Astros Farm Report: 6-9

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

In case you missed it, Dustin pulled together all of the twitter info for the new draft picks. I will update the transaction info as each player officially signs.

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Here are the latest roster moves. An ongoing list of all of the 2019 season transactions and roster moves can be found here.

6-9: OF Yordan Alvarez expected to be called up to Houston today
6-8: OF Ronnie Dawson (Corpus Christi) activated from the IL
6-8: C Lorenzo Quintana (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
6-8: C Cesar Salazar (Quad Cities) activated from the IL
6-7: LHP Cionel Perez recalled to Houston from Round Rock
6-7: RHP Brady Rodgers optioned to Round Rock
6-6: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
6-6: C Oscar Campos assigned to Round Rock from Quad Cities
6-6: 2B Alfredo Angarita (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
6-6: RHP Yohan Ramirez assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-6: RHP Enoli Paredes assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-6: RHP Luis Garcia assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
6-6: RHP Austin Hansen assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
6-6: LHP Jonathan Bermudez assigned to Quad Cities from Corpus Christi
6-6: RHP Hunter Martin assigned to Quad Cities from Corpus Christi
6-6: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Tri-City from Corpus Christi
6-5: RHP Tommy DeJuneas assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-4: LHP Reymin Guduan recalled to Houston from Round Rock
6-4: RHP Justin Ferrell assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
6-4: RHP Corbin Martin optioned to Round Rock
6-4: OF Chandler Taylor (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-3: RHP Gabriel Valdez (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
6-3: RHP Humberto Castellanos assigned to Quad Cities from Round Rock
6-2: OF Bryan de la Cruz (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-2: RHP Jacob Billingsley (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
6-2: C Alejandro Flores (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: OF Ronnie Dawson (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: RHP Willy Collado assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
6-1: RHP Hector Martinez assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
6-1: C Cesar Salazar (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day IL
6-1: LHP Julio Robaina assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL

C Ruben Castro - activated 5-25
RHP Nick Hernandez - activated 5-8
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna - activated 4-29; back and forth since
RHP Hansel Paulino
RHP Erasmo Pinales - activated 5-20; back on 5-24
RHP Abdiel Saldana
RHP Kyle Serrano
RHP Jairo Solis

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension)
1B/OF J.J. Matijevic (50-game suspension)

2019 STANDINGS

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

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

🠉 2nd 38-24 .613 0.5GB W4

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

🠋 3rd 31-30 .508 0.5GB W1

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

🠋 4th 26-35 .426 17.5GB L2

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)

🠋 1st 38-20 .655 -.-GB W3

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Northwest Division)
T1st 5-2 .714 -.-GB L1

WATCH THIS SPACE

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

Colin McKee - April 2019
Photo by Jayne Hansen

Drafted in the 18th round out of Mercyhurst College (PA) in 2016, RHP Colin McKee is on a nice roll in his position as late inning relief for the Corpus Christi Hooks this season. Through 17 appearances, McKee is 2-1 with five saves, a 1.59 ERA, a 1.059 WHIP and is holding batters to a .135 average. He has allowed only one earned run since April 28th and ZERO earned runs in his last eight outings. Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Ryne Birk - September 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

2B Ryne Birk was drafted by the Astros in the 13th round in 2016 out of Texas A&M and spent four seasons in the system. After being released out of Spring Training in 2019, Birk hooked up with the Rockland Boulders (Pomona, NY) in the independent league Canadian-American Association. Through his first 18 games, Birk is hitting .386/.470/.614/1.084 with five doubles, one triple, two home runs and nine walks to 11 strikeouts.

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Athens, Greece - 2005

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 20, 2018

Fresno 12, Las Vegas 4

W- Kent Emanuel (2-0)
L- P.J. Conlon (0-1)

Fresno home runs: J.D. Davis (2, 3-run in 4th), Jack Mayfield (4, 2-run in 4th)

An early onslaught on offense and a solid start from Kent Emanuel propelled the Grizzlies to the big win. Aside from losing a game in which they allowed one hit, Fresno scored in double digits in each of their three wins in this series.

The one run that Emanuel allowed in his 5.2 innings came on a home run hit by Phil Evans in the 2nd inning. He allowed three other hits and struck out 7. Jacob Dorris pitched 1.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits and issued a walk. Buddy Boshers and Matt Ramsey each pitched one inning. Boshers took the 8th; he got a strikeout and allowed a two-run home run to Bryce Brentz. One of the runs was charged to Dorris. Ramsey struck out the side in order in the 9th.

Alejandro Garcia opened the scoring with a two-run single in the 2nd and came home on Tony Kemp's single. The Grizzlies kept it rolling with four more runs in the 3rd on a Tim Federowicz RBI single, a Jack Mayfield two-run double, and another RBI single from Kemp. After Kyle Tucker and Tyler White singled and walked respectively to lead off the 4th, J.D. Davis whacked a three-run home run. Jon Kemmer drew a walk and came home when Super Jack smacked his homer.

Little Tuck (2B, 2 R) and Garcia (2 RBI) had three hits apiece. Davis (3-R HR, 2 R), Kemp (2 RBI singles), and Federowicz (RBI, 2 R) all finished with three hits on the night.

The Grizzlies' tour of Nevada concludes with three in Reno. Mike Hauschild will start the opener and he'll face Taylor Clarke at 4:05 Pacific.


Corpus Christi 11, Frisco 3

W- Ryan Hartman (1-0)
L- Wes Benjamin (0-2)
S- Kevin Hill (1)

CC home runs: None.

Corpus busted out for five in the 5th to take a 6-0 lead. After Frisco cut the lead in half with a 3-run 6th, the Hooks put them away by scoring the last five runs of the night.

