Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, June 7, 2019

Round Rock 10, Salt Lake 0

W- José Urquidy (3-0, 5-2 season)
L- Greg Mahle (1-3)

RR home runs: Yordan Alvarez (23, 2-run in 9th)

The E-Train administered a beatdown to close out a series and they administered another beatdown to begin a new series.

José Urquidy allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out eight over six shutout innings. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he went two innings, walking one and striking out one. Ronel Blanco allowed a hit in the 9th but was able to complete the shutout without further incident.

The Express wasted little time in pouring it on as they scored four in the top of the 1st inning. Josh Rojas got things started with a two-run double and he eventually scored on a Taylor Jones sac fly. Drew Ferguson, who walked in front of Jones, scored on Nick Tanielu's triple. Aníbal Sierra grounded into a force out that allowed Jones to score in the 4th and they got two more runs on a sac fly from Alex De Goti and a wild pitch that allowed Oscar Campos to come home.

Rojas doubled to lead off the 9th and one batter later, Yordan Alvarez launched a two-run homer. Ferguson and Jones followed with singles and Sierra capped off the evening with an RBI single that brought Ferguson home.

Rojas finished 3-5 and all three of his hits were doubles. De Goti, Tanielu, and Campos all finished 2-5 on the night.

Game two of this series will start at 6:35 Mountain. Cionel Pérez getting recalled to Houston has thrown the Round Rock rotation out of whack for the time being, so whoever gets the start will take on former Astro Nick Tropeano.

Amarillo 12, Corpus Christi 3

W- Ronald Bolaños (1-0)
L- Bryan Abreu (3-2, 4-2 season)

CC home runs: Seth Beer (3, 12 season; solo in 2nd)

The Sod Poodles put up crooked numbers in all of the innings in which they scored and buried the Hooks on Friday.

Seth Beer led off the 2nd with a homer. Unfortunately, between this play and Corpus Christi's next scoring play, Amarillo went on a 12-0 run. The Hooks scored twice in the 9th as Chuckie Robinson came home on a double play and Ramiro Rodríguez hit an RBI single. No one in the Corpus lineup had more than one hit.

Bryan Abreu went four innings and allowed three runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out seven. Yohan Ramirez came out for the 5th to make his second Texas League appearance. He got two outs via the strikeout, but I think he'd like a do-over. Carlos Sanabria didn't fare much better; he allowed two runs on two hits, walked two, and struck out one in 1.1 innings. Tommy DeJuneas was the only Corpus pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing as he allowed a hit and struck out two in two innings. Carlos Canelón got the 9th and he allowed three runs on four hits, one of which was a two-run homer.

Cristian Javier will take on Kyle Lloyd in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:15.

Wilmington 2, Fayetteville 0

W- Josh Dye (1-0)
L- Brett Conine (1-1, 4-3 season)
S- Tyler Zuber (10)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

There was one scoring play in this game and it did not belong to the Woodpeckers.

Jacob Meyers and Miguelangel Sierra had two hits apiece. Meyers doubled to lead off the game and that turned out to be the only extra-base hit of the game.

Chad Donato allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out four over six shutout innings. Wilmington got to Brett Conine for a two-run single in the 7th that was the one scoring play in this game. Conine allowed two other hits, walked two, and struck out three over the final two innings.

Shawn Dubin gets the start in game three of this series. He'll face Jackson Kowar at 6:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 2, Kane County 0

W- R.J. Freure (4-1)
L- Matt Tabor (1-2)
S- Julio Robaina (1)

QC home runs: None.

Normally, when a team's pitchers issue ten walks in a game, their team usually loses. This game proved to be the exception, however, as R.J. Freure and Julio Robaina battled their wildness and somehow managed to keep the Cougars off the board at the same time.

The Banditos also returned to the Quad Cities after another flood threat forced them to move the previous series to Peoria.

Both of them allowed two hits and walked five. Freure struck out six in 5.1 innings, while Robaina struck out two over the final 3.2 innings to complete the shutout.

Jeremy Peña opened the scoring with an RBI infield single in the 5th and Trey Dawson added a sac fly in the 6th inning. Peña, Austin Dennis, and Freúdis Nova all finished 2-4 on the evening.

Game two of this series will begin at 6:35.

DSL Astros 5, DSL Athletics 1

W- Jherson Pereira (1-0)
L- Carlos Leandro (0-2)
S- Ronny Garcia (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The DSL team continued their fine start to the season.

Reimy Beltre pitched two innings and allowed a run on a bases-loaded walk, one of two walks that he issued, and struck out three. Jherson Pereira tagged in for five innings and he allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out seven. Ronny Garcia got the last two innings and allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out three.

