Astros Farm Report: 4-30

Bringing you the latest news from down on the Astros farm ...

Come back soon for player interviews from my Corpus Christi trip coming out over the next week. In the meantime, I have a little breaking news.

MISSING IN ACTION

There are currently a couple of top 30 prospects in the Astros system who have gone missing. The first of these is Corpus Christi Hooks RHP Tyler Ivey who is currently the number 17 prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline. According to MiLB.com, Ivey is on the DL. However, I have two solid sources who have said that Ivey has been suspended for an undisclosed number of games. I am going to go out on a short limb and assume that the suspension is related to an incident in his April 12th start in Amarillo in which he was removed from the game after a foreign substance was found on his glove. In any event, Ivey was not in Corpus Christi during my time there from Friday through Sunday and has not pitched since April 23rd. I reached out to the Astros for comment, but have been unable to obtain any further information at this time. I am, however, confident in my sources. UPDATE: One source is telling me that the suspension is for 14 games.

The other missing player is OF/1B J.J. Matijevic, the #22 prospect in the Astros system (MLB Pipeline). Matijevic played in the Hooks game on Friday, April 26th, but was not present during the games on Saturday or Sunday and did not appear on Monday either. I have a source on this situation as well, but the information I have is so limited that I am not comfortable disclosing it. Again, I reached out to the Astros, but they declined to comment. UPDATE: As I had learned on Sunday, Matijevic was placed on the restricted list. Unfortunately, I did not know any further details about the nature of his suspension until MLB reported today that he will face a 50-game suspension for a second positive test for a drug of abuse.

APRIL TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

4-30: RHP Jamie Melendez, a 17-year old from Mexico, signed by the Astros
4-29: LHP Brett Adcock assigned to Tri-City (effectively to extended spring training) from Corpus Christi
4-29: RHP Justin Ferrell (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL
4-29: OF Alex McKenna (Quad Cities) activated from the DL
4-29: OF Andy Pineda (Quad Cities) released
4-29: C Lorenzo Quintana (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL
4-27: 1B/OF J.J. Matijevic (Corpus Christi) suspended for 50 games for a second positive test for a drug of abuse
4-27: LHP Jonathan Bermudez assigned to Quad Cities
4-27: RHP Felipe Tejada assigned to Quad Cities
4-27: RHP Cody Deason assigned to Tri-City (effectively to extended spring training) from Quad Cities
4-27: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Tri-City (effectively to extended spring training) from Quad Cities
4-25: RHP Tyler Ivey suspended for an undisclosed number of games
4-24: RHP Carlos Sanabria assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
4-24: RHP Brett Daniels assigned to Quad Cities from Corpus Christi
4-24: RHP Jacob Billingsley assigned to Fayetteville
4-24: RHP Willy Collado assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
4-24: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Quad Cities from Fayetteville
4-24: RHP Mark Moclair (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4-23: RHP Bryan Abreu assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
4-23: OF Carmen Benedetti (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4-23: RHP Shawn Dubin was assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
4-23: RHP Riley Cabral assigned to the Quad Cities River Bandits
4-21: LHP Reymin Guduan optioned to Round Rock from Houston
4-21: LHP Framber Valdez (Round Rock) recalled to Houston
4-20: IF Juan Pineda assigned to Tri-City (Extended Spring Training) from Fayetteville
4-20: 2B Alfredo Angarita (Fayetteville) activated from the 7-day DL
4-18: OF Drew Ferguson (Round Rock) activated from the DL
4-18: C Lorenzo Quintana (Corpus) placed on the 7-day DL
4-18: C Carlos Canelon assigned to Corpus Christi
4-18: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
4-17: 1B A.J. Reed (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day DL
4-16: RHP Peter Solomon (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
4-15: OF Chandler Taylor (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
4-15: IF Juan Pineda assigned to Fayetteville
4-14: RHP Justin Ferrell (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4-14: RHP Brett Daniels assigned to Corpus Christi from Quad Cities
4-14: RHP Jojanse Torres assigned to Quad Cities
4-13: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Fayetteville
4-13: 2B Alfredo Angarita (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
4-12: LHP Reymin Guduan recalled to Houston from Round Rock
4-12: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
4-11: LHP Framber Valdez optioned to Round Rock from Houston
4-11: OF Drew Ferguson (Round Rock) placed on 7-day DL
4-11: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
4-11: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Corpus Christi
4-11: C Oscar Campos (Quad Cities) placed on 7-day DL
4-11: OF/2B Austin Dennis assigned to Quad Cities
4-8: RHP Hunter Martin assigned to Fayetteville
4-7: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
4-7: RHP Edgardo Sandoval voluntarily retired (he pitched on Saturday and then retired on Sunday; I'm not sure what's going on with that!)
4-7: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Corpus Christi
4-6: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Corpus Christi

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL
C Ruben Castro
RHP Nick Hernandez
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna - activated 4-29
RHP Hansel Paulino
RHP Erasmo Pinales
RHP Abdiel Saldana
RHP Kyle Serrano
RHP Jairo Solis

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension)

2019 STANDINGS

Up and down arrows denote an increase or decrease in win percentage over the last week.

AAA ROUND ROCK (Pacific Coast League/American Southern Division)

🠋 3rd 13-10 .565 1.5GB L1

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

🠉 3rd 12-13 .480 4.0GB L2

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

🠉 T3rd 14-11 .556 3.0GB W1

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)

🠉 T3rd 12-10 .545 1.0GB L1

WATCH THIS SPACE

I plan to use "this space" to feature players who are currently flying below the radar, but who deserve a look.

Bryan de la Cruz
MiLB Photo

Bryan de la Cruz, a 22-year old outfielder from the Dominican Republic is in his sixth season with the Astros. In his first 20 games of the season with the Advanced A Fayetteville Woodpeckers, de la Cruz is hitting .346/.407/.593/.999 (10 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR) which puts him in the top five in the Astros minor league system in average, slugging percentage and OPS and sixth in the system in on-base percentage for players who have played a roughly equivalent number of games this season. Keeping company with top prospects such as Yordan Alvarez and Seth Beer is no mean feat. Rounding out his 2019 resume (so far) are four stolen bases to zero caught stealing and eight walks to 16 strikeouts. I have yet to catch up with Mr. De la Cruz in person, but I hope to see him later this season in Fayetteville (or more likely in Corpus Christi if he keeps hitting like this). Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Randy Cesar - April 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

3B Randy Cesar had a 42-game hitting streak for the Corpus Christi Hooks in 2018, but any hitting streaks in 2019 will take place in the Twins organization as Cesar became a minor league free agent at the end of the 2018 season and signed with that team. He is currently playing for the Twins AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings. Through 18 games, he is hitting .328/.375/.597/.972 with nine doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI. Cesar originally signed with the Astros out of the Dominican Republic in July 2011. He is currently 24.

