenfield: 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

West: 3 IP, H, BB, 5 K

Andre Scrubb's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

6.1 IP, 3 BB, 9 K

Carlos Sanabria: 2.1 IP, 4 K

Colin McKee: 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Andre Scrubb: 2 IP, BB, 3 K

Felipe Tejada, RHP, and Luis de Paula, RHP, Quad Cities

Tejada: 3 IP, BB, 3 K

De Paula: 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Getting to Know Astros/Tri-City RHP Peyton Battenfield

RHP Peyton Battenfield, drafted this year out of Oklahoma State University in the 9th round, has gotten off to a remarkable start in his professional career. Granted it is still a fairly small sample size, but his 1.00 ERA and 0.778 WHIP in his first six appearances (6 BB:19 K in 18 IP) for Tri-City is arguably the best start of any of the Astros 2019 drafted players thus far. He has held batters to a very stingy .131 batting average.

Peyton Battenfield - July 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

When I spoke with Battenfield last week in Tri-City, he attributed his fast start to pitch command. "Commanding all my pitches. I'm taking all the data that we get with each one of my pitches and I try to improve on my secondary pitches every week. Just being able to throw a lot of strikes, get ahead in counts, I think that's been really beneficial."

Battenfield throws a low 90's fastball that tops out at 94 or 95, a curveball, changeup and a cutter/slider that is a work in progress. Of that last pitch, Battenfield said, "We haven't really figured out a name for it yet because that's the pitch I'm working on right now the most, just trying to get consistent movement with that pitch." He's also working on the curveball to generate a harder pitch with more movement, and he cites his changeup as his best offspeed pitch currently due to the consistency and movement of that pitch. His fastball doesn't have downward movement on it as is often the case with taller pitchers like the 6'4" Battenfield. "My fastball fights gravity. Most of the time if a ball has a low spin rate, it will drop. Mine actually fights gravity and will stay up," said Battenfield.

As to other things he's working on, he told me, "I'm always working on commanding the ball, throwing it right where I want it to go." Of his delivery, Battenfield said, "(There are) always areas to improve, always a way to be more efficient to throw harder, throw better quality strikes more consistently. But I feel comfortable right now with what I'm doing."

Tri-City Pitching Coach John Kovalik had high praise for Battenfield, "The great thing about Peyton is that we've seen a lot of growth in him as a pitcher since he's been here, but also (he's) just an extremely high character player. Really, really high character. Extremely professional. Handles his business the right way. And I think that's a big reason why he gets the results that he does on the field is because he knows how to show up to the park everyday and get it done. Just an overall good human being. He's been an absolute pleasure to work with. He's got some really, really good stuff already so with him, it's more just refining how he uses it. But overall, he's been really receptive to everything I've thrown at him and, like I said, just an overall pleasure to work with."

Asked what a scout might say about him, he said, "Hopefully they would think that I'm aggressive. I attack the zone. I'm not scared of anything. It doesn't matter the situation I come in. I'm prepared to take whatever situation it is and do the best that I can. Things I need to improve on is definitely my slider. I still throw it in games. I was getting swing and miss on it, but I'm still not getting the right movement that I want on it. Hopefully they just see that I'm aggressive and attack hitters."

Tri-City Manager Ozney Guillen echoed that scouting report in his assessment of Battenfield, "He's more polished. He went to a good college, a big time D1 so he's used to the pressure. The good thing is that he's not scared to pitch. A lot of times, you see guys that get drafted and they come here and that's kind of the problem is that they're a little scared of the environment or just suddenly out of their comfort zone but he's done very well and I think he'll keep moving on up very quickly."

Battenfield didn't play much during his freshman year in college, but his role expanded the next two years, "My sophomore year, I got a bigger role as a guy who was coming out of the 'pen more consistently. I had the same role this past year. I was the guy that they would go to if we were in trouble or if we needed long relief. I was anywhere from a long relief to short relief to closer, just anywhere they needed me." Battenfield showed marked improvement in his junior year, something he attributes to changing his arm slot. "My ball moves completely different (with a higher arm slot). My velo went up. My secondary pitches were sharper. That helped out a lot with getting people out," said Battenfield. Although he was almost exclusively a relief pitcher in college, the Astros have already had him start two games out of his six appearances.

