Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Tacoma 5, Fresno 3

W- David Rollins (5-0)
L- Jandel Gustave (3-3)
S- Andrew Kittredge (6)

Fresno home runs: Danny Worth (11, solo in 4th), Nolan Fontana (3, solo in 5th)

The Grizzlies tied the game at 3 in the top of the 8th.... only to see the Rainiers re-take the lead following Mike Freeman's 2-run homer off of Jandel Gustave in the bottom of the inning.

Danny Worth put Fresno on the board with a solo homer in the 4th, and Nolan Fontana led off the 5th with a home run. In the 8th, Colin Moran hit an RBI single that tied the game at that point. D.J. Fisher finished 3-4 with a double and stole a base (2, 25 season).

César Valdez went 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits (solo homer) and struck out 3. Jandel Gustave walked 1, struck out 1, and allowed the go-ahead 2-run homer in the 8th, which was the only hit that he allowed in the inning.

Brady Rodgers will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Joe Wieland at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 5

W- Eric Peterson (5-3, 6-3 season)
L- Ariel Jurado (1-3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks edged the Riders on Tuesday, scoring a run in the top of the 9th to break a 5-5 tie.

Bobby Boyd tripled to lead off the game and opened the scoring on a Preston Tucker groundout. In the 3rd, Boyd hit an RBI double, and Corpus got two more RBI doubles in the 4th from James Ramsay and Roberto Peña, who drove in 2. Peña, whose 3 hits were all doubles, hit another one in the top of the 9th, advanced to 3rd on a groundout, and scored the go-ahead run on a Nick Tanielu single. Boyd, Tanielu, Ramon Laureano, and Conrad Gregor all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Cy Sneed had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 10 hits and striking out 6. Michael Freeman came on for the 7th but failed to retire any of the 3 batters he faced; Freeman allowed 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits and hit a batter. Eric Peterson took ownership of the final 3 innings. He allowed a sac fly to the first man he faced, which allowed one of the two runners he inherited from Freeman to score, but nothing more after that. Peterson allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Trent Thornton will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Scott Carroll at 7:05.

Lancaster 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4

W- Chris Murphy (1-1, 6-8 season)
L- Kevin Brown (0-1)
S- Andrew Thome (3, 7 season)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin 2 (22; 2-run in 2nd, solo in 4th)

The JetHawks were doubled up in the hit column (12-6), but they won in the column that matters...

Johnny Sewald led off the bottom of the 1st with a double, advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch, and opened the scoring on a Kyle Tucker groundout. Trent Woodward led off the 2nd with a double, and Jason Martin followed by launching his first home run of the night. Martin whacked his second homer, a solo shot in the 4th inning that put Lancaster up 4-3. Rancho tied the game with a run in the 7th, but Sewald came through with what turned out to be the game-winner, an RBI single in the 8th.

Sewald (2B, RBI, R), Woodward (2B, R), and Martin (2 HR) all finished with 2 hits in the game.

Josh James went 5.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Alex Winkelman came out for an inning of work; he got the final two outs of the 6th and the first out of the 7th. He had an inherited runner charged to him, allowed 2 hits and struck out 1. Chris Murphy allowed a hit and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings, and Andrew Thome worked around a hit to close out the win, striking out 1.

Akeem Bostick will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will kick off their final home series of 2016 against Kane County tonight at 7. Framber Valdez will face Emilio Vargas

Vermont 7, Tri-City 1

W- Brandon Bailey (2-1)
L- Austin Nicely (5-4)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats were dominated on Tuesday; they were held to just 2 hits in the game. Miguelangel Sierra scored the only Tri-City run on an error in the 2nd inning. Bryan De La Cruz and Marcos Almonte had the hits, which were both singles.

Austin Nicely allowed 5 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 5, and struck out 1. Howie Brey was the first man out, and he walked 2 and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings. Ryan Hartman pitched the final 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (solo homer) and struck out 4.

Tri-City and Vermont will wrap up their series at 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 10, Elizabethton 8

W- Devon Carr (3-3)
L- Colton Davis (0-2)
S- Lucas Williams (1)

Greeneville home runs: Luis Payano (6, solo in 7th)

The Twins scored 3 in the bottom of the 8th to take a 4-3 lead, but the Appy Astros put up 7 in the top of the 9th to take the lead and withstood a furious rally in the bottom of the 9th to escape with the win.

Frankeny Fernandez got plunked with one out in the 1st. He then stole his way to 3rd and scored the first run of the game on a sac fly from Ray Henderson. Abraham Toro tripled in the 4th and scored on a Carlos Machado groundout, and Luis Payano smacked a solo homer in the 7th.

Machado was the first man to reach in the huge 9th inning; he drew a one-out walk, then advanced to 3rd on a single from Reiny Beltre. Payano was hit by a pitch to load the bases, which prompted a pitching change. Stijn van der Meer promptly put Greeneville back in front with a 2-run double. Fernandez was intentionally walked to re-load the bases, but Henderson made the Twins regret that decision with a 2-run single. Toro added a 2-run single of his own, and Machado drove in Greeneville's final run of the evening with an RBI single in his second plate appearance of the inning.

Toro (3B, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Machado (RBI, R) had 3 hits apiece, while van der Meer was 2-5 out of the leadoff spot.

Cristian Javier went 5 innings and allowed a run on a single, walked 3, and struck out 4. Ben Smith was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen, and in 2.2 innings, he allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him), an RBI single, walked 4, and struck out 4. Devon Carr got the final out of the 8th and the first two outs of the 9th; he allowed a grand slam to Caleb Hamilton in the 9th. Lucas Williams recorded the final out of the game.

Juan Robles will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Domenick Carlini at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 7, GCL Astros 2

W- Nicolas Debora (4-2)
L- Felipe Tejada (1-1, 2-1 season)
S- Enmanuel Berihuete (1)

GCL home runs: None.

Wander Franco went 2-3 with a double and scored the Kissimmee Stros' first run on an Orlando Marquez sac fly in the 7th. He drew a base-loaded walk in the 8th to bring in their other run. César Rosado hit a batter and struck out 4 over the first 2 innings.

