Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 29, 2018

Fresno 11, Tacoma 5

W- Andrew Thome (3-0)
L- Rob Whalen (3-1)

Fresno home runs: Tim Federowicz (3, 3-run in 7th), Kyle Tucker (2, 2-run in 8th)

After dropping the last two to the Rainiers, the Grizzlies withstood a 5-run 5th and finished the game on a 9-0 run to take the series.

Francis Martes had some... control or command issues, or both. He went 4.1 innings and allowed three runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on four hits, walked eight, and struck out just two. Andrew Thome was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and threw 1.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, one of which was a grand slam that resulted in two runs being charged to Martes. Thome also issued a walk and struck out one. Matt Ramsey allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out one over two scoreless, and Brendan McCurry struck out two in a 1-2-3 9th.

Kyle Tucker singled with two outs in the 1st and scored the first run of the day on a Tyler White double. The Grizz loaded the bases to start the 2nd, but all they got out of it was a Jack Mayfield sac fly. After Tacoma scored 5 in the 5th to take control, Fresno wrestled the game back from them with 4 of their own in the bottom of the 5th.

Tony Kemp ripped a leadoff double and Drew Ferguson joined him on the bases with a single to ignite the rally. Little Tuck smacked a ground-rule double to bring Kemp in. White brought Ferguson in with a single, and Tucker scored the tying run when A.J. Reed hit into a fielder's choice. Mayfield put the Grizzlies back in the lead with an RBI single. Tim Federowicz launched a three-run home run in the 7th and Tucker capped off the day with his two-run blast in the 8th. The two home run hitters finished with three hits apiece. White and J.D. Davis had two hits apiece.

Fresno will wrap up April by starting a series in Salt Lake City. Trent Thornton will take on Osmer Morales in the opener, which starts at 6:35 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 8, Frisco 3

W- Sean Stutzman (2-1)
L- Cody Palmquist (0-4)
S- Josh James (1)

CC home runs: Stephen Wrenn (1, solo in 5th), Taylor Jones (3, 2-run in 5th), Alex De Goti (1, 2-run in 5th)

The Hooks busted out the fireworks in the 5th as they seized the momentum with seven runs in the frame.

Framber Valdez threw three innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out seven. Fortunately, his bullpen backed him up. Sean Stutzman was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and threw two scoreless innings, walking one and striking out one. Josh James allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out six over the final four innings to secure the win.

The offense was held in check for the first four innings until they broke out in a huge way in the 5th. Stephen Wrenn put Corpus on the board with a one-out solo home run. Carmen Benedetti drew a walk and came around to score on a Yordan Alvarez double, which prompted Frisco to make a pitching change. Taylor Jones greeted the new pitcher, Cody Palmquist, with a two-run home run to put the Hooks in front. Randy César kept the line moving with a double and Ryne Birk brought him in with a triple. Jamie Ritchie struck out for the second out of the inning, but there was a little more time for offense because Alex De Goti whacked a two-run home run. Wrenn finished 3-5 and capped off the day with an RBI single in the 8th inning. De Goti (2-R HR, 2 R) and Jones (2B, 2-R HR, 2 BB) had two hits apiece; Jones reached in all four of his plate appearances.

Ryan Hartman takes on Ariel Jurado in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Frederick 9, Buies Creek 4

W- Jhon Peluffo (2-0)
L- Brandon Bielak (3-2)

BC home runs: None.

Tough day for the Carolina Stros as the Keys ran out to a 9-0 lead on them and Morgan Ensberg got tossed in the 4th for arguing over whether Ronnie Dawson was caught stealing.

All four Buies Creek runs came in the 8th on a couple of RBI singles from Abraham Toro and Chas McCormick and a two-run double from Troy Sieber. Toro and Ronnie Dawson had two hits apiece.

Brandon Bielak went four innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, walked two, and struck out five. Ronel Blanco came out for the 5th but didn't make it out as he allowed two runs, a double, and walked five, two of which came with the bases loaded. Justin Ferrell allowed his first three runs of the year on a pair of home runs. In 1.2 innings, the homers were the only two hits he allowed. Ferrell also walked one and struck out four. Carlos Sierra allowed a run on two hits and struck out three in 2.2 innings.