Yordan Alvarez doubled with one out in the 4th and scored the first run of the evening on Taylor Jones' RBI double. The Hooks scored five in the 5th because they loaded the bases to start the inning and cashed in. Myles Straw hit a sac fly, then Stephen Wrenn walked to re-load the bases and prompted the Riders to make a pitching change. Yordan greeted the new Frisco pitcher, Jeff Springs, by clearing the bases with a double. Alvarez advanced to third on a wild pitch and Jones brought him home for the second time with a single.

Corpus responded to Frisco's lone scoring inning with a pair of RBI singles from Nick Tanielu and Ryne Birk in the 7th. They tacked on three more in the 8th for good measure as Myles Straw scored on an Alvarez groundout, while Jones and Birk added RBI singles.

Birk went 5-5 on the night. Jones (2B, 3 RBI, R) and Wrenn (3 R, 2 SB) finished with three hits, and Alvarez (2 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, SB) and Tanielu (RBI single) had two hits apiece.

Ryan Hartman cruised through five innings, only to finish with a bare minimum quality start because Hunter Cole hit a three-run home run off of him in the 6th. Hartman also allowed six singles, walked one, and struck out four in his six innings. Kevin Hill walked one and struck out three over the final three innings to earn the save.

Akeem Bostick will start game 3 of this series. He'll take on Pedro Payano at 7:05.

Buies Creek 8, Carolina 2

W- Carlos Sierra (1-0)
L- Braden Webb (1-2)
S- Corbin Martin (1)

BC home runs: Josh Rojas (1, solo in 7th)

The Carolina Stros stormed out to a 7-2 lead after the first three innings and cruised to another win, their seventh in a row.

Brett Adcock went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Carlos Sierra bridged the gap by throwing a scoreless 5th, working around a walk to do so. Corbin Martin shut it down with 4 dominant innings, allowing just one walk while striking out 8.

Chas McCormick opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. Ronnie Dawson hit an RBI single in the 2nd; he then stole second base and came around to score on a Josh Rojas double. Osvaldo Duarte doubled to lead off the 3rd and scored on an error that allowed Kristian Trompiz to reach safely. Luis Payano joined him on the bases after getting plunked and they both scored on an Aníbal Sierra double. Dawson brought Sierra home with his second RBI single of the game. Rojas, who finished 3-4, capped things off with a solo shot in the 7th. Dawson and Duarte had two hits apiece. Rojas is now on an 11-game hitting streak after starting the year 2-16 at the plate.

After finishing 6-7 in stolen base attempts on Thursday, Buies Creek was successful on all six of their attempts on Friday. Dawson (8) and Payano (2) stole two each, while Trompiz (5) and Rojas (10) also swiped a base.

Jorge Alcala faces Marcos Diplán in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 5:00 Eastern.

Burlington 28, Quad Cities 7

W- Sam Pastrone (1-0)
L- César Rosado (0-1)

QC home runs: Jake Adams (1, 3-run in 9th)

Final:
Burlington 28
River Bandits 7

No further comments.

— QC River Bandits (@QCRiverBandits) April 20, 2018

The series continues with not just one, but two doubleheaders! The first pair is this afternoon. Game 1 will begin at 3, with Tyler Ivey taking on Simon Mathews. The second game features Peter Solomon on the mound for the Banditos as he faces Luis Madero.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo by Don Carson

Corbin Martin, RHP, Buies Creek

Save (1), 4 IP, BB, 8 K

Josh Rojas, IF, and Ronnie Dawson, OF, Buies Creek

Rojas: 3-4, 2B, solo HR (1), 2 RBI, SB (10); 11-game hitting streak

Dawson: 2-5, 2 RBI, R, 2 SB (8)

Yordan Alvarez's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yordan Alvarez, 1B/LF, Taylor Jones, 1B, and Ryne Birk, 2B Corpus Christi

Alvarez: 2-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, SB (4)

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

Birk: 5-5, 2 RBI, R

Kevin Hill, RHP, Corpus Christi

Save (1), 3 IP, BB, 3 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corey Julks, OF, Quad Cities

2-5, 3B, RBI, R, SB (3)

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Fresno

W (2-0), 5.2 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 7 K

J.D. Davis, 3B/1B/LF, and Jack Mayfield, IF, Fresno

Davis: 2-5, 3-R HR (2), 2 R

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 15, 2018

Shutouts! A walk-off win! Another postponement!

Fresno 5, Reno 0

W- Reymin Guduan (1-0)
L- Joe Krehbiel (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Alejandro Garcia (1, 3-run in 7th)

Both teams combined to post 13 zeroes on the scoreboard, but the 7th inning stretch seemed to have infused some energy into Fresno's bats as they busted this game open with four runs in the 7th and one more in the 8th for good measure.

Tyler White walked to lead off the 7th, moved to second on a Jon Kemmer single, and scored the first run of the day on a Garrett Stubbs RBI single. One batter later, Alejandro Garcia whacked a three-run home run. Kemmer doubled with two outs in the 8th and scored the final run of the day on an RBI single from J.D. Davis.

Three Grizzlies pitchers combined on a one-hitter. Kent Emanuel started things off and he allowed the one hit while striking out 3 in 6 innings of work. Reymin Guduan walked two and struck out three in two innings, and Jacob Dorris completed the shutout by striking out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Mike Hauschild will start the series finale. He'll take on Taylor Clarke at 11:05 AM Pacific.

Corpus Christi 10, Arkansas 7 in 11 innings

W- Riley Ferrell (1-1)
L- Stephen Perakslis (0-1)

CC home runs: Yordan Alvarez (2, walk-off 3-run in 11th)

The Travelers scored two in the 8th to tie the game. Nine innings was not enough to decide the outcome of this game, so the Whataburger Field crowd got their first taste of that moronic rule. They ended up going home happy after Yordan Alvarez obliterated a Stephen Perakslis offering in the 11th.