Tuesday's Stars

Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B, Greeneville

3-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Roberto Peña, C, Corpus Christi

3-4, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Jason Martin, OF, Lancaster

2-3, 2 HR (22), 3 RBI

Cristian Javier, RHP, Greeneville

5 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, June 13, 2016

Fresno 4, Sacramento 1

W- Juan Minaya (1-3)
L- Mike Broadway (0-3)
S- James Hoyt (13)

Fresno home runs: Jack Mayfield (1, 5 season; 3-run in 9th)

Jack Mayfield's 3-run home run with two outs in the 9th was the difference in this game.

Mayfield was the one-man show on offense from the #9 spot in the order; he finished 2-4 and drove in Fresno's first run with a sac fly that turned into a double play in the 5th inning. Matt Duffy also finished 2-4; one of his hits was a double and he also scored twice.

Mike Hauschild allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 7 innings of work. Juan Minaya threw a 1-2-3 8th, getting two groundball outs and a lineout in the process, and James Hoyt worked around a walk to record his 13th save of the season, striking out the side to do so.

Tommy Shirley will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Joan Gregorio at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 8, San Antonio 1

W- Keegan Yuhl (6-1)
L- T.J. Weir (1-2)
S- David Paulino (1)

CC home runs: Nick Tanielu (4, 8 season; 3-run in 1st), Roberto Peña 2 (3; solo in 5th, solo in 7th)

Keegan Yuhl had his way on the mound, and the Hooks offense had its way at the plate as they dominated the Missions in game 2 of this 4-game series.

Yuhl allowed just 1 hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. San Antonio spoiled the shutout by scoring a run against David Paulino in the 6th, which was the only blemish on what was still a solid performance. Paulino allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 in 4 innings of work.

Nick Tanielu put Corpus on the board first with a 3-run home run in the 1st. Beginning in the 3rd inning and ending in the 7th, the Hooks scored 5 runs and scored one run in each inning. In the 3rd, Chase McDonald hit an RBI single. J.D. Davis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 4th, Roberto Peña hit his first solo homer of the evening in the 5th, Tanielu added an RBI double to his ledger in the 6th, and Peña capped off the evening with his 2nd solo shot of the game in the 7th.

Tanielu and Peña had 2 hits apiece, while Alejandro Garcia finished 3-4 with a run scored and a stolen base (1, 7 season).

In game 3 of this series, Kent Emanuel will face Michael Kelly. First pitch is at 7:05.

Rancho Cucamonga 8, Lancaster 1

W- Josh Sborz (6-3)
L- Dean Deetz (3-2)

Lancaster home runs: None.

This current roadtrip has been an absolute nightmare for the JetHawks as they've lost all 5 games so far and have been outscored 37-6.

Bobby Boyd's bases-loaded walk in the 3rd was Lancaster's only scoring play. They were held to just 3 hits on offense; all of them were singles.

Dean Deetz went 3.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 3, and struck out 3. Rogelio Armenteros had a weird line in his 2 innings; he allowed 3 unearned runs (2 inherited runners charged to him), walked 6, and struck out 3. Kevin Comer pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4.

Josh James will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Andrew Sopko at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 12, Wisconsin 0

W- Justin Ferrell (2-3)
L- Devin Williams (1-2)
S- Albert Abreu (2)

QC home runs: None.

Everyone in the Quad Cities lineup took part in the hit parade, and on the mound, Justin Ferrell and Albert Abreu shut down the Timber Rattlers.

Ferrell threw 5 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Abreu pitched the final 4 innings and allowed 1 hit, walked 3, and struck out 6.

Christian Correa opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd inning. He advanced to 3rd on an error following an Arturo Michelena single and scored on a single from Osvaldo Duarte. Kristian Trompiz added a sac fly later in the inning. In the 4th, Pat Porter scored on an error that allowed Connor Goedert to reach; Goedert later scored on a wild pitch. Anthony Hermelyn ripped a 2-run double in the 5th, and Correa brought him home with a double. Michelena hit an RBI single to drive in Correa. Porter hit an RBI double in the 6th, and Goedert capped off the night with a 2-run double in the 8th. Michelena led the way in the hit column, finishing 3-4. Five other River Bandits had 2 hits.

In game 2 of this series, Jose Luis Hernandez will take on Marcos Diplan. First pitch is at 7:00.

DSL Astros Blue 1, DSL Royals 0

W- Jesus Bernaez (1-0)
L- Janser Lara (0-1)
S- Juan Lopez (2)

Blue home runs: Ronny Jimenez (1, solo in 1st)

Ronny Jimenez's home run in the 1st was the only scoring play of the game.

Four pitchers combined to throw a 1-hitter in this game. Maikel Sepulveda walked 4 and struck out 5 in 4 innings. Jesus Bernaez was the first man out of the Blue team's bullpen and struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 5th. Yeremi Ceballos struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 6th, and the Royals spoiled the no-hit bid against Juan Lopez, but he completed the shutout. In 3 innings, he walked 3 and struck out 4.

The Blue team is currently playing against the Rays 1.

DSL Astros Orange 7, DSL Mets2 4

W- Kilvio Peralta (1-0)
L- Jaison Vilera (0-1)

Orange home runs: Enmanuel Valdez (3, 3-run in 3rd)

Enmanuel Valdez continued the torrid start to his career; he has recorded a hit in 7 of the 8 games he has played. He clubbed a 3-run homer in the 3rd and drove in the Orange team's final run of the day with an RBI double in the 9th. Juan Infante hit an RBI double in the 2nd and scored on a single from Bernardo Heras. Hector Martinez scored on a passed ball in the 8th inning. Heras and Valdez had 2 hits apiece.

Diosward Gonzalez went 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Carlos Espinoza got the final 2 outs of the 5th and allowed 2 hits. Jacques Sambo struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 6th, and Kilvio Peralta pitched the final 3 innings, allowing an unearned run, a hit, walking 1, and striking out 2.

The Orange team is currently going up against the Red Sox 2.

