Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 14, 2019

Round Rock 10, Iowa 8 (10 innings)

W- Reymin Guduan (3-1)
L- James Norwood (3-1)

RR home runs: Derek Fisher (10, 3-run in 1st), Jack Mayfield (14, solo in 5th), Josh Rojas (15, walk-off 3-run in 10th)

The Cubs thought that they were going to steal one from the Express (doing business as the Chupacabras) when they scored three in the 9th to tie and one in the 10th to take the lead. Yeah, they thought.

Brandon Bielak pitched six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits (solo and three-run homers), walked five, and struck out two. Brendan McCurry was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he allowed three hits and struck out one over two scoreless. Felipe Paulino couldn't get the last out of the game. He got two outs in the 9th and allowed three runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked one, and struck out one. Reymin Guduan allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, a double, and struck out two in 1.1 innings.

Derek Fisher launched a three-run home run in the 1st to kick things off. Jack Mayfield smacked a solo homer in the 5th. Alex De Goti hit a two-run single in the 7th and Mayfield added a sac fly to his ledger in the 8th. Drew Ferguson started the 10th in scoring position. Jamie Ritchie led off the 10th with a single and one batter later, Josh Rojas won the game by clubbing a three-run home run.

Rojas and Mayfield had three hits apiece while Fisher and Ritchie both finished with two on the night.

José Urquidy will start the opener of a four-game series with Memphis on Monday. He'll go against Genesis Cabrera at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 13, Midland 1

W- Yohan Ramirez (3-5)
L- Matt Milburn (5-6)

CC home runs: Seth Beer (21, solo in 3rd), Colton Shaver (12, 2-run in 3rd), Lorenzo Quintana (11, grand slam in 8th)

The Hooks took this series in emphatic fashion as they poured it on the Hounds early and often.

Brett Adcock pitched 3.2 innings and allowed a run on four hits, walked one, and struck out four. Yohan Ramirez was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he turned in 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out four. Nick Hernandez and Carlos Sanabria finished things off with one scoreless inning apiece. Hernandez, who just came off the IL, allowed a hit and struck out two in the 8th. Sanabria got two groundouts and a fly ball out in a 1-2-3 9th.

J.J. Matijevic ripped a two-run double in the 1st to open the scoring. Corpus blew this game open with six runs in the 3rd and all of them came with two outs. Seth Beer kept the inning alive by launching a solo homer. Lorenzo Quintana followed with a single and he scored on a single from Matijevic. Colton Shaver followed with a two-run blast and then Aníbal Sierra and Bryan de la Cruz capped off the onslaught with RBI singles.

Shaver added an RBI single to his ledger in the 7th and Quintana provided the cherry with a grand slam in the 8th inning. Beer, Quintana, and Matijevic all finished with three hits. Everyone except Sierra scored; everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Abraham Toro, who still managed to score a run.

The Hooks have Monday off. They'll welcome the Northwest Arkansas Naturals to the Coastal Bend for a three-game series starting Tuesday.

Fayetteville 3, Potomac 1

W- Brett Conine (7-4)
L- Andrew Istler (0-1)
S- César Rosado (3)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers scored two runs in the 8th to nip the Nationals.

Corey Julks opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd. Jake Adams smacked an RBI double in the 8th to break the tie and he scored the final run of the game on Michael Papierski's RBI single. Papierski finished 2-4 on the evening.

Shawn Dubin went five innings and he allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out five. Brett Conine turned in 3.2 dominating innings as he allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out eight. César Rosado finished off the game with a strikeout.

Austin Hansen gets the start in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, South Bend 4

W- José Alberto Rivera (5-3)
L- Riley Thompson (5-5)
S- Devin Conn (5)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos scored five in the 4th and held off a late charge from the Cubs to even the series.

José Alberto Rivera pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out six. Luis de Paula went two innings in his Midwest League debut and he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked two, and struck out one. Devin Conn walked two and struck out one in the 9th to get the save.

That big 4th inning gave the Banditos control of this game. Freúdis Nova put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI double. Alex Holderbach and Jonathan Lacroix drove in runs with groundouts and then Ramiro Rodríguez and Alex McKenna followed with RBI doubles. Rodríguez added an RBI single to his ledger in the 6th; he and Freúdis both finished with three hits on the day.