Alex Winkelman went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Sean Stutzman technically pitched 3 scoreless innings... but the two runners he inherited from Winkelman both scored. He allowed an RBI single, walked three (one of which came with the bases loaded), and struck out one. Kevin Hill and Riley Ferrell both pitched two innings; Hill allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1, while Ferrell allowed two unearned runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Corpus opened the scoring in the 2nd inning with a pair of two-run doubles from Jamie Ritchie and Ryne Birk. Carmen Benedetti hit a two-out single in the 5th and wound up scoring on a wild pitch. This was the Hooks' last scoring play until the 10th; in the meantime, the Travs scored twice in the 8th to tie and scored in the 10th to take the lead.

Taylor Jones started the bottom of the 10th at second, but he got lifted for Myles Straw, who scored the tying run on a Nick Tanielu groundout. Randy César started the 11th at second base, but he was erased on a fielder's choice. Alex De Goti flew out for the second out, so it all came down to Ryne Birk, who kept the game going with a single. Stephen Wrenn followed with an RBI single to tie the game, and one batter later, Alvarez won it with his homer.

Benedetti finished 3-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases (3). Birk (2B, 2 RBI, R) and Tanielu (RBI, R, 2 BB) both had two hits on the day.

Cionel Perez will take on Spencer Herrmann at 7:05. The Commissioner's Trophy will also make its appearance in Corpus Christi.

Buies Creek 5, Salem 0

W- Corbin Martin (1-0)
L- Bryan Mata (1-1)
S- Carlos Sierra (1)

BC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (1, solo in 3rd)

The Carolina Stros took the series by shutting out the Red Sox in each of the final two games.

This 5-0 game was a three-hitter. Corbin Martin allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6 in 6 innings, and Carlos Sierra allowed one hit over the final three innings to complete the shutout.

Ronnie Dawson opened the scoring by leading off the bottom of the 3rd with a home run. Chuckie Robinson and Chas McCormick ripped RBI doubles in the 5th and Abraham Toro capped off the scoring with a 2-run single in the 6th. Dawson finished 3-5 and was the only player on either side to record a multi-hit game.

Abdiel Saldaña will start the opener of a three-game series with Myrtle Beach. He'll face Matt Swarmer at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities and Burlington was postponed again

Due to rain. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on April 22.

Quad Cities will have Monday off. They'll start a 3-game series in Peoria on Tuesday.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Corbin Martin's photo taken by Don Carson.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 5-0 vs. Salem

9 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Corbin Martin: W (1-0), 6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Carlos Sierra: Save (1), 3 IP, H

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Buies Creek

3-5, solo HR (1)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yordan Alvarez, LF/1B, Corpus Christi

Walk-off 3-R HR (2)

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Corpus Christi

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

Ryne Birk, 2B, Corpus Christi

2-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 5-0 vs. Reno

9 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K

Kent Emanuel: 6 IP, H, 3 K

Reymin Guduan: W (1-0), 2 IP, 2 BB, 3 K

Jacob Dorris: IP, K

Beyond the Top 30: Second Basemen

As the old year fades away and the new season approaches, it's time to start looking at those players of interest who are beyond the Top 30. These players may not ever make a Top 30 list (or they may), but a combination of projections, actual results, incremental improvements and intangibles keep them in the mix as interesting players to watch. I am not including any players in these posts who have already made their major league debuts since, presumably, anyone reading my blog is already very familiar with those players.

Note: Most of the 2018 player rankings haven't been released yet so I will be using the MLB Pipeline postseason list, the Baseball Prospectus Top 10+ list and Baseball America's Top 10 list to denote those players who are currently considered Top 30 type players in the Astros system. Once FanGraphs weighs in, Baseball America publishes their Top 30 and MLB Pipeline posts their 2018 pre-season list, I will post a consensus top prospect list.

SECOND BASEMEN IN THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Yeah, there aren't any. At least no players whose primary position in 2017 was second base. Of course, when you have an MVP at the major league level, you hope you won't need another second baseman any time soon. But just in case ....

SECOND BASEMEN BEYOND THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Alex De Goti - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Ryne Birk (L/R)

Birk doesn't have any one tool that makes you say, "Wow!" But the sum of the parts seems to work well for him. Drafted in the 13th round in 2016, Birk made it to AA Corpus Christi in mid-July in his second season as a professional. Although he hit better in his 81-game stint with Buies Creek (.274/.340/.430) than he did in 37 games with Corpus Christi (.246/.286/.429), Birk was catching up with AA pitching later in the season as he compiled a .279/.311/.512 batting line in August and September. Birk does show a little power (17 doubles, five triples and 15 home runs) with the tendency being toward his pull side, and his on-base skills are generally above average. Birk is a solid defender with an average arm and decent speed. As I said, he doesn't have one tool that really stands out, so it has been his consistency that has moved him through the system more quickly than most. Birk turned 23 in November.
Key: Consistency. Continue to provide solid defense and continue to improve against hitters at the higher levels of the system.

Jeury Castillo (L/R)
I know. I know. You're going to take one look at Castillo's first season stats in the Dominican Summer League and think I'm a lunatic for including him on this list. But first please consider that he won't turn 18 until later this week and that, when he was signed for $400,000 in July of 2016, he was lauded for his offensive potential. Castillo hit only .136/.263/.235 in his first 51 professional games with a lot of ground outs, but he is expected to make good contact with a solid line-drive approach. He hit a tiny bit better as the season progressed and I fully expect his bat to improve substantially in 2018. The good news is that his defense at second base was very solid.
Key: Work on his offensive approach, getting back to the high contact rate and approach that earned him a $400,000 bonus.