Buies Creek will be off on Monday as they get set to hit the road, with stops in Kinston and Winston-Salem. First up is a three-game series in Kinston against the Down East Wood Ducks beginning Tuesday.

Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 2

W- Derek Molina (1-0)
L- Colin McKee (3-1)
S- Moises Gomez (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got out to a quick start but got held off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Parker Mushinski went four innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits, walked three, and struck out six. Tanner Duncan tagged in for two innings and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer hit by Trey Cabbage. Duncan allowed one other hit, walked three, and struck out two. Colin McKee came on for the 7th and recorded two strikeouts, but he also allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) and walked four, one of which came with the bases loaded. Adam Bleday pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out three. One of the walks came with the bases loaded and resulted in a run getting charged to McKee.

Quad Cities' two runs both came in the 1st inning as Jonathan Arauz scored on an error and Mike Papierski hit an RBI single. Bryan De La Cruz and Jake Meyers had two hits apiece; Meyers stole his 4th base of the season.

The Banditos have Monday off as they will also hit the road. They will return to action on Tuesday when they take on the Great Lakes Loons.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

6 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K

Sean Stutzman: W (2-1), 2 IP, BB, K

Josh James: Save (1), 4 IP, H, BB, 6 K; 34 K in 20 IP this season

Stephen Wrenn, OF, and Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi

Wrenn: 3-5, solo HR (1), 2 RBI, SB (8)

Jones: 2-2, 2-R HR (3), 2 BB

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Parker Mushinski, LHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 3 BB, 6 K

Tim Federowicz's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Kyle Tucker, OF, Tyler White, IF, and Tim Federowicz, C, Fresno

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

White: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Federowicz: 3-4, 3-R HR (3)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Fresno was off

The Grizzlies kick off a four-game series with Tacoma tonight at 6:35 Pacific. Cy Sneed will face Max Povse.

Midland 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- Sam Bragg (2-0)
L- Sean Stutzman (1-1)
S- Jake Sanchez (4)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks got two in the 1st but nothing more as the Hounds ended up edging them thanks to a run in the 7th inning that broke a 2-2 tie.

Myles Straw led off the bottom of the 1st with a double and scored Corpus Christi's first run on a double from Carmen Benedetti. Taylor Jones brought Benedetti in with a sac fly. Both of Straw's hits were doubles.

Josh James went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5. Sean Stutzman was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and had an unearned run charged to him... which turned out to be the go-ahead run. Stutzman allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in his 4 innings of work. The run scored on a throwing error committed by Randy César. Kevin Hill threw 2 scoreless and also allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.

Brock Dykxhoorn takes on Ben Bracewell in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 3, Down East 0

W- Brandon Bielak (3-1)
L- Emerson Martinez (2-2)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros only scored in one inning, but it was enough for them because Hector Perez and Brandon Bielak kept the Wood Ducks off the board for nine innings.

Perez allowed just one hit, but he also walked four and struck out five in his 4.2 innings of work. Bielak tagged in and took over the rest of the way, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 9 over the final 4.1 innings.

All three Buies Creek runs came in the 3rd inning and they hit six singles in a row to get those three runs. Abraham Toro, Chas McCormick, and Kristian Trompiz had the RBI singles. Trompiz finished 3-3 on the evening, while McCormick, Ronnie Dawson, and Osvaldo Duarte all had two hits.

In the second game of the Lone Star Series in North Carolina, Carson LaRue will go up against Edgar Arredondo. First pitch is 7:00 Eastern.

Kane County 11, Quad Cities 3

W- Jeff Bain (1-0)
L- J.B. Bukauskas (0-2)
S- Matt Peacock (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos managed to cut a 6-0 deficit in half in the top of the 8th inning, but the Cougars responded by burying them with five runs in the bottom half.

Quad Cities turned a bases-loaded situation to start the inning into their three runs as Bryan de la Cruz singled to bring in two and a swinging bunt from Adrian Tovalin plated another run. De La Cruz and Jake Meyers both finished 2-4 on the day.