Felipe Tejada faces Brendan Little in the series finale. First pitch is at 1:05 Eastern.

Tri-City 6, Connecticut 4

W- Juan Pablo Lopez (2-2)
L- Chavez Fernander (2-2)
S- Yeremi Ceballos (2)

TC home runs: Korey Lee (1, 2-run in 1st)

The ValleyCats also got even in their series by holding off a rally from their opponents.

Korey Lee hit his first professional home run in the 1st inning, a two-run blast that opened the scoring. He added a sac fly to his ledger in the 5th. Tri-City got a pair of RBI singles in the 6th from E.P. Reese and Juan Paulino and Preston Pavlica hit a bloop single that drove in a run in the 7th. Everyone in the ValleyCats lineup recorded at least one hit in this game.

Valente Bellozo allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out five over 3.2 scoreless. Juan Pablo Lopez was the first man out of the ValleyCats bullpen and he allowed three runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out four in 4.1 innings. Yeremi Ceballos allowed a run on two hits, walked one, and struck out one in the 9th.

Hunter Brown takes on Marco Jimenez in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Marlins 3 (10 innings)

W- Jherson Pereira (4-0)
L- Jesús Sanchez (0-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach 'Stros scored all four of their runs in the final three innings of this game, which culminated with them walking off with the win.

Yimmi Cortabarria hit an RBI single in the 8th. Dexter Jordan reached on an error and José Mendoza and Sean Mendoza came home with the tying runs. Jordan tried for the walk-off Little League home run but he was thrown out at the plate. José Álvarez started the 10th in scoring position. He advanced to third on a sac bunt from Cortabarria (who reached safely) and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Álvarez and Cortabarria both had two hits on the day.

Brayan de Paula, facing his former organization, allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out seven over four scoreless innings. Diosmerky Taveras was the first man out of the GCL squad's bullpen and he allowed two runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out five. Danny Cody allowed a run on a sac fly, a hit, and walked one in 1.1 innings. Jherson Pereira got three outs despite facing two batters in the 10th, striking out one. How did that happen? Well, Álvarez picked the leadoff runner off second for the first out. Pereira hit the leadoff hitter, who proceeded to get picked off first. He wrapped up the inning with a strikeout.

Dominican Summer League All-Star Game

The American League topped the National League 5-4 in a game that was shortened by rain.

Yohander Martinez went 0-1 after entering the game to play third base in the 4th inning. Reimy Beltre needed one pitch to record the first out of the 5th.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Brayan de Paula, LHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Corpus Christi Hooks: W 13-1 @ Midland

13 R, 18 H, E

Seth Beer: 3-5, solo HR (21), 3 R

Lorenzo Quintana: 3-5, 2B, Grand Slam (11), 3 R

J.J. Matijevic: 3-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R

Colton Shaver: 2-5, 2-R HR (12), 3 RBI

Brett Adcock: 3.2 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Yohan Ramirez: W (3-5), 3.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Josh Rojas, UTIL, Derek Fisher, OF, and Jack Mayfield, IF, Round Rock

Rojas: 3-6, walk-off 3-R HR (15), 2 R, SB (28)

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

Mayfield: 3-4, 2B, solo HR (14), 2 RBI, 2 R

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 3-1 vs. Potomac

9 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 14 K

Shawn Dubin: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Brett Conine: W (7-4), 3.2 IP, H, BB, 8 K

César Rosado: Save (3), 0.1 IP, K

Ramiro Rodríguez, OF, Quad Cities

3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

W (5-3), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Korey Lee, C, Tri-City

2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R; first professional home run

Valente Bellozo, RHP, Tri-City

3.2 IP, H, BB, 5 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 8, 2019

Triple-A All-Star Break

The 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday in El Paso. Kyle Tucker will represent Round Rock on the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team.

Round Rock returns to action on Thursday when they welcome Iowa to Dell Diamond for a four-game series.

Frisco 14, Corpus Christi 1

W- Ronald Herrera (1-2)
L- Cristian Javier (6-3)

CC home runs: None.

Let's... not talk about this game.

Yohan Ramirez will take on Jonathan Hernandez in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Fayetteville and Potomac was postponed

Due to wet grounds. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 20.