Ricardo Balogh put the Academy on the board with a two-run single in the 4th. Omar Díaz ripped an RBI double in the 6th and then stole home as part of a double steal. Junior Marte, who stole second on the double steal and then moved to third on an errant throw, scored on Frank Perez's groundout. Díaz and Marte scored two runs apiece.

The DSL Astros' next two games will be against the Braves. They'll host the Braves at their complex at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jherson Pereira, RHP, DSL Astros: W (1-0), 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K
Ronny Garcia, RHP, DSL Astros: Save (1), 2 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K
Omar Díaz, OF, DSL Astros: 1-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (3)

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 10-0 @ Salt Lake

9 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 9 K

José Urquidy: W (3-0, 5-2 season), 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: 2 IP, BB, K

Ronel Blanco: IP, H

Josh Rojas, UTIL, Round Rock

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tommy DeJuneas, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, H, 2 K; only Hooks pitcher to have a scoreless appearance

Chad Donato, RHP, Fayetteville

6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Julio Robaina not pictured.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 2-0 vs. Kane County

9 IP, 4 H, 10 BB, 8 K

R.J. Freure: W (4-1), 5.1 IP, 2 H, 5 BB, 6 K

Julio Robaina: Save (1), 3.2 IP, 2 H, 5 BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 19, 2019

The upper-level affiliates got stung by late comebacks on Sunday...

Nashville 9, Round Rock 7

W- Zac Curtis (1-0)
L- Reymin Guduan (0-1)

RR home runs: Drew Ferguson (4, 2-run in 6th), Yordan Alvarez (18, solo in 1st)

The Express scored three in the 8th to break a 4-4 tie, but the Sounds ended up getting the last laugh as they scored five in the 9th to steal this Sunday matinee.

Cionel Pérez went five innings and allowed four runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out six. Ronel Blanco was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he turned in a fine outing, allowing two hits, walking two, and striking out five over three scoreless. Reymin Guduan couldn't close it out as he allowed four unearned runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on two hits (three-run homer), walked one, and struck out one. Brendan McCurry got the last out of the 9th, but not before Nashville took the lead thanks to a two-run homer from Hunter Cole. McCurry allowed one other hit and one of the runs from that homer was charged to Guduan as an unearned run.

Kyle Tucker opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the 2nd inning. Drew Ferguson clubbed a two-run homer in the 6th and stop me if you've heard this before, but Yordan Alvarez launched a solo shot not long after. Round Rock's three runs in the 8th all came with two outs. Myles Straw kept the inning alive with a single and then Yordan Alvarez (intentionally) and Taylor Jones both walked to load the bases for Tucker, who came through with a two-run double to put Round Rock in front. A.J. Reed then drew a walk to re-load the bases for Nick Tanielu, who walked in Jones for the last Express run of the afternoon.

Tucker went 2-4 and was the only player in the Express lineup to finish with a multi-hit game. Alvarez and Jones both scored twice.

The Express and Sounds will play the fifth and final game of this series at 7:05.

Midland 4, Corpus Christi 3

W- Zack Erwin (2-2)
L- Justin Ferrell (0-2)
S- John Gorman (2)

CC home runs: Granden Goetzman (9, solo in 2nd)

The RockHounds forced the split by scoring three in the 7th to take the lead. The Hooks had a chance to tie in the 9th but they stranded runners on the corners to end the game.

J.B. Bukauskas allowed a run on four hits and struck out six in six innings. Possibly the most important stat that he put up was zero walks, the first walk-free appearance of his season. Bukauskas entered the day with 22 walks in 24 innings. Justin Ferrell bore the brunt of the Hounds' big 7th inning; he only got two outs and allowed three runs (one inherited runner charged to him). The two runs that he himself allowed came on a double and he also walked two. Colin McKee got the last out of the 7th, but not before he allowed an RBI single that put Midland in front. That run was also charged to Ferrell. McKee struck out two in 1.1 innings.

Granden Goetzman led off the 2nd with a homer that opened the scoring. Ronnie Dawson followed with a double and he came around to score on a single from Josh Rojas. Seth Beer hit an RBI single in the 5th. Rojas finished 3-4 on the afternoon, while Chas McCormick went 2-4.

Corpus will now head up to Amarillo to start a three-game series at 7:05. Brandon Bielak will start game one.

Fayetteville 11, Carolina 0

W- Yohan Ramírez (1-2)
L- Matt Smith (1-4)

Fayetteville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (6, solo in 3rd), Jake Adams (6, 2-run in 3rd)

The Woodpeckers avoided a sweep by dominating the Mudcats in all facets of the game.

Yohan Ramirez allowed the one hit, walked one, and struck out 11 over 6.2 innings and Hunter Martin completed the shutout by striking out five over 2.1 perfect innings.