Too Many Stars

Quad Cities River Bandits: W 12-0 vs. Wisconsin
12 R, 16 H

Albert Abreu, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (2), 4 IP, H, 3 BB, 6 K

Justin Ferrell, RHP, Quad Cities

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

Jack Mayfield, IF, Fresno

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

Roberto Peña, C, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 solo HR (3)

Nick Tanielu, IF, Corpus Christi

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

James Hoyt, RHP, Fresno

Save (13), IP, BB, 3 K

Mike Hauschild, RHP, Fresno

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

Keegan Yuhl, RHP, Corpus Christi

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

David Paulino, RHP, Corpus Christi

Save (1), 4 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Tweet of the Day

This is why I Love Baseball.! Up and Downs but gotta keep your mind right.!⚾️⚾️

— Robert Peña (@RobPen10) August 15, 2015

Tweet of the Day

Toronto you been real.! Hope come back in another stage.! Time to get back on the grind.! One goal ahead.! #MLB #CCHooks #onmyway #TeamPR

— Robert Peña (@RobPen10) July 20, 2015

Happy Birthday - 6/8

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

C Roberto Pena (23)
Pena was born June 8, 1992 in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and was drafted by the Astros in the 7th round in 2010. He is currently playing for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks.

Roberto Pena - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Tweet of the Day

.@cchooks #JoshHader (P) @RobPen10 (C), @ddddeevvvoooo (SP) pose for a photo after a combined no hitter 5/29/15 @MiLB pic.twitter.com/CObHPvbDRd

— Mike Janes-Four Seam (@mikejanesphotog) May 30, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 1, 2015

Their opponents got to them late....

Tacoma 2, Fresno 0

W- Forrest Snow (1-1)
L- Tyson Perez (0-1)
S- Lucas Luetge (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

Well, the Grizz had nothing going for them on offense as they were held to 2 hits. Preston Tucker and Matt Duffy both went 1-3.

Luis Cruz started it off with 5 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 3, and striking out 3. The Rainiers got their 2 runs off of Tyson Perez in the 6th inning; Perez went 2 innings and allowed 3 hits while striking out 2. Darin Downs worked around 2 hits to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 1.

Brady Rodgers will take the mound in game 3; he'll face Sam Gaviglio at 5:05 Pacific.

Frisco 5, Corpus Christi 4

W- Francisco Mendoza (1-0)
L- Jandel Gustave (0-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks scored 2 in the bottom of the 8th as they rallied to take a 4-3 lead, but that lead would be short-lived as the Roughriders re-took the lead with 2 of their own in the top of the 9th inning.

Corpus got on the board first as Carlos Correa drew a 2-out walk, stole his way to 3rd, and scored on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Jon Kemmer. Tony Kemp doubled with 1 out in the 5th and came home on a Tyler White single. Roberto Peña's 2-run single in the 8th inning put the Hooks on top, but they wouldn't be on top for long. Kemp finished 2-5.

Mike Hauschild pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits (7 singles and a double) and struck out 5. Dan Minor was the first man out; he walked 1 and struck out 2 over 1.1 scoreless. Jonas Dufek tossed 2 scoreless, walking 1 and striking out 1. Frisco cracked Jandel Gustave in the 9th; he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the inning; the go-ahead run scored when he uncorked a wild pitch.

In game 2 of this series, Lance McCullers will face Alec Asher. First pitch is at 7:05.

Modesto 3, Lancaster 2

W- Carlos Estevez (3-0)
L- Edison Frias (2-2)

Lancaster home runs; A.J. Reed (4, solo in 4th)

The Nuts got 1 run in each of the final 3 innings as they walked off with the victory in the series opener.

Mr. Golden Spikes constituted the entire JetHawks offense as he drove in both runs. A.J. Reed opened up the scoring in the 1st with a sac fly, then led off the 4th with his 4th homer of the season. Brett Phillips stole his 2nd base of the season, while Danry Vásquez and Jose Fernandez both finished 2-4; Fernandez extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Brian Holmes was excellent as he allowed just 1 hit, walked 1, and struck out 7 over 5 shutout innings. Edison Frias pitched 3.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 earned, including the game-winner) on 4 hits and struck out 3.

Michael Feliz will be on the mound for game 2. He'll face Konner Wade at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, Wisconsin 1

W- Chris Lee (1-2)
L- Cy Sneed (1-2)
S- Ryan Thompson (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got the win despite getting outhit 9-5; to me, they converted on just one more scoring opportunity.

In his season debut, Jason Martin was the River Bandits offense. He drew a bases-loaded walk in the 4th to tie the game at 1 and hit an RBI single in the 6th to put QC ahead. Everyone in the lineup drew a walk except for D.J. Fisher.

Chris Lee allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 4 over 5 innings to get the victory. All but one of the hits he allowed were singles. Keegan Yuhl tagged in for 2.2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4. The Closer, Ryan Thompson, shut it down; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and fanned 3 as he got the final 4 outs of the game.

The other 2 games in the series will start at 1:05. In game 2 of this series, Kevin Comer will face Zach Hirsch.

Three Stars: Position Players

Slim pickings here, so I'll just go with the guys who drove in 2 runs.

3.

Roberto Peña, C, Corpus Christi

2-run single in 8th inning

2. 

A.J. Reed, 1B, Lancaster

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

1. 

Jason Martin, OF, Quad Cities

1-3, 2 RBI

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Jonas Dufek, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, BB, K

Dan Minor, RHP, Corpus Christi

1.1 IP, BB, 2 K

2. 

Luis Cruz, LHP, Fresno

5 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K

1. 

Brian Holmes, LHP, Lancaster

5 IP, H, BB, 7 K

Tweet of the Day

Roberto Pena (@RobPen10) & Tony Kemp (@tonykemp6) received their @RawlingsSports #GoldGloves today! #IMHOOKED pic.twitter.com/diPEBSvKP5
— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) April 21, 2015

Tweet of the Day

We going to the ship guys.!!! 3 more.!!!@LMcCullers_41 @DMinor91 @tgmathis12 @BHolmes130 @Jobb14 @DanryVasquez @ruiz_rio @vjvelasquezrhp
— Robert Peña (@RobPen10) September 9, 2014

Happy Birthday - 6/8

Happy Birthday to ~

C Roberto Pena (22)
Pena was drafted by Houston in the seventh round in 2010 out of Puerto Rico. Consistently named as the best defensive catcher in the Astros system, Pena started his 2014 season with the High A Lancaster team. He is hitting .248/.306/.378 for the season, but those numbers are impacted by his slow start to the season. He's shown consistent improvement at the plate and is hitting .270/.326/.459 over his last 10 games (through the 6th). In his first 43 games he has a 58% caught stealing percentage.

