Former Astros in Independent/International Leagues (2018)

There are several former Astros already playing internationally or who are slated to play with the Indy League clubs that start up between late April and mid-May. I'll update this post with any late additions I see as the independent baseball season gets closer. If you see any former Astros or former Astros farm hands that I missed, leave a note in the comments and I'll include them in my next update.

Each year MLB affiliates pick up players from independent baseball. Last year, RHP Kevin McCanna (Astros 2015 13th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system) started his season with the independent Sioux City Explorers club, but was picked up by the Diamondbacks organization and 1B Conrad Gregor (Astros 2013 4th round pick; 2013-2016 Astros farm system) was picked up by the Red Sox from the New Jersey Jackals. And 3B  Bobby Wernes (Astros 2015 30th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system) had signed with the Traverse City Beach Bums, but was picked up by the Rockies organization before playing a single game for the Bums. There are several players on this list that could very well make their way back into affiliated baseball ... I wish them all the best of luck!

Jio Mier - April 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

JAPAN CENTRAL LEAGUE

Yakult Swallows
OF Nori Aoki (2017 Astros)

JAPAN PACIFIC LEAGUE

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
1B/DH Japhet Amador (2013-2014 Astros farm system)

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
RHP Dennis Sarfate (2007 Astros)
It is Sarfate's 8th season playing in Japan.

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
3B Brandon Laird (2012-2013 Astros system)

Saitama Seibu Lions
IF Kaz Matsui (2008-2010 Astros)

KOREAN BASEBALL ORGANIZATION

Doosan Bears
OF Jimmy Paredes (2010-2013 Astros system)

LG Twins
RHP Henry Sosa (2011-2012 Astros system)
Sosa is in his 7th season with the KBO.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

Diablos Rojas del Mexico
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo (2013-2016 Astros farm system)
C Carlos Corporan (2011-2014 Astros)

Guerreros de Oaxaca
RHP Arcenio Leon (2005-2012 Astros farm system)

Leones de Yucatan
RHP Paul Clemens (2011-2014 Astros system)
OF Leo Heras (2013-2016 Astros farm system)
OF/2B Ruben Sosa (Astros 2011 23rd round pick; 2011-2014 Astros farm system)

Olmecas de Tabasco
RHP Cesar Valdez (2016 Astros farm system)

Pericos de Puebla
LHP Mitch Lambson (Astros 2011 19th round pick; 2011-2015 Astros farm system)
C Bernardo Heras (2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Saraperos de Saltillo
LHP Raul Valdes (Astros 2014)

Sultanes de Monterrey
RHP Edgar Gonzalez (2012-2013 Astros)

Tecolotes de los Dos Loredos
IF Anderson Hernandez (2010-2011 Astros system)

Tigres de Quintana Roo
OF Jason Bourgeois (2010-2011 Astros)

Toros de Tijuana
RHP Hector Ambriz (2012-2013 Astros)
RHP Gerardo Sanchez (2012-2013 Astros farm system)
3B Jio Mier (Astros 2009 1st round pick; 2009-2015 Astros farm system)

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

Lancaster Barnstormers
IF Rico Noel (2018 Astros farm system)
LHP Tommy Shirley (Astros 2010 9th round pick; 2010-2016 Astros farm system)

York Revolution
1B/OF Michael Burgess (2013 Astros farm system)
RHP Zac Grotz (Astros 2015 28th round pick, 2015 Astros farm system)
RHP Jay Gause (Astros 2014 10th round pick; 2014 Astros farm system)

New Britain Bees
LHP Kevin Chapman (2012-2016 Astros system)
RHP Sam Gervacio (2005-2011 Astros system)
RHP Mark Hamburger (2013 Astros farm system)
LHP Andy Van Hekken (2008-2011 Astros farm system)
IF Reid Brignac (2017 Astros farm system)

Long Island Ducks
LHP Ashur Tolliver (2017 Astros system)

Pennsylvania Road Warriors
LHP Luis Cruz (Astros 2008 9th round pick; 2008-2015 Astros farm system)
C Marlon Avea (2011-2016 Astros farm system)
OF/1B Edwin Gomez (2012-2013 Astros farm system)

Somerset Patriots
LHP Brett Oberholtzer (2011-2015 Astros system)

Sugar Land Skeeters
RHP Jared Mortensen (Astros Rule 5 draft pick in December 2016; appeared in 3 games for Fresno in April 2017)
RHP Felipe Paulino (2003-2010 Astros system)
RHP Mitch Talbot (Astros 2002 2nd round pick; 2003-2006 Astros system)
OF Luke Scott (2004-2007 Astros system)
OF Willy Taveras (2004-2006 Astros system)

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
RHP Travis Ballew (Astros 2012 23rd round pick; 2012-2015 Astros system)
LHP Sebastian Kessay (Astros 2013 22nd round pick; 2013-2017 Astros farm system)

Gary Southshore Railcats
RHP Daniel Minor (Astros 2012 9th round pick; 2012-2105 Astros farm system)

Sioux Falls Canaries
LHP Joe Bircher ( Astros 2012 10th round pick, 2012-2013 Astros farm system)
IF Tyler Wolfe (Astros 2016 39th round pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Winnipeg Goldeyes
OF Reggie Abercrombie (2008-2009 Astros system)

Kansas City T-Bones
C Christian Correa (2015-2017 Astros system)

Sioux City Explorers
OF Jay Austin (Astros 2008 2nd round pick, 2008-2012 Astros farm system)
RHP Andrew Thurman (Astros 2013 2nd round pick, 2013-2014 Astros farm system)

Texas Airhogs
LHP Michael Freeman (Astros 2015 7th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)

CAN-AM LEAGUE

Ottawa Champions
RHP Austin Chrismon (Astros 2013 26th round pick, 2013-2015 Astros farm system)

Rockland Boulders
RHP Ryan Deemes (Astros 2015 36th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)
C Marcus Nidiffer (2010 Astros farm system)

Sussex County Miners
LHP David Rollins (2012-2014 Astros farm system)
C Martin Figueroa (Astros 2017 32nd round pick; 2017 Astros farm system)

Trois-Rivieres Aigles
RHP Chris Murphy (Astros 2015 24th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system)
C Anthony Hermelyn (Astros 2015 4th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)

FRONTIER LEAGUE

Schaumberg Boomers
RHP Kyle Westwood (2013 13th round pick; 2013-2015 Astros farm system)
On the suspended list

Washington Wild Things
OF Hector Roa (2012-2016 Astros farm system)

Windy City Thunderbolts
RHP Devin Raftery (2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Evansville Otters
LHP Austin Nicely (Astros 2013 10th round pick; 2013-2016 Astros farm system)

River City Rascals
RHP Reggie Johnson (2016-2017 Astros farm system)
RHP Lucas Williams (Astros 2016 40th round draft pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Lake Erie Crushers
LHP Ben Smith (Astros 2014 17th round pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)
(Pro debut was delayed due to recovery from Tommy John surgery followed by a battle with Burkitt lymphoma)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Organization sweep!