Alex De Goti (R/R)
De Goti, in his second professional season, proved himself to be arguably the best defensive second baseman in the system while his bat lagged behind somewhat when it came to his first taste of High A pitching following his late May promotion to that level. However, De Goti was starting to make those adjustments at the plate by the end of the season with improving power and on-base skills. In 109 total games at Quad Cities (34), Buies Creek (70) and five fill-in games with Fresno, De Goti hit .236/.341/.356 with 18 doubles, one triple and eight home runs. De Goti played in 50 games at second, 39 games at first and 12 games at third and, although very capable at the other positions, it was his 428 errorless innings at second base that stood out. De Goti shows good leadership skills on the field to go with soft hands, good instincts and great intangibles. Drafted in the 15th round in 2016 out of Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, De Goti signed for a mere $2,000 according to Baseball America which makes him an incredible bargain. De Goti will be 23 for most of the 2018 season.
Keys: Continue to work on the bat. Although most of his power is to the pull side, he has shown a decent penchant for using the whole field and I'd like to see him hit with more authority to the opposite field. And, although De Goti did a better job of getting on base toward the end of the 2017 season, he needs to maximize his capabilities in that regard. And, lastly, he will likely need to continue working on his versatility in the field since his value as a utility player may prove to be more than that of a second baseman.

Nick Tanielu (R/R)
Tanielu missed virtually all of the 2017 season (two rehab appearances in the Gulf Coast League and two appearances in the Arizona Fall League) after undergoing ACL surgery in late 2016. Primarily used as a third baseman in his first two professional seasons, Tanielu moved over to second for the majority of his games in 2016 and was very, very solid at the position. His .285/.327/.409 batting line for 2016 was inflated by his production at the very hitting-friendly confines of The Hangar in Lancaster, California for the first 35 games of that season prior to his mid-May promotion to Corpus Christi. Tanielu peaked at AA in July before tailing off at the plate for the remainder of the season. Tanielu has a compact swing and uses the entire field, although most of his home run power is limited to the pull side. His power in 2016 (24 doubles, three triples and 11 home runs) plays up better at second base than at third which is likely the reason for moving him from the hot corner for the majority of his appearances. In 304 career minor league games to date, he has hit a more than respectable .297/.343/.422. Add in some very nice intangibles and Tanielu is definitely a player worth watching.
Keys: Prove himself to be healthy. The fact that he only played in two games in the AFL makes one wonder if his comeback was a bit premature. Prove himself to be able to handle higher level pitching with consistency. And prove that he is still a reliable defender at second base post-injury. Having turned 25 in September, Tanielu will need to prove all of this fairly quickly.

Enmanuel Valdez (L/R)
Valdez, who just turned 19 in December, just completed his second season in the Astros organization after signing for $450,000 in July 2015. Valdez profiles a lot like Castillo in that he was signed for a healthy bonus based more on his hitting ability than his defensive prowess and has not yet lived up to early projections. And also like Castillo, Valdez's defensive abilities have been better than advertised. The good news is that, although Valdez's .217/.321/.395 batting line for 2017 was less than impressive, it was his first season stateside as an 18-year old and he showed improvement later in the season with his strikeout rate. Also Valdez has intriguing gap power when he gets the ball out of the infield.
Key: I would like to see Valdez make adjustments at the plate in order to turn some of those many groundouts into line drives. When he uses a line-drive approach, he appears to have much more success, particularly since he's an average runner at best and needs to elevate the ball out of the infield for the best results.

Other Second Basemen of Interest (all played fewer than 20 games at the position in 2017):
Alfredo Angarita (S/R) - The 21-year old Venezuelan hit a respectable .257/.359/.327 in 41 games split between the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League, ending the season on a 10-game hitting streak (.457/.525/.514) which he carried over into an excellent winter league season in Venezuela.
Ronaldo Urdaneta (S/R) - Urdaneta turned 19 in November, following his second season in the system. My note to myself after reviewing his 2017 campaign was "don't know anything about him, but bring him to the States!" In his second professional season in the Dominican Summer League in 2017 (after signing out of Venezuela in 2015), he hit a robust .312/.420/.427 with 35 walks to 44 strikeouts. Oh, and he stole 27 bases to eight caught stealing. I reiterate, "Bring him to the States!"
Marco Van Der Wijst (R/R) - I know even less about Van Der Wijst who reportedly signed in July 2017 for $17,500, but his on-base skills are quite impressive. In 35 games, he hit .273/.411/.394 with 23 walks to 20 strikeouts. He will be 20 in February.

Note: There will be additional second basemen of interest who I will be including in a later write-up on utility players.

Previous Posts:
Shortstop

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 20, 2017

Let's play two in Palm Beach!

Or not.

The GCL Astros and GCL Cardinals only got one inning in before rain suspended play. They'll continue this game on Friday.

Reno 11, Fresno 8

W- Louis Coleman (1-1)
L- Brendan McCurry (4-1)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White 2 (23; 2-run in 3rd, 2-run in 5th)

The Aces took control with a 6-run 8th.

Both teams scored 2 runs in the opening frame; Fresno's two came on a Tyler White RBI single and a double play that allowed Colin Walsh to score. Walsh ripped an RBI double in the 3rd and one batter later, White smacked a 2-run homer. White launched another 2-run homer in the 5th inning, and Tony Kemp smacked an RBI double in the 9th. Kemp finished 4-5 on the evening, while White went 3-5.

Kent Emanuel went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Dayan Diaz was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 in 2 innings. Brendan McCurry and Reymin Guduan both pitched an inning apiece. McCurry threw a 1-2-3 7th but was shelled in the 8th to the tune of 5 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 5 hits. Guduan took ownership of the 8th and allowed a run on 3 hits (3-run homer; 1 run charged to McCurry) and struck out 1.

Cy Sneed takes on Anthony Banda in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Springfield 7, Corpus Christi 2

W- Austin Gomber (9-7)
L- Akeem Bostick (4-6, 6-7 season)

CC home runs: Ryne Birk (5, 13 season; 2-run in 2nd)

The Hooks got on the board first, but it was all Cardinals afterwards.