Miguelangel Sierra opened the scoring by leading off the 3rd inning with a home run. Jake Adams launched a two-run homer later in the inning. Scott Manea hit a two-run single in the 5th and then Fayetteville put this game away with a six-run 8th inning.

Manea was plunked to lead off the 8th. Scott Schreiber then drew a walk and they both advanced a base on a wild pitch. Manea scored on Michael Papierski's single and then Sierra got plunked to load the bases. Jacob Meyers popped out in foul territory for the first out, but Jonathan Arauz managed to come through with a two-run double. Corey Julks followed with an RBI single. Jake Adams went down on strikes for the second out, but another wild pitch allowed Arauz to score and Colton Shaver capped off the afternoon with an RBI double.

Arauz (2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R), Shaver (RBI 2B), and Manea (2B, 2 RBI, R) all finished with three hits on the day. Julks finished 2-5 with an RBI and scored twice.

Fayetteville hits the road this week. The first leg of this roadtrip takes them to Winston-Salem, where they'll begin a four-game series with the Dash at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 11, Peoria 9

W- Humberto Castellanos (2-0)
L- Evan Sisk (1-2)

QC home runs: Trey Dawson (3, 3-run in 7th)

The Banditos withstood a 9th-inning rally from the Chiefs to take the series.

Matt Ruppenthal went 4.2 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out two. Humberto Castellanos tagged in for 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits, walking one, and striking out five. Riley Cabral got the 9th and he allowed two runs on two hits, walked one, and struck out two.

Jeremy Peña scored the first run of the day on a wild pitch in the 1st. Marty Costes scored on an error in the 3rd. Quad Cities got two in the top of the 5th thanks to a pair of RBI singles from César Salazar and David Hensley. After Peoria took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the 5th, Trey Dawson scored on an error in the 6th to tie the game and then he put the Banditos back in front with a three-run blast in the 7th inning. With two outs and the bases loaded in the 9th, Michael Wielansky hit a two-run single and Peña followed with an RBI base hit of his own to push the Quad Cities lead to 11-7.

Salazar went 3-5 on the day while Wielansky (2B, 2 RBI) and Hensley (2B, RBI, 2 R, SB) both finished with two hits apiece.

Quad Cities wraps up their current roadtrip with a four-game series in Kane County. Luis Garcia will start the opener and he'll go against Levi Kelly at 6:30.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net.

Fayetteville Woodpeckers: W 11-0 vs. Carolina

11 R, 14 H

9 IP, H, BB, 16 K

Jonathan Arauz: 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R

Colton Shaver: 3-5, 2B, RBI

Jake Adams: 2-R HR (6)

Scott Manea: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Miguelangel Sierra: Solo HR (6), 2 R

Yohan Ramirez: W (1-2), 6.2 IP, H, BB, 11 K

Hunter Martin: 2.1 IP, 5 K; perfect outing

Michael Wielansky, IF, David Hensley, IF, and Trey Dawson, IF, Quad Cities

Wielansky: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI

Hensley: 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (4)

Dawson: 3-R HR (3), 3 R

J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, Corpus Christi

6 IP, 4 H, ER, 6 K

Josh Rojas, UTIL, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2B, RBI

Ronel Blanco, RHP, Round Rock

3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Kyle Tucker, OF, Round Rock

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

Getting to Know Hooks RHP Bryan Abreu and RHP Ronel Blanco (kind of)

I wasn't planning on interviewing Bryan Abreu last weekend when I headed down to Corpus Christi for my first minor league road trip of the season. Abreu had just been promoted to AA and had barely had a chance to get his feet wet at the new level. But Abreu did something that I rarely see from the Latin players in the organization. He volunteered to talk with me, emphasizing a firm confidence in his English language skills and his poise as a professional.

Bryan Abreu - April 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Hooks Manager Omar Lopez hasn't spent much time around Abreu, but that same poise and confidence impressed him when he saw the young right-hander in spring training. As a new member of the Astros 40-man roster, Abreu was in the big league clubhouse for the first time this spring. According to Lopez, when A.J. Hinch invited him to address the clubhouse, Abreu "stood up and he started to respond to everything in English, very professional, very calm, very firm." Combining that self-assurance with what Lopez had already heard about Abreu's abilities on the mound led Lopez to say to himself, "That's a ballplayer right there."

The Astros added Abreu to the 40-man roster last November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Currently the #8 prospect in the Astros system according to MLB Pipeline, Abreu hasn't gotten off to the best start with the Hooks, but at barely 22, he has plenty of time to catch up to the league.