Fresno 1, Las Vegas 0

W- Dayan Diaz (1-0)
L- David Roseboom (0-1)

Fresno home runs: None.

There was only one scoring play in this game, and it belonged to the Grizzlies, who snapped their 5-game losing streak in walk-off fashion. Jon Kemmer drew a 2-out walk in the bottom of the 9th, advanced to 3rd on an errant pickoff throw, and scored the only run of the night on a single from Colin Moran.

Brady Rodgers allowed 3 hits and struck out 4 over 4.1 scoreless innings. He left in the 5th with an apparent injury after striking out Travis Taijeron to begin the inning. The bullpen picked him up and completed the shutout. Aaron West allowed 2 hits and walked 1 in 1.2 innings. Kevin Comer was next, and he went 2 innings, allowing 4 hits and walking 1. Dayan Diaz struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Edison Frias will start game 3 of this series. He'll face Wilfredo Boscan at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks will begin a 4-game series with Frisco tonight at 7:05. Kent Emanuel will take on Yohander Mendez.

Buies Creek 4, Myrtle Beach 3

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (1-0)
L- Oscar De La Cruz (1-2)
S- Ryan Deemes (2)

BC home runs: None.

The Astros managed to take 2 of 3 from the Pelicans by shaking off an early 2-run homer and turning the tables with a 3-run 5th inning.

Christian Correa sparked the big 5th inning with a leadoff double. Eduardo de Oleo drew a walk and the two of them advanced on a sac bunt from Anibal Sierra. Myrtle Beach starter Oscar de la Cruz proceeded to uncork a wild pitch that allowed Correa to score Buies' first run of the evening. Myles Straw, who was batting at the time, compounded de la Cruz's misery by knocking him out of the game with an RBI triple. Osvaldo Duarte greeted the new pitcher, Jeremy Null, with an RBI single to tie the game. In the 6th, Correa managed to beat out an inning-ending double play and scored the go-ahead run on a triple from de Oleo. Dex McCall went 3-4 while Straw finished 2-5.

Justin Ferrell went 4 innings, and the two runs he allowed came on a home run hit by Bryant Flete in the 1st inning. He also allowed 2 singles, walked 5, and struck out 4. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the Astros bullpen and he allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3 in 1.2 scoreless innings. He left with a couple of men on in the 6th for Nick Hernandez, who got him out without further incident. Hernandez ended up pitching 2 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Ryan Deemes retired all four Pelicans he faced to get the save, striking out 2.

The next stop on Buies Creek's two-week road trip is Zebulon, North Carolina, where they'll play 4 with the Carolina Mudcats. Franklin Perez will start the first game and he'll face Cody Ponce at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 7, Burlington 2

W- Ryan Hartman (1-0)
L- Sam Pastrone (0-3)
S- Erasmo Pinales (1)

QC home runs: Marcos Almonte (2, 2-run in 6th), Spencer Johnson (2, solo in 8th)

The Banditos swept the Bees in dominating fashion. In the three games, Quad Cities outscored Burlington 34-5 and clubbed 12 home runs.

Ryan Hartman turned in another solid start for Quad Cities. He went 6 innings and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer hit by Jordan Serena to lead off the 5th. Hartman allowed 4 other hits (all singles) and struck out 1. Erasmo Pinales pitched the final 3 innings and he also allowed a solo homer; Brennan Morgan took him deep to open up the 9th inning. Other than that, Pinales also had a rather painless outing; the other hit he allowed was a single, and he walked 1 and struck out 1 to get the save.

Alex De Goti kept the opening frame alive with a walk. He then advanced to 3rd on a Randy César single and scored the first run of the day when Stephen Wrenn ripped a double. César and Wrenn both drew walks to lead off the 4th to bring up Spencer Johnson, who ripped a 2-run double. Johnson did not have to wait long to come home because one batter later, Chuckie Robinson laced an RBI single. Johnson walked to lead off the 6th and advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. Robinson went down on strikes, but Marcos Almonte came through, clubbing his second home run in as many days. Johnson capped off a nice day by smacking a homer to lead off the 8th. He finished 2-3 and scored 3 runs. César and Robinson also had two-hit days.

Quad Cities will now begin a 4-game series with the Clinton LumberKings. Carson LaRue will get the start in game 1 and he'll go up against Tim Viehoff. First pitch is at 6:35.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

.@BigJohnson_34 pic.twitter.com/qmAj0mtlYQ

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) April 8, 2017

Photo by Rich Guill
 Spencer Johnson, 1B, Quad Cities
2-3, 2B, solo HR (2), 3 RBI, 3 R

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Quad Cities

W (1-0), 6 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, K

Buies Creek bullpen: W 4-3 @ Myrtle Beach

5 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: W (1-0), 1.2 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Nick Hernandez: 2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Ryan Deemes: Save (1), 1.1 IP, 2 K

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 1-0 vs. Las Vegas

9 IP, 9 H, BB, 7 K

Brady Rodgers: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Aaron West: 1.2 IP, 2 H, K

Kevin Comer: 2 IP, 4 H, BB

Dayan Diaz: W (1-0), IP, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, September 4, 2016

Fresno 5, Sacramento 4

W- Reymin Guduan (2-3, 3-3 season)
L- Jean Machi (4-3)
S- Jordan Jankowski (5)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (20, grand slam in 8th)

For the second consecutive game, a grand slam put Fresno out in front.

Jon Kemmer put the Grizz on the board with an RBI single in the 3rd. Colin Moran and Danny Worth singled to lead off the top of the 8th, and they both advanced a base following a Kemmer groundout. Alejandro Garcia got plunked to load the bases. Max Stassi went down on strikes for the second out, but Jon Singleton delivered with the decisive hit, a grand slam that put the Grizzlies in the lead. Moran, Worth, and Tyler Heineman all finished with 2 hits in the game.

Mike Hauschild went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Reymin Guduan allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings, and Jordan Jankowski got the save, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 4 over the final 1.2 innings.

The Grizzlies and RiverCats will finish off their 2016 seasons at 2:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, San Antonio 2

W- Kent Emanuel (6-4)
L- Jerry Keel (0-2)
S- Jacob Dorris (4, 14 season)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (22, solo in 8th)

J.D. Davis provided a crucial insurance run, while Ryan Deemes and Jacob Dorris delivered 4 lockdown innings in relief on Sunday.

Kent Emanuel wasn't too bad in his start either; he allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 8 in 5 innings of work. Deemes and Dorris both pitched 2 scoreless; Deemes allowed 2 hits and struck out 3, while Dorris allowed a hit and struck out 3.