Ryne Birk had an excellent series as he homered in all three games: he clubbed a grand slam on Friday, launched a solo shot on Saturday, and whacked a 2-run blast on Sunday. That, unfortunately, was Corpus Christi's only scoring play of the day. Birk and Kyle Tucker both finished 2-4.

Akeem Bostick went 2.1 innings and allowed 6 runs on 9 hits while striking out 2. Ryan Thompson was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 2.2 scoreless innings. Cionel Perez allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1 in 3 innings.

After a day off, Corpus welcomes Midland to Whataburger Field for 4 starting Tuesday. Yoanys Quiala faces Grant Holmes in the first game.

Down East 3, Buies Creek 0

W- Kyle Cody (2-0)
L- Carson LaRue (0-2, 12-6 season)
S- Jeff Springs (1)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros were swept out of Kinston to end a rough roadtrip in which they dropped 6 of 7.

Rodrigo Ayarza finished 2-3; Anthony Hermelyn had the only other Buies Creek hit. Carmen Benedetti reached base twice by drawing a couple of walks.

Carson LaRue met the minimum requirements for a quality start, allowing 9 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Erasmo Pinales allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over the final 2 innings.

Buies Creek has Monday off. They'll welcome Lynchburg to Campbell University for 3 games starting Tuesday.

Quad Cities 13, Wisconsin 3

W- Kit Scheetz (2-0, 2-3 season)
L- Victor Diaz (2-5)
S- Cristian Javier (1)

QC home runs: Troy Sieber (7, solo in 1st), Josh Rojas (10, 3-run in 3rd), Chuckie Robinson (14, grand slam in 4th)

The Banditos cruised to a Sunday win to take the lead in this series.

Kit Scheetz allowed 4 hits and struck out 6 over 5 shutout frames. The Timber Rattlers spoiled the shutout with a 3-run homer off Cristian Javier in the 8th. In 4 innings, Javier allowed one other hit, walked 3, and struck out 3.

Troy Sieber kicked things off with a solo shot in the 1st inning. Sieber drew a two-out walk in the 3rd and Daz Cameron joined him on the bases after getting plunked. Josh Rojas was next, and he smacked a 3-run homer.

Quad Cities scored 4 in the 4th off an RBI single from Ronnie Dawson and a bases-clearing double from Daz. Chuckie Robinson drove in 4 more in the 5th with a grand slam, and Sieber, who drove in the Banditos' first run, drove in their last run with a single in the 8th. The three home run hitters (Sieber, Robinson, and Rojas) all finished with 2 hits on the day; Sieber and Robinson both scored 3 runs.

Quad Cities and Wisconsin will conclude their series at 12:05. Yohan Ramirez takes on Carlos Herrera.

Tri-City 13, Brooklyn 10

W- Hunter Martin (2-0)
L- Tony Dibrell (0-1)
S- Luis Ramirez (2)

TC home runs: Adrian Tovalin (5, 9 season; 2-run in 1st), J.J. Matijevic (5, solo in 4th)

The ValleyCats came out on top in a crazy back-and-forth affair on Sunday.

Gabriel Bracamonte was the only player in the Tri-City lineup to go hitless and not score a run, but he still chipped in with a sac fly in a 5-run 2nd. Adrian Tovalin whacked a 2-run homer in the 1st to put the ValleyCats on the board and lashed a 2-run double in the 2nd inning.

Alex House went 2 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits and struck out 1. Parker Mushinski was the first man out of the bullpen and went 2.1 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3. Hunter Martin was next, and he allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 4 in 3.2 innings. Luis Ramirez struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th for the save.

Adam Bleday faces Nicolas Debora in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Bristol 6, Greeneville 3

W- Domingo Robles (3-7)
L- Johsson Arias (1-3, 1-4 season)
S- Drew Fischer (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Pirates scored twice in the 6th and the 8th to edge the Appy Astros.

Both teams scored a run in the 1st; Greeneville's came on a Frankeny Fernandez sac fly. Fernandez hit an RBI single in the 6th and Wilson Amador scored another run on the relay throw. Fernandez went 2-4, while Amador went 2-3 with a stolen base (19) and scored 2 of the Appy Astros' 3 runs.

Jheyson Caraballo allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 4 innings. Johsson Arias went 1.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Cole Watts pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 5.

Hansel Paulino starts game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Quad Cities River Bandits: W 13-3 @ Wisconsin

Kit Scheetz: W (2-0, 2-3 season), 5 IP, 4 H, 6 K

Chuckie Robinson: 2-4, 2B, Grand Slam (14), 3 R

Troy Sieber: 2-3, solo HR (7), 2 RBI, 3 R

Josh Rojas: 2-5, 3-R HR (10)

Daz Cameron: 3-RBI 2B in 4th

Erasmo Pinales, RHP, Buies Creek

2 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Ryne Birk, 2B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2-R HR (5, 13 season)

Home run in all three games of series @ Springfield

Tyler White, IF, and Tony Kemp, 2B, Fresno

White: 3-5, 2 HR (23), 5 RBI

Kemp: 4-5, 2B, RBI, 3 R

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Tri-City ValleyCats offense: W 13-10 vs. Brooklyn

Bryan de la Cruz: 2-5, 4 RBI, R

J.J. Matijevic: 2-3, solo HR (5), 3 R

Adrian Tovalin: 2-5, 2B, 2-R HR (5, 9 season), 4 RBI

Kyle Davis: 2-2, 2 R, 3 BB

Wilson Amador's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Frankeny Fernandez, OF, and Wilson Amador, OF, Greeneville

Fernandez: 2-4, 2 RBI

Amador: 2-3, 2 R, SB (19)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, August 18, 2017

Let's play two in the Dominican!

Wait, never mind.