In addition to Abreu, I also spoke VERY briefly with RHP Ronel Blanco. Blanco was with Abreu for moral support, but I turned the camera on him until my phone decided that I needed to delete a few things and shut us off in the middle of our conversation. Blanco is in his fourth season with the Astros and his second season of working solely out of the bullpen. I was a bit taken aback when he told me that his fastball touched 98 because I had no idea he was throwing that hard. He also had a tough reception following his promotion to Corpus Christi last season, but has been mostly solid in 2019.

Ronel Blanco - April 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

After the interview, I mentioned to Abreu that I was a little surprised by his eagerness to participate. He again surprised me by saying that he wants people to know who he is. He wants to connect with the fans and let them know that he is thankful for their support. By the time he gets to the big leagues, he hopes to have already established a group of fans who love him for engaging with them, signing autographs for them and treating them well. I thought back to something else that Lopez said about Abreu having his feet firmly on the ground. Yeah, Abreu may only be 22, but he seems wise beyond his years.

Other Recent Interviews
OF Stephen Wrenn
OF Granden Goetzman

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Sweep!

Round Rock was off

The Express will start a five-game series against New Orleans tonight at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 12, Northwest Arkansas 3

W- Tyler Ivey (2-0)
L- Ofreidy Gomez (1-1)
S- Ronel Blanco (1)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (3, solo in 5th), Osvaldo Duarte (3, solo in 8th), J.J. Matijevic (2, 2-run in 8th)

The Hooks banged out 15 hits and went 7-7 in stolen base attempts as they romped to a victory.

Tyler Ivey went five innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out seven. Brett Daniels got the 6th; he walked one, struck out one, and the one hit he allowed was a two-run homer to Khalil Lee. Ronel Blanco finished things off by allowing one hit and striking out five over the final three innings.

Corpus seized control by busting out for four runs in the 3rd inning. Stephen Wrenn hit an RBI single and then stole home. Granden Goetzman and Chas McCormick chipped in with an RBI single and an RBI double, respectively. Abraham Toro smacked a solo homer in the 5th and added a sac fly to his ledger in the 6th. The Hooks then proceeded to bury the Naturals with a six-run 8th.

Osvaldo Duarte led things off with a homer. Ronnie Dawson doubled and Wrenn drew a walk, which prompted a mound visit. Toro followed with a single and an error on the play allowed Dawson to score. Toro advanced to third, but Wrenn was thrown out at the plate. Granden Goetzman followed with an RBI single and then J.J. Matijevic launched a two-run homer. McCormick got plunked but got forced out at second base. Josh Rojas managed to reach base and he scored the final run of the evening on Chuckie Robinson's double.

Everyone in the Hooks' lineup recorded at least one hit. Duarte led the way in that department by finishing 4-4 and scoring three runs from the bottom of the order. Toro finished 3-4 and scored three runs, while Goetzman went 2-5 with a couple of runs scored. Duarte and Wrenn stole two bases apiece; they both have four stolen bases on the season. Rojas (5), Dawson (3), and Toro (1) also stole a base.

Brandon Bailey takes on Andrés Sotillet in game three of this series. First pitch is at 6:15.

Fayetteville 8, Frederick 1

W- Chad Donato (2-2)
L- Brenan Hanifee (1-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (3, 3-run in 1st)

The Woodpeckers scored a touchdown in the first inning to cruise to the win.

Fayetteville led off the 1st by loading the bases on three singles from Bryan de la Cruz, Michael Papierski, and Seth Beer. Jake Adams drove in the first run of the evening, although not in the way he expected to because he got hit by a pitch. Papierski scored when Corey Julks grounded into a force out. Julks then stole second and then Jake Meyers ripped a two-run double. Jonathan Arauz drew a walk and Miguelangel Sierra landed the haymaker in the form of a three-run home run. Beer went 2-4 and hit an RBI single in the 4th inning. Julks (RBI, R, 2 SB) and Papierski (2B, 2 R) had three hits apiece.

Chad Donato has stumbled out of the gate in 2019 but he turned in his best performance of the season by allowing three hits and striking out eight over five shutout innings. J.P. France tagged in for 3.2 innings and allowed a run on six hits, walked one, and struck out four. Tommy DeJuneas got a fly ball out to end the game.

Yohan Ramirez faces Michael Baumann in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Peoria 0

W- Austin Hansen (2-1)
L- Alvaro Seijas (1-2)
S- R.J. Freure (1)

QC home runs: Jonathan Lacroix (1, solo in 4th), David Hensley (1, solo in 4th)

The Banditos busted out for eight runs Tuesday afternoon after getting shut out three times in their previous four contests, so hopefully this signifies the start of a breakout.