J.B. Bukauskas threw 2+ innings and allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 7 hits and struck out 1. Parker Mushinski was the first man out of the Banditos bullpen and allowed 3 runs of his own, in addition to the two that were charged to Bukauskas. In his 4 innings, Mushinski allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. He also hit a batter and uncorked three wild pitches during the course of his outing. Cole Watts allowed 5 runs, one of which was an inherited runner that was charged to him, on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Robert Corniel got the final two outs of the 8th, one via strikeout, but not before he allowed the runner that he inherited from Watts to score. Corniel also allowed a hit and issued a walk.

Patrick Sandoval will take on Mack Lemieux in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 11:00 AM.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Brandon Bielak's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 3-0 vs. Down East

9 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 14 K

Hector Perez: 4.2 IP, H, 4 BB, 5 K

Brandon Bielak: W (3-1), 4.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 9 K

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

6 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 4 K

Sean Stutzman: L (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 2 K

Kevin Hill: 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K

Kristian Trompiz, IF, and Chas McCormick, OF, Buies Creek

Trompiz: 3-3, RBI single

McCormick: 2-4, RBI single, SB (3)

Photo by Bryan Green

Bryan de la Cruz, OF, Quad Cities

2-4, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 13, 2017

After a Saturday filled with doubleheaders, seven nine-inning games was a welcome sight.

Albuquerque 22, Fresno 1

I abstain, courteously.

Fresno and Albuquerque will conclude this series at 6:35 Mountain. Kent Emanuel takes the hill for the Grizzlies.

Springfield 7, Corpus Christi 5

W- Chris Ellis (5-6)
L- Josh James (4-5)
S- Landon Beck (5)

CC home runs: Trent Woodward (3, 2-run in 6th)

The Hooks suffered the sweep, although Saturday's game had a rather contentious ending. The Cardinals took control with 3 in the 5th to tie the game and then scored 4 more in the 6th to take the lead.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and fanned 5. Josh James allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2 in 2.2 innings, and Ryan Thompson retired all 4 Cardinals he faced, striking out 2 of them.

Jon Singleton put Corpus on the board first with an RBI single in the 1st. Singleton added another RBI single to his ledger in the 3rd inning and came around to score on Dex McCall's double. Trent Woodward whacked a 2-run homer in the 6th inning. Singleton went 2-3; McCall's RBI double and Woodward's blast were the other two Hooks hits.

After a day off, the Hooks will start a 3-game series in Tulsa on Tuesday.

Buies Creek 5, Down East 4 in 10 innings

W- Kevin Hill (1-0, 4-1 season)
L- Jacob Shortslef (0-4)

BC home runs: Anthony Hermelyn (3, solo in 4th)

The Carolina Stros walked off with the win to avoid the sweep. They fell behind 4-0 but scored the last 5 runs of the day.

Anthony Hermelyn put Buies Creek on the board by homering to start the bottom of the 4th. Yordan Alvarez kicked off the bottom of the 6th with a double and Hermelyn joined him on the bases by singling. Taylor Jones walked to load the bases for Carmen Benedetti, who hit an RBI single to prompt a pitching change. Randy César greeted new Down East pitcher Jeff Springs with a 2-run single that tied the game at 4. 

Myles Straw, who came on to pinch-hit for Benedetti in the 8th, singled to lead off the bottom of the 10th and when he gets on base, he can pretty much score on any kind of base hit. Randy César successfully tested that theory by ripping the double that allowed Straw to score the winning run. Alvarez (2B, R, SB), Hermelyn (solo HR, 2 R), and César (2B, 3 RBI) all went 3-5 on the afternoon.

Jorge Alcala went 4.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 4, and struck out 4. Sean Stutzman and Kevin Hill picked him up with 5.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Stutzman allowed a hit and struck out 5 in 3.1 innings, while Hill allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 innings.

Buies Creek will hit the road this week. Their first stop is Lynchburg, Virginia, where they'll play 4 with the Hillcats. Matt Bower will start game 1 against Triston McKenzie; first pitch is at 6:30 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 7, Quad Cities 6

W- Patrick McGuff (2-2)
L- Salvador Montaño (5-3)

QC home runs: Troy Sieber (6, solo in 1st), Chas McCormick (1, grand slam in 3rd), Luis Payano (1, 4 season; solo in 3rd)

The Banditos were stunned in the bottom of the 9th as the Kernels scored 4 to steal the win.