Fresno 3, Las Vegas 2

W- Jumbo Diaz (1-0)
L- Alberto Baldonado (0-4)

The Grizzlies walked off with the win to snap their 5-game slide and avoid a sweep.

Drew Ferguson opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd inning. This was the game's only scoring play until the 8th, when Vegas scored twice in the top half to take the lead. Fresno responded in the bottom half with a Preston Tucker RBI single to tie the game. Garrett Stubbs hit a one-out single in the 9th, advanced to 3rd on a Rico Noel double, and scored the winning run when Tony Kemp dunked a ball in for a single.

Rogelio Armenteros allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 9 over 7 shutout innings. He had a no-hitter going through 6.2 innings. Dean Deetz got 2 outs in the 8th but allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1. Reymin Guduan got the last out of the inning without incident. Jumbo Diaz worked around a single and a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Trent Thornton will start the first game of a 4-game series in Reno at 7:05 Pacific. He'll go up against Taylor Clarke.

Corpus Christi 7, Springfield 4

W- Franklin Perez (2-1, 6-3 season)
L- Chris Ellis (5-7)
S- Riley Ferrell (2, 4 season)

CC home runs: Ryne Birk (3, 11 season; grand slam in 6th)

Corpus only scored in one inning, but they made sure to score a lot.

Franklin Perez turned in 6 solid innings, allowing 2 runs on a 2-run homer, one other hit, walking 2, and striking out 4. Brock Dykxhoorn threw a scoreless 7th but ran into trouble in the 8th, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 1. Riley Ferrell took ownership of the 8th and ended up earning a 2-inning save. He allowed a hit and struck out 4.

All 7 Hooks runs came in the 6th. Carlos Canelón and Arturo Michelena led off with singles and Jason Martin tied the game with a 2-run double. Tony Nuñez and Kyle Tucker were both retired, but Dex McCall kept the inning going with a single. Jon Singleton got a free pass to load the bases for Spencer Johnson, whose RBI single put Corpus Christi in the lead and prompted a Springfield pitching change. Ryne Birk greeted the new pitcher, Andrew Morales, with a grand slam. Martin (2 2B, 2 RBI, R), Singleton (2 BB, R), and Canelón (R) all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Josh James takes on Zac Gallen in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:10.

Down East 5, Buies Creek 3

W- Adam Choplick (4-3)
L- Justin Ferrell (7-5)
S- Scott Williams (5)

BC home runs: Yordan Alvarez (3, 12 season; solo in 3rd)

The Carolina Stros got edged towards the end when the Wood Ducks hit back-to-back solo homers in the 8th to break a 3-3 tie.

Jake Rogers ripped an RBI double in the 1st to open the scoring. Yordan Alvarez smacked a solo homer in the 3rd and drove in another run on a bloop single in the 7th inning. Alvarez finished with 2 hits for the 3rd straight game, while Stephen Wrenn finished 4-5.

Ryan Hartman allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4.2 innings. Justin Ferrell went 3.1 innings and allowed the two solo shots in the 8th, one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 4.

Jorge Alcala gets the start in game 2. He'll face Brett Martin at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 10, Wisconsin 3

W- Patrick Sandoval (2-2, 3-4 season)
L- Nattino Diplan (3-10)

QC home runs: Chuckie Robinson (13, 2-run in 1st)

The Banditos broke a 3-3 tie by scoring twice in the 6th and ran away with this game with a 5-run 7th.

Patrick Sandoval shook off a rocky 3rd inning in which he allowed 3 runs (2 earned) to go 6 innings. He also allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Robert Corniel allowed 2 hits and fanned 4 over 2 scoreless, and Salvador Montaño worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 2.

Chuckie Robinson launched a 2-run homer in the 1st to open the scoring and Josh Rojas added an RBI single later in the inning. Troy Sieber led off the 6th with a single and Daz Cameron joined him on the bases with a double. Luis Payano put Quad Cities back in front with an RBI single and Rojas added a sac fly to his ledger.

Marcos Almonte ripped a double to begin the 7th inning. Robinson drew a one-out walk and they both advanced a base on a Sieber groundout. Daz hit a 2-run single and it was on. He proceeded to steal 2nd (28) and scored on a Ronnie Dawson single. After a Payano double, Rojas capped it off with a 2-run triple.

Daz finished 3-5 on the evening. Almonte (2 2B, R), Payano (2B, RBI, R, SB), and Rojas (3B, 4 RBI) all finished with 2 hits. Robinson, Sieber, and Daz also scored 2 runs apiece.

Nathan Thompson makes his first Midwest League start tonight. He'll face Braden Webb at 6:35.

Tri-City and Hudson Valley was postponed

Due to rain. The ValleyCats have a series in Hudson Valley from August 28-30 so I presume that this game will be made up during that series.

Tri-City will kick off a 3-game series with Brooklyn tonight at 7:00 Eastern. Leovanny Rodriguez faces Luis De Los Santos.

Pulaski 4, Greeneville 3

W- Dallas Martinez (2-0)
L- Tim Hardy (1-3)

The Appy Astros were stunned at the end when the Yankees scored twice in the bottom of the 9th to walk off with the win.

Yhoan Acosta allowed a run on a single, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 1.2 innings. Jairo Solis was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen and went 4.1 innings, allowing a run on 4 hits, walking 3, and striking out 5. Tim Hardy pitched 2+ innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3.

Ruben Castro scored Greeneville's first run when Wilson Amador beat a double play in the 4th. Gilberto Celestino scored on a Jose Benjamin groundout in the 5th, and Roman Garcia hit an RBI single in the 7th. Garcia, Castro, and Cody Bohanek all had 2 hits on the night; the three of them accounted for all of Greeneville's hits.