Peyton's brother Blake was drafted in 2017, also out of Oklahoma State University and is currently pitching for the White Sox AA affiliate in Birmingham. The two brothers high school and college careers overlapped a bit, giving them the experience of playing on the same teams together, "I got to play in my freshman season with him. I sat out most of that season for when they'd go on road trips, but at the end of the year, I made the travel roster so I got to play with him and win a Big 12 championship as an eight-seed in a Big 12 tournament. So that was really fun because I got to win a state championship with him in high school and then, my freshman year, I got to win a Big 12 tournament championship. That's something cool to (share) with your older brother." (The Battenfield brothers have two younger sisters as well.)

Having a brother who has traveled the minor league road before you can come in handy and that is not necessarily limited to brotherly advice, "It wasn't necessarily advice about how this process works or anything. It was more (that) this last summer, I got to travel down and see him and talk to him about throwing different pitches in different counts and just the TrackMan data that we get, how it helped him out, helped him figure out where he needed to pitch in certain spots to be the most effective. I think that I definitely got some help on (that). And just seeing how, throughout the last two years, how it's gone for him whenever he's lived in different spots, how his days work. That way I was a little prepared for it instead of coming in blind. It wasn't necessarily one little thing. It was just like combined over the last few years."

Despite knowing what to expect, Battenfield was still a little surprised by how laid-back minor league life feels compared to college, "In college, I feel like you went to class and then after class, you went to baseball, and then baseball went until dinnertime and then you went to dinner and then you went and studied and you went back to your room and you fell asleep and you repeated the same thing the next day. So here, since it's my job, I don't have to be here until 1:00 or 2:00 most days. I get to sleep in and if I don't get to sleep in, I get up and run some errands and do some things. There's definitely not as much stuff to do even though I'm here for 8-10 hours a day. It's just different."

Off the field, Battenfield looks forward to spending time with his fiancé Grace (who based on his Instagram feed is drop-dead gorgeous, by the way). And he has a little bit of a unique hobby, "I like building things. I've actually built two guns. That's kind of an expensive hobby that I have. I do enjoy doing that. It's something me and my cousin do back home because we like to go out to some land and target shoot. I actually really enjoy being able to sit down for a little bit and just basically close my mind off and just worry about building something." Another somewhat surprising fact about the blonde-haired Battenfield is that he is of Cherokee heritage.

But none of that really gives you much insight into his personality. After watching him for three days on and off the field, I was most impressed by what a great teammate and person he is. He was always upbeat and quick with a smile. He was the first to cheerfully volunteer to help out the pitching coach with something or form a line to high-five some kids during pre-game activities. During the game, he would dance to the music, join in on Y-M-C-A or instigate rally caps in the dugout. In short, I think he will be making a lot of fans during his baseball journey.

Y-M-C-A

Rally Caps

Thank you for your time, Peyton, and best of luck as your season continues to unfold.

Other Recent Interviews:
Franny Cobos and Juan Pablo Lopez

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, June 29, 2019

Omaha 3, Round Rock 2

W- Jake Kalish (5-4)
L- Ryan Hartman (5-3)
S- Richard Lovelady (4)

RR home runs: Jack Mayfield (11, solo in 4th)

A three-run 1st from the Storm Chasers held up in the end.

Ryan Hartman pitched seven innings and allowed those three runs on six hits, walked three, and struck out five. Brendan McCurry allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one over the final two innings.

Alex De Goti put Round Rock on the board with a sac fly in the 3rd and Jack Mayfield launched a homer to lead off the 4th. Chas McCormick finished 2-3.

Brandon Bielak will start game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:05.

Amarillo 8, Corpus Christi 6

W- Nick Margevicius (1-0)
L- Enoli Paredes (1-2, 4-3 season)
S- Jean Cosme (1)

CC home runs: J.J. Matijevic 2 (4, 6 season; solo in 3rd, solo in 9th), Seth Beer (7, 16 season; solo in 4th)

The Hooks' attempt to erase a 7-2 deficit ultimately fell short.