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Yosemite National Park, California - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 31, 2018

I don't even know why I'm doing this, but here goes.

Fresno was off

The Grizzlies will start a trip through Tennessee as they begin a three-game series in Nashville at 7:05. Cy Sneed will face Eric Jokisch.

Corpus Christi 5, San Antonio 4

W- Erasmo Pinales (3-4)
L- Andrés Muñoz (1-1)
S- Ronel Blanco (1, 5 season)

CC home runs: None.

Things escalated quickly in the final two innings as the Missions put up three in the 8th to take the lead and forced Corbin Martin to settle for a no-decision. The Hooks regained control with four in the bottom of the 8th, but the Missions wouldn't go quietly as they got one more run in the 9th. Fortunately, Corpus managed to escape with the win.

Martin was perfect through 6.2 innings before Ty France poked a single through the left side of the infield. France was the only man to reach against Martin in his seven innings; he struck out eight. Erasmo Pinales and Ronel Blanco both pitched an inning. Pinales coughed up the lead in the 8th by giving up a three-run homer to Taylor Kohlwey. He allowed one other hit, walked one, and struck out two. Blanco got taken deep by France with one out in the 9th but he pulled himself together to finish the game. The homer was the only hit that he allowed and he struck out one.

Ronnie Dawson doubled in his first plate appearance in the Texas League and scored the first run of the evening on an infield single from Randy César. This was the only scoring play of the game until it got crazy in the 8th.

All four Corpus Christi runs in the 8th came with two outs. Eduardo de Oleo hit an RBI single and advanced to second when Dawson walked. Stephen Wrenn brought de Oleo in with a single and César hit a two-run single to break a 3-3 tie. César finished 3-4 on the night.

Ryan Hartman will get the start as the Hooks look for the sweep. He'll take on Cal Quantrill at 7:05.

Buies Creek 7, Wilmington 2

W- Gabriel Valdez (6-4)
L- Andrés Sotillet (1-2)

BC home runs: J.J. Matijevic (11, 14 season; solo in 7th)

The Carolina Stros tied the series at two games apiece. They dropped the three-game set in Wilmington but opened up the three-game series at Campbell University with a win.

Peter Solomon, in his Carolina League debut, allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out five over four scoreless. He could've gone on a little longer had there not been a rain delay in the 4th inning. Gabriel Valdez was the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits, walked one, and struck out six in his three innings of work. Yohan Ramirez got the last two innings and allowed one hit.

Cody Bohanek singled with one out in the 3rd and scored the first run of the evening on a Jonathan Arauz triple. Arauz would come in on a Corey Julks sac fly. The Carolina Stros added three more in the 5th on a two-run single from Bryan de la Cruz, who came around to score on a Chuckie Robinson double. Bohanek walked with one out in the 6th; he stole second and advanced to third on a bad throw down and then scored on a wild pitch that Julks struck out on. J.J. Matijevic went 2-3 and capped off the evening with a solo homer in the 7th. He and Bohanek scored two runs apiece.

The Carolina Stros and the Blue Rocks will square off again at 6:00 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 8, Quad Cities 1

W- Edwar Colina (5-3)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (4-4)
S- Jose Martinez (5)

QC home runs: Chandler Taylor (4, solo in 4th)

After sweeping the road portion of this four-game series, the home leg proved to be a debacle for the Banditos as they were outscored 16-1 and almost ended up on the wrong end of a no-hitter on Monday. Once again, the Kernels put this one away quickly and Quad Cities never threatened.

Chandler Taylor's solo blast in the 4th represented the lone Quad Cities scoring play. Marty Costes went 2-3.

Leovanny Rodriguez went 3.2 innings and allowed six runs on eight hits, walked one, and struck out two. Hansel Paulino made his Midwest League debut as the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and the two runs he allowed in his 3.1 innings came on a couple of solo homers. Paulino allowed one other hit and struck out two. Tanner Duncan struck out two over two perfect innings.

Quad Cities will begin a three-game series with Clinton at 6:35. Jairo Solís will take on Ray Kerr in the opener.

Tri-City 4, Brooklyn 3

W- Felipe Tejada (3-3)
L- Tylor Megill (0-1)
S- Juan Pablo Lopez (2)

TC home runs: Luis Encarnación (6, solo in 2nd), Alex McKenna (4, 2-run in 3rd)

The ValleyCats and Cyclones both scored in three separate innings; the difference in this game was Tri-City putting up the only crooked number on the board.

Luis Encarnación launched a leadoff homer to open the scoring in the 2nd inning and Alex McKenna smacked a two-run homer in the 3rd. César Salazar ripped a two-out double in the 7th and scored on a double from Austin Dennis. McKenna, who has homered in back-to-back games, finished 2-4 on the afternoon.

Shawn Dubin went two innings and allowed a triple to Brian Sharp, who wound up scoring on a sac fly. Felipe Tejada was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed an unearned run on four hits, walked one, and struck out two in 3.1 innings. Juan Pablo Lopez got the last 3.2 innings and the one run he allowed came on a homer. He allowed two other hits, walked three, and struck out two.

The ValleyCats will look for the sweep at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 3, GCL Marlins 2

W- Layne Henderson (3-0)
L- Karl Craigie (0-1)
S- Jervic Chavez (3)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros edged the Marlins by going ahead with a run in the top of the 9th.

Jayson Schroeder allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out one over three scoreless innings. Miguel Figueroa got the 4th and allowed two runs on two hits, walked two, and struck out two. Layne Henderson was next and he turned in four scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out four. Jervic Chavez worked around a hit to close out the game, striking out one in the 9th.

Sean Mendoza drew a walk with one out in the 3rd, advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw, and scored the first run of the day on a wild pitch. Nerio Rodriguez walked to lead off the 4th, advanced on a balk, and scored on a double from Ronaldo Urdaneta. Carlos Diaz led off the 9th by drawing a walk; he stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored the go-ahead run on a single from Nathan Perry. Urdaneta went 2-4 on the day.