GM Jeff Luhnow (48)
Jeff Luhnow became the 12th General Manager in franchise history on December 7, 2011 (a day which will not live in infamy) after spending nine seasons in the Cardinals organization. Luhnow has Bachelor degrees in Economics and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Northwestern. He was born and raised in Mexico City. His parents, U.S. Citizens, relocated from New York to Mexico to run a publishing business. Luhnow attended an American school, holds a dual nationality and is naturally fluent in Spanish.

Two former Astros mark the day as well ~

LHP George Brunet (Died October 25, 1991 at 56)
Brunet came to Houston in a trade with the Milwaukee Braves. In 22 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 and 1963, he was 2-7 with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.695 WHIP. He spent six seasons with the California Angels where he was 54-69 with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.202 WHIP. After his major league career was over, he played in the Mexican League for 13 years, finally retiring at 50.

RHP Dave Mlicki (46)

A 17th round pick by Cleveland in 1990, Mlicki came to Houston in June of 2001 in a trade with the Tigers for Jose Lima. He spent the final two years of his career pitching in 41 games in Houston, going 11-13 with a 5.21 ERA and a 1.465 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day

In reference to Pena's All-Star selection ~

Happy for all my teammates but especially for @RobPen10 who is finally getting much deserved recognition for his skill behind the plate!
— Lance McCullers Jr. (@LMcCullers_41) June 4, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 30, 2014

Oklahoma City 2, Omaha 1

W- Alex White (1-0)
L- Buddy Baumann (1-1)

OKC home runs: None.

The RedHawks avoided the sweep in dramatic fashion as they scored a pair in the 9th and executed the ol' walk-off squeeze play.

Mike Foltynewicz was just excellent in this one. He pitched 7.2 innings and allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 10. Both of his double-digit strikeout outings this season have come against the Storm Chasers. Josh Zeid only faced one batter; he struck out Paulo Orlando to end the 8th. Alex White worked around a 2-out infield single to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1 in the inning.

Well, it took them the entire game, but better late than never. The RedHawks had a chance to take control earlier, but they left the bases loaded in the 7th and the 8th. 4 batters appeared in the 9th, and all 4 of them reached. Kiké Hernandez kicked off the rally by walking, and then he advanced to 2nd on a Gregorio Petit single. Hernandez would score the tying run as Matt Duffy reached on an error. Petit moved up to 3rd on the play. One batter later, Carlos Perez laid down an exquisite bunt and Petit made an "unreal" slide home for the winning run. The bunt was scored as a sacrifice and Perez received credit for the only OKC RBI. He was also the owner of the lone RedHawks extra-base hit when he doubled with 1 out in the 6th.

Memphis is in town for 4. In game 1, Jake Buchanan will face Zach Petrick. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 7, Northwest Arkansas 2

W- Mike Hauschild (1-0, 3-1 season)
L- J.C. Sulbaran (2-4)

CC home runs: Telvin Nash (3, solo in 6th)

The Hooks took the opener as they were able to get themselves out of the offensive rut that they were in during the last 2 games of the Arkansas series. The Naturals briefly tied the game at 2 after they scored a pair in the top of the 3rd, but Corpus ran off 5 unanswered to get the W.

Leo Heras put Corpus on the board first in the 2nd with an RBI triple. He would score on a Tyler Heineman groundout. Nolan Fontana led off the bottom of the 3rd with a ground-rule double and scored on a Jonathan Meyer fielder's choice to put the Hooks up for good. Telvin Nash finished a triple shy of the cycle (in 3 at-bats); he swatted a solo homer (3) in the 6th and scored twice. He was plunked in his final plate appearance of the evening, in the 8th inning. Before he was hit, Heineman led off the inning with a double and scored when Delino DeShields laid down a sac bunt and an error was committed on the play. Meyer brought Nash home with a pop-fly RBI single, and DeShields scored the final run of the night on another error that allowed Preston Tucker to reach, and loaded the bases. Tucker, who finished 2-5 with a double, was credited with an RBI on the play.

Mike Hauschild finally got his 1st win at the AA level after 2 really good starts and a decent one. He pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. In his AA debut, Tyson Perez fired 3 scoreless and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Pat Urckfitz struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to wrap it up.

In the middle game of this series, Luis Cruz and Jordan Jankowski will take on Sam Selman at 7:10.

Lancaster 9, Rancho Cucamonga 1

W- Josh Hader (5-0)
L- Geoff Brown (1-3)

Lancaster home runs: Roberto Peña (3, 2-run in 2nd)

Rancho got on the board in the 6th to make it a 2-1 game, but the JetHawks took off in the 7th with a touchdown to run away with the opener and their 7th straight victory. Also, Josh Hader continued his fine season.

Hader went 7.2 and the only ding on his line was a solo homer to James Baldwin, which constituted the entire Rancho offense. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. J.D. Osborne retired all 4 Quakes hitters he faced, striking out 3 of them.

Before the JetHawks' assault in the 7th, their 2 runs came in the form of a Roberto Peña (3) 2-run homer in the 2nd. A couple of triples from Ruben Sosa and Jordan Scott signaled the beginning of the end for the Quakes. Tony Kemp then ripped an RBI double. Teoscar Hernandez walked, and then Carlos Correa hit a 2-run single. Rio Ruiz continued the assault with an RBI double, and after Peña went down for the 2nd out, Conrad Gregor drew a walk. Dan Gulbransen capped it off with a 2-run triple. Rio finished 3-4, while Correa was 2-5 with a steal (13). Sosa also had a double to go along with his triple, which served as the catalyst for the big inning, and Peña also ripped a double to go along with his blast.