All 6 Quad Cities runs scored on the three home runs you see above. Troy Sieber opened the scoring with his solo blast in the 1st inning. Chas McCormick's first pro homer was a grand slam and one batter later, Luis Payano followed with a solo shot of his own. Daz Cameron went 3-4 with a double and scored a run.

Gabriel Valdez pitched 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 5. Jesús Balaguer was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and went 2 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 4. Nathan Thompson pitched 3 scoreless, but then he ran into trouble in the 9th. He allowed 2 runs, both of which were inherited runners that were charged to him, 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Salvador Montaño couldn't salvage the situation; he allowed the tying and winning runs on 2 hits and walked 2. Neither Thompson nor Montaño recorded an out in the 9th.

Kit Scheetz makes his Quad Cities debut as the Banditos begin a 4-game series against Peoria at 6:35. He'll face Ian Oxnevad.

Williamsport 5, Tri-City 2

W- David Parkinson (1-1)

L- Juan Robles (1-2)
S- Randy Alcantara (3)

TC home runs: None.

The Crosscutters seized control with a 4-run 5th inning to foil the ValleyCats' bid to sweep the series.

In his ValleyCats debut, Adam Bleday allowed a hit and struck out 2 in 2 scoreless innings. Alex House allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in the 3rd inning. Juan Robles went 2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Parker Mushinski pitched the last 3 innings, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 6. 

Colton Shaver put Tri-City on the board with a sac fly in the 4th and Corey Julks hit an RBI single in the 8th inning. Andy Piñeda finished 2-4 with a triple and scored a run.

The 2017 New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday at Joe Bruno Stadium, home of the ValleyCats. Tri-City will be represented by Hunter Martin, Andy Piñeda, J.J. Matijevic, and Reggie Johnson. Martin replaced Nathan Thompson, who was just promoted to Quad Cities.

Greeneville 5, Kingsport 4

W- Dariel Aquino (2-1)

L- Yeudy Colon (0-2)

Greeneville home runs: Martin Figueroa (1, solo in 6th)

The Appy Astros got on the board in their series with the K-Mets by scoring 3 after stretch time to take the lead.

Francisco Villegas went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 1. Maikel Sepulveda allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3 in 3.1 innings, and Dariel Aquino walked 1 and struck out 4 over 2.2 scoreless to get the win.

Brody Westmoreland opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. This would be Greeneville's only scoring play until the 6th; in the meantime, Kingsport took a 3-1 lead. Martin Figueroa launched a solo homer in the 6th to get the Appy Astros back on the board. 

Cody Bohanek reached on an error with 2 outs in the 7th to keep the inning alive. Gilberto Celestino joined him on the bases by drawing a walk. Bohanek scored on a Roman Garcia RBI single. Celestino, who advanced to 3rd on the base hit, scored the tying run on a wild pitch. Westmoreland ripped an RBI double that turned out to be the game-winner. Garcia, Westmoreland, and Reiny Beltre all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Gerardo Bojorquez will face Joe Cavallaro in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 2, GCL Mets 1

W- Matt Merrill (1-1)
L- Briam Campusano (2-3)
S- Brendan Feldmann (2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Astros withstood a 9th-inning rally from the Mets to get the victory.

Enmanuel Valdez went 2-4 and opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 5th inning. He doubled in the 8th and scored the Palm Beach Stros' other run on a double play. Andres Santana also went 2-4.

Juan Pablo Lopez allowed 3 hits and struck out 1 over 4 scoreless. Matt Merrill was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed 2 hits while striking out 3 over 2 innings. Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 in 2.2 innings. Brendan Feldmann got the last out of the game without any further incident.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Juan Pablo Lopez, LHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, 3 H, K

Matt Merrill, RHP, GCL Astros: W (1-1), 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Dariel Aquino, RHP, Greeneville

W (2-1), 2.2 IP, BB, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Brody Westmoreland, 1B/3B, Greeneville

2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; go-ahead RBI 2B in 7th

Chas McCormick, OF, Quad Cities

Grand Slam (1); 1st home run as a pro

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jesús Balaguer, RHP, Quad Cities

2 IP, H, 4 K

Anthony Hermelyn, C, and Randy César, 3B, Buies Creek

Hermelyn: 3-5, solo HR (3), 2 R

César: 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI; walk-off RBI 2B in 10th

Buies Creek Astros bullpen

5.1 IP, 3 H, 7 K

Sean Stutzman: 3.1 IP, H, 5 K

Kevin Hill: W (1-0, 4-1 season), 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Parker Mushinski, LHP, Tri-City

3 IP, H, BB, 6 K

Jon Singleton, 1B, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Day games galore to start off a new month.