Osiris Johnson and Davis Bradshaw both stole a base off of Nerio in the early going; Johnson stole second in the 1st and Bradshaw did the same in the 2nd inning, but Nerio got his revenge by catching them both. He got Johnson in the 3rd and Bradshaw got nailed in the 6th.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jayson Schroeder, RHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, K
Layne Henderson, RHP, GCL Astros: W (3-0), 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Corbin Martin, RHP, Corpus Christi

7 IP, H, 8 K; perfect through 6.2 IP

Randy César, 3B/1B, Corpus Christi

3-4, 3 RBI

Alex McKenna, OF, and Luis Encarnación, 1B, Tri-City

McKenna: 2-4, 2-R HR (4)

Encarnación: solo HR (6), 2 BB

Peter Solomon, RHP, Buies Creek

4 IP, 4 H, BB, 5 K in Carolina League debut

J.J. Matijevic, LF/DH, Buies Creek

2-3, solo HR (11, 14 season), 2 R, SB (9, 12 season)

Tanner Duncan, RHP, Quad Cities

2 IP, 2 K; perfect outing

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 2, 2018

Sacramento 4, Fresno 3 in 10 innings

W- Ray Black (2-0)
L- Brendan McCurry (3-3)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (12, solo in 4th), J.D. Davis (8, solo in 6th)

The Grizzlies got their leadoff runner home in the first extra frame, but the RiverCats got theirs home... and then some to walk off with the victory.

Jon Kemmer and J.D. Davis slammed solo homers in the 4th and the 6th, respectively, which represented Fresno's two runs in regulation. Nick Tanielu started the 10th in scoring position and came home when Myles Straw hit into a fielder's choice. Davis and Taylor Jones both finished 2-4 on the night.

Brock Dykxhoorn allowed a run on seven hits, walked one, and struck out four in seven innings of work. Reymin Guduan and Brendan McCurry both recorded four outs. Guduan had an inherited runner charged to him; he also allowed a hit,walked one, and struck out two. McCurry served up a walk-off two-run homer to Chris Shaw in the bottom of the 10th. He allowed one other hit, walked one, and struck out three.

Cy Sneed goes up against Jordan Johnson in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, Northwest Arkansas 2

W- Justin Ferrell (4-1, 5-1 season)
L- Franco Terrero (2-4)

CC home runs: Yordan Alvarez (12, 2-run in 9th), Lorenzo Quintana (4, solo in 9th)

Down to their last inning, the Hooks made it count as they seized control with six runs in the 9th.

Ryan Hartman went six innings and allowed a run on seven hits, walked one, and struck out eight. Justin Ferrell was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed an unearned run on two hits and fanned four in his two innings of work. Erasmo Pinales worked around a hit and a walk on his way to a scoreless 9th.

Randy César opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. This would be Corpus Christi's only scoring play until they went nuts in the 9th.

Alex De Goti kicked things off in the final inning with a double. He advanced a base on an error that allowed Aníbal Sierra to reach and scored the tying run on a single from Chas McCormick, which prompted the Naturals to make a pitching change. McCormick was erased at second base, but Stephen Wrenn beat out the double play attempt and Sierra managed to come home with the go-ahead run. Wrenn stole second and scored on César's second RBI single of the game. Yordan Alvarez followed by smacking a two-run homer and Lorenzo Quintana went back-to-back to cap off the onslaught.

César finished 3-5 on the evening, while Alvarez, Quintana, and Andy Piñeda all finished with two hits. Wrenn's stolen base in the 9th gives him 21 this season.

Framber Valdez will get the start in the Hooks' final game in the state of Arkansas during the regular season. He'll face Foster Griffin at 6:35.

Carolina 3, Buies Creek 2

W- Nattino Diplán (3-1)
L- Cristian Javier (3-1, 5-3 season)
S- Luke Barker (9)

BC home runs: Jake Meyers (1, 6 season; solo in 3rd)

Both teams scored a run in the 3rd and the 7th innings. The difference in this game was the Mudcats' run in the 4th.

Jake Meyers scored both of Buies Creek's runs in this game. He led off the third with his first Carolina League homer and scored on an Abraham Toro groundout in the 7th. Osvaldo Duarte finished 2-4. The Carolina Stros went 0-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

The two runs that Hector Perez allowed in his five innings came on a couple of solo homers. He allowed three other hits and struck out seven. Cristian Javier pitched 2.1 innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out three. Jesús Balaguer got a couple of groundouts in the 8th to finish the inning.

Buies Creek and Carolina will wrap up this series at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Beloit 2

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (3-1)
L- Ivan Andueza (0-4)
S- César Rosado (2)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams scored twice in the 4th inning. However, the Banditos also scored in the 2nd and the 8th, so they emerged as the winners.

Leovanny Rodriguez went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five. César Rosado turned in four scoreless to earn the save, allowing two hits, walknig four, and striking out five.

Logan Mattix doubled to lead off the 2nd and scored the first run of the night on an error that also allowed Scott Schreiber to reach safely. Quad Cities' two runs in the 4th came on a couple of RBI doubles from Colton Shaver and Schreiber. Seth Beer ripped a leadoff double in the 8th and scored the final run of the evening on a base hit from Shaver, who went 2-4. Mattix also went 2-4; both of his hits were doubles.

Jairo Solís will take on Mitchell Jordan in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:00.

Tri-City 3, Vermont 2

W- Carlos Hiraldo (1-0, 2-0 season)
L- Brady Feigl (1-1)
S- Tim Hardy (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats topped the Lake Monsters despite issuing eight walks on the evening. Vermont countered by committing three errors, while Tri-City played mistake-free defense.

Gilberto Celestino hit a two-run double in the 3rd to open the scoring and Alex McKenna ripped an RBI double in the 5th. Trey Dawson went 2-4 with a double, stole a base, and scored two of the ValleyCats' three runs in this game.

Jose Luis Hernandez and Carlos Hiraldo both pitched three innings to start off. Hernandez allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out one, while Hiraldo turned in a scoreless outing, allowing three hits, walking two, and striking out three. Ian Hardman got the first out of the 7th with a strikeout, but he ended up walking the bases loaded and one of the free passes he issued turned into a run after he left the game. Juan Pablo Lopez walked one and struck out two in 1.2 innings and Tim Hardy struck out two in a 1-2-3 9th to close it out.

Mark Moclair will take on Abdiel Mendoza in game three of this series. First pitch is at 12:05 Eastern.

GCL Nationals 3, GCL Astros 0

W- Chris Vann (1-0)
L- Edgardo Sandoval (0-1)
S- Bobby Milacki (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros were kept off the board by their complex mates.

Rhandall Sanchez went 2-4.

Edgardo Sandoval allowed a run on five hits in three innings of work. Elián Rodriguez was the first man out of the GCL bullpen and he too allowed a run in his 2.1 innings. He also allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two. Manny Ramirez allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, walked two, and struck out two in 2.2 innings.

DSL Marlins 2, DSL Astros 1

W- Yoilan Quinoñez (1-0)
L- Ricardo León (1-1)

DSL home runs: None.

All of the scoring in this game was done in the 9th inning. Unfortunately, the Marlins wound up walking off with the victory.