Shawn Dubin, who was originally scheduled to start this game, will now start the series finale. First pitch is at 12:05 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 5

W- J.T. Perez (1-0)
L- Layne Henderson (1-3)
S- José Martinez (1)

QC home runs: Ramiro Rodríguez (2, solo in 1st), Alex McKenna (1, solo in 4th)

The Kernels stunned the Banditos with four runs in the 9th to take the lead. This is the first time that Quad Cities has been swept in a series in 2019.

Ramiro Rodríguez led off the bottom of the 1st with a home run. He hit a two-out single in the 3rd and eventually scored on a base hit from Grae Kessinger. Alex McKenna launched his first home run of the year, a solo shot, in the 4th inning. César Salazar ripped a two-run double in the 7th that pushed Quad Cities' lead to 5-2. Salazar went 3-4 on the night while McKenna, Rodríguez, and Freúdis Nova all finished with two hits.

Felipe Tejada went four innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked six, and struck out one. José Alberto Rivera cruised through four innings but ran into some trouble in the 9th. In 4.1 innings, Rivera allowed two runs, both of which were inherited runners that scored, a hit, walked one, and struck out eight. Layne Henderson got the final two outs of the 9th, but not before Cedar Rapids took the lead. Henderson allowed two runs of his own on two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

After a day off, the Banditos will start a three-game series in West Michigan.

Tri-City 4, Brooklyn 3

W- Angel Macuare (1-2)
L- Matt Cleveland (0-2)
S- Guadalupe Chavez (1)

TC home runs: A.J. Lee (1, 3-run in 2nd)

The ValleyCats only scored in one inning but it turned out to be enough for them to get the win.

Kyle Serrano pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two unearned runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out five. The bullpen picked him up and allowed a run over the final 7.1 innings. Angel Macuare was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and he allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out three in 4.1 innings. Lupe Chavez allowed two hits and struck out four over the final three innings to earn the save.

Wilyer Abreu put Tri-City on the board with an RBI single in the 2nd and one batter later, A.J. Lee launched a three-run home run, the first homer of his pro career. Korey Lee finished 2-4.

Juan Pablo Lopez gets the start in the series finale. First pitch is at 11:00 AM Eastern.

DSL Rays1 5, DSL Astros 4 (10 innings)

W- Argenis Liriano (4-0)
L- Cristofer Mezquita (0-1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros scored two in the 8th... but the Rays ended up walking off with the win in the first extra frame.

Ricardo Toro opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the 2nd and Cristian Gonzalez added a sac fly in the 5th. Their two in the 8th came on a Sebastian Grullón groundout and an RBI single from Yohander Martinez.

Fabricio Reina went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits and struck out four. Daniel Pacheco and Miguel Padilla pitched two innings apiece. Pacheco was first and he allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer) and struck out two. Padilla allowed an unearned run that was the winning run and it was also an inherited runner that was charged to him. He also allowed a hit and struck out one. Cristofer Mezquita got two outs in the 10th but the winning run scored on a failed double play attempt. Mezquita issued two walks, one of which was intentional.

The Dominican 'Stros will host the A's at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fabricio Reina, RHP, DSL Astros: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

A.J. Lee, IF, Tri-City

1-3, 3-R HR (1)

Angel Macuare's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen

7.1 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Angel Macuare: W (1-2), 4.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Lupe Chavez: Save (1), 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

José Alberto Rivera, RHP, Quad Cities

4.1 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K

Ramiro Rodríguez, OF, Alex McKenna, OF, and César Salazar, C, Quad Cities

Rodríguez: 2-5, solo HR (2), 2 R

McKenna: 2-4, solo HR (1)

Salazar: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 22, 2019

A slate of day games turned up empty for the farm.

Round Rock 4, San Antonio 0

W- Cy Sneed (2-5)
L- Bubba Derby (0-3)

RR home runs: Yordan Alvarez (19, 2-run in 1st), Taylor Jones (9, solo in 2nd), A.J. Reed (3, solo in 2nd)

Yordan Alvarez continues to do Yordan Alvarez things and Cy Sneed flirted with perfection. He ultimately fell short in that pursuit, but he and Gabriel Valdez ended up combining on a two-hit shutout.