Tony Nuñez walked to lead off the game, and he scored the first run of the game on a Drew Ferguson double. Ferguson ended up scoring on a Nick Tanielu groundout. J.D. Davis hit an RBI single in the 3rd and drove in the final run of the evening when he launched a solo homer in the 8th. He and Bobby Boyd had 2 hits apiece.

Cy Sneed will start the season finale, and he'll face Tim Berry at 2:05.

Lancaster 8, Inland Empire 7

W- Alex Winkelman (1-5, 6-7 season)
L- Justin Anderson (8-12)
S- Juan Carlos Santos (1, 6 season)

Lancaster home runs: Aaron Mizell (8, 10 season; 3-run in 2nd)

Despite allowing 4 home runs to the 66ers, the JetHawks managed to escape with a victory.

Lancaster only scored in 2 innings, but the output of those innings turned out to be enough as well. Aaron Mizell opened up the scoring with a 3-run homer in the 2nd inning, and they got 2 more in the inning thanks to RBI doubles from Christian Correa and Kyle Tucker. In the 5th, Bryan Muñiz hit an RBI double, and Trent Woodward added a 2-run single.

Little Tuck, Woodward, Mizell, Osvaldo Duarte, and Jason Martin all finished 2-4; everyone in the lineup scored a run except for Johnny Sewald, who missed out on the party.

Albert Abreu went 4.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (2 solo homers), walked 4, and struck out 4. The 2 runs that Alex Winkelman allowed in his 3.1 innings came on a home run hit by Zach Houchins in the 7th. Winkelman allowed 2 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Houchins hit another 2-run homer off of Juan Carlos Santos in the 9th that cut the JetHawks' lead to 1, but Santos pulled himself together to get the save. He allowed one other hit and struck out the side.

The JetHawks and 66ers will finish off their seasons at 2:05 Pacific. Framber Valdez will make his Lancaster debut, and he'll take on former Aggie Grayson Long.

Burlington 6, Quad Cities 5

W- Luis Peña (5-9)
L- Adam Whitt (4-7)
S- Blake Smith (1)

QC home runs: Jake Rogers (1, 3 season; solo in 2nd)

The Banditos scored 2 in the top of the 8th to pull within one, but that was as close as they could get.

Jake Rogers put Quad Cities on the board with a solo homer in the 2nd that tied the game at 1. In the 4th, Arturo Michelena doubled and scored thanks to two wild pitches. Dex McCall grounded into a force out in the 7th that scored Randy César, and Bobby Wernes hit a 2-run single in the 8th. Unfortuately, the Banditos stranded runners on the corners to end the inning. They went down in order in the 9th to end the game.

Abdiel Saldaña went 4 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Adam Whitt got 2 outs in the 5th, one via strikeout, but he also allowed 3 runs on 5 hits. Zac Person and Nick Hernandez both pitched 1.2 innings; Person allowed 2 runs, both of which were inherited runners that were charged to him, on 3 hits and struck out 3, while Hernandez allowed a hit and fanned 2.

The River Bandits will close out their season at 2:00. Matt Bower will face Erik Manoah.

Tri-City 4, Connecticut 3 in 10 innings

W- Angelo Serrano (2-2, 3-3 season)
L- John Schreiber (2-3)

TC home runs: None.

The Tigers managed to force extra innings, but the ValleyCats were able to re-establish their advantage with a run in the first extra frame.

Alex De Goti opened up the scoring with an RBI triple in the 3rd inning, and he eventually scored on a sac fly from Rodrigo Ayarza. De Goti hit a two-out single in the 5th and came all the way around to score on a Marcos Almonte triple. At that point, Tri-City led 3-0, but Connecticut scored a run in the 6th and 2 more in the bottom of the 9th to force extra innings.

Tyler Wolfe hit a one-out double in the top of the 10th, and then Carmen Benedetti was intentionally walked, and Chuckie Robinson singled to load the bases for Ronnie Dawson, who ended up not having to do a lot, because a passed ball allowed Wolfe to score the go-ahead run. De Goti (3B, RBI, 2 R) and Almonte (2B, 3B, RBI) both finished 2-4 out of the bottom of the order.

Ryan Hartman allowed 4 hits and struck out 3 over 4 scoreless innings. Dustin Hunt was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen, and he allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 4. Devin Raftery allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings, and Angelo Serrano walked 1 and struck out 1 over the final 1.1 innings.

The ValleyCats will finish their 2016 campaign today at 1:05 Eastern. Jorge Alcala will face Locke St. John.

Sunday's Stars

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno

Go-ahead grand slam (20) in 8th

J.D. Davis, 3B, Corpus Christi

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

Ryan Deemes (top) and Jacob Dorris, RHPs, Corpus Christi

Deemes: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Dorris: Save (4, 14 season), 2 IP, H, 3 K

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Tri-City

4 IP, 4 H, 3 K

Alex De Goti, IF, Tri-City

2-4, 3B, RBI, 2 R

Photo by Bryan Green

Marcos Almonte, UTIL, Tri-City

2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI

Aaron Mizell, OF, Lancaster

2-4, 2B, 3-R HR (8, 10 season)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 28, 2016

Sacramento 8, Fresno 6

W- Matt Reynolds (1-0)
L- Aaron West (0-2, 5-4 season)
S- Jean Machi (12)

Fresno home runs: Max Stassi (7, 3-run in 2nd)

The Grizzlies coughed up a 6-1 lead in their final home game of the season.

Max Stassi opened up the scoring with his 3-run home run in the 2nd inning. Fresno scored their other 3 runs in the 4th inning on a pair of RBI singles from Alejandro Garcia and Stassi, and Andrew Aplin scored on a wild pitch. Danny Worth went 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored, and Garcia (RBI, 2 R) and Stassi (HR, 4 RBI) had 2 hits apiece.

Keegan Yuhl went 5.1 innings and allowed 6 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 9 hits (2-runs and a solo homer) and struck out 8. Aaron West got the final two outs of the 6th via strikeout, but he allowed 2 runs, one of which was charged to Yuhl and allowed Sacramento to take the lead, on 2 hits and walked 1. Brendan McCurry allowed 2 hits in a scoreless 7th, Kevin Chapman came on for the 8th and an error resulted in an unearned run. He allowed a hit and walked 2 in the inning. James Hoyt walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

The Grizzlies will close out the 2016 season with a roadtrip. Brady Rodgers will start the first of a 4-game series in Tacoma at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, San Antonio 0

W- Dean Deetz (1-0, 7-5 season)
L- Daniel McCutchen (1-1)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (21, solo in 2nd), Chase McDonald (17, solo in 5th)

Dean Deetz emerged victorious in his Texas League debut, joining forces with Ryan Deemes and Kevin Comer to toss a shutout.

Deetz allowed 6 hits and struck out 9 in 6 innings of work. Deemes allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 scoreless, and Comer allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 9th.