Javier Bermúdez broke the 0-0 tie with a sac fly that scored Junior Marte in the top half of the 9th. Yefri Carrillo finished 2-4 with a stolen base, his fourth of the year.

Wender Oberto and Heitor Tokar both threw four scoreless innings. Oberto allowed a couple of hits and struck out one while Tokar allowed a hit and struck out two. They also hit one batter apiece. The Marlins got both of their runs off of Ricardo León to win; Leon did not record an out in the 9th.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photographer unknown, picture provided to Baseball Brazil

Wender Oberto (not pictured), RHP, and Heitor Tokar, RHP, DSL Astros

Oberto: 4 IP, 2 H, K

Tokar: 4 IP, H, 2 K

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Corpus Christi

6 IP, 7 H, ER, BB, 8 K

Randy César, 3B/1B, Yordan Alvarez, LF/1B, and Lorenzo Quintana, C, Corpus Christi

César: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Alvarez: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (12)

Quintana: 2-5, solo HR (4)

This is his mugshot on his player profile on the University of Kentucky's athletics website.

John Edward Dawson III (Trey Dawson), IF, Tri-City

2-4, 2B, 2 R, SB (3)

.@loganmattix10 pic.twitter.com/zOsT3Ul9QJ

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) June 18, 2018

.@ColtonSshaver pic.twitter.com/Nqe2Z9n6a1

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) June 2, 2018

Photos by Rich Guill

Logan Mattix, OF, and Colton Shaver, 1B, Quad Cities

Mattix: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R

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

César Rosado, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (2), 4 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K

Brock Dykxhoorn, RHP, Fresno

7 IP, 7 H, ER, BB, 4 K

J.D. Davis, 3B, Fresno

2-4, solo HR (8)

Astros June 2018 MiLB Standouts

With the calendar turning from June to July, the top five Astros minor league teams are well-poised (with Corpus Christi and Quad Cities assured playoff berths as first-half winners) and the other three teams currently in first place. (We won't talk about the rookie level clubs who are struggling a bit to start their seasons.) Here are a few of the players who have helped contribute to the success of their teams in June. I have noted a few of the more outstanding accomplishments in red.

Note: If a player played at multiple levels during the month of June, he is listed under his current level, but his stats are cumulative.

FRESNO: 16-10 in June (48-33 overall); 1st place

Kyle Tucker - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Starters

• RHP Cy Sneed: 2-2 in 4 starts, 2.84 ERA, 1.066 WHIP, 4 BB:34 K in 25.1 IP
• RHP Rogelio Armenteros: 3-0 in 4 starts, 2.86 ER, 1.182 WHIP, 9 BB:23 K in 22 IP
• RHP Trent Thornton: 2-3 in 5 starts, 3.00 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, 6 BB:27 K in 33 IP
• RHP Josh James: 1-1 in 4 starts, 3.04 ERA, 1.056 WHIP, 8 BB:35 K in 23.2 IP
• RHP Brock Dykxhoorn: 2-1 in 4 starts, 3.91 ERA, 0.826 WHIP, 3 BB:25 K in 23 IP

Relief

• RHP Dean Deetz: 0-0 in 8 games, 0.90 ERA, 1.300 WHIP, 6 BB:20 K in 10 IP
• LHP Reymin Guduan: 0-0 in 5 games, 1.35 ERA, 0.900 WHIP, 3 BB:6 K in 6.2 IP
• RHP Riley Ferrell: 1-0 with 4 saves in 8 games, 1.69 ERA, 0.844 WHIP, 3 BB:17 K in 10.2 IP
• RHP Brendan McCurry: 2-0 with 2 saves in 10 games, 2.63 ERA, 1.171 WHIP, 2 BB:15 K in 13.2 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• IF Tyler White: 11 G, .333/.413/.769/1.182, 2 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 5 BB:8 K, 1 SB:0 CS
• OF Kyle Tucker: 26 G, .387/.427/.651/1.078, 8 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 8 BB:21 K, 8 SB:0 CS (led the Astros system with 22 runs scored in June)
• 1B A.J. Reed: 21 games, .256/.355/.590/.945, 2 2B, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 12 BB:22 K
• C Garrett Stubbs: 20 games, .333/.432/.435/.867, 4 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 12 BB:17 K, 2 SB:0 CS

Also, OF Myles Straw collected 11 stolen bases to one caught stealing in 28 games in June. Eight of those came following his promotion to AAA on June 16th.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 17-8 in June (49-29 overall); 1st place for season

Jorge Alcala - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Starters

• RHP Brandon Bielak: 2-0 with 1 save in 5 games/1 start, 0.48 ERA/1.125 WHIP, 7 BB:21 K in 18.2 IP
• RHP Jorge Alcala: 1-1 with 1 save in 4 games/2 starts, 1.96 ERA, 0.927 WHIP, 8 BB:16 K in 18.1 IP
• RHP Akeem Bostick: 0-1 with 1 save in 5 games/4 starts, 2.33 ERA, 1.448 WHIP, 7 BB:14 K in 19.1 IP
• RHP Corbin Martin: 3-0 in 4 games/3 starts, 2.41 ERA, 0.857 WHIP, 3 BB:11 K in 18.2 IP

Relief

• LHP Alex Winkelman: 2-0 in 6 games/1 start, 2.13 ERA, 1.184 WHIP, 6 BB:12 K in 12.2 IP (Winkelman's last 5 appearances were from the bullpen so it appears that he is being moved to a relief role)
• RHP Justin Ferrell: 1-0 in 6 games, 2.38 ERA, 1.412 WHIP, 7 BB:14 K in 11.1 IP
• RHP Erasmo Pinales: 1-0 with 2 saves in 6 games, 3.24 ERA, 0.960 WHIP, 2 BB:10 K in 8.1 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• OF Yordan Alvarez: 11 G, .370/.370/.783/1.152, 4 2B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 0 BB:15 K
• 3B Randy Cesar: 21 G, .325/.379/.525/.904, 8 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB:13 K (Cesar recently ended a 42-game hitting streak. Only 13 players have had a longer hitting streak in 151 years of minor league baseball history.)
• Alex De Goti: 23 G, .284/.310/.556/.866, 4 2B, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 2 BB:14 K
• C Jamie Ritchie: 16 G, .339/.418/.390/.808, 3 2B, 8 RBI, 7 BB:12 K, 0 SB:1 CS

BUIES CREEK: 15-9 in June (45-34 overall); 2nd place for the season (1st place in second half)