J.J. Matijevic led off the 3rd with a homer and Seth Beer did the same in the 4th. They got three in the 8th as Abraham Toro ripped an RBI double. He moved to third on Beer's single and scored on a single from Granden Goetzman. Beer wound up scoring thanks to a couple of wild pitches. Matijevic whacked his second home run of the night to lead off the 9th. He, along with Beer and Goetzman, finished with two hits on the night.

Enoli Paredes went 4.1 innings and allowed five runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on six hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out four. Justin Ferrell got the final two outs of the 5th, one via strikeout, but not before Amarillo got a single off of him that resulted in two runs getting charged to Paredes. Ferrell also issued a couple of walks. Yohan Ramirez allowed three runs on five hits (two-run homer) and struck out four in three innings.

Brandon Bailey takes on Ronald Bolaños in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:05.

Myrtle Beach 6, Fayetteville 4

W- Alexander Vargas (2-2)
L- Austin Hansen (1-1, 5-2 season)
S- Garrett Kelly (2)

Fayetteville home runs: Jonathan Arauz (5, 2-run in 6th)

The Woodpeckers outhit the Pelicans 10-6 but lost in the column that matters most. Also, a five-run 3rd inning for Myrtle Beach held up.

Jake Adams ripped an RBI double in the 1st to open the scoring and Enmanuel Valdez hit an RBI single to bring in Jonathan Arauz in the 2nd. Arauz, who just came off the IL, whacked a two-run homer in the 6th. Adams (2 2B, RBI, R), Arauz (2-R HR, 2 R), Valdez (RBI single, SB), and Corey Julks (R, SB) all had two hits on the evening.

Austin Hansen went five innings and allowed five runs on six hits, one of which was a grand slam, walked three, and struck out five. Nivaldo Rodríguez did not allow a hit over the last four innings but the Pelicans got a run off of him with a sac fly. Nivaldo walked three and struck out two during his stint on the mound.

Fayetteville will look to avoid the sweep and snap a five-game losing streak in the series finale. J.P. France will go against Javier Assad at 6:00 Eastern.

Clinton 7, Quad Cities 2

W- Tyler Mitzel (5-3)
L- R.J. Freure (4-3)
S- Tyler Jones (1)

QC home runs: None.

The LumberKings scored four in the 6th to put this game away.

Oscar Campos went 2-5 with an RBI single in the 3rd. Austin Dennis was 3-5 and hit an RBI single in the 4th. Trey Dawson finished 2-3 and drew a walk.

R.J. Freure allowed three runs on five hits (two solo homers), walked four, and struck out seven in five innings. Hunter Martin bore the brunt of Clinton's assault in the 6th as he allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits and struck out three in 1.2 innings. Riley Cabral walked two in 1.1 scoreless innings of work.

Brett Daniels takes on Tanner Andrews in game two of this series. First pitch is at 2:00.

Tri-City 4, Aberdeen 3 (10 innings)

W- Shea Barry (1-0)
L- Marlon Constante (0-1)

TC home runs: C.J. Stubbs (3, solo in 4th)

The ValleyCats snapped a five-game losing streak by walking off with the victory on Saturday.

Hunter Brown pitched 2.2 innings and an inherited runner scored and was charged to him when the man on third scored while the trailing runner was caught in a rundown in the 3rd inning. He walked three and struck out one. Derek West was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and he allowed two runs of his own on two hits, walked one, and struck out one in 2.1 innings. Peyton Battenfield followed by striking out five in three perfect innings, and Shea Barry earned his first win as a pro as he walked two and struck out one over two scoreless.

Zach Biermann opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st inning. C.J. Stubbs smacked a solo homer in the 4th. E.P. Reese tied the game with a sac fly in the 9th. Deury Carrasco came on to pinch-run for Luis Santana in the 10th and he scored the winning run on Grae Kessinger's single. Kessinger finished 4-5 on the evening and Stubbs went 3-4, finishing a double shy of the cycle.