Omaha 9, Fresno 1

W- Jake Junis (3-5)
L- Kent Emanuel (1-1, 6-6 season)
S- Pedro Fernandez (1)

Fresno home runs: Tony Kemp (9, solo in 3rd)

Rough start to a new month for the Grizz.

Tony Kemp homered to lead off the 3rd for Fresno's only run; it was also their only extra-base hit of the day. Drew Ferguson pinch-hit for Kemp in the 8th and singled in his first AAA plate appearance.

Kent Emanuel... had a tough day, and I'll leave it at that. The one hit that Jacob Dorris allowed in his 2 innings was a solo homer to Cheslor Cuthbert in the 6th. Dorris struck out 1 in his outing. Ashur Tolliver worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 1.

Fresno has Wednesday off. They'll begin a 4-game series in Iowa on Thursday.

San Antonio 7, Corpus Christi 3

W- Eric Lauer (3-2)
L- Framber Valdez (4-3, 6-6 season)

CC home runs: None.

A 6-0 deficit proved to be too much for the Hooks to overcome.

Framber Valdez allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 9 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 5 in 5.1 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. pitched 2.2 innings and allowed one hit, a solo homer hit by Stephen McGee. Garza also struck out 3 in his time on the mound.

Kyle Tucker scored Corpus Christi's first run on an error in the 6th. Jason Martin added another run with an RBI single. Martin went 2-3 and hit another RBI single in the 8th inning. Jon Singleton also finished 2-3 on the evening.

Josh James takes the mound for the series finale. He'll go up against Cal Quantrill at 7:05.

Buies Creek 6, Wilmington 1

W- Forrest Whitley (3-1, 5-4 season)
L- Cristian Castillo (6-8)
S- Sean Stutzman (2)

BC home runs: Alex De Goti (2, 5 season; solo in 4th)

Forrest Whitley rebounded from a rare off night and the Carolina Stros busted this one open with a 4-run 5th inning.

Whitley allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 in his 5 innings. Sean Stutzman finished things off by striking out 2 over 4 perfect innings.

Both teams scored a run in the 2nd inning; Buies Creek's came on an error. Randy César stole 3rd and the errant throw allowed him to trot home. Alex De Goti's solo blast in the 4th put them back in front.

Myles Straw sparked the big 5th inning with a one-out infield single. Stephen Wrenn also hit an infield single and they both advanced on the ensuing error. Yordan Alvarez walked to load 'em up for Jake Rogers, who proceeded to rip a 2-run double. Taylor Jones followed with a sac fly, and César hit an RBI single to bring in the last run of the evening. César and Wrenn had 2 hits apiece.

Elieser Hernandez will face Collin Rodgers in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:35 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, Kane County 3

W- Carson LaRue (11-4)
L- Connor Grey (0-1)
S- Abdiel Saldaña (2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos doubled up the Cougars to earn a split in the series.

Carson LaRue went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Abdiel Saldaña finished it off by allowing a run on 4 hits and fanning 8 over the last 4 innings. The 8 strikeouts are a new career-high for Saldaña.

Quad Cities got off to a fast start with 3 in the 1st inning: Ronnie Dawson singled to lead off the afternoon and scored the first run on a Chuckie Robinson groundout. Troy Sieber followed with an RBI single and he wound up scoring on a sac fly. In the 6th, Dawson hit a sac fly and Carmen Benedetti followed with an RBI single. Daz Cameron provided some insurance with an RBI single in the 9th.

Dawson (2B, RBI, R), Benedetti (RBI, R), Abraham Toro-Hernandez (2 BB), and Daz (RBI, R) all finished with 2 hits on the day. Sieber reached in all five of his plate appearances, going 3-3 with a double and a couple of walks. Dawson now has a 10-game hitting streak.