Cristian Javier - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Starters

• LHP Patrick Sandoval: 3-0 with 1 save in 5 games/3 starts, 0.00 ERA, 0.792 WHIP, 1 BB:24 K in 24 IP
• RHP Cristian Javier: 3-1 in 4 games/4 starts, 0.75 ERA, 0.667 WHIP, 7 BB:20 K in 24 IP
• RHP Gabriel Valdez: 2-1 in 5 games/3 starts, 1.42 ERA, 0.684 WHIP, 4 BB:17 K in 19 IP
• RHP Hector Perez: 2-1 and 1 save in 5 games/3 starts, 2.13 ERA, 1.105 WHIP, 12 BB:29 K in 25.31 IP
• RHP Tyler Ivey: 0-2 in 4 games/3 starts, 3.24 ERA, 1.080 WHIP, 4 BB:15 K in 16.2 IP
• RHP Abdiel Saldana: 2-0 in 6 games/3 starts, 3.51 ERA, 1.130 WHIP, 6 BB:32 K in 25.2 IP

Relief

• RHP Ronel Blanco: 2-0 with 3 saves in 7 games, 0.66 ERA, 0.951 WHIP, 5 BB:15 K in 13.2 IP
• RHP Colin McKee: 0-0 with 1 save in 5 games, 1.80 ERA, 1.600 WHIP, 4 BB:7 K in 5 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• 3B Abraham Toro: 25 G, .264/.363/.540/.903, 4 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 14 BB:19 K, 1 SB:1 CS
• OF Corey Julks: 24 G, .341/.429/.471/.899, 6 2B, 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 11 BB:19 K, 7 SB:3 CS
• OF/2B Osvaldo Duarte: 24 G, .289/.362/.494/,856, 8 2B, 3 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 10 BB:20 K, 2 SB:2 CS
• OF Ronnie Dawson: 16 G, .264/.355/.491/.845, 6 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 7 BB:14 K, 5 SB:0 CS

QUAD CITIES: 14-12 in June (44-36 overall); 3rd place for the season

There aren't a ton of standouts for the Quad Cities team right now largely because most of the players who were instrumental in getting the River Bandits to a first half first place finish have now been promoted. Many on the current roster are new to the level, but I have no doubt that they will get up to speed quickly.

Enoli Paredes - August 2016

Photo by Bryan Green

Starters

• RHP Chad Donato: 3-0 in 4 games/3 starts, 0.41 ERA, 0.773 WHIP, 4 BB:28 K in 22 IP
• RHP Enoli Paredes: 2-1 in 6 games/3 starts, 1.11 ERA, 0.904 WHIP, 10 BB:31 K in 24.1 IP
• RHP Jairo Solis: 0-2 in 5 games/4 starts, 1.35 ERA, 1.450 WHIP, 14 BB:16 K in 20 IP
• RHP Peter Solomon: 2-0 in 4 games/1 start, 1.59 ERA, 1.118 WHIP, 5 BB:21 K in 17 IP
• RHP Yohan Ramirez: 1-3 with 1 save in 5 games/2 starts, 3.38 ERA, 1.018 WHIP, 9 BB:24 K in 18.2 IP

Relief

• RHP Humberto Castellanos: 1-0 with 3 saves in 7 games/0 starts, 0.00 ERA, 1.083 WHIP, 3 BB:9 K in 12 IP
• RHP Tanner Duncan: 1-0 in 6 games, 0.84 ERA, 0.656 WHIP, 4 BB:14 K in 10.2 IP
• RHP Brendan Feldmann: 0-0 with 2 saves in 9 games, 2.89 ERA, 1.179 WHIP, 3 BB:11 K in 9.1
• RHP Carlos Sanabria: 1-1 with 3 saves in 7 games, 4.09 ERA, 1.273 WHIP, 6 BB:14 K in 11 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• LF/1B Seth Beer: 14 G, .283/.406/.585/.991, 4 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 7 BB:11 K
• C Ruben Castro: 9 G, .300/.400/.400/.800, 3 2B, RBI, 4 BB:8 K, 0 SB:2 CS
• 2B Alfredo Angarita: 21 G, .273/.364/.351/.714, 2 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI, 11 BB:12 K, 2 SB:5 CS
• OF Logan Mattix: 10 G, .278/.316/.333/.649, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB:8 K, 2 SB:0 CS

TRI-CITY: 8-7 in June (8-7 overall); Tied for 1st place

Pitchers

• RHP Devin Conn: 0-0 in 3 games/0 starts, 0.00 ERA, 0.000 WHIP, 0 BB:5 K in 5 IP
• RHP Austin Hansen: 0-0 in 3 games/0 starts, 0.00 ERA, 0.600 WHIP, 1 BB:8 K in 5 IP
• LHP Tim Hardy: 1-1 in 3 games/1 start, 1.35 ERA, 1.050 WHIP, 2 BB:6 K in 6.2 IP
• RHP Bryan Abreu: 2-0 in 3 games/1 start, 1.50 ERA, 1.250 WHIP, 5 BB:13 K in 12 IP
• RHP Hansel Paulino: 0-1 in 3 games/1 start, 2.00 ERA, 1.222 WHIP, 4 BB:10 K in 9 IP
• RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez: 0-0 in 3 games/1 start, 2.79, 0.931 WHIP, 1 BB:10K in 9.2 IP
• RHP Felipe Tejada: 2-1 in 4 games/2 starts, 2.84 ERA, 1.105 WHIP, 3 BB:14 K in 12.2 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• 2B Trey Dawson: 4 G, .429/.467/.643/1.110, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB:3 K, 2 SB:0 CS (tiny sample size but noteworthy)
• 2B/3B Enmanuel Valdez: 13 G, .300/.397/.660/1.057, 7 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 8 BB:16 K, 3 SB:2 CS
• IF Juan Pineda: 9 G, .357/.438/.429/.866, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 3 BB:11 K
• OF Gilberto Celestino: 13 G, .311/.385/.378/.762, 3 2B, 7 RBI, 3 BB:13 K, 5 SB:0 CS