Austin Hansen and R.J. Freure also turned in stellar performances on the mound as they combined for a one-hitter. Hansen walked three and struck out five over five innings and Freure finished it off by allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out five over the last four innings.

Scott Schreiber scored the first run of the day on an error following a David Hensley single in the 2nd inning. Hensley and Jonathan Lacroix hit back-to-back solo homers in the 4th. Trey Dawson ripped an RBI double in the 6th and then Quad Cities got a little more insurance in the 9th inning.

Austin Dennis led off the 9th with a single. He then stole second and scored on a Jeremy Peña single. Schreiber hit an RBI single to bring in Enmanuel Valdez and then a wild pitch allowed him and Peña to advance a base. Lacroix hit a sac fly and Hensley capped off the day with an RBI single. Everyone in the Banditos' lineup had a hit in this game; Hensley finished with four, while Dawson had two.

Nivaldo Rodríguez will start the series finale. He'll face Cole Aker at 6:35.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 8-0 @ Peoria

9 IP, H, 5 BB, 10 K

Austin Hansen: W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 BB, 5 K

R.J. Freure: Save (1), 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

David Hensley, IF, and Trey Dawson, IF, Quad Cities

Hensley: 4-5, solo HR (1), 2 RBI

Dawson: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI

Chad Donato, RHP, Fayetteville

W (2-2), 5 IP, 3 H, 8 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corey Julks, OF, Fayetteville

3-4, RBI, 2 SB (3)

Tyler Ivey's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tyler Ivey, RHP, and Ronel Blanco, RHP, Corpus Christi

Ivey: W (2-0), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 7 K

Blanco: Save (1), 3 IP, H, 5 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Granden Goetzman, OF, and Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Corpus Christi

Toro: 3-4, solo HR (3), 2 RBI, 3 R, SB (1)

Goetzman: 2-5, 2 RBI, 2 R

Duarte: 4-4, solo HR (3), 3 R, 2 SB (4)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 19, 2019

Two rainouts... and one team got no-hit.

Round Rock and Memphis was postponed

Due to rain. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader today, with game one starting at 4:35. Cionel Pérez will take on Alex Reyes in game one and Rogelio Armenteros goes up against Austin Gomber in game two.

Corpus Christi 8, Amarillo 7

W- Ronel Blanco (2-0)
L- Pedro Avila (0-1)
S- Brendan Feldmann (1)

CC home runs: Granden Goetzman (3, solo in 2nd), Aníbal Sierra (1, 2-run in 2nd), Chas McCormick (1, 2-run in 5th)

The Hooks scored twice in the top of the 9th and then had to stave off a rally in the bottom of the 9th to earn the victory.

Corpus got on the board thanks to a couple of homers in the 2nd inning. Granden Goetzman whacked one to lead things off and then Aníbal Sierra smacked a two-run shot later in the frame. J.J. Matijevic scored on a wild pitch in the 4th and then Chas McCormick smacked a two-run homer of his own in the 5th. Abraham Toro ripped a two-run double in the 9th.

McCormick finished 2-3 on his birthday and that home run was a nice little present to himself. The 1-5 hitters in Corpus Christi's lineup (Ronnie Dawson, McCormick, Toro, Goetzman, and J.J. Matijevic) all had two hits on the night, along with Carmen Benedetti.

Brandon Bielak only lasted 2.1 innings and he allowed four runs on three hits (two-run homer), walked four, and struck out four. Ronel Blanco was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and his first task of the night was to get Bielak out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the 3rd, which he accomplished without further damaging Bielak's line. Blanco went on to throw 3.2 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out six. Kit Scheetz tagged in for 2.1 innings and he allowed three runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out two. Brendan Feldmann got the last two outs of the game to get the save.

Gabriel Valdez will start the series finale and he'll face Reggie Lawson at 7:05.

Fayetteville and Carolina was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled to start at noon Eastern time. Game two will start at 5:00 Eastern.

Kane County 1, Quad Cities 0

W- Andy Toelken (2-0)
L- Brett Conine (1-2)
S- Blake Workman (1)

QC home runs: None.

Not only did Quad Cities get held off the scoreboard in this game, they did not record a hit. Well... they have other issues to sort out, namely trying to get to their ballpark.

Jeremy Peña, Enmanuel Valdez, and Jonathan Lacroix drew walks and they were the only three men who reached base.

Cody Deason and Brett Conine pitched four innings apiece. Deason allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out six in a scoreless outing, while Conine allowed the game's only run on a double, walked one, and struck out three. Willy Collado worked around a couple of hits to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

The Banditos will look to avoid the sweep and finally get on the scoreboard in this series at 1:15 as Luis Garcia faces Jackson Goddard.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ronel Blanco, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0), 3.2 IP, H, BB, 6 K

Chas McCormick, OF, and Granden Goetzman, OF, Corpus Christi

McCormick: 2-3, 2-R HR (1), 2 R, 2 BB on his birthday

Goetzman: 2-5, solo HR (3)

Cody Deason, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 6, 2019

Let's play two! But not in Corpus Christi.