Game 2 of the series has Mark Appel making his return to the Lancaster rotation. He'll take on the young phenom, Julio Urias, at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Beloit 3

W- Edison Frias (2-3)
L- Lou Trivino (3-4)

QC home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (7, grand slam in 1st)

The River Bandits swept the Snappers out of the Quad Cities as they raced out to a 7-0 lead after 4 innings, powered by Mitchell's slam in the 1st.

Chase McDonald opened the scoring in the 1st with an RBI single. Later on in the inning, Mitchell homered for the 4th straight game. The grand slam (7) extended his hitting streak and his RBI streak to 5 games. The last time he hit a grand slam was in Little League. Tyler White went 2-3 with a couple of doubles; one of them brought home Brian Holberton in the 3rd. Chan-Jong Moon added an RBI double in the 4th. Holberton and Jon Kemmer also had 2-hit nights.

Edison Frias went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and struck out 7. Chris Cotton allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 2. Tyler Brunnemann finished it off by retiring all 5 Snappers he faced, striking out 3 of them.

QC will now begin a 3-game series in Wisconsin; Evan Grills will start the opener against Zach Quintana at 6:35.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Roberto Peña, C, Lancaster

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

2.

Ronnie Mitchell, RF, Quad Cities

1-2, Grand Slam (7); 4th straight game with a home run

1.

Telvin Nash, 1B, Corpus Christi

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

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Tyson Perez, RHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K; AA debut

2.

Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Oklahoma City

7.2 IP, 6 H, ER, 10 K

1.

Josh Hader, LHP, Lancaster

W (5-0), 7.2 IP, 4 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 9 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 1, 2014

Let's play 2 in Davenport....



Swept.

Round Rock 3, Oklahoma City 0

W- Nick Tepesch (5-1)
L- Nick Tropeano (1-2)
S- Ben Rowen (1)

The RedHawks had to settle for a split as they were held off the scoreboard.

OKC only had 6 hits; Ronald Torreyes went 2-3, while Robbie Grossman's double was their only extra-base hit.

In the battle of Nicks, Tropeano came out on the short end. He went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Chia-Jen Lo was the first man out; he threw 1.2 innings allowed a hit and struck out 3. Rhiner Cruz struck out 1 over 1.1 perfect frames, and Kevin Chapman went 2 innings and allowed a run (in the 9th) on 2 hits, walked 1, and fanned 4.

OKC will now hit the road... they'll be spending this weekend and Monday in Omaha. In game 1, David Martinez will take on Brett Tomko. Now, I haven't heard that name in a while. First pitch is at 7:05.


Midland 6, Corpus Christi 5

W- Shawn Haviland (1-1)
L- Brady Rodgers (1-3)
S- Seth Frankoff (6)

CC home runs: Chris Epps (3, solo in 5th)

The Hooks came close, but.... no cigar.

Brady Rodgers got jumped for 4 runs in the 1st, but he was able to pull himself together to hold Midland scoreless for the rest of his outing. He went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (again, all in the 1st) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Travis Ballew pitched 1.2 innings and gave up an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 2, and fanned 1. Pat Urckfitz was the 3rd and final pitcher of the night for Corpus; he threw 2 innings and gave up an unearned run on 2 hits and struck out 1.

Leo Heras got the Hooks on the board in the 4th by scoring on a wild pitch. He hit a 2-out triple right before that. Epps took Midland starter Shawn Haviland deep with 1 out in the 5th. Matt Duffy added an RBI groundout in the 7th. Duffy and Heras hit RBI singles in the 9th to make it a 1-run game, but they were both stranded to end the game. Heras finished 2-5. Jio Mier went 3-5, and Andrew Aplin finished 3-4 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 2 runs scored.

The Hooks will look to avoid the sweep as they send out Troy Scribner for the finale. He'll take on Nate Long at 7:00. I think this was supposed to be Aaron West's spot in the rotation.

High Desert 13, Lancaster 7

W- Matt Anderson (2-2)
L- Chris Devenski (1-4)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks fought back bravely, but a 10-0 deficit would prove to be just too much to overcome. They had to settle for the split.

Danry Vasquez finally put the JetHawks on the board with an RBI double in the 6th. Roberto Peña walked to lead off the bottom of the 7th and would eventually score on a Tony Kemp single. Dan Gulbransen drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. Vasquez drew a bases-loaded walk in the 9th, and Peña cleared the bases with a double. He, Kemp, and Rio Ruiz had 2 hits apiece.

Chris Devenski went 4 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. J.D. Osborne was the first reliever out of the bullpen, and he gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and walked 2 in 1.2 innings. Mitch Lambson went 2 innings and allowed a run (inherited runner charged to him), a hit, and fanned 3. Richard Rodriguez got the final out of the 8th via strikeout, but not before he allowed a 2-run homer to Dario Pizzano. Pizzano was his runner, while the runner on base was Lambson's. Jamaine Cotton allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the 9th.

The JetHawks will now welcome San Jose to The Hangar for the weekend. Mike Hauschild is listed as the starter when you first pull up the JetHawks' home page, but he's only spent 5 days on the 7-day disabled list. So, Brian Holmes, who's in California right now, could get the start. However, he's not listed on the roster, nor has an announcement been formally made regarding his roster status.

Well, whoever's starting for the JetHawks will take on Joe Biagini at 6:30 Pacific.


Game 1: Clinton 5, Quad Cities 4

W- Carlos Misell (4-1)
L- Andrew Thurman (2-2)
S- Rafael Piñeda (2)

QC home runs: Brian Holberton (2, solo in 2nd)

The River Bandits got 3 in the bottom of the 6th to make it a 1-run game, but a double play in the 7th was the backbreaker in their comeback attempt.

Down 3-0 in the 2nd, Brian Holberton put QC on the board by taking Carlos Misell for a ride. Holberton got things started in the 6th with a single, then came around to score on a James Ramsay double. Ramsay advanced to 3rd on a single from Tanner Mathis and scored on an Alex Gonzalez single. Mathis, the new lead runner, was erased at 3rd as Thomas Lindauer attempted a sac bunt, so Gonzalez ended up scoring on a Brett Phillips double. Lindauer was thrown out at home trying to score. Holberton was not retired in any of his 4 plate apperances; he finished a triple shy of the cycle (in 3 at-bats).