GCL: 3-7 in June (3-7 overall); 5th place

Pitchers

• RHP Fredy Medina: 0-0 in 2 games/0 starts, 1.35 ERA, 0.600 WHIP, 3 BB:10 K in 6.2 IP
• RHP Christian Mejias: 0-0 with 1 save in 5 games/1 start, 2.77 ERA, 1.385 WHIP, 6 BB:15 K in 13 IP
• LHP Daniel Bello: 0-0 in 3 games/0 starts, 3.12 ERA, 1.269 WHIP, 5 BB:14 K in 8.2 IP
• LHP Jervic Chavez: 0-0 in 3 games/0 starts, 3.38 ERA, 1.125 WHIP, 1 BB:7 K in 5.1 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• C Nerio Rodriguez: 8 G, .412/.474/.588/1.062, 3 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB:4 K
• 3B Joe Perez: 3 G, .444/.583/.444/1.028, 3 BB:1 K, 1 SB:0 CS (yes, it's only 3 games but these are his first 3 pro games as a 2nd round pick after undergoing TJ surgery in 2017)
• OF Wilyer Abreu: 10 G, .394/.459/.455/.914, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 4 BB:5 K, 3 SB:0 CS
• C Nathan Perry: 9 G, .286/.412/.500/.912, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 3 BB:1 K, 0 SB:1 CS
• OF Hector Martinez: 10 G, .286/.474/.321/.795, 2B, 2 RBI, 9 BB:11 K, 1 SB:0 CS
• SS Freudis Nova: 10 G, .294/.294/.500/.794, 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 0 BB:2 K, 1 SB:0 CS

DSL: 8-17 in June (8-17 overall); 8th place

Pitchers

• RHP Ernesto Jaquez: 3-0 in 5 games/2 starts, 0.43 ERA, 0.571 WHIP, 6 BB:24 K in 21 IP
• RHP Heitor Tokar: 0-0 in 5 games/3 starts, 0.47 ERA, 0.466 WHIP, 1 BB:15 K in 19.1 IP
• RHP Franny Cobos: 0-2 in 5 games/2 starts, 1.08 ERA, 0.540 WHIP, 1 BB:16 K in 16.2 IP
• RHP Alfredi Jimenez: 0-0 in 5 games/1 start, 2.35 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, 5 BB:22 K in 15.1 IP
• RHP Valente Bellozo: 0-1 in 5 games/3 starts, 2.55 ERA, 0.849 WHIP, 5 BB:16 K in 17.2 IP

Position Players (ranked by OPS)

• OF/1B Jose Alvarez: 17 G, .333/.429/.375/.804, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 6 BB:13 K, 2 SB:1 CS
• C Carlos Hurtado: 14 G, .243/.341/.459/.800, 5 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 5 BB:4 K, 2 SB:3 CS
• 1B Victor Mascai: 24 G, .261/.324/.467/.791, 5 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 14 RBI, 8 BB:23 K, 2 SB:2 CS
• OF Yefri Carrillo: 21 G, .235/.333/.420/.753, 6 2B, 3 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 10 BB:21 K, 3 SB:2 CS

May 2018 Standouts
April 2018 Standouts

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 24, 2018

Fresno was off

The Grizzlies will start a four-game series in El Paso at 7:05 Mountain. Josh James will be on the mound for Fresno.

Frisco 9, Corpus Christi 4

W- Pedro Payano (3-6)
L- Forrest Whitley (0-1)

CC home runs: Randy César (9, solo in 6th)

The wheels fell off for the Blue Ghosts in the 5th as Frisco scored five to break a 3-3 tie. This loss snapped Corpus Christi's 10-game winning streak.

Forrest Whitley hit his first speed bump of the year as he allowed seven runs (three inherited runners charged to him) on five hits (two-run homer), walked three, and struck out six in 4.1 innings. Kit Scheetz and Dean Deetz threw 1.2 innings apiece. Scheetz could not get Whitley out of the 5th without any more damage inflicted and he also allowed a run of his own on three hits and struck out three. Deetz allowed a hit and struck out three in a scoreless outing. Carlos Sierra allowed an unearned run when he hit Josh Morgan with the bases loaded in the 9th. He also allowed a single, walked one, and struck out one.

After Whitley got tagged for a two-run homer in the opening frame, Corpus got the runs back on a pair of RBI doubles from Taylor Jones and Josh Rojas in the 2nd inning. Randy César extended the hitting streak to 41 games when he led off the 4th with a double. He moved to third on a deep flyball out from Yordan Alvarez and scored on a sac fly from Jones. César whacked a solo homer in the 6th. He and Jones finished with two hits apiece.

The 82nd edition of the Texas League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday in Midland. Corpus Christi will be represented by Taylor Jones, Randy César, Corbin Martin, Ryan Hartman, Josh Rojas, Cionel Perez, Framber Valdez, and Alex De Goti, who was just added to the roster. Myles Straw was also selected, but he will not be taking part since he's been promoted to Fresno.

The Hooks will return to action on Thursday when they embark on their second and final tour of Arkansas in 2018.

Carolina 4, Buies Creek 3

W- Cameron Roegner (7-3)
L- Brandon Bailey (2-8)
S- Luke Barker (7)

BC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (8, solo in 7th)

The Carolina Stros allowed the Mudcats to score in just one inning. Unfortunately, that one inning was enough for the Mudcats to earn the series split.

The Brandons took the mound for Buies Creek in this one. Brandon Bailey went five innings and allowed four runs (all in the 2nd) on nine hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out five. Brandon Bielak pitched three scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out two.

Chuckie Robinson put the Carolina Stros on the board with an RBI single in the 4th inning. Ronnie Dawson ripped an RBI double in the 5th and launched a solo homer in the 7th inning. They, along with Abraham Toro and Cody Bohanek, finished with two hits on the day. Dawson also stole a base, his 23rd of the season.

Buies Creek will start a five-game in Myrtle Beach tonight at 7:05 Eastern.

Beloit 8, Quad Cities 2

W- Jared Poche (3-5)
L- Carlos Sanabria (1-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Snappers went nuts on the Banditos' bullpen on Sunday.

Alfredo Angarita ripped a two-run double in the 3rd to score the only two Quad Cities runs in this game.

Enoli Paredes threw 4.2 scoreless innings to start, allowing three hits, walking three, and striking out five. Carlos Sanabria and Willy Collado had tough days at the office. Brendan Feldmann restored some semblance of order by throwing two scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out one.

Quad Cities will start a three-game series with Wisconsin at 6:35. Parker Mushinski is slated to start the opener and he'll face Bowden Francis.

Tri-City 5, Staten Island 2

W- Felipe Tejada (1-1)
L- Abel Duarte (0-1)
S- Humberto Castellanos (1, 2 season)

TC home runs: Seth Beer (4, solo in 8th)

The ValleyCats' offense came alive in the late innings as they snatched a series-opening victory in the Forgotten Borough.

Jeremy Peña and Gilberto Celestino started the 7th by reaching on an error and getting plunked, respectively. One batter later, Juan Piñeda brought them both in with a double that tied the game at 2. Piñeda wound up scoring the go-ahead run when Alex Holderbach grounded into a double play. Tri-City got some insurance in the 8th as Seth Beer led it off with a homer. Two batters later, Luis Encarnación doubled. He moved to third on a Peña single and scored the final run of the evening on a sac fly from Celestino. Beer finished 2-3 and was the only person on either side to have more than one hit in this game.