Game 1: Round Rock 7, New Orleans 5

W- Ryan Hartman (1-0)
L- R.J. Alvarez (0-1)

RR home runs: Yordan Alvarez 3 (3; solo in 2nd, solo in 4th, solo in 6th); Derek Fisher 2 (2; 2-run in 6th, 2-run in 7th)

Yordan Alvarez and D.J. Fisher took it upon themselves to shoulder Round Rock's offensive load in the first game of the twin bill.

Alvarez opened the scoring with his first solo home run in the 2nd inning. He launched another solo shot in the 4th and his third and final homer came right after Fisher's second two-run homer in the 6th. Fisher's second two-run blast came in the 7th and turned out to be the game-winning hit. Yes, all of their hits were home runs.

Akeem Bostick went three innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits (two-run homer) and walked three. Ryan Hartman tagged in for the last four innings, allowing a run on two hits, walking one, and striking out three.

Game 2: New Orleans 2, Round Rock 1

W- Nick Neidert (1-0)
L- Corbin Martin (0-1)
S- José Quijada (1)

RR home runs: Derek Fisher (3, solo in 1st)

Both teams had one scoring play and they were both home runs. New Orleans' home run, however, yielded more runs.

Fisher led off game two with a homer... and that was all the scoring that the Express could muster up in this one.

Corbin Martin went 4.1 innings and the two runs he allowed came on a home run hit by Matt Snyder in the 2nd inning. He allowed one other hit, walked three, and fanned three. Brendan McCurry allowed a hit and struck out two in 1.2 innings.

Cionel Pérez makes his 2019 debut in game four of this season-opening series in the Crescent City. He'll take on Joe Gunkel at 1:00.

Corpus Christi 2, Amarillo 1 in 10 innings

W- Ronel Blanco (1-0)
L- David Bednar (0-1)

CC home runs: None.

Both teams could only get three hits in this game, but fortunately, the Hooks had more in the column that matters most.

Brandon Bailey struck out three over three hitless innings... but he also issued four walks. Justin Ferrell was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed a couple of hits and struck out in two innings. Brendan Feldmann followed with 2.1 innings and struck out two. He also had an unearned run charged to him when Ronel Blanco allowed an RBI single. That hit was the only one that Blanco surrendered in 2.2 innings; he also issued a walk and struck out six.

Lorenzo Quintana opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd. Stephen Wrenn started off the 10th in scoring position and Chuckie Robinson joined him on the bases after getting plunked. J.J. Matijevic went down on strikes for the first out, but Josh Rojas came through with the winning hit, poking one through the infield to bring Wrenn home. Rojas also drew a couple of walks and stole a base.

Tyler Ivey takes the mound for the series finale and he'll go up against Lake Bachar at 2:15. For every Sunday home game this season, the Hooks will wear their Raspas uniforms.

Game 1: Potomac 5, Fayetteville 1

W- Jackson Tetreault (1-0)
L- J.P. France (0-1)
S- Steven Fuentes (1)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The P-Nats jumped out to an early lead and kept the Woodpeckers' bats in check.

Seth Beer finished 2-3 and his RBI single in the 5th represented Fayetteville's only scoring play in game one. Colton Shaver also went 2-3.

J.P. France went five innings and allowed five runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out two. Leovanny Rodríguez worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 6th.

Game 2: Potomac 5, Fayetteville 3

W- Andrew Lee (1-0)
L- Yohan Ramirez (0-1)

Fayetteville home runs: Scott Manea (1, 2-run in 4th)

Potomac walked off with the win and the doubleheader sweep in game two.

Scott Manea launched a two-run home run in the 4th, his first as a member of the Astros organization. Jake Adams put the Woodpeckers in front with a sac fly in the 5th. Manea and Bryan de la Cruz both finished 2-3 in game two.

Edgardo Sandoval went 3.2 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, walked one, and struck out five. Yohan Ramirez got the last out of the 4th and got through the 5th and 6th innings without much trouble, but the final out is always the toughest. He left with runners on the corners and two outs before giving way to Tommy DeJuneas, who got tagged for a three-run home run by Alex Dunlap on the very first pitch of his outing. Two runs were charged to Ramirez.

Chad Donato will face Nick Raquet to close out the series. First pitch is at 1:05 Eastern.