J.D. Davis led off the bottom of the 2nd with a home run that put Corpus on the board first. Chase McDonald also led off an inning with a home run; he launched his in the 5th. An error in the 6th allowed Davis and Nick Tanielu to score. Drew Ferguson, who reached on the play (which was scored a fielder's choice) and advanced to 2nd on the error, came around to score on a single from McDonald. Davis scored the final run of the evening on an error in the 8th that allowed James Ramsay to reach. Davis (2B, solo HR, 3 R), McDonald (solo HR, 2 RBI), and Mott Hyde all finished with 2 hits in the game.

In the series finale, Kent Emanuel will take on Seth Simmons. First pitch is at 7:05. This will be the final game at Whataburger Field in the 2016 regular season.

Modesto 3, Lancaster 2 in 11 innings

W- Troy Neiman (7-4)
L- Alex Winkelman (0-5, 5-7 season)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks scored a run in each of the first two innings, and then they were held off the scoreboard for the rest of the night and ended up walking off with a loss in their final road game of the regular season.

Trent Woodward ripped an RBI double in the 1st inning to open the scoring, and Keach Ballard hit an RBI single in the 2nd to bring in the other Lancaster run. Woodward went 2-4 on the night.

Scott Weathersby went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Kevin McCanna tagged in to throw 4.2 scoreless, allowing 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 6. The Nuts scored the winning run with an RBI single off of Alex Winkelman with one out in the 11th. This was the only hit that Winkelman allowed in his 1.2 innings, and he issued 2 walks, one of which was intentional.

After a day off, the JetHawks will begin their final homestand of the season with 3 games against Rancho Cucamonga starting Tuesday and 4 with Inland Empire beginning on Friday.

Wisconsin 6, Quad Cities 3

W- Alex Farina (5-2)
L- Tyler Britton (0-1, 3-3 season)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams finished with 7 hits in the game, but the Banditos lost in the column that counts. They have dropped 9 consecutive games.

Both teams scored 2 runs in the 1st inning; Quad Cities' 2 came in the form of a 2-run double from Dex McCall, who finished 3-4 and was a home run short of the cycle. He tripled to lead off the 8th and scored on a Hector Roa single. Kristian Trompiz finished 2-3 and walked twice.

In his Quad Cities debut, Tyler Britton allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 1. Carlos Sierra was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen, and he allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 7. Justin Ferrell struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings.

The Banditos will look to stop their slide as Matt Bower takes the mound. He'll face Miguel Diaz at 7:00.

Lowell 9, Tri-City 6

W- Kevin Steen (3-4)
L- Kevin Hill (1-4)

TC home runs: Taylor Jones (7, 3-run in 4th), Rodrigo Ayarza (2, solo in 5th)

And now, the ValleyCats have been pushed to the brink. One more loss, and they will be eliminated from playoff contention in the New York-Penn League.

Taylor Jones put Tri-City on the board with a 3-run homer in the 4th inning, and Rodrigo Ayarza whacked a solo shot in the 5th. Ronnie Dawson smacked an RBI double in the 9th and came around to score on a single from Jones, who finished 3-5 on the night along with Carmen Benedetti, who hit 2 doubles. Dawson and Brauly Mejia both finished with 2 hits and 2 runs scored.

Kevin Hill went 3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 1. Salvador Montaño allowed 3 runs, a hit, and walked 7 in 2 innings, and Sean Stutzman allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 in 4 innings.

Carlos Sanabria will start the first of a 3-game series in Vermont. He'll take on Dakota Chalmers at 7:05 Eastern.

Elizabethton 8, Greeneville 7

W- Quin Grogan (2-2)
L- Reggie Johnson (3-3)

Greeneville home runs: Luis Payano (5, solo in 2nd)

The Twins scored 2 in the top of the 9th to take the lead. The Appy Astros ended up stranding the tying run on 1st base, and with the loss, they have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Chaz Pal opened the scoring with a 2-run double in the 1st inning, and Luis Payano launched a solo homer in the 2nd. Jonathan Matute scored in the 5th when Ruben Castro hit into a fielder's choice,

After Elizabethton scored two in the top of the 7th to take a 6-4 lead, Greeneville responded with 3 in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead. Jonathan Arauz walked to lead it off, and Castro joined him on the bases after getting plunked. Abraham Toro hit into a force out attempt that was botched, which allowed Arauz to score. Reiny Beltre hit an RBI groundout, and Toro wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Payano went 2-4, while Arauz scored twice.

Forrest Whitley went 3 innings and allowed a run on a single, walked 1, and struck out 6. Colin McKee allowed a solo home run to Amaurys Minier and walked 1 in the 4th inning. Luis Ramirez and Carlos Hiraldo both pitched 2 innings; Ramirez allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and struck out 3, and Hiraldo allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Reggie Johnson took ownership of the 9th, and the runner that he inherited from Hiraldo scored, in addition to a run of his own. Johnson allowed 3 hits and struck out 2 in the inning.

In the series finale, Lupe Chavez will face Clark Beeker at 7:00 Eastern.

Sunday's Stars

Forrest Whitley, RHP, Greeneville

3 IP, H, ER, BB, 6 K

Luis Payano, OF, Greeneville

2-4, 3B, solo HR (5)

From top: Dean Deetz, Ryan Deemes, and Kevin Comer, RHPs, Corpus Christi

Deetz: W (1-0, 7-5 season), 6 IP, 6 H, 9 K

Deemes: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K

Comer: IP, H, BB, K

Max Stassi, C, Fresno

2-4, 3-R HR (7), 4 RBI

Danny Worth, IF, Fresno

3-4, 2 2B, 2 R

Taylor Jones, 1B, Tri-City

3-5, 3-R HR (7), 4 RBI

Kevin McCanna, RHP, Lancaster

4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Dexture McCall, 1B, Quad Cities

3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R; finished HR shy of cycle

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 13, 2016

Let's play 2 in Corpus!

Sweep!

Fresno 4, Tacoma 3 in 10 innings

W- Kevin Chapman (2-2)
L- Paul Fry (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (8, 2-run in 6th)

The Grizzlies earned the split as they scored the final 4 runs of this game and walked off with the win.

In his AAA debut, Joe Musgrove went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. He threw 80 pitches; 53 of them went for strikes. Shockingly, he walked more than one person. César Valdez tagged in for 3 innings, and the only run he surrendered in that span came on a solo homer from Rob Brantly in the 6th. Valdez allowed one other hit and struck out 2. James Hoyt fanned 2 in a 1-2-3 9th, and Kevin Chapman struck out the side in order in the 10th inning.