The River Bandits are back home and they'll start a 3-game series with Burlington at 6:35.

Tri-City 5, Vermont 0

W- Luis Ramirez (1-2)
L- Brian Howard (0-1)
S- Colin McKee (3)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats posted two straight shutouts to take this series from the Lake Monsters.

Nathan Thompson started it off by allowing 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 3 in 3.1 innings. Luis Ramirez was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and went 2.2 innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 1. Colin McKee completed the shutout by allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4 over the final 3 innings.

Corey Julks scored the first run of the day on an error following a Jonathan Arauz single in the 2nd inning. Arauz, who made it to 2nd base on the Vermont gaffe, scored on a Kyle Davis double. Davis came around to score on Carlos Canelon's RBI single. The ValleyCats got two more in the 7th on a pair of sac flies from Bryan De La Cruz and J.J. Matijevic. Arauz finished 2-4 on the afternoon.

The ValleyCats will start a 3-game series in Brooklyn at 7:00 Eastern.

Burlington 7, Greeneville 0

W- Connor Mayes (3-0)
L- Tim Hardy (0-2)

Greeneville home runs: None.

All three games in this series were blowouts. The Royals, unfortunately, won two of them.

All four Appy Astros hits were doubles. Gilberto Celestino had two of them; the other two belonged to Frankeny Fernandez and Reiny Beltre. Celestino now has a 5-game hitting streak.

Leovanny Rodriguez allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 over 5 shutout innings. The Royals went off on the Greeneville bullpen. Tim Hardy went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (2-run homer) and walked 1, while Johsson Arias allowed 4 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in the 8th.

After a day off, Greeneville will begin a 3-game series with Danville on Thursday.

GCL Marlins 8, GCL Astros 3

W- Alberto Guerrero (1-1)
L- Kyle Serrano (0-1)

GCL home runs: Wander Franco (3, 8 season; solo in 5th)

A couple of big innings from the Marlins doomed the Palm Beach Stros on Tuesday.

Kyle Serrano made his professional debut, which did not last long. He got 2 outs in the first, both via strikeout, but also allowed 4 runs and walked 4. Only one of the runs was earned, and three of the runs scored after he departed. Juan Pablo Lopez was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed an unearned run on a single and struck out 1 in 2.1 innings. Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and struck out 4 in 2 innings. Saul Martinez, Devin Raftery, and Austin Kerns all pitched a scoreless inning. Martinez worked around a hit and a walk and recorded a strikeout in the 6th. Raftery walked 1 and struck out 1 in the 7th, and Kerns tightroped out of a bases-loaded jam (2 walks and a hit) in the 8th, striking out 1.

Enmanuel Valdez tripled to start the game and scored the first run of the afternoon on Juan Piñeda's groundout. Wander Franco finished 3-4 and drove in the other two runs with a double and a solo homer.

DSL Astros Blue 3, DSL Marlins 2

W- Angel Ortega (2-1)
L- Juan Borges (1-1)
S- Jervic Chavez (3)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team edged the Marlins with a run in the 7th to break a 2-2 tie.

Both teams scored their two runs in the 4th; Team Blue got theirs on an error that allowed Yeuris Ramirez to score and a sac fly from Leonardo Gonzalez. Wilyer Abreu broke the tie with an RBI single in the 7th inning. Ramirez and Abreu both finished with 2 hits on the day.

Jean Reyes allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and walked 1 in 3.1 innings. Diosmerky Taveras got the final two outs of the 4th, working around a walk to do so. Angel Ortega followed with 3 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 2, and Jervic Chavez allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the final 2 innings to earn the save.

DSL Astros Orange 4, DSL Cubs1 3

W- Fredis Guerrero (3-0)
L- Riger Fernandez (0-2)
S- Luis De Paula (4)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team snatched a win from the Cubs by erasing a 3-0 deficit in the late stages of this game.

Fildex Perfecto ripped an RBI triple in the 6th to put Team Orange on the board and Sean Mendoza tied the game with a 2-run single. Deury Carrasco scored what turned out to be the winning run on an error in the 9th inning. Mendoza finished 4-4 and also stole a couple of bases (13). Ramiro Rodriguez went 2-4 with a stolen base (7) and scored a run.