Andrew Thurman pitched 2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Chris Cotton was the first man out, and he pitched 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1. Pat Christensen threw 2 scoreless and allowed a hit while striking out 2.

Well, would the River Bandits split yet another doubleheader?


Game 2: Clinton 3, Quad Cities 1

W- Paul Fry (1-0)
L- Alex Gonzalez (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

QC manager Omar Lopez ran out of relievers, so Gonzalez, who started at 3B in the first game, got the call to preserve a 1-0 lead in the 7th. He pitched valiantly, but Burt Reynolds unleashed a 3-run blast with 1 out in the inning to give the LumberKings the lead, and eventually the win. Edison Frias was not available; he's scheduled to start on Saturday.

The 4 hits in this game belonged to Brett Phillips (double and triple) and James Ramsay (single and double). Tyler White's sac fly in the 3rd accounted for the lone River Bandits run.

Chris Lee had a no-hitter going for 4 innings, but he did issue 6 walks against 3 strikeouts. But again, he did keep Clinton off the board. Andrew Walter worked around a hit and a hit batter to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 2. Tyler Brunnemann struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 6th, and Gonzalez couldn't hold the lead.

The River Bandits will now spend the weekend in scenic Beloit, Wisconsin. They've got a 3-game series with the Snappers. Evan Grills will start the opener against Lou Trivino at 6:30.

Three Stars

3.

Roberto Peña, C, Lancaster

2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R

2.

Andrew Aplin, CF, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2 2B, 3B, 2 R

1.

#167631057 / gettyimages.com

Brian Holberton, C, Quad Cities
Game 1 vs. Clinton: 3-3, solo HR (2), 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday's Games

Bristol White Sox 4, Greeneville Astros 1
Steve has already posted an eyewitness account of the game yesterday. So check it out if you already haven't.

GCL Blue Jays, GCL Astros

-Suspended after first due to rain. To be completed today.

DSL Astros, DSL Mariners  
-Suspended in the middle of the fourth due to rain.

Lowell Spinners 4, Tri-City Valley Cats 5 (10)
Mark Appel made his professional debut in a Valley Cats extra-inning win at home on Friday. Appel allowed two runs (1ER) on three hits in the first inning and then settled down to record a 1-2-3 second inning before leaving the game (he was on 30-pitch limit in his debut). Appel also struck out the last batter he faced in the first. Tanner Bushue followed for two and a third and allowed another two on four hits and walked a pair. Patrick Christensen (1-0) picked up the win, his first, in relief pitching the last six outs of the game. Christensen induced a double play to end the ninth inning, then went three-up, three-down in the 10th, striking out one. Two Tri-City batters had multi-hit nights, D'Andre Toney and Conrad Gregor. Toney went two-for-four with a strikeout and Gregor hit three-for-five with a double, two RBI and a strikeout. The winning run was scored when pinch-runner Thomas Lindauer scored from third on a passed ball in the 10th.

Quad Cities River Bandits 7, Kane County Cougars 8
Quad Cities battled back in this game, but ultimately ended up a run short of tying it, falling for the second night in a row to their rivals. Jordan Jankowski started and threw seven innings before exiting the game, the longest start of any River Bandit pitcher this year. Jankowski allowed three runs on six hits (2HR), walked one and struck out a pair during his time on the hill. John Neely (2-5) picked up the loss and the blown save (3) after entering with one out in the eighth. Neely allowed three inherited runners to score before giving up two runs of his own on two hits in the inning. Neely also walked one and struck out the same. Roberto Pena's bat was busy at the plate, Friday. Pena hit four-for five, scored a run and tallied three RBI, bringing his season total to 35. Teoscar Hernandez (1X5 R HR RBI SO) got the River Bandits on the board in the first with a leadoff homer. Jobduan Morales hit two-for-four with a double and two RBI.

Lancaster JetHawks 7, Inland Empire 66ers 6 (11)
The longball punctuated Lancaster's extra-inning win, Friday. Brandon Meredith (1X4 R HR 2RBI SO) hit a solo shot with one out to tie the game in the ninth inning and two innings later Chris Epps (2X5 R HR RBI) swatted a solo homer of his own to put the JetHawks ahead for the win. Matt Duffy (2X5 R HR 2RBI 2SO) started the trend off by hitting a round-tripper in the fourth that scored M.P. Cokinos (2X5 2R 2B RBI). Andrew Aplin went two-for-three with a run scored, double and drew a pair of walks. Thomas Shirley pitched the first five and two thirds, allowing two runs on five hits, walking three and K-ing four. The win went to Theron Geith (6-0) who worked the ninth and 10th, allowing one hit and one walk as he struck out one. Travis Ballew pitched the 11th, retiring the side in order to collect his 14th save of the season.

Corpus Christi Hooks 10, Springfield Cardinals 8
The Hooks scored five runs in the first inning to bounce the opposition's starting pitcher two outs into the game. Mike Foltynewicz (4-1) earned the win, starting for Corpus Christi and through five, allowing a pair of runs on three hits (HR), walking five and striking out seven. Kyle Hallock entered one out into the seventh and cruised through his outing before finding trouble in the ninth. Before then Hallock allowed a couple of walks, in the ninth Hallock recorded five runs on four hits (HR) and two more walks in two outs time. Andrew Robinson came on to record the last out of the game and did, facing one batter to earn his first save. Jonathan Meyer hit a two-run homer in the third inning to put the Hooks up 7-0. Meyer finished the day at two-for-four with three runs scored, that homer and three RBI. Raoul Torrez (2SO) hit one-for-four and picked up three RBI of his own in the first inning on a two-out double. Kiké Hernandez (0X3 R 2RBI BB SO) and Zach Johnson (2X3 2B 2RBI BB) also had two RBI games. Hernandez's two RBI came by way of a walk and a throwing error that allowed him to reach base.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 0, New Orleans Zephyrs 4
The RedHawks had eight hits and a walk on Friday, but left all nine players on the bases as they were shut out on the road to snap a three-game winning streak. Jake Buchanan (1-1) started and took the loss after throwing six innings. Buchanan recorded three runs on five hits (HR) as he struck out nine. Brandon Laird and Jose Martinez both had two hits in the game. Laird went two-for-four with a strikeout and Martinez hit two-for-four with a double. Jon' Singleton went aught-for-four with three strikeouts.  