Sneed and Valdez allowed one hit apiece. Sneed, who took a perfect game into the 8th inning, struck out four over eight innings and Valdez struck out one in the 9th to complete the shutout. Sneed's bid for the perfecto ended when Cory Spangenberg hit a double off of him with one out in the 8th.

Alvarez opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the 1st and then Taylor Jones and A.J. Reed launched back-to-back solo homers in the 2nd. No one on either side finished with a multi-hit game.

Forrest Whitley takes on Jimmy Nelson in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Amarillo 7, Corpus Christi 6

W- Miguel Díaz (2-0)
L- Brett Adcock (0-5)
S- Brandon Bednar (3)

CC home runs: Josh Rojas 2 (5; solo in 4th, solo in 6th), Stephen Wrenn (2, solo in 1st), Lorenzo Quintana (4, solo in 4th), Chas McCormick (3, solo in 4th), Abraham Toro (8, solo in 6th)

The Hooks hit six home runs... and lost. Baseball sure can be dumb.

Stephen Wrenn hit a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring. With two outs in the 4th, Lorenzo Quintana, Josh Rojas, and Chas McCormick hit back-to-back-to-back solo home runs to put the Hooks back in front. Abraham Toro smacked a homer to lead off the 6th and Rojas launched another solo homer later in the inning. Rojas finished 3-4 on the afternoon while Wrenn, McCormick, and Chuckie Robinson all had two hits on the day.

Wrenn tripled to lead off the 8th but was stranded there. Rojas, McCormick, and Robinson all singled to lead off the 9th but once again, they were all stranded to end the day.

Brett Adcock went five innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits (two two-run homers), walked one, and struck out five. Jonathan Bermúdez threw three perfect innings in relief, striking out two.

Corpus will head home to start a four-game series with Frisco at 6:15. As this weekend is Memorial Day weekend, the Hooks will transform into the Blue Ghosts to commemorate the USS Lexington, the World War II-era aircraft carrier that is docked in Corpus Christi Bay that now functions as a museum. For the background behind its nickname, "The Blue Ghost," click the link and it will take you to the Lexington's Wikipedia page.

Winston-Salem 4, Fayetteville 3 in 10 innings

W- Luís Ledo (3-1)
L- Nivaldo Rodríguez (0-1, 3-2 season)

Fayetteville home runs: Scott Manea (4, solo in 9th)

The Woodpeckers broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th, but the Dash responded by re-tying the game in the bottom of the 9th and they wound up walking off with the win with another run in the first extra frame. This was Fayetteville's fifth walk-off loss of the season.

Enoli Paredes had another fine outing as he allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out five in five innings of work. Nivaldo Rodríguez tagged in for 4.1 innings and allowed three runs on six hits (solo homer) and issued an intentional walk.

Colton Shaver went 3-4 with a pair of RBI singles in the 4th and the 6th. Scott Manea whacked a solo homer with one out in the 9th to put the Woodpeckers up 3-2.

J.P. France will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Kane County 9, Quad Cities 3

W- Kai-Wei Lin (1-0)
L- José Alberto Rivera (0-2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos pounded out 14 hits but only had three runs to show for their efforts.

Jonathan Lacroix hit an RBI single in the 6th and Ramiro Rodríguez smacked a two-run triple in the 8th inning. Austin Dennis finished 4-5 out of the leadoff spot. Rodríguez and Jeremy Peña had two hits apiece, and Marty Costes went 3-4.

José Alberto Rivera went five innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on ten hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out two. Jayson Schroeder, the Astros' second-round pick in last year's draft, made his 2019 debut with three innings out of the bullpen and he allowed three runs on three hits, walked three, and struck out four.

José Bravo will get the start in the series finale. He'll face Jackson Goddard at 6:30.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

No photo available for Jonathan Bermúdez.

Josh Rojas, UTIL, Stephen Wrenn, OF, Chas McCormick, OF, and Jonathan Bermúdez, LHP, Corpus Christi

Rojas: 3-4, 2 solo HR (5); 4 HR in last two games

Wrenn: 2-5, 3B, solo HR (2); 2nd consecutive game with HR

McCormick: 2-4, solo HR (3)

Bermúdez: 3 IP, 2 K; perfect outing

Photo by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, Fayetteville

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

Colton Shaver, IF, Fayetteville

3-4, 2 RBI singles

Austin Dennis' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com. Flickr is currently down for maintenance.