Jon Singleton's 2-run blast in the 6th put Fresno on the board. One inning later, Tony Kemp tied the game with an RBI triple. Nolan Fontana led off the 10th with a double and advanced to 3rd on a sac bunt attempt by Kemp that was fielded and botched, which resulted in both of them being safe. Kemp took 2nd on defensive indifference, and Matt Duffy was given a free pass to 1st to set up a double play at any base. Singleton came up, and he grounded out, but Fontana came home with the winning run. Roberto Peña went 2-3 with a run scored, while Jon Kemmer finished 2-4. Jack Mayfield, who was also making his AAA debut, was hitless in his 3 at-bats, but he did draw a walk.

The Grizzlies will now hit the road, and they'll be going up against PCL American teams for the first time this season. All of their remaining games this month will be against teams from the Pacific Coast League's American Conference. Their first stop on this roadtrip will be Nashville. Brad Peacock will start game 1, and he'll face Chris Smith at 7:35 Eastern.

Game 1: Corpus Christi 5, Frisco 2

W- Keegan Yuhl (2-1)
L- Sam Wolff (4-2)
S- Brendan McCurry (5)

CC home runs: Evan Gattis (5, 2-run in 1st)

The Riders managed to tie the game at 2 in the 3rd, but the Hooks had the perfect response as they scored 3 in the bottom half to take control.

Evan Gattis, who caught all 7 innings of this game, went 3-3 and opened the scoring with a 2-run shot in the 1st. Danry Vásquez hit an RBI single in the 3rd to put Corpus back in front, and one batter later, Chase McDonald smacked a 2-run double. Alex Bregman, who started at 3B for the first time as a pro, went 2-4 with a run scored.

Keegan Yuhl went 5 innings and allowed a 2-run homer to Ryan Cordell in the 3rd, which constituted Frisco's only runs. He allowed 4 other hits and struck out 3. Brendan McCurry threw 2 perfect frames to get the save; he struck out 1.

How did Evan Grills fare in his Texas League debut?

Game 2: Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 0

W- Evan Grills (1-0, 4-1 season)
S- David Perez (1-1)

CC home runs: Danry Vásquez (1, solo in 2nd), D.J. Fisher (8, 2-run in 3rd)

Evan Grills dazzled in his AA debut as the Hooks swept the twinbill. He threw a 1-hitter, walking 1 and striking out 5. It took him 106 minutes to finish the 7 innings.

Danry opened the scoring in game 2 with a solo homer in the 2nd, his first of the year. Before Fisher's blast in the 3rd, Teoscar Hernandez and Alex Bregman added to Corpus Christi's lead with an RBI single and an RBI double, respectively. Teoscar scored the final run of the evening on a groundout from Fisher in the 4th. He finished 3-4 with a double and was the only player on either side in game 2 to have a multi-hit game.

Game 4 of this series will be a 9-inning affair. David Paulino will start for Corpus; he'll face Victor Payano at 7:05.

Lancaster 2, Lake Elsinore 1

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (2-1)
L- Brett Kennedy (0-1)
S- Ryan Thompson (1)

Lancaster home runs: Nick Tanielu (4, solo in 2nd), Jason Martin (1, solo in 2nd)

The JetHawks came out on top in a rare pitcher's duel at The Hangar as they held the Storm to 2 hits.

Both teams scored in the 2nd; Lancaster scored one more run, and that was the difference. Nick Tanielu led off the inning with a solo shot, and Jason Martin smacked one of his own with 2 outs in the inning. Martin, who was the only player on either side to have a multi-hit game, also hit a double and stole a base (6).

Speaking of stolen bases, the JetHawks were successful on all 6 of their stolen base attempts. Garrett Stubbs stole his 6th, while Bobby Boyd and Ramon Laureano stole 2 apiece in this one. Boyd now has 17 stolen bases, which puts him back in the lead over Kyle Tucker for the time being, while Laureano's 2 thefts give him 14 on the season.

Brock Dykxhoorn allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 6 innings. Two guys named Ryan followed him, and they closed it out by retiring everyone they faced. In his California League debut, Ryan Deemes fanned 2 over 1.2 innings, and Ryan Thompson got 2 groundouts and 2 flyouts to get the save.

Matt Bower will make his Lancaster debut tonight. He'll take on Mike Kelly at 6:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities and Beloit was postponed

Due to rain. They'll play a doubleheader today, with game 1 starting at 4. Albert Abreu will take on Boomer Biegalski. Starters for the nightcap are TBA.

Five Stars

3.

  

Brock Dykxhoorn, Ryan Deemes, and Ryan Thompson, RHPs, Lancaster

Dykxhoorn: W (2-1), 6 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Deemes: 1.2 IP, 2 K; California League debut

Thompson: Save (1), 1.1 IP

2.

I found this when I searched his name on Google Images

Evan Gattis, C, Corpus Christi

3-3, 2-R HR (5), 2 R in game 1 of doubleheader

1.

Evan Grills, LHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0, 4-1 season), CG, H, BB, 5 K in game 2 of doubleheader; Texas League debut

Honorable Mentions

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Fresno: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 5 K
- Wait, he issued 2 walks? That's almost unheard of. With that being said, it was a solid AAA debut for Musgrove.

James Hoyt, RHP, Fresno: IP, 2 K
- James Hoyt just keeps rolling along.

Jason Martin, OF, Lancaster: 2-3, 2B, solo HR (1)
- It's been tough sledding for Martin as of late, but this was a good start as he tries to get his bat going.

Kevin Chapman, LHP, Fresno: W (2-2), IP, 3 K
- Chapman has also had a tough start to his campaign, but this was his best outing of the year.

César Valdez, RHP, Fresno: 3 IP, 2 H (solo HR), ER, 2 K
- His ERA spiked by 2 runs in the spot start, but Valdez has turned in a solid campaign so far.

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Corpus Christi: 3-4, 2B, 2 R in game 2 of doubleheader
- Teoscar looks like he's gotten himself acclimated to AA ball. He's rebounded well in his 2nd shot at Corpus.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Reno 3, Fresno 2

W- Archie Bradley (3-1)
L- Asher Wojciechowski (2-2)
S- Silvino Bracho (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Aces edged the Tacos with a run in the 7th.

Fresno's 2 runs both scored on a single from Nolan Fontana in the 4th. Colin Moran, who scored one of those runs, finished 2-4.

Asher Wojciechowski went 6.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Juan Minaya was the first man out; he struck out 1 over 1.2 perfect frames, and Jordan Jankowski struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

In game 2 of this series, Brady Rodgers will face Matt Buschmann. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Midland 3, Corpus Christi 1

W- Dylan Covey (2-1)
L- David Paulino (0-1)
S- Aaron Kurcz (3)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (7, solo in 7th)

The Hooks offense was held in check once again as they could only muster up 3 hits.

The one guy who doesn't seem to be affected by the collective slump is Chase McDonald, who whacked his 4th home run in his last 5 games. His solo shot in the 7th represented the lone Hooks run.