Noel Pinto starts the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 5, GCL Mets 4

W- Nivaldo Rodriguez (1-1, 4-1 season)
L- Eric Villanueva (0-3)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros walked off with the win on Friday.

Juan Pablo Lopez went 1.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Matt Merrill was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 2.1 innings. Nivaldo Rodriguez shut it down over the last 5 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 3, and striking out 6.

Hector Martinez and Vicente Sanchez both finished with 2 hits, an RBI, and scored a run. César Cortez went 2-4 and scored a run. Ozziel Sanchez-Galan won it with a single in the bottom of the 9th.

DSL Astros Blue 5, DSL Rays1 2

W- Jervic Chavez (3-1)
L- Fraylin Santos (2-2)
S- Jean Reyes (1)

Blue home runs: None.

Kendy Moya went 2-3 and had the big hit in this game: a bases-clearing triple in a 5-run 4th. Yeuris Ramirez and Brandon Benavente drove in runs in the 4th with a single and a sac fly, respectively.

Jervic Chavez walked 2 and struck out 5 over 5 no-hit innings, while Jean Reyes allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the last 2 innings.

DSL Rays2 5, DSL Astros Orange 4

W- Luis Duran (3-2)
L- Yulian Frontado (1-3)
S- Eduardo Perez (2)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team mounted a rally that fell just short.

Euclides Chavez went 2-4 with a couple of RBI singles. Deury Carrasco scored twice, stole a base (26), and walked 3 times.

Mauricio Santana allowed a hit and struck out 1 in a scoreless 1st. Christian Mejias allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 5 innings. Yulian Frontado got 2 outs in the 7th and allowed 2 unearned runs, walked 2, and struck out 1. Cristofer Melendez allowed 2 unearned runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jervic Chavez, LHP, DSL Astros Blue: W (3-1), 5 IP, 2 BB, 5 K
Christian Mejias, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 2 K
Nivaldo Rodriguez, RHP, GCL Astros: W (1-1, 4-1 season), 5 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Fresno

7 IP, H, 2 BB, 9 K; no-hitter through 6.2 IP

Franklin Perez, RHP, and Riley Ferrell, RHP, Corpus Christi

Perez: W (2-1, 6-3 season), 6 IP, 2 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Ferrell: Save (2, 4 season), 2 IP, H, 4 K

Ryne Birk, 2B, Corpus Christi

Grand Slam (3, 11 season) in 7-run 6th

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yordan Alvarez, 1B/LF, Buies Creek

2-5, solo HR (3, 12 season), 2 RBI

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 10-3 @ Wisconsin

9 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 14 K

Patrick Sandoval: W (2-2, 3-4 season), 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), BB, 8 K

Robert Corniel: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Salvador Montaño: IP, BB, 2 K

Daz Cameron, OF, and Josh Rojas, IF, Quad Cities

Cameron: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (28)

Rojas: 2-3, 3B, 4 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, August 5, 2017

Iowa 6, Fresno 1

W- Felix Peña (2-1)
L- Rogelio Armenteros (5-1, 7-4 season)

Fresno home runs: None.

After the Grizzlies got on the board first, the I-Cubs swiftly seized control with 4 runs in the 5th.

Rogelio Armenteros wasn't bad in his 5+ innings, but he probably deserved a better ending to his evening than allowing a 2-run homer in the 6th to the last man he faced, which also put Iowa in the lead. The other 4 hits that Armenteros allowed were all singles; he also walked 2 and struck out 9. Ashur Tolliver (6th), Jordan Jankowski (7th), and Jumbo Diaz (8th) all threw an inning out of the bullpen. Tolliver and Jankowski both allowed 2 runs on 2 hits; Jankowski also walked and struck out a batter. Jumbo struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 inning.

Jack Mayfield scored Fresno's only run when Alejandro Garcia beat out a double play attempt in the 5th inning. The Grizzlies only had 4 hits in this game.

David Martinez will start the series finale, and he'll take on Eddie Butler at 1:08.

Frisco 4, Corpus Christi 1

W- Tyson Ross (1-0)
L- Alex Winkelman (1-6, 3-6 season)
S- Nick Gardewine (4)

CC home runs: None.

Hard to win a game when only two players in the lineup are the entire offense.

Ryne Birk went 2-3 with an RBI single in the 7th that accounted for the Hooks' only run. Jason Martin also had 2 hits and scored that one run. Together, they provided all of Corpus Christi's offensive production on Saturday.

Alex Winkelman and Akeem Bostick threw 4 innings apiece. Winkelman allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3, while Bostick allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4.

Yoanys Quiala starts the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 7, Carolina 5

W- Ryan Hartman (2-3, 5-4 season)
L- Kodi Medeiros (4-9)
S- Sean Stutzman (3)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros only scored in one inning, but it turned out to be enough to get them the win.

Ryan Hartman went 5.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. All three runs that were charged to him were inherited runners that scored. Carlos Sierra was the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen and allowed 2 runs of his own on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 in 2.2 innings. Sean Stutzman threw a 1-2-3 9th to get the save, striking out 1.

All 7 Buies Creek runs came in the 4th inning. Stephen Wrenn and Yordan Alvarez both singled to start the inning and Jake Rogers followed with a 2-run triple to open the scoring. Rogers came home on a Randy César single. César moved over on Carmen Benedetti's single and scored on Rodrigo Ayarza's single. Ayarza's RBI single was the first of four such plays in a row; Myles Straw, Wrenn, and Alvarez all followed with RBI singles of their own.

Wrenn, Alvarez, and César all finished with 2 hits on the evening. Rogers' triple was Buies Creek's only extra-base hit of the game, so they essentially subjected the Mudcats to a thousand cuts in that huge 4th inning.

Hector Perez will face Conor Harber in the series finale. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Beloit 2

W- Ronel Blanco (5-3, 5-4 season)
L- Matt Milburn (6-9)
S- Patrick Sandoval (1)

QC home runs: Daz Cameron (12, 2-run in 3rd)

The Banditos cruised to the victory on Saturday with a 5-run 3rd and an outstanding performance on the hill.