Ramiro Rodríguez, OF and Austin Dennis, OF, Quad Cities

Rodríguez: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI

Dennis: 4-5, R

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com. Flickr is currently down for maintenance.

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 4-0 vs. San Antonio

9 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Cy Sneed: W (2-5), 8 IP, H, 4 K; perfect through 7.1 IP

Gabriel Valdez: IP, H, K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com. Flickr is currently down for maintenance.

Yordan Alvarez, 1B/OF, Round Rock

1-4, 2-R HR (19)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 12, 2018

Fresno 9, Albuquerque 4

W- Josh James (6-4)
L- Peter Lambert (2-4)

Fresno home runs: Yordan Alvarez (7, 19 season; solo in 2nd), J.D. Davis (9, 2-run in 5th)

The Grizzlies earned the split by scoring in five straight innings.

Josh James went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits (two-run homer), walked two, and struck out six. Matt Ramsey allowed a hit and struck out two over 2.1 scoreless, and Brendan McCurry allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in the 9th.

Yordan Alvarez opened the scoring when he smacked a homer in the 2nd inning. Garrett Stubbs ripped a two-run double in the 3rd and came around to score on A.J. Reed's single. Alvarez walked to lead off the 4th and scored on a double from Taylor Jones. J.D. Davis launched a two-run homer in the 5th, and finally in the 6th, Alex De Goti ripped an RBI double and stole home. Alvarez, Jones, and De Goti all finished with two hits; Alvarez and De Goti both scored two runs. Myles Straw stole two bases, giving him 23 with Fresno and 58 on the year.

Fresno will begin a three-game series with Las Vegas at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Springfield 1

W- Akeem Bostick (2-4)
L- Anthony Shew (6-7)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (2, 16 season; 2-run in 1st)

The Hooks got out to a quick start and kept the Cardinals in check to take the finale and the series.

Abraham Toro opened the scoring when he launched a two-run homer in the opening frame. He then added an RBI single to his ledger in the 3rd inning. Corpus struck for three more runs in the 5th when Carmen Benedetti hit an RBI single and Josh Rojas drove in two with a base hit. Toro and Stephen Wrenn both finished 2-4; Benedetti and Ronnie Dawson scored two runs apiece.

Akeem Bostick went five innings and allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out four. Ryan Hartman tagged in to throw three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and fanning four. Carlos Sierra struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th.

Corpus Christi has Monday off. They'll start a three-game set in Tulsa on Tuesday.

Buies Creek and Frederick was cancelled

Due to rain. This game will not be made up as it was the final regular-season meeting between both clubs. Corey Julks had homered and Buies Creek was leading 2-1 in the 3rd inning before play was halted.

The Carolina Stros will have Monday off. They will welcome the Winston-Salem Dash to Campbell University for three beginning Tuesday.

Quad Cities 5, Cedar Rapids 0

W- Edgardo Sandoval (1-1)

L- Jhoan Duran (6-5)

QC home runs: Scott Schreiber (4, solo in 2nd), Colton Shaver (14, 2-run in 5th)

The Banditos got a career night from Edgardo Sandoval as he, Parker Mushinski, and Willy Collado joined forces to hold the Kernels to just three hits on Sunday.

Sandoval allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out a career-high 11 over six shutout innings. Mushinski struck out three over two perfect frames, and Collado completed the shutout by striking out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Scott Schreiber whacked a solo homer to open the scoring in the 2nd inning. He then drew a one-out walk in the 5th inning, stole second, advanced to third on the errant throw down, and scored on a Logan Mattix sac fly. One batter later, Colton Shaver smacked a two-run home run. Rúben Castro singled to start the 8th, advanced to third on a bad pickoff throw, and scored the final run of the evening on a wild pitch. Castro finished 3-4 on the night and was the only man on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Bryan Abreu will take on Edwar Colina as the series shifts to Cedar Rapids. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tri-City 7, Vermont 3

W- Cody Deason (1-0)
L- Adam Reuss (3-2)

TC home runs: Enmanuel Valdez (6, solo in 1st), Austin Dennis (1, solo in 8th)

The ValleyCats scored a run in each of the first three innings and then as they held on to a one-run lead, they busted out for three runs in the 7th.