Luis Garcia did not allow a hit in his three innings of work; he walked two and struck out five. Shawn Dubin was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on two hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out two in 1.2 innings. Felipe Tejada was next; he allowed one of Dubin's runners to score and also allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out five in 3.1 innings. Ian Hardman got two outs in the 9th but also loaded the bases on a hit and a couple of walks. Humberto Castellanos got that elusive final out with a strikeout and got Hardman out of a potentially disastrous situation.

Game two of this series is scheduled to start at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 7, GCL Astros 4

W- Diego Cordero (2-0)
L- Miguel Figueroa (0-1)
S- Perry DellaValle (1)

GCL home runs: Yeuris Ramirez (1, solo in 2nd)

The Palm Beach Stros tied the game with a run in the 6th... only to see the Cardinals retake the lead with three of their own in the 6th.

Yeuris Ramirez smacked a solo homer in the 2nd and Hector Martinez added an RBI single in the 3rd. Martinez singled with one out in the 6th and was able to scamper home on Yeuris' triple. They both finished with two hits on the day.

Jose Alberto Rivera went 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three, and struck out five. Miguel Figueroa would probably also like a mulligan on his pro debut. Joey Gonzalez and Layne Henderson, his draftmates, got knocked around in their debuts and unfortunately, Figueroa continued the trend. Angel Macuare allowed an unearned run, a hit, and struck out three in 2.1 innings.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yeuris Ramirez, IF, GCL Astros: 2-4, 3B, solo HR (1), 2 RBI

Randy César, 3B, and Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi

César: 2-4, 2B, solo HR (9); 41-game hitting streak

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

Dean Deetz, RHP, Corpus Christi

1.2 IP, H, 3 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Seth Beer, LF/1B/DH, Tri-City

2-3, solo HR (4)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Luis Garcia, RHP, Tri-City

3 IP, 2 BB, 5 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Buies Creek

2-4, 2B, solo HR (8), 2 RBI, SB (23)

Brandon Bielak, RHP, Buies Creek

3 IP, 4 H, 2 K

Enoli Paredes on the mound earlier for the @QCRiverBandits pic.twitter.com/9Jeupm3CXh

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) June 13, 2018

Photo by Rich Guill

Enoli Paredes, RHP, Quad Cities

4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K 

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Aside from Tri-City running rampant in Maryland, it was a rather quiet night on the farm.

Corpus Christi with the...

Fresno was off

The Grizzlies will welcome Albuquerque to the Central Valley for a three-game set starting at 7:05 Pacific. Cy Sneed will take on former Astro Brett Oberholtzer.

Corpus Christi 1, San Antonio 0

W- Ryan Hartman (6-2)
L- Jacob Nix (1-1)
S- Riley Ferrell (7)

CC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game, and it belonged to the Corpus Christi Hooks. The Hooks had a solid week in San Antonio: they won the first-half division title and clinched a playoff berth on Monday and wound up leaving with a sweep.

Yordan Alvarez doubled with two outs in the 7th, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored that one run on a Randy César single. With that base hit, César extended his hitting streak to 37 games and tied the Texas League record that was set by Bobby Trevino in 1969. Josh Rojas doubled and stole a base (12, 24 season).

Ryan Hartman, Dean Deetz, and Riley Ferrell combined on a one-hit shutout. Hartman allowed the one hit, walked three, and struck out eight in seven innings. Deetz and Ferrell both pitched 1-2-3 innings; Deetz struck out one in the 8th and Ferrell fanned two in the 9th to complete the shutout and the sweep.

The Hooks are back home and they will begin a four-game series with Frisco at 7:05. This weekend, they will play as the Corpus Christi Blue Ghosts to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the commissioning of the USS Lexington, the World War II-era aircraft carrier which is now preserved as a museum on the shores of Corpus Christi Bay. Corbin Martin will take on Tyler Wagner in game one.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros will start a three-game series with Carolina at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will start the second half with a four-game series against the Beloit Snappers. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tri-City 11, Aberdeen 5

W- Brady Rodgers (1-0)
L- Victor Romero (0-2)

TC home runs: Enmanuel Valdez (2, 2-run in 3rd), Michael Wielansky (1, solo in 3rd), Carlos Machado (1, solo in 7th)

Brady Rodgers pitched in a real baseball game for the first time in 14 months and one day and the offense went nuts early as Tri-City notched their first series win of the season.

Rodgers, who was making his first appearance since April 19, 2017, got knocked around a bit in his two innings, but that's beside the point. He's finally getting the chance to play baseball again. Rodgers allowed four runs on three hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out three. Chad Donato dominated in his five innings as he allowed an unearned run on a single, walked one, and struck out ten. This was the first time that Donato recorded double-digit strikeouts. Devin Conn and Shawn Dubin threw scoreless innings in their pro debuts; Conn struck out one in a 1-2-3 8th, while Dubin allowed a hit and struck out the side in the 9th.

Jeremy Peña walked to lead off the game. He moved to third on a Seth Beer single and scored the first run of the evening on a passed ball. Enmanuel Valdez eventually worked a walk and then a wild pitch allowed him and Beer to advance. Beer scored on a Michael Wielansky groundout. Another wild pitch allowed Valdez to move to third and Gilberto Celestino brought him in with a double. The real fun started in the 3rd inning.

Beer ripped a double to start the 3rd and Valdez followed by launching a homer. Wielansky went back-to-back by smacking a solo homer. Tri-City then loaded the bases as Celestino reached on an error, Jose Carrillo doubled, and Andy Piñeda drew a walk following a pitching change. Carlos Machado and Oscar Campos walked in a couple of runs, and Peña drove in two more with a base hit. Machado drove in the last Tri-City run when he whacked a solo homer in the 7th. Everyone but Campos scored a run. Beer went 2-5 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game. He, Valdez, and Machado all scored twice.

Tri-City will head home to start a three-game series with the Lowell Spinners. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros were off

On occasion, I can't read a schedule correctly. The Palm Beach Stros will travel to Jupiter to take on the Marlins at noon Eastern.

DSL Royals1 2, DSL Astros 1

W- Emilio Marquez (2-0)
L- Jeremy Molero (0-2)

DSL home runs: None.

The Royals 1 scored in the 9th to tie and scored again in the 10th to walk off with the win.

Jeury Castillo went 2-4 and drove in the Academy's only run of the day with a single in the 2nd inning. Carlos Hurtado also had two hits after he came on to catch in the 6th inning.