David Paulino went 5 innings, and the 2 runs he allowed came on a home run from Ryon Healy in the 1st. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Kyle Smith went 3 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4.

Francis Martes takes the mound for the first time in May as he looks to put a tough April behind him. He'll go up against Chris Jensen at 6:30.

Lancaster 4, Inland Empire 2

W- Dean Deetz (2-0)
L- Jake Jewell (0-4)
S- Rogelio Armenteros (1)

Lancaster home runs: Richard Gonalez (1, solo in 9th)

The JetHawks got even in the series as they got a fine outing from their pitchers, who held the 66ers to 4 hits in this one.

Dean Deetz started it off, and he allowed 2 runs on a single and a sac fly, walked 2, and struck out 4 in 5 innings. In his season debut, Andrew Walter struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 6th, and Rogelio Armenteros recorded his first professional save, allowing 3 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3 over 3 scoreless.

Jamie Ritchie put Lancaster on the board with an RBI double in the 2nd. He then advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on a single from Kristian Trompiz. Inland Empire tied the game with a run in the 4th, but the JetHawks re-took the lead in the 5th, thanks to a Nick Tanielu RBI single. Richard Gonzalez provided some insurance in the 9th with a solo homer, his 1st of the year. Tanielu and Gonzalez both finished 3-4.

Josh James will start game 3 of this series; he'll take on Alex Klonowski at 7:05 Pacific.

Great Lakes 3, Quad Cities 2 in 13 innings

W- Brian Bass (1-0)
L- Ralph Garza Jr. (2-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos walked off with the loss and ended up dropping the first leg of their roadtrip.

Quad Cities' 2 runs came in the 5th as Bobby Wernes scored on an error following an Osvaldo Duarte single. Duarte, who advanced to 2nd on the blunder, scored on an RBI single from Kyle Tucker. QC had some opportunities to put up at least one more run, as Christian Correa hit a 1-out double in the 6th, but he was stranded at 3rd to end the frame. Tucker ripped a triple in the 10th, but he was also stranded at 3rd. Little Tuck wound up finishing 3-6 with a stolen base (7). Correa finished 2-5, while Anthony Hermelyn went 2-4 with 2 walks.

Jose Luis Hernandez went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs (both on solo homers) on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Alex Winkelman tagged in for 3.2 scoreless innings and allowed a hit, walked 3, and fanned 8. Ryan Deemes pitched 3.1 innings and all he did was strike out 5. The Loons jumped all over Ralph Garza Jr. in the 13th, though. He allowed the winning run on 2 hits and got 1 out in the inning.

The Banditos and Loons are just getting underway; Quad Cities is looking to avoid the sweep today. Chris Murphy is taking on Victor Gonzalez.

Three Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless noted otherwise.

3.

Photo from MiLB.com

Richard Gonzalez, C, Lancaster

3-4, solo HR (1)

2.

Photo from MiLB.com

Alex Winkelman, LHP, Quad Cities

3.2 IP, H, 3 BB, 8 K

1.

Photo from MiLB.com

Ryan Deemes, RHP, Quad Cities

3.1 IP, 5 K

Honorable Mentions

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi: Solo HR (7)
- The big man just keeps rolling along.

Nick Tanielu, IF, Lancaster: 3-4, RBI
- It was only a matter of time before Tanielu got his bat going.

Juan Minaya, RHP, Fresno: 1.2 IP, K
Jordan Jankowski, RHP, Fresno: IP, 2 K
- Fresno's relievers have been outstanding to begin the season.

Kyle Tucker, OF, Quad Cities: 3-6, 3B, SB (7)
- Little Tuck has more than held his own in his first shot at full-season ball.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 16, 2016

Corpus Christi with the....

Las Vegas 7, Fresno 5 in 11 innings

W- Paul Sewald (1-0)

L- James Hoyt (0-1)

S- Jeff Walters (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies rallied from a 5-1 deficit to force extras.... only to see the 51s come out on top in the end.

Tony Kemp tripled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, and he scored Fresno's first run on a Danny Worth sac fly. This would be the only Grizzlies run for a while... in the meantime, Vegas jumped out to a 5-1 lead. That would be the scoreline heading into the bottom of the 9th.

Colin Moran led off the inning with a walk, and he made it to 3rd, thanks to an error that allowed Roberto Peña to reach and advance to 2nd. Andrew Aplin and Tony Kemp then followed with RBI singles to draw Fresno closer. Worth walked to load the bases, but A.J. Reed was the 2nd casualty of the inning when he went down on strikes. However, Matt Duffy came through with a 2-run single to tie the game at 5. Sadly, the offense looked as though they ran out of gas in extras, as they went down in order in both the 10th and the 11th.

Tony Kemp was the only man in the Fresno lineup with a multi-hit game, going 3-6 with the triple, the RBI single, and scoring twice. 

Tough night for Fresno's pitchers as they issued 14 walks in this one. Asher Wojciechowski went 3.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 6, and struck out 3. In what's become a familiar sight in the early going, Edwar Cabrera was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen, and all he did was strike out 3 over 2.2 innings. Jordan Jankowski allowed an unearned run, a hit, walked 3, and all 4 outs he recorded came by way of the strikeout. Juan Minaya allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless. James Hoyt didn't allow a hit, but the 51s' 2 go-ahead runs were charged to him. He walked 4 (1 intentionally) and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. César Valdez came on in a bases-loaded situation and got the final 2 outs of the 11th, but not before he allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Hoyt to score. Valdez allowed a hit and walked 1.

The series continues this afternoon as Brady Rodgers takes on Sean Gilmartin. First pitch is at 1:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 5, Tulsa 4

W- David Schmidt (1-0)

L- Ralston Cash (0-1)

S- Brendan McCurry (1)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (3, solo in 7th)

The Corpus Christi Hooks became the first team in the organization to sweep an opponent in 2016 thanks to a comeback win in the series finale.

They were behind the 8-ball early after Francis Martes got taken deep for a 3-run homer by Alex Verdugo. Fortunately, Martes was able to limit the damage to just that homer. In 4 innings, he allowed 3 other hits, walked 4, and struck out 8. David Schmidt allowed a run on 3 hits in 2 innings, while Reymin Guduan struck out 2 over 2 perfect frames. Brendan McCurry worked around a hit to close it out. 

Alex Bregman put the Hooks on the board with an RBI double in the 5th. After Tulsa got 1 in the bottom of the 5th to push their lead to 4-1, Corpus tied the game with 3 in the 6th thanks to a couple of RBI singles from Bregman and Trent Woodward, and an RBI groundout from Teoscar Hernandez. In the 7th, Chase McDonald came through with what turned out to be the game-winning hit, a solo shot. Woodward (2B, RBI, 2 R) and McDonald both posted 3-hit games, while Bregman has recorded a hit in every game he's played this season. 