Manny Ramirez will start the series finale. First pitch is at 5:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros and GCL Marlins was suspended

Due to rain. This game will be completed on July 4. Blair Henley, making his professional debut, allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out four in 2.2 innings.

The Palm Beach 'Stros were supposed to play the Nationals today but that game got postponed as well.

DSL Astros 3, DSL Dodgers Bautista 2

W- Carlos Calderón (2-0)
L- Jeremi Rodriguez (1-1)
S- Reimy Beltre (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros got a run in the 7th to edge out the Dodgers Bautista team.

Freddy Guilamo ripped an RBI double in the 3rd and scored on an error after Ayendy Ortiz stole second. Ortiz ended up getting thrown out at third. Andrés Monzón put the Astros back in front with a sac fly in the 7th.

These two teams will play again on Monday.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jaime Melendez, RHP, DSL Astros: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K
Reimy Beltre, RHP, DSL Astros: Save (1), 2 IP, 3 K; perfect outing

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Peyton Battenfield, RHP, Tri-City

3 IP, 5 K; perfect outing

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Grae Kessinger, SS, and C.J. Stubbs, C/OF, Tri-City

Kessinger: 4-5, 2B, walk-off RBI single, R

Stubbs: 3-4, 3B, solo HR (3); finished double shy of cycle

Jake Adams, 1B, and Jonathan Arauz, IF, Fayetteville

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

Arauz: 2-4, 2-R HR (5), 2 R

Nivaldo Rodríguez, RHP, Fayetteville

4 IP, ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Austin Dennis, UTIL, Quad Cities

3-5, RBI

J.J. Matijevic, 1B, and Seth Beer, 1B/OF, Corpus Christi

Matijevic: 2-4, 2 solo HR (4, 6 season)

Beer: 2-4, solo HR (7, 16 season), 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 23, 2019

Fayetteville sweep!

Round Rock 8, Iowa 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

Springfield 12, Corpus Christi 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

Corpus returns to action Thursday.

Fayetteville 3, Myrtle Beach 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quad Cities and Beloit was postponed

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

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

Vermont 7, Tri-City 6 (11 innings)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Colton Shaver, IF, Corpus Christi

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

Felipe Paulino's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Round Rock Express bullpen

5 IP, 3 H, 5 K

Cionel Pérez: W (1-1), 4 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Felipe Paulino: IP, K

"WOODPPECKERS"

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 3-2 @ Myrtle Beach

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

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

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

Michael Papierski, C, Fayetteville

2-5, solo HR (5)

Peyton Battenfield not pictured.

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

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

Battenfield: 3 IP, 4 K

Lee: 2-5, 2 RBI

2019 Astros Draft Picks/Undrafted Free Agents on Social Media

Welcome to the Houston Astros 2019 Draft class! What the Heck, Bobby? would like to wish you nothing but the best in your endeavors as you begin your own personal journeys to Minute Maid Park.

This page contains the Twitter (or Instagram) accounts of the 2019 draft class and will be updated as the Draft progresses. Accounts for non-drafted free agents will also be included here. In the event that they are not on Twitter, their Instagram accounts (if they have one) will be listed instead. If you find a player on social media that we may have missed, please leave a note in the comments.

The Astros Player Twitter list will be updated as each player officially signs. Those who have signed are shown in bold.