Elian Rodriguez went 2.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Fredis Guerrero tagged in to throw 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 5. Luis De Paula threw a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

DSL Astros Blue bullpen: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Diosmerky Taveras: 0.2 IP, BB
Angel Ortega: W (2-1), 3 IP, H, BB, 2 K
Jervic Chavez: Save (3), 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K

DSL Astros Orange bullpen: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Fredis Guerrero: W (3-0), 5.1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Luis De Paula: Save (4), IP; 1 groundout, 2 fly ball outs

Sean Mendoza, UTIL, DSL Astros Orange: 4-4, 2 RBI, R, 2 SB (13)

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 5-0 vs. Vermont

2nd consecutive shutout

9 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 8 K

Nathan Thompson: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K

 Luis Ramirez: W (1-2), 2.2 IP, 2 H, K

Colin McKee: Save (3), 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Wander Franco, 3B, GCL Astros

3-4, 2B, solo HR (3, 8 season), 2 RBI

Photo by Bryan Green

Leovanny Rodriguez, RHP, Greeneville

5 IP, 4 H, BB, 7 K

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 6-1 @ Wilmington

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

Forrest Whitley: W (3-1, 5-4 season), 5 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Sean Stutzman: Save (2), 4 IP, 2 K; perfect outing

Randy César, 3B, Buies Creek

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

I'm fairly sure that Carson LaRue is in the first picture.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 6-3 @ Kane County

9 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, BB, 14 K

Carson LaRue: W (11-4), 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K

Abdiel Saldaña: Save (2), 4 IP, 4 H, ER, 8 K (career-high)

Troy Sieber, 1B, and Ronnie Dawson, OF, Quad Cities

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

Dawson: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R; currently on 10-game hitting streak

Jason Martin, OF, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2 RBI singles

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 21, 2017

Fresno 5, Round Rock 0

W- Dean Deetz (3-3, 7-5 season)
L- David Ledbetter (2-2)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (18, 2-run in 1st), Preston Tucker (18, solo in 6th), A.J. Reed (20, solo in 6th), Jon Kemmer (14, solo in 7th)

The Grizzlies battered Arlington's AAA team with four homers to take the first game of this series. This series is the only time where the Astros and Rangers' AAA teams will face each other in 2017.

Tyler White launched a 2-run homer in the 1st to open the scoring. Preston Tucker and A.J. Reed went back-to-back in the 6th, and Jon Kemmer capped off the evening with his solo blast in the 7th. White and Juan Centeno (2B) had 2 hits apiece.

Dean Deetz allowed 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 7 over 5.1 shutout innings. Brendan McCurry struck out 3 in 1.2 perfect innings. The Express loaded the bases on Ashur Tolliver with a couple of hits and a walk in the 8th, but he worked his way out of the jam in the 8th to keep the shutout alive. Dayan Diaz allowed a hit and struck out 2 in the 9th to complete the shutout.

Mike Hauschild will face James Dykstra in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Midland 6, Corpus Christi 5

W- Carlos Navas (1-3)
L- Framber Valdez (3-2, 5-5 season)
S- Sam Bragg (3)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (14, 15 season; 2-run in 1st)

The Hooks knocked Casey Meisner around, but when the RockHounds turned to their bullpen... they didn't fare as well.

Jack Mayfield went 2-5 and opened the scoring with a 2-run homer in the 1st inning. Jason Martin also finished with 2 hits, and one of those was a bases-clearing double in the 3rd inning. Mayfield has homered in three straight games.

Cy Sneed went 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1. Framber Valdez tagged in for 2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Riley Ferrell walked 1 over 1.2 scoreless innings.

Franklin Perez makes his first Texas League start tonight as he takes on Dustin Hurlbutt at 7:00.

Buies Creek 5, Carolina 3

W- Erasmo Pinales (1-0, 4-1 season)
L- Conor Harber (2-7)
S- Sean Stutzman (1)

BC home runs: Anthony Hermelyn (2, solo in 4th), Stephen Wrenn (4, 7 season; 2-run in 7th)

The Mudcats managed to tie the game at 3, but Stephen Wrenn's 2-run homer in the 7th put Buies Creek back in front, and that blast proved to be the difference.