The Hooks are in Springfield today, where they'll start a 3-game set with the Cardinals. Brian Holmes takes the mound in game 1; he'll take on Corey Baker at 4:10.

Lancaster 3, High Desert 2

W- Kevin Comer (1-1)

L- David Ledbetter (1-1)

S- Angel Heredia (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

In the California League incarnation of the Astros-Rangers rivalry, the JetHawks have taken the first 2 games of this series by flummoxing the Mavericks' bats. 

High Desert managed to chip away at Lancaster's 3-0 lead, but Kevin Comer and Angel Heredia stood firm to secure the win. Akeem Bostick allowed 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3 over 4.2 scoreless. Comer allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 over 2.1 innings, and Heredia allowed a run on a double, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings.

Marc Wik opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd, and Ramon Laureano struck in the 3rd with a 2-run single. The two of them, along with Drew Ferguson, had 2 hits apiece; Wik's other hit was a double, while Laureano also stole a base (2). This was Ferguson's 3rd 2-hit game in a row.

In game 3 of this series, Josh James will take on Cole Wiper. First pitch is at 2:05 Pacific.

Kane County 5, Quad Cities 4

W- Justin Donatella (2-0)

L- Sebastian Kessay (0-2)

S- Cameron Gann (2)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits mounted a furious comeback.... that fell just short.

All 4 Quad Cities runs came in the bottom of the 8th. Tony Nuñez started the rally by drawing a 1-out walk, and he then advanced to 2nd on a Johnny Sewald single. One batter later, Daz Cameron put the Banditos on the board with an RBI double. Osvaldo Duarte followed with a 2-run single, and Anthony Hermelyn ripped an RBI double. Daz finished 2-4, as did Brooks Marlow. 

Sebastian Kessay pitched 2+ innings and allowed 5 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Ryan Deemes put out the fire and went on to throw 4 scoreless, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 3. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed a hit and fanned 3 over 3 scoreless.

Quad Cities will look to avoid the sweep as Kevin McCanna gets the start. He'll take on former Astros farmhand Junior Garcia at 1:15.

Three Four Stars

3.

 

Photos from MiLB.com

Ryan Deemes, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Ralph Garza Jr., RHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, H, 3 K

2.

Trent Woodward, C/1B, Corpus Christi

3-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R

1.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

3-4, go-ahead solo HR (3) in 7th

Honorable Mentions

Tony Kemp, UTIL, Fresno: 3-6, 3B, RBI, 2 R

- It's not impossible to keep Tony Kemp off the bases, but it's highly improbable, because he'll find a way to get there.

Edwar Cabrera, LHP, Fresno: 2.2 IP, 3 K

- Cabrera has allowed just 1 hit in his first 4 outings (6.1 IP).

Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

- So far, he's making AA look effortless. 

Reymin Guduan, LHP, Corpus Christi: 2 IP, 2 K

- 4 scoreless appearances to open the season.

Ramon Laureano, OF, Lancaster: 2-3, 2 RBI, SB (2), BB

Daz Cameron, OF, Quad Cities: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R

- Daz is off to a rather slow start, but that's usually the case with younger players in full-season ball for the first time and in colder weather. Definitely an encouraging outing, and hopefully it gives him some momentum on offense going forward.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 9, 2016

El Oso Blanco's rehab takes a huge step forward. What a first series for Corpus Christi.

Fresno and Las Vegas was postponed

Due to wet grounds. The series will conclude with a doubleheader starting at 12:05 Pacific. Brady Rodgers will take on Gabriel Ynoa, while starters for game 2 are TBA.

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 0

W- Francis Martes (1-0)
L- Felipe Gonzalez (0-1)

CC home runs: D.J. Fisher (1, 2-run in 1st), Evan Gattis (1, 3-run in 2nd), Chase McDonald (1, solo in 8th)

The Hooks got a series win to open up 2016 thanks to a outstanding job from their pitchers, who posted 2 shutouts in 3 games.

Francis Martes walked 2 and only struck out 1, but that doesn't really matter all that much, since he allowed a single, solitary hit over 6 shutout innings. Michael Freeman and Reymin Guduan finished it off; Freeman allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in 2 innings of work, and Guduan worked around a couple of hits to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

All 6 Corpus runs in this game were products of the long ball. D.J. Fisher opened the scoring with his first AA homer, a 2-run blast in the 1st. One inning later, the recently clean-shaven Evan Gattis unleashed his wrath on a hapless baseball, driving in 3 in the process. Chase McDonald capped it off in the 8th with a solo shot, his 1st of the year. Gattis finished 3-4, as did Jack Mayfield, who scored a run and stole a base (1). Alex Bregman went 2-4 with a walk and scored twice.

In former Astros news, Jordan Schafer threw 2 scoreless innings for the Drillers. That is not a typo; apparently he's a pitcher now. I sarcastically referred to him as "Former Astros great Jordan Schafer" on Twitter and people... got confused.

Today, the Hooks will welcome the Springfield Cardinals to Whataburger Field. In the opening game of this series, Brian Holmes will be on the mound, and he'll face Andrew Morales at 2:05.

Lancaster and San Jose was postponed

Due to rain. This game will be made up when the Giants visit Lancaster July 13-15.

Again.... weather permitting, the JetHawks will finish their first series of the season with a pseudo-doubleheader. First off, they'll need to finish up Friday's game, which they were leading 4-1 heading into the 5th. Play will resume at 1:00 Pacific. The regularly scheduled game will follow soon after, and will be a 7-inning game. In the regularly scheduled game, Josh James will take on D.J. Snelten.

Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 2

W- Sam Gibbons (1-0)
L- Chris Murphy (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

In their first home game of the year, the River Bandits dropped their first series of the year.

Their two runs came off outs, as Pat Porter grounded into a force play in the 3rd that scored Johnny Sewald, while Daz Cameron added an RBI groundout in the 6th. Kyle Tucker and Osvaldo Duarte (3B, R) both went 2-4 on the day.

Chris Murphy went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Adam Whitt was the first man out of the bullpen; he allowed 2 runs on a double, walked 4, and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings. Ryan Deemes struck out 2 over 2 perfect frames, and Ralph Garza Jr. struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

The Banditos will look to avoid the sweep as Matt Bower gets the start. He'll take on Sam Clay at 1:15.

Four Stars

Since he's an MLB player on a rehab assignment, Evan Gattis is not eligible.

4.

Photo from MiLB.com

Ryan Deemes, RHP, Quad Cities

2 IP, 2 K

3.

Embed from Getty Images

Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 R, BB

2.

Michael Freeman, LHP, and Reymin Guduan, LHP, Corpus Christi

Freeman: 2 IP, 2 H, K

Guduan: IP, 2 H, K

1.