Enmanuel Valdez wasted little time in getting things started as he homered to start the game. Michael Wielansky kept the 2nd inning alive with a base hit; he then stole second and scored on a single from Ramiro Rodriguez, who got thrown out at second to end the inning. Valdez led off the 3rd with a single and scored when Austin Dennis grounded into a double play.

Nathan Perry drew a walk to lead off the 7th and Andy Piñeda joined him on the bases following a single. Wielansky flew out, but Ramiro delivered the big blow with a two-run triple. Alex McKenna brought Rodriguez in with a double. Dennis smacked a solo homer in the 8th, the first of his pro career. He ended up getting a tremendous reception upon his return to the dugout:

At the @VTLakeMonsters game and @austindennis80 just hit his first homer of the season. @ValleyCats teammates executed a 65 silent treatment. Near-elite indifference. Plus wait time. Fringe average hurrah kept it from being a 70. #MiLB

— Chris Palmer (@cpalmer0608) August 13, 2018

R.J. Freure started things off with three scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out three. Layne Henderson was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed two runs on a wild pitch and a sac fly, a single, walked two, and struck out one in 1.2 innings. Cody Deason was next and he allowed a run on four hits and fanned four in 2.1 innings. J.P. France allowed two hits and struck out four in the last two innings.

The 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday at Medlar Field in State College, Pennsylvania, the home of the State College Spikes and Penn State baseball. Austin Hansen, Alex McKenna, and Jeremy Peña will represent the ValleyCats.

GCL Astros 3, GCL Mets 2 in 10 innings

W- Jervic Chavez (1-1)
L- Miguel Ramirez (0-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros walked off with a win on Sunday.

Jayson Schroeder and Manny Ramirez both threw three innings. Schroeder allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, walked two, and struck out five, while Manny allowed an unearned run when he threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt. He allowed one hit, walked three, and struck out five. Miguel Figueroa walked three and struck out two over 2.1 no-hit innings, and Jervic Chavez issued a walk in 1.2 innings of work.

Freudis Nova reached on an error and Wilyer Abreu smacked a ground-rule double to start the 2nd. Yeuris Ramirez brought them both in with a single. Abreu started the 10th in scoring position and Yeuris was given a free pass to first base. They both ended up pulling off a double steal and then Rhandall Sanchez was intentionally walked to load the bases. The Palm Beach Stros were on the verge of squandering this opportunity after Hector Martinez went down on strikes and Nerio Rodriguez grounded into a force out, but Carlos Diaz won the game by drawing a walk.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jayson Schroeder, RHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Manny Ramirez, RHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, H, unearned run, 3 BB, 5 K

Enmanuel Valdez, IF, Alex McKenna, OF, and Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, Tri-City

Valdez: 2-5, solo HR (6), 2 R

McKenna: 4-5, 2 2B, RBI

Rodriguez: 2-3, 3B, 3 RBI, R

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

9 IP, 3 H, BB, 15 K

Edgardo Sandoval: W (1-1), 6 IP, 3 H, BB, career-high 11 K

Parker Mushinski: 2 IP, 3 K

Willy Collado: IP, K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2-R HR (2, 16 season), 3 RBI

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 6-1 vs. Springfield

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

Akeem Bostick: W (2-4), 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Ryan Hartman: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Carlos Sierra: IP, K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Yordan Alvarez, LF/1B, and Alex De Goti, IF, Fresno

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

Alvarez: 2-3, solo HR (7, 19 season), 2 R

De Goti: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (1, 6 season)

Photo by Bryan Green

Matt Ramsey, RHP, Fresno

2.1 IP, H, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, June 23, 2018

Let's play two in Fresno!

Game 1: Albuquerque 3, Fresno 2

W- Shane Broyles (3-1)
L- Trent Thornton (5-5)
S- Scott Oberg (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Isotopes scored the last three runs of game one to come out on top.

Both Grizzlies runs in game one came in the 2nd inning. Tim Federowicz scored on an error following a Jon Kemmer single. Kemmer, who made it all the way to third, scored on a single from Jack Mayfield, who finished 2-3. Myles Straw also went 2-3 in the first game.