Game 1: Burlington 3, Quad Cities 0

W- Robinson Piña (1-0)
L- Cody Deason (0-1)
S- Mayky Perez (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos were held to just two hits in the first game of their doubleheader: a couple of singles from César Salazar and Jonathan Lacroix.

Cody Deason couldn't get out of the 2nd inning as he allowed three runs (two inherited runners charged to him), a single, walked four, and struck out three in 1.2 innings. Humberto Castellanos was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen in game one and the one hit he allowed in his 3.1 innings was a two-run double that got charged to Deason. Castellanos struck out three. Devin Conn allowed a hit and struck out five over two scoreless innings.

Game 2: Burlington 1, Quad Cities 0

W- Jake Lee (1-0)
L- Brett Daniels (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

Ugh. Not only did the Banditos get swept in their doubleheader, they were kept off the scoreboard in both games. They had a couple of half-chances in this game but again, they couldn't push anything across.

Jonathan Lacroix hit a one-out triple in the 4th but he was cut down at home trying to score on a David Hensley grounder to short. Lacroix's triple was Quad Cities' only extra-base hit over the two games.

R.J. Freure allowed a hit, walked three, and struck out seven in four innings. Jordyn Adams hit a walk-off solo homer off of Brett Daniels with one out in the 7th. In 2.1 innings, Daniels allowed three other hits, walked one, and struck out four.

Brett Conine gets the start for Quad Cities to wrap up the series. He'll go up against Luis Alvarado at 2:00.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yordan Alvarez, 1B/OF, and Derek Fisher, OF, Round Rock

Alvarez: 3 solo HR (3) in game 1 of doubleheader

Fisher: 2 2-R HR in game 1 of doubleheader, solo HR (3) in game 2

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Round Rock

W (1-0), 4 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Ronel Blanco, RHP, and Josh Rojas, UTIL, Corpus Christi

Blanco: W (1-0), 2.2 IP, H, BB, 6 K

Rojas: Walk-off RBI single, 2 BB, SB (1), R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Scott Manea, C, Fayetteville

2-3, 2-R HR (1) in game 2 of doubleheader

Devin Conn, RHP, and R.J. Freure, RHP, Quad Cities

Conn: 2 IP, H, 5 K in game 1 of doubleheader

Freure: 4 IP, H, 3 BB, 7 K in game 2 of doubleheader

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, July 5, 2018

Las Vegas 12, Fresno 5

W- Ian Krol (2-0)
L- Trent Thornton (5-7)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (19, solo in 6th), Kyle Tucker (14, 2-run in 7th)

The Grizzlies were really up against it early as they found themselves down 11-1 after the 2nd inning.

A.J. Reed put Fresno on the board with an RBI single in the 1st; he would also smack a solo homer in the 6th. The Grizzlies scored three in the 7th on an RBI double from Nick Tanielu and a two-run blast hit by Kyle Tucker. He, Reed, and Tanielu all finished with two hits on the night.

Trent Thornton had to bear the brunt of the early assault. The bullpen allowed just one run the rest of the way. Ralph Garza was first and he went 3.1 innings, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out four. Dean Deetz was next; he allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out two. Reymin Guduan, Riley Ferrell, and Brendan McCurry all pitched one inning apiece. Guduan struck out the side in order in the 7th. Ferrell allowed a run on four hits and struck out one in the 8th, and McCurry worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out two.

Tonight, Rogelio Armenteros goes up against Scott Copeland in game three of this five-game set. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 3, Arkansas 0

W- Ronel Blanco (1-0, 6-1 season)
L- Johendi Jiminian (4-4)
S- Alex Winkelman (3)

CC home runs: None.

Well, this game started off with something that absolutely no one wanted to see: Forrest Whitley left the game in the first inning with what the Astros are calling "left oblique discomfort."

The Hooks are playing this series as the Raspas as part of MiLB's "Copa de la Diversión" campaign. If you're unfamiliar with the term, a raspa is a snow cone.

Whitley walked one and got two outs in the 1st, one via strikeout, before leaving. Ronel Blanco was summoned to make his Texas League debut and he absolutely shined in his four innings; he did not allow a hit, walked one, and struck out eight. Alex Winkelman completed the shutout as he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out four over the final 4.1 innings.

Yordan Alvarez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Ryne Birk added a sac fly in the 4th and Alvarez added another RBI base hit to his ledger in the 5th. Josh Rojas went 3-3 with a couple of doubles and scored on both of Alvarez's singles.

Brandon Bielak will make his first Texas League start in the rubber game of this series. He'll face Chase de Jong at 7:05.

Buies Creek 6, Myrtle Beach 1

W- Patrick Sandoval (1-0, 8-1 season)
L- Cory Abbott (1-4)

BC home runs: Abraham Toro (14, 2-run in 8th), Osvaldo Duarte (5, solo in 8th)

Patrick Sandoval turned in a gem in his first Carolina League start.