Ronel Blanco walked 3 and struck out 3 over 5 no-hit innings. The Snappers spoiled the no-hitter and the shutout with a couple of runs on 3 hits off Patrick Sandoval in the 9th. Sandoval struck out 6 in his 4 innings of work.

All 5 Quad Cities runs in the 3rd came with two outs. Chas McCormick led it off with a double. Osvaldo Duarte flew out and Ronnie Dawson struck out to jeopardize things a little. Chuckie Robinson came through with an RBI single to open the scoring, and then Troy Sieber ripped a double to bring him in. Abraham Toro-Hernandez followed with an RBI triple, and Daz Cameron landed the big blow by whacking a 2-run homer. Dawson walked to start the 5th, made his way to 3rd thanks to a couple of wild pitches, and came home on a single from Sieber. Dawson finished 2-3 and hit a 2-run single in the 6th. He's now on a 14-game hitting streak. Daz went 2-4 on the night, while Robinson (RBI, R) and Sieber (2B, 2 RBI, R) both finished 3-4.

Abdiel Saldaña takes on Xavier Altamirano at 1:15.

Aberdeen 3, Tri-City 2

W- Josh Keaton (1-2)
L- Tyler Ivey (0-3)
S- William Reed Hayes (4)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats got 2 in the 6th to take the lead... only to see the Ironbirds regain control with a couple of their own in the 7th.

Those two runs came when Jake Meyers scored on a wild pitch and Bryan De La Cruz came home on a balk. Kyle Davis went 2-4 with a double.

Carlos Hiraldo went 5 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Tyler Ivey was the first man out of the bullpen and went 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6. Diogenes Almengo struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th inning.

Matt Ruppenthal starts game 2. First pitch is at 5:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 7, Danville 4

W- Cole Watts (2-3)
L- Jesús Heredia (1-3)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros avoided the sweep behind a 5-run 6th inning that put them up 7-3.

Jose Benjamin opened the scoring with a 2-run single in the 1st inning. This was their only scoring play until that big 6th.

Frankeny Fernandez started things off by drawing a walk. He'd score the tying run on an error, and then Greeneville had the bases loaded, which they scored their other four runs off of. Joan Mauricio hit an RBI single, Wilson Amador added a sac fly, and Cody Bohanek and Gilberto Celestino chipped in with RBI singles of their own. Bohanek and Benjamin both finished with 2 hits on the evening, while Amador stole a couple of bases (13). Celestino extended his hitting streak to 8 games with that RBI single.

Hansel Paulino went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Willy Collado came on for 2 innings and allowed a run on a double, walked 2, and struck out 3. Cole Watts pitched the last 4 innings and allowed a run on a solo homer, 2 other hits, and struck out 4.

Greeneville will begin a 3-game series with Burlington at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 10, GCL Astros 5

W- Brian Pirela (2-3)
L- Tanner Duncan (1-2)

GCL home runs: Nathan Perry (2, solo in 5th)

Three big innings from the Cardinals doomed the Palm Beach Stros on Saturday.

Nathan Perry put the GCLstros on the board with a solo homer in the 5th inning. Carlos Machado hit an RBI single in the 6th and later pulled off a double steal with Wander Franco. An errant throw allowed Franco to come home with another run. Juan Piñeda ripped an RBI double in the 8th and Andres Santana hit an RBI single in the 9th. Santana and Enmanuel Valdez (2B, R, 2 SB) had 2 hits apiece.

Tanner Duncan went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and struck out 4. Matt Merrill pitched the 5th but only got two outs; he allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits and walked 1. Diosward Gonzalez was next; he allowed 3 runs (3 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2.1 innings. Chauncey Nuñez allowed a hit and struck out 2 in a scoreless 9th.

DSL Royals 4, DSL Astros Blue 2

W- Adriam Castillo (3-0)
L- Kilvio Peralta (0-1)
S- Adrian Alcantara (3)

Blue home runs: None.

Wilyer Abreu went 2-4 and his 2-run single in the 6th was the Blue team's only scoring play.

Kilvio Peralta allowed 2 runs on 2 hits in 2 innings. Freylin Garcia followed with 5 innings, allowing a run on 4 hits and striking out 5. Luis Garcia and Jervic Chavez pitched an inning apiece; Garcia allowed a run on 2 hits and walked 1 in the 8th, while Chavez worked around an error to throw a scoreless 9th.

DSL Pirates 7, DSL Astros Orange 1 in 8 innings

W- Noe Toribio (2-2)
L- Jesus Bernaez (1-4)

Orange home runs: None.

This game was called due to severe weather just before the 9th inning began.

Michael Garcia scored the Orange team's only run on a groundout in the 8th. Fildex Perfecto went 3-3.

Miguel Matos allowed a hit and struck out 6 over the last 4 innings of this game.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Miguel Matos, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: 4 IP, H, 6 K
Freylin Garcia, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 5 K

Wilyer Abreu, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-4, 2 RBI

Ryne Birk, 2B, and Jason Martin, OF, Corpus Christi

Birk: 2-3, RBI

Martin: 2-4, R

Both of them accounted for all of Corpus Christi's offensive production on Saturday.

Akeem Bostick, RHP, Corpus Christi

4 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Fresno

L (5-1, 7-4 season), 5 IP, 5 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 8-2 vs. Beloit

9 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

No-hitter through 8 innings

Ronel Blanco: W (5-3, 5-4 season), 5 IP, 3 BB, 3 K

Patrick Sandoval: Save (1), 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K

Daz Cameron, OF, and Troy Sieber, 1B, Quad Cities

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

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

Carlos Hiraldo, RHP, Tri-City

5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, K