Trent Thornton turned in a bare minimum quality start, allowing seven hits (solo homer), walking two, and striking out two. Buddy Boshers loaded the bases in the 7th with a walk and a couple of hits but got himself out of the inning without suffering any damage. He struck out one.

Game 2: Fresno 2, Albuquerque 1

W- Brendan McCurry (3-2)
L- Scott McGough (6-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies walked off with the win in game two to force a split in the twinbill.

Rogelio Armenteros went six innings and the one hit he allowed was a solo homer hit by Ryan McMahon. He walked two and struck out nine. Brendan McCurry worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 7th, striking out one.

Kyle Tucker doubled with one out in the 1st and scored on an error that allowed A.J. Reed to reach. He finished 2-4; his second hit was a walk-off RBI single in the 7th.

The Grizzlies have Sunday off. Josh James will start the first game in a four-game set in El Paso on Monday.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 3

W- Alex Winkelman (4-2)
L- Jonathan Hernandez (0-3)
S- Erasmo Pinales (3)

CC home runs: Yordan Alvarez (10, solo in 3rd)

Both teams had six hits in this game, but the Blue Ghosts had more in the column that matters most.

Stephen Wrenn hit a one-out infield single in the 1st, advanced to third on an error following a Randy César infield single, and scored the first run of the evening on a Yordan Alvarez groundout. That infield hit for César extended his hitting streak to 40 games. Corpus loaded the bases with two outs in the 2nd and got a couple of runs out of it thanks to a Ryne Birk RBI single and a steal of home from Aníbal Sierra. Alvarez smacked a solo homer in the 3rd inning.

Akeem Bostick went 4.1 innings and allowed two runs, one of which was an inherited runner that was charged to him, four hits, walked three, and struck out two. Alex Winkelman tagged in for 3.1 innings and allowed a run of his own on two hits and struck out three. Erasmo Pinales struck out three of the four Roughriders hitters he faced to get his third save of the season.

The Blue Ghosts will look to sweep the series as they send Forrest Whitley to the mound. He'll face Pedro Payano at 6:05.

Buies Creek 7, Carolina 3

W- Abdiel Saldaña (6-0)
L- Victor Diaz (3-5)

BC home runs: J.J. Matijevic (7, 10 season; solo in 3rd), Abraham Toro (11, solo in 3rd), Jonathan Arauz (2, 6 season; solo in 4th), Corey Julks (1, 5 season; solo in 5th)

The Carolina Stros provided some fireworks on Saturday as they sent four balls out of the park. The team that has won in each game of this series has scored seven runs in the games they've won.

Abdiel Saldaña went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out a career-high nine batters. Ronel Blanco allowed two hits, walked one, and fanned four in three scoreless innings of work, and Gabriel Valdez worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Buies Creek loaded the bases with one out in the 2nd inning but all they could get out of it was a Jake Meyers sac fly. J.J. Matijevic and Abraham Toro launched homers to start the 3rd. Ronnie Dawson followed with a single... but he got thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Jake Adams singled and lumbered home on a triple from Corey Julks. Jonathan Arauz led off the 4th with a homer and Julks smacked a solo homer in the 5th. The four home run hitters along with Adams all finished with two hits on the evening.

Brandon Bailey will take on Cam Roegner in the series finale. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, Beloit 2

W- Patrick Sandoval (7-1)
L- Mitchell Jordan (3-2)
S- Brendan Feldmann (2, 3 season)

QC home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (5, solo in 1st), Chandler Taylor (1, 2-run in 2nd)

The Banditos entered the win column for the first time in the second half.

From looking at Patrick Sandoval's numbers for the season, you probably would not have guessed that he had an outing in which he allowed ten runs. On Saturday, he allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out five over seven shutout innings. Tanner Duncan threw a scoreless 8th and got two outs in the 9th, but that final out proved to be just out of his reach. In 1.2 innings, Duncan allowed a couple of unearned runs, a triple, walked three, and struck out four. Brendan Feldmann came on and got that final out to secure the win.

Miguelangel Sierra opened the scoring by smacking a solo homer in the 1st. Chandler Taylor whacked his first home run as a professional in the 2nd, driving in two in the process. Alfredo Angarita hit an RBI single in the 4th, although he was thrown out at second to end the inning. Taylor added an RBI double to his ledger in the 8th and scored on Angarita's second RBI base hit of the evening. Angarita and Taylor finished with three hits apiece, while Sierra and Scott Schreiber had two each.