Round 1, Pick 32: Korey Lee, C, Cal - @koreyleeeeee
Round 2, Pick 68: Grae Kessinger, SS, Ole Miss - @Swagulater15
Round 3, Pick 106: Jordan Brewer, CF, Michigan - @B_R_5_5_Z_Y
Round 4, Pick 136: Colin Barber, CF, Pleasant Valley High School (Chico, California) -  on Instagram @barber9_ (Private account); committed to Oregon
Round 5, Pick 166: Hunter Brown, RHP, Wayne State - @xhunterbrownx
Round 6, Pick 196: Matthew Barefoot, CF, Campbell - @Mattfoot8
Round 7, Pick 226: Blair Henley, RHP, Texas - @blairhenley17
Round 8, Pick 256: Luis Guerrero, CF, Miami-Dade College; commited to South Florida
Round 9, Pick 286: Peyton Battenfield, RHP, Oklahoma State - @PBattenfield; has not tweeted since 2015
Round 10, Pick 316: C.J. Stubbs, C, Southern Cal - @cj_stubbs1
Round 11, Pick 346: Ryan Gusto, RHP, Florida Southwestern State College - @ryangusto11; has not tweeted since 2017, committed to Western Kentucky
Round 12, Pick 376: Garrett Gayle, RHP, Rice - @GarrettGayle37 (Private account)
Round 13, Pick 406: Kevin Holcomb, RHP, Glendale College (California); committed to UCLA
Round 14, Pick 436: Derek West, RHP, Pittsburgh - @DWestPitt
Round 15, Pick 466: Cole McDonald, RHP, Iowa - @mcdonald_cole
Round 16, Pick 496: Dexter Jordan, 2B, Pearl River Community College - @dexjordan20 (signed according to Baseball America)
Round 17, Pick 526: Danny Cody, RHP, Baldwin Wallace - @DannyCody13 (Private account)
Round 18, Pick 556: Justin Campbell, RHP, Simi Valley High School (Simi Valley, California) - @juhjuh162710; committed to Tulane
Round 19, Pick 586: Tyler Krabbe, C, Montevallo - @Tkrabbe22 (signed according to Baseball America)
Round 20, Pick 616: Alex Palmer, RHP, Stephen F. Austin - @Theliontails (Private account)
Round 21, Pick 646: Davis Vainer, RHP, Alabama - @the_bald_buddha
Round 22, Pick 676: Shea Barry, RHP, UC Santa Barbara - @smbarry7
Round 23, Pick 706: Zach Biermann, 1B, Coastal Carolina - @ZBiermann45
Round 24: Pick 736: Preston Pavlica, CF, Grand Canyon - @CallMePav
Round 25, Pick 766: E.P. Reese, CF, Winston-Salem State - @epreese_iv
Round 26, Pick 796: Chandler Casey, RHP, Lubbock Christian - @chandler24_SL
Round 27, Pick 826: Kevin Dickey, LHP, Seminole State (Oklahoma) - @15kevindickey; committed to Texas Tech
Round 28, Pick 856: Bryan Arias, 2B, Texas-San Antonio - @TheBryanArias
Round 29, Pick 886: Whit Drennan, LHP, Rollins College - @WhitDrennan
Round 30, Pick 916: Michael Horrell, RHP, Campbell - @mhorrell106
Round 31, Pick 946: Peyton Plumlee, RHP, Mississippi State - @Peytonplum1
Round 32, Pick 976: Oscar Carvajal, RHP, Fresno State - @OscarOskie
Round 33, Pick 1006: Bryan Martinez, LHP, Connors State College - @BryanMa50247503 (Private account)
Round 34, Pick 1036: A.J. Lee, SS, Maryland - @AJ_Lee02
Round 35, Pick 1066: James Nix, RF, College of Central Florida - @jamesnix40; committed to South Carolina
Round 36, Pick 1096: Chandler Murphy, RHP, Liberty High School (Peoria, Arizona) - @chandler2233; committed to Arizona
Round 37, Pick 1126: Max Dias, 3B, Porter High School (Porter, Texas) - @MDD_5; committed to New Orleans
Round 38, Pick 1156: J.C. Correa, SS, Lamar - @Jc_Correa1
Round 39, Pick 1186: Brock Rudy, C, Northgate High School (Walnut Creek, California) - @rudy17_brock; committed to Utah
Round 40, Pick 1216: Dillon Plew, 1B, Washington State - @LilPlewy22

Undrafted Free Agents

In the past, there were several players who had apparently signed with the Astros and had received congratulatory messages from old coaches/family/teammates/etc., but they never actually appeared in a game in the organization. We will withhold UDFA social media information until they have appeared on the roster of an Astros minor league affiliate.