Sandoval allowed just one hit and struck out nine over five shutout frames. Abdiel Saldaña threw three innings and allowed the lone Pelicans run on five hits and struck out one. Yohan Ramirez threw a 1-2-3 9th in his Carolina League debut.

Abraham Toro ripped an RBI double in the 1st to open the scoring. Buies Creek got two more in the 2nd when Chuckie Robinson ripped an RBI ground-rule double and then scored on a single from Cody Bohanek. Toro scored on a double play in the 6th. He and Osvaldo Duarte capped off the evening by smacking back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning. Toro, Duarte, and Robinson all finished with two hits on the night.

Brady Rodgers will continue his rehab at 6:00 Eastern as he takes on Erich Uelmen.

Beloit 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Seth Martinez (2-1)
L- Brendan Feldmann (0-1, 2-1 season)
S- Nick Highberger (2)

QC home runs: None.

Tough to win when you only record two hits as a team...

Miguelangel Sierra singled to lead off the bottom of the 9th and scored Quad Cities' lone run on a passed ball. The other hit belonged to Alfredo Angarita.

Chad Donato allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out six over five shutout innings. Willy Collado was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three over two scoreless innings. Brendan Feldmann and Dariel Aquino both pitched an inning; Feldmann allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out the side in the 8th and Aquino allowed a a solo homer in the 9th and walked one.

Parker Mushinski will take on Oliver Ortega in the first of a four-game series against the Burlington Bees. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tri-City 4, Vermont 2

W- Shawn Dubin (1-0)
L- Jhenderson Hurtado (1-2)
S- Tim Hardy (2)

TC home runs: Gilberto Celestino (2, solo in 8th)

The ValleyCats had three hits, but they scored in more innings than the Lake Monsters.

Bryan Abreu allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out a career-high nine over four scoreless innings. Shawn Dubin and Brett Daniels threw two innings apiece; Dubin allowed a run on a sac fly, a hit, and walked two. Daniels allowed a run on a homer and two other hits. Tim Hardy struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th to close it out.

Jeremy Peña doubled with one out in the 4th and scored the first run of the night thanks to a couple of wild pitches. Michael Wielansky walked to start the 5th, made his way to third on two more wild pitches, and scored on a sac fly from Alex Holderbach. Gilbeto Celestino smacked a ground-rule double to start the 6th and advanced to third when Peña flew out. Alex McKenna walked, but he got picked off first and was thrown out in a rundown. However, he held out long enough for Celestino to come home with another run. Celestino launched a solo homer in the 8th. He finished 2-3 and scored twice.

The finale of this six-game, away-and-home series will start at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros 8, DSL Royals1 1

W- Ernesto Jaquez (4-0)
L- Luis Barroso (1-1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy cruised to a victory on Thursday.

Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed three hits and walked one over four scoreless innings. Ernesto Jaquez tagged in to throw three hitless innings, walking one and striking out three. Cristofer Mezquita and Jeremy Molero pitched one inning apiece; Mezquita allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless 8th, and Molero allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out two in the 9th.

Franklin Pinto had a nice day at the plate as he went 2-4 with a sac fly, scored twice, and stole three bases (5); one of the steals was of home. Rolando Espinosa finished 3-4 with an RBI triple; he got thrown out trying to turn it into an inside-the-park home run.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ernesto Jaquez, RHP, DSL Astros: W (4-0), 3 IP, BB, 3 K
Franklin Pinto, OF, DSL Astros: 2-4, RBI, 2 R, 3 SB (5)
Rolando Espinosa, UTIL, DSL Astros: 3-4, 3B, RBI, R

Patrick Sandoval, LHP, Buies Creek

W (1-0, 8-1 season), 5 IP, H, 9 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, and Chuckie Robinson, C, Buies Creek

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

Duarte: 2-4, solo HR (5)
Robinson: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, R

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

8.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 12 K

Ronel Blanco: W (1-0, 6-1 season), 4 IP, BB, 8 K in Texas League debut

Alex Winkelman: Save (3), 4.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Yordan Alvarez, LF, and Josh Rojas, UTIL, Corpus Christi

Alvarez: 2-3, 2 RBI singles

Rojas: 3-3, 2 2B, 2 R; scored on both of Alvarez's singles

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Chad Donato, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Bryan Abreu, RHP, Tri-City

4 IP, H, BB, career-high 9 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Gilberto Celestino, OF, Tri-City

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

Kyle Tucker, OF, and A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

Tucker: 2-5, 2-R HR (14)

Reed: 2-3, solo HR (19), 2 RBI