Player of the Day: Quad Cities may have lost yesterday, but Roberto Pena's performance was far from losing. Great game.

Pitcher of the Day: Travis Ballew gets the nod today for picking up his 14th save of the season in commanding fashion. Ballew is nothing if not consistent and that is invaluable on the diamond. Well done. An honorable mention also goes out to Jake Buchanan and his nine strikeouts—wowza.

Appy Astros - Catcher Development - Throwing Out More Runners

The other day I saw this tweet:

#qctimes @QCRiverBandits Roberto Pena throws out 3 LumberKings attempting to steal. He's denied 30 of 53. In '02 here, Joe Mauer 46-of-107
— Steve Batterson (@sbatt79) July 3, 2013

That is an impressive stat and puts him in impressive company.  It got me thinking about how well Roberto Pena has been throwing out runners this season and it made me curious about how much growth this showed. The growth with Pena was significant and I wondered if it was just him or were other catchers in the Astros organization showing similar growth. So I went back and looked across the system at each catcher who had caught in at least 20 games this season and compared their 2012 stolen base percentage (SB%) to their 2013 SB%. Click here to find out what I learned.

Tweet of the Day

Robert Peña ‏@RobPen10
My boy @LMcCullers_41 signing cards.!! 5,000 maybe half day signing.!! pic.twitter.com/SstWkpTZRa

Happy Birthday - 6/8

C Roberto Pena (21)
Pena was drafted by Houston in the seventh round in 2010 out of Puerto Rico. He ended the 2012 season playing for the California League Champion JetHawks, but he is back at Low A Quad Cities to start the 2013 season as he works on getting his bat to catch up with his superior defensive abilities. In 37 games, he is hitting .284/.333/.390 and has a caught stealing percentage of 59% this season (40% during his minor league career).

RHP Gerado Sanchez (24)
A native of New Mexico, Gera Sanchez was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2012 and played for the GCL in his first season. This season, Sanchez has appeared in 13 games out of the bullpen at Quad Cities so far this season with a 4.07 ERA and a 1.151 WHIP. He has struck out 27 batters in 24 and a third innings while walking only five.

GM Jeff Luhnow (47)
Jeff Luhnow became the 12th General Manager in franchise history on December 7, 2011 (a day which will not live in infamy) after spending nine seasons in the Cardinals organization. Luhnow has Bachelor degrees in Economics and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Northwestern. He was born and raised in Mexico City. His parents, U.S. Citizens, relocated from New York to Mexico to run a publishing business. Luhnow attended an American school and holds a dual nationality. Naturally, the chronic overachiever is fluent in Spanish as well. He attended his first major league games as a child in the Astrodome. That's about the only thing I have in common with him.

Last year, I asked Jeff to tell me something about himself that most people don't know. He was generous enough to answer my question, and one of his answers had to do with holding two patents. Again, overachiever!!! His other answer, however, was one I could get behind. He completed an accelerated free fall program and jumped out of a plane at 12,000 feet. Ha!!! So did I! Except I jumped out between 10,000 and 11,000 feet ... even on that, he's an overachiever.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

LHP George Brunet (Died October 25, 1991 at 56)
Brunet came to Houston in a trade with the Milwaukee Braves. In 22 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 and 1963, he was 2-7 with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.695 WHIP. He spent six seasons with the California Angels where he was 54-69 with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.202 WHIP. After his major league career was over, he played in the Mexican League for 13 years, finally retiring at 50.

RHP Dave Mlicki (45)
A 17th round pick by Cleveland in 1990, Mlicki came to Houston in June of 2001 in a trade with the Tigers for Jose Lima. He spent the final two years of his career pitching in 41 games in Houston, going 11-13 with a 5.21 ERA and a 1.465 WHIP.

Getting to Know Astros Catcher Roberto Peña

Roberto Peña, a seventh round pick in 2010 out of Puerto Rico, is seen by many to be the best defensive catcher in the Astros system. But it is his bat that is getting some attention right now. Peña has hit .371/.412/.532 with four doubles, two home runs and ten RBI in 16 games for Quad Cities this season. He is currently on an 11-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 15 of 16 games.

Peña, who won't be 21 until next month, started last season with Low A Lexington but was pressed into service at High A Lancaster when catcher injuries in the system took their toll, and although he was starting to catch up to the High A level with his bat toward the end of the season, the Astros wanted him to really concentrate on his hitting, working with Hitting Coach Joel Chimelis in Quad Cities to start this season. So far, so good.

According to Chimelis, he has been working with Peña on making a minor adjustment and "right now he feels pretty comfortable with it." Chimelis continued, "Now he's hitting the ball and he's hitting it with some authority whereas before ... he'd get his hits, but it was soft contact. I wanted him to drive the ball and the position he was getting into wasn't allowing him to do that. So far, he feels pretty comfortable with [the adjustments] and he's seeing the ball great."

Ariel Ovando and Roberto Peña (R) - April 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I spoke with Peña on Sunday about his hitting, among many other things, "I’m trying to be more balanced on my stance because I was leaning forward when I was hitting last year. I was talking to our hitting coaches, [Minor League Hitting Coordinator] Ralph [Dickenson] and Chimelis, and they put me on a plan that I can be more balanced on my stance so that’s been working a lot with me." Peña was a little disappointed to be starting the season at Low A after finishing 2012 at High A Lancaster, but he assured me, "I’ve got to still play and still play hard and do my stuff. They sent me over here to work on my hitting with Chimelis and that’s what I’m doing."

I wondered how the tandem pitching program affects the catcher. According to Peña, his preparation for games does take a bit more time, "It’s tough but we’ve got to deal with it. It’s the minor leagues. That’s our job."

Are there any pitchers on the Quad Cities staff that really stand out for one reason or another? "They’re all pretty good. I love to catch this pitching staff that we’ve got here. They throw a lot of strikes, and they throw the ball down. That’s pretty good for a catcher and for them too. If I were to name a guy, probably [Vincent] Velasquez is pretty good. He throws hard. He throws the ball down and can throw all his pitches for strikes."