Photo by Bryan Green

Francis Martes, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0), 6 IP, H, 2 BB, K

Honorable Mentions

Jack Mayfield, 2B, Corpus Christi: 3-4, SB, R
- Solid night from the #9 hitter in the Hooks' lineup

D.J. Fisher, OF, Corpus Christi: 2-R HR (1)
Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi: Solo HR (1)
- Opening up their accounts in AA

Getting to Know Astros RHP Ryan Deemes

One of the (many) reasons that I enjoy talking with ballplayers is that I often learn something about myself in addition to my subject during our conversations. As I talked with Astros 2015 36th round pick RHP Ryan Deemes over the weekend, I learned that I have reached a point in my life where I truly appreciate a good "ma'am." A word that made me feel old when I turned 40 has now segued to a badge of respect and I like it. And Deemes uses that honorific as second nature. He is a soft-spoken, deep-voiced, even-keeled confident Southern gentleman. Oh, and he's also a pretty good pitcher.

Ryan Deemes

(from MiLB.com)

Deemes more or less split his first professional season evenly between rookie level Greeneville and short season A Tri-City. He absolutely dominated at Greeneville, allowing only two runs and one walk in 24 innings of work at the lower level before earning an early August promotion to the ValleyCats. Things didn't go quite as smoothly at the higher level, but he still came out at the far end of the season with a very impressive 2.01 ERA and 0.912 WHIP in 49.1 innings of work. That WHIP was the second lowest mark in the system for a pitcher tossing a minimum of 30 innings.

Of that first pro season, Deemes told me, "It started off pretty good in Greeneville and then moving up was something I was looking for, especially with how well I was doing. Just didn't know when it was going to happen and when the time came, I was ready. (In) New York, I had a few bad outings, but that's baseball. But overall, it was a fun first season for me and I got to experience a lot of different things and got to meet a lot of really cool people as well."

One of those "cool people" was Deemes's tandem pitching partner to start the season, LHP Junior Garcia who was traded to the Diamondbacks in August. "He's a left-hander that threw mid-90's and he's just unbelievable. We became good friends with each other. Once he got traded, we talked about it. I believe he'll be making it in the big leagues in the next few years because of what I've seen. He has a great career ahead of him and I wished him all the best," said Deemes.

Deemes was drafted out of Nicholls State. He described an experience that didn't start out too smoothly. "I spent two years at Nicholls State which is in Southwest Louisiana. It was a crazy one, my first year. I was a weekday starter with relief during the weekends. That year was kind of a bumpy road. Come senior season, I just started concentrating and I was more relaxed with the atmospheres that we always played in. It really started the first weekend. We came out to play Stony Brook and I get a win there and four days later, I start against LSU for the first time and we beat them. My senior year was just a breakout year for me and I felt that helped me a lot to get drafted."

The upcoming draft was not something that Deemes focused on during that senior season. He said, "I heard a little bit from my coaches (about interest from teams), but I didn't really pay much attention to that. I know if I didn't do anything, I wouldn't be getting picked up anyway so I just stayed to what I was doing, not to let the draft or the next level get to me before I finished the season at Nicholls."

Deemes equates his early success to his simple philosophy of pitching. "First thing I always learned was throw strikes, let the hitters make the mistakes. That's really the mindset I go with. Just throw strikes and something good is going to happen for you. That's really all. Just stay through the zone, throw strikes and try not to overdo it when something happens."

And that philosophy helped him achieve one of his main goals going into his first season. Deemes said, "I feel like I showed people what I can do, being such a late rounder and coming from a small school. I wanted to get my name out there and I felt like this past year that I did that and I just need to keep doing that from here on out."

He hopes to carry that forward into the new season. "Just stick with the plan I've always had. Just throw strikes. Just do what I know I can do. Just compete. I feel like if I can compete, everything will go well for me."

That theme continued when I asked Deemes what a scout might tell me about him. "I think he'd say (that I'm) definitely a competitor. I don't give up. If times are going bad or times are going good, I always stay the same. That's what I've always learned to do is don't show your emotions. I attack the hitters. I like to throw strikes. I just compete. When I get on the mound, I don't let anything affect me and I know that I'm the top dog. If the hitter steps in the box, he's going to have a challenge coming to him."

Deemes credits part of that competitive drive and aggressiveness to his days playing high school football. His mindset when he pitches is, in his words, "I don't care what's going on as long as I know that I'm better than you." When he says that, it comes across as confident, not cocky. He knows that being timid on the mound is not going to help him meet his goals.

One of those goals centers around the work he put in over the offseason in squaring up his delivery rather than pitching across his body so that he is able to stay in the zone even more effectively. With that in mind, when I asked my ubiquitous "who has a pitch you'd like to steal" question, Deemes was more interested in learning from the delivery of a certain lefty Cy Young winner. "Dallas Keuchel is a left-handed stud. Everything he's done from the videos I've watched from the last three years, how his delivery has changed so much ... that's pretty much what I'm working on right now. What he's gone through to just maintain his delivery and get it to where it needs to be (in order) to be a better pitcher, I think that's one thing I'd like to get better on delivery-wise."

Deemes's pitch repertoire consists of a 89 to 92 fastball with arm side movement, a changeup that he works off the fastball to either side of the plate and a slider that is a work in progress. "You're never not working on something. You're always trying to make it better. I think the main thing I'm working on is to get my slider to come tighter across the zone instead of a slurve action. I've worked on it a lot, changed some grips and it's started to come a long way in just the past year," said Deemes.

One of Deemes's teammates that I heard a lot about last season came up in conversation. Deemes particularly enjoyed seeing this pitcher follow him into games. He said, "Another Southland (Conference) guy that came out with me. He was an undrafted guy. Jacob Dorris. He's a little crazy arm slot guy. We faced him at Nicholls because we were in the same conference. Just watching him while he was playing at Texas A&M Corpus Christi just was like, 'Wow! That dude's pretty good.' And then, lucky enough, he was on my team for the two teams I played on (in 2015) and when he came in, it was pretty much, 'Well, we know the game's over now!' Somehow with him and his crazy arm slot, he just got people out."

With Deemes, there is nothing really surprising to report. "I feel like what I bring to the table with everybody is pretty much what you get from me. I'm not too outspoken a person. Just do what I need to do. I like to have fun with the guys, especially on the baseball field. I feel like I'm a guy you want to be around and have fun with. If someone needs to talk, we can talk. I'm just always there for everybody."

My last interview was back in December so Deemes helped me shake the rust off and start off my Spring Training. I couldn't have picked a better subject. It was an easy conversation with a polite Southerner who helped me embrace my inner ma'am.

Thank you for your time, Ryan, and best of luck in the coming season.

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For more on Ryan and 272 other players in the Astros minor league system, buy the 2016 Houston Farm System Handbook and download it to your smart phone, tablet, laptop or desktop (or all four like me!). The Handbook is both Android and Apple compatible with the free kindle app.