Wender Oberto allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out three over four scoreless innings to start the ballgame. Jose Betances worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out two. Heitor Tokar allowed two hits and struck out two over three scoreless. Jeremy Molero allowed two runs (one earned), walked three (one intentionally), and struck out one in 1+ inning.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 1-0 @ San Antonio

9 IP, H, 3 BB, 11 K

Ryan Hartman: W (6-2), 7 IP,  H, 3 BB, 8 K

Dean Deetz: IP, K

Riley Ferrell: Save (7), IP, 2 K

Randy César, 3B/1B, Corpus Christi

RBI single in 7th; 37-game hitting streak ties Texas League record

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Tri-City ValleyCats: W 11-5 @ Aberdeen

11 R, 8 H

Chad Donato: 5 IP, H, unearned run, BB, 10 K

Devin Conn: IP, K

Shawn Dubin: IP, H, 3 K

Seth Beer: 2-5, 2B, 2 R

Enmanuel Valdez: 2-R HR (2), 2 R

Michael Wielansky: Solo HR (1), 2 RBI

Carlos Machado: Solo HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R

Photographer unknown, picture provided to Baseball Brazil

Wender Oberto (not pictured), RHP, Jose Betances (not pictured), RHP, Heitor Tokar, RHP, and Jeury Castillo (not pictured), IF, DSL Astros

Oberto: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Betances: IP, BB, 2 K

Tokar: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 K

Castillo: 2-4, RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 10, 2018

Fresno 12, Oklahoma City 8

W- Rogelio Armenteros (4-0)
L- Guillermo Moscoso (2-4)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed 2 (15, 2-run in 3rd, 3-run in 6th), Kyle Tucker (9, solo in 1st), J.D. Davis (5, solo in 3rd), D.J. Fisher (3, solo in 3rd)

The Grizzlies provided some Sunday night fireworks in the form of five home runs. The Dodgers wouldn't go down easily, though.

Rogelio Armenteros went six innings and allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out three. Kent Emanuel got roughed up in the 7th and I will not elaborate any further. Andrew Thome allowed a hit and got the last out of the 7th. The one run that Brendan McCurry allowed in his 2.1 innings came on a homer hit by Edwin Rios, who tagged Emanuel for a grand slam in OKC's big 7th inning. McCurry struck out one.

Everyone in the lineup chipped in with a hit. Reed, Davis, and Fisher hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the 3rd inning.

Josh James, coming off a start in which he struck out a career-high 13 batters, will get the start in the finale. He'll take on Caleb Ferguson at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 8, San Antonio 2

W- Corbin Martin (3-1, 5-1 season)
L- Jason Jester (2-1)

CC home runs: None.

Corpus busted this game open with a seven-run 7th inning.

Jorge Alcala dominated in his first Texas League start; he had made two relief appearances since his promotion. Alcala allowed just one hit, walked one, and struck out five over five shutout frames; he retired the first 11 men he faced. Corbin Martin pitched the last four innings and allowed two runs on two hits (solo homer) and struck out four.

Alex De Goti walked to lead off the 5th and he eventually scored the first run of the night on a Chas McCormick sac fly. The real fun began in the 7th.

Lorenzo Quintana led things off with a walk and moved to third on a McCormick double. Aníbal Sierra put the Hooks back in front with an RBI single. Myles Straw legged out a bunt single that scored McCormick. The threat was on the verge of ending early when Josh Rojas and Taylor Jones went down, but Randy César came through with a two-run double. Stephen Wrenn took César's place at second after bringing him in with a double, and then De Goti found himself on second after he ripped a double to score Wrenn. Quintana made another trip to the plate and he drove in Corpus Christi's final run of the evening on... you guessed it, a double. César and Quintana both finished 2-3; César singled with two outs in the 4th to extend his hitting streak to 32 games.

Cionel Perez will take the mound for game three. First pitch is at 7:05.

Down East 4, Buies Creek 2

W- Emerson Martinez (4-5)
L- Gabriel Valdez (2-3)
S- Jairo Beras (1)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros were foiled in their bid to sweep this latest iteration of the Lone Star Series in North Carolina.

Gabriel Valdez went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out four. Colin McKee allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in three innings of relief.

Ronnie Dawson ripped an RBI double to open the scoring in the 1st inning. The other scoring play came in the 7th when Jonathan Arauz hit an RBI infield single. Jake Adams (2B) and Osvaldo Duarte (2 2B, R) both finished 2-4 on the day.

Buies Creek will start a three-game series with the Carolina Mudcats. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 9, Peoria 0

W- Peter Solomon (3-1)
L- Evan Guillory (6-4)

QC home runs: Colton Shaver (7, solo in 1st), Cody Bohanek (4, solo in 9th)

The Banditos dominated the Chiefs in every facet of the game on Sunday.

Peter Solomon shackled the Chiefs for seven innings, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out seven. Carlos Sanabria allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one over the last two innings to complete the shutout.

Colton Shaver smacked a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring. Cody Bohanek kept the 4th inning alive with a single and dashed home on an Alfredo Angarita triple. The Banditos busted this one open with four runs in the 5th.

Shaver walked and Corey Julks singled to lead things off. Shaver scored when Bryan de la Cruz ripped a double. Adrian Tovalin followed with an RBI single, which forced Peoria to make a pitching change. Jonathan Lacroix got plunked to load the bases, but Quad Cities' threat was on the verge of going empty as Mike Papierski popped out on the infield fly rule and Bohanek went down on strikes, but Angarita came through with a two-run double; Lacroix was thrown out at home. Tovalin added a two-run triple to his ledger in the 6th and Bohanek capped off the day with a solo homer to lead off the 9th.

Tovalin finished 3-4 on the afternoon. Shaver, Julks, de la Cruz, Bohanek, and Angarita had two hits apiece.

Jairo Solis will get the start in the series finale and he'll take on Jesús Cruz at noon.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Quad Cities River Bandits: W 9-0 @ Peoria

Peter Solomon: W (3-1), 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K

Carlos Sanabria: 2 IP, H, BB, K

Adrian Tovalin: 3-4, 3B, 3 RBI, R

Colton Shaver: 2-5, solo HR (7), 2 R

Cody Bohanek: 2-5, solo HR (4), 2 R

Alfredo Angarita: 2-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI

Jorge Alcala, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, H, BB, 5 K

Randy César, 3B/1B, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R; 32-game hitting streak

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Fresno Grizzlies: W 12-8 vs. Oklahoma City

12 R, 17 H (5 HR)

All players in the lineup recorded at least one hit.

Garrett Stubbs: 3-5, 3 R

Kyle Tucker: 3-4, solo HR (9), 3 R

Tyler White: 3-4, 2B, RBI, R

A.J. Reed: 2-5, 2 HR (15), 6 RBI

J.D. Davis: 2-5, solo HR (5)

D.J. Fisher: solo HR (3)