I then asked him some of my random questions. On which Astros pitcher he would least like to face, Peña noted, "Probably [Nick] Tropeano. He’s filthy. He’s got a good change up, a good split, throws hard, good curveball." On who on the team makes him laugh, "Probably [Teoscar] Hernandez and [Jesse] Wierzbicki. They’re the two funniest guys on our team. [Hernandez is] quiet on the field. In the clubhouse, he’s a funny guy." On what he'd do if he couldn't play baseball, "Probably [be] an engineer. That’s what I like. I was going to go to school to study engineering."

Most people probably don't know that Peña was originally a shortstop, "I was a shortstop and when I was in Puerto Rico, [I was] getting a little big [and was told] you’ve got to move to third base or catching, but we’re going to try you at catching. And I said, 'OK, let’s go.' And I got my times [throwing to second] and my first time, my pop time to second base was 1.87 and that was my first throw, and I [thought] 'Wow!' And after, I threw a couple [at] 1.76, 1.79 and I stayed there." Which is probably why Peña has a career caught stealing percentage of 39% and is actually throwing out 67% of runners trying to steal on him this season.

Which brings us back to the core of who Roberto Peña is. He is a catcher, pure and simple, and a very good one at that. I talked to Quad Cities Pitching Coach Dave Borkowski who had this to say about Peña, "It's like throwing to a pillow back there. He's smart. He calls a great game so all you've got to do is concentrate about executing pitches. He's a lot of fun to throw to. He's energetic. I think he makes the guys focus and concentrate better when he's back there. He makes sure they're locked in and they're in the game." Chimelis added this in describing Peña, "If you don't notice a catcher, like just so quiet back there [that] you don't even know he's there, that means he's catching every ball, nothing's getting past him. That's the sign of a good catcher."

When I asked Peña to brag on himself, he told me that he tries to "call a good game, throw good, block good" adding, "If the pitcher struggles, [I] go talk to him. I’m probably average to above average with all that stuff." Borkowski would disagree with Peña's assessment of himself, "He's a very good catcher. He could probably catch in the big leagues right now."

And that brings us full circle to Peña's hitting. When I spoke with Chimelis, I theorized that Peña has what it takes to be a major leaguer and that his floor is that of a very good back-up catcher in the major leagues. But if he can hit, he can write his own ticket. Chimelis agreed that if Peña can hit .250 or .260 at every level, the sky is the limit for him and that's what they've been working on, "We're trying to put him in a position where he can have success at the higher levels, where it doesn't matter where he hits, he could compete and have some success." .371/.412/.532 ... so far, so good.

Thanks to Roberto Peña, Joel Chimelis and Dave Borkowski for taking the time to speak with me. And the best of luck to Peña as the season unfolds.

Funky Foto Friday

I've been playing over the last few days with a site called BeFunky that lets you apply all kinds of different effects to photos. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Roberto Peña

Ariel Ovando

Marc Wik

Jose Altuve

 

Folty and Company

 

Kiké Hernandez

Jon Singleton

Astros Minor League Depth - Catcher

As Spring Training approaches, I've been looking at the Astros minor league depth, position by position.  Today, we look at the catchers in the organization who had the best seasons in 2012.

Carlos Perez and Roberto Pena

Lancaster - August 2012

Photo by Jayne Hansen

The embedded chart shows catchers in the organization ranked from high to low in terms of OBP. I have noted their current age and the last level at which they played.

One thing strikes me immediately when looking at this list -- youth. Except for Ben Heath and Chris Wallace who are each 24 years old, the rest of these players range from 20 to 22.

Tyler Heineman leads the list in his first year with the organization. The 2012 eighth round draft pick also leads this list in batting average and OPS. He was the New York-Penn League batting champion for 2012 as well. But Heineman isn't just a good hitter. He's also a great defensive catcher and had one of the top caught stealing percentages in the Astros minor league system at 41%. M. P. Cokinos would certainly have gotten much more attention for his offensive output had he not been playing alongside Heineman.

Another catcher who has everyone excited since he came into the system as a part of the 10-player Houston-Toronto trade in July is Carlos Perez. Much like Heineman, he looks to be the complete package offensively and defensively and boasted a 47% caught stealing rate at Lancaster (34% overall).

Also relatively new to the organization is Jobduan Morales who came to the Astros organization in the Justin Ruggiano trade with Miami. Morales' bat was valuable enough that he frequently appeared as a DH when he wasn't used behind the dish. That was true of his winter season in Puerto Rico as well.

Max Stassi just came in to the Astros organization this week as a part of the Jed Lowrie/Fernando Rodriguez trade with Oakland. He ranks in the middle of the pack with his on-base skills. It is his power potential that sets him apart from the rest of the group as he hit 18 doubles and 15 home runs on the way to a .468 slugging percentage. In 2012, he had a 24% caught stealing rate.

There are a couple players on this list whose playing time was very limited and many might question their inclusion. Luis Alvarez didn't see a great deal of playing time during the season, but put up some very good numbers. He followed up with an outstanding winter season with the Liga Paralela in Venezuela. That is enough to keep me interested in Alvarez. Pedro Coa was one of the few offensive bright spots on the DSL team in 2012. That, coupled with a 60% caught stealing rate, has me looking forward to seeing what he will do in 2013.

Heath and Rene Garcia were both having good years when injuries shortened their seasons. Roberto Pena was promoted to Lancaster largely due to injuries putting a strain on the catching staff throughout the system. Pena is widely regarded as a premium defensive catcher, but he struggled offensively after the promotion. I think the 20-year old will start to catch up with the more advanced pitching in the coming season if he is given regular playing time.

Chris Wallace had an uneven season offensively, but overall hit extremely well in the second half of the season. What he needs to focus on most, though, are base runners. He only managed a 12% caught stealing rate in 2012.

Ernesto Genoves' offensive output fell off from the prior season, but reports (from Appy Astros) are that he became much more solid defensively. I'm still intrigued by Genoves' potential, but he is going to have to show me that he is capable of getting to the next level developmentally in the coming season.

Tuesday: Lefty Starters
Wednesday: Lefty Relievers