Enoli Paredes will take on Jared Poche in the series finale. First pitch is at 5:15.

Tri-City 8, Lowell 2

W- Bryan Abreu (2-0)
L- Hunter Haworth (0-1)

TC home runs: Seth Beer 2 (3; 2-run in 1st, 2-run in 6th)

Beer bombs were had by all. It was only fitting that the ValleyCats were having "WWE Night" at the ballpark.

Seth Beer smacked his first two-run homer of the night to open the scoring in the 1st. Tri-City got two more in the opening frame on an RBI single from Ramiro Rodriguez and when Michael Wielansky scored on a double play. Rodriguez hit another RBI single in the 3rd and Beer sent his second two-run homer out of the park in the 6th inning. Rodriguez singled to lead off the 7th. He then stole second, advanced to third on a balk, and scored the final run of the evening when Carlos Machado grounded into a force out.

Beer and Rodriguez both finished with three hits. Both of Enmanuel Valdez's hits in this game were doubles. Of the 11 hits that Valdez recorded this season, nine have gone for extra bases. Wielansky went 0-2, but he drew three walks and scored twice.

The two runs that Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed in his three innings came on a home run. Nivaldo also allowed two other hits and struck out three. Riley Cabral worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 4th, striking out one. Bryan Abreu walked three and struck out five over three scoreless, and Austin Hansen threw two perfect innings to close it out, striking out two.

Tri-City will make the journey to Staten Island to take on the Yankees. Luis Garcia will get the start in game one, which kicks off at 4:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 12, GCL Astros 3 in 5.1 innings

W- Malky Mena (1-0)
L- Julio Robaina (0-1)

GCL home runs: Freudis Nova (1, 3-run in 5th)

This game was called with one out in the 6th due to rain.

Freudis Nova's three-run homer in the 5th was the Palm Beach Stros' only scoring play. César Cortez went 2-3 in the shortened game.

Julio Robaina's second career appearance... did not go well. Neither did Layne Henderson's pro debut. Daniel Bello restored a little order to the game with four solid innings, allowing a run on five htis, walking one, and striking out seven.

DSL Astros 4, DSL Athletics 2 in 6 innings

W- Ernesto Jaquez (1-0)
L- Edwin Rojas (0-1)

DSL home runs: Victor Mascai (3, 2-run in 4th)

This game was also called due to rain. The Academy only had two hits, but they scored more, which last I checked, determines the winner of a baseball game.

Javier Bermudez scored on a wild pitch and Yimmi Cortabarria scored on a Ricardo Toro groundout in the 2nd, and Victor Mascai smacked a two-run homer in the 4th.

Jojanse Torres allowed a run on four hits and struck out two in two innings and Ernesto Jaquez threw four perfect innings, striking out six.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ernesto Jaquez, RHP, DSL Astros: W (1-0), 4 IP, 6 K; perfect outing

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Seth Beer, LF/1B, and Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, Tri-City

Beer: 3-4, 2 2-R HR (3)

Rodriguez: 3-3, 2 RBI, R, SB (1)

This is Bryan Abreu's mugshot on MiLB.com. Riley Cabral and Austin Hansen not pictured.

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen

6 IP, 4 BB, 8 K

Riley Cabral: IP, BB, K

Bryan Abreu: W (2-0), 3 IP, 3 BB, 5 K

Austin Hansen: 2 IP, 2 K; perfect outing

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Fresno

6 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 2 BB, 9 K in game 2 of doubleheader

Chandler Taylor not pictured

Alfredo Angarita, 2B, and Chandler Taylor, OF, Quad Cities

Angarita: 3-5, 2 RBI

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

Patrick Sandoval, LHP, Quad Cities

W (7-1), 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Corey Julks' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Abraham Toro, 3B, J.J. Matijevic, LF, Jonathan Arauz, IF, and Corey Julks, OF, Buies Creek

Toro: 2-3, solo HR (11), 2 RBI

Matijevic: 2-3, 2B, solo HR (7, 10 season), SB (5, 8 season)

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

Julks: 2-5, 3B, solo HR (1, 5 season), 2 RBI

Ronel Blanco, RHP, Buies Creek

3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K