Forrest Whitley allowed 2 runs on a double, one other hit, walked 2, and struck out 7 in 3.2 innings. Erasmo Pinales was the first man out of the Astros bullpen and went 3.1 innings. He allowed a run on a strikeout that got away from Jake Rogers. As Rogers threw down to 1B to complete the out, the man on 3rd dashed home and scored. Pinales also allowed a single, walked 2, and struck out 5. Sean Stutzman walked 1 and struck out 3 over the final 2 innings to get the save.

Anthony Hermelyn's homer in the 2nd opened up the scoring. Yordan Alvarez ripped an RBI double in the 4th and scored on a sac fly from Rogers. Wrenn finished 3-5 on the evening and scored on Alvarez's double.

The series now shifts to Buies Creek for the last two games. Brett Adcock will go up against Frank Lopez at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 14, Lansing 3

W- Patrick Sandoval (1-1, 2-3 season)
L- Osman Gutierrez (2-8)

QC home runs: Daz Cameron (11, 3-run in 1st), Chuckie Robinson (10, 3-run in 5th)

The Banditos outscored the Lugnuts 36-9 in taking 2 of 3 in this series; they scored in all but one inning and pounded out 15 hits on Friday.

Josh Rojas opened the scoring in the 1st with an RBI triple and he ended up scoring on Daz Cameron's 3-run blast. Quad Cities put up one in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th as follows: Carmen Benedetti ripped an RBI double, Chas McCormick drew a bases-loaded walk, and Rojas added a sac fly to his ledger.

In the 5th, Ronnie Dawson hit an RBI single and scored when Chuckie Robinson launched a 3-run homer. Kristian Trompiz smacked an RBI triple in the 6th and scored on an Osvaldo Duarte groundout. Ray Henderson drove in the last River Bandits run with a single in the 7th.

Patrick Sandoval went 5.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Robert Corniel allowed a run on a force out, a single, walked 4, and struck out 2 in 2.1 innings, and Dustin Hunt walked 3 and struck out 3 in 1.1 innings.

Tonight, Quad Cities will start a 3-game series with the Great Lakes Loons. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tri-City 8, Lowell 1

W- Parker Mushinski (2-0)
L- Dakota Smith (2-2)
S- Hunter Martin (1)

TC home runs: J.J. Matijevic (4, solo in 8th)

Tri-City busted this one open with a 4-run 5th inning.

Alex House struck out 4 over 2 scoreless innings. Parker Mushinski allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in his 3 innings of work, and Hunter Martin allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 over the final 4 innings.

Mike Papierski opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd inning, and Abraham Toro hit an RBI single in the 3rd.

Jake Meyers reached on an error to start the 5th and scored on a Luis Payano double. Payano ended up scoring on an error that allowed Jonathan Arauz to reach, but Arauz got thrown out trying to take 2nd on the play.  Toro, J.J. Matijevic, and Papierski walked to load the bases for Connor MacDonald, who ripped a 2-run double. Payano tripled to lead off the 6th and scored on Arauz's double, and Matijevic capped off the evening with a solo shot in the 8th.

Payano finished a home run shy of the cycle; had he done so, he would have completed the cycle in order. Matijevic (solo HR, 3 R) and Papierski (2B, RBI) both finished 2-3 on the night.

Dallas Keuchel is scheduled to make his second rehab start with the ValleyCats tonight. I'm just going off what Todd Kalas said on the Astros broadcast last night. It's looking as though Keuchel could rejoin the Astros at some point during this roadtrip if all goes well. He'll face Tanner Houck at 5:35 Eastern.

Pulaski 5, Greeneville 4 in 11 innings

W- Matthew Wivinis (3-0)
L- Juan Corniel (0-1, 2-1 season)
S- Kaleb Ort (5)

Greeneville home runs: Colton Shaver (3, 2-run in 3rd)

The Appy Astros got nipped in extra innings to start this new series.

Bryan Abreu and Adam Bleday both pitched 5 innings. They both walked 1 and struck out 7, but their outings also turned out different. Abreu allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, while Bleday allowed 3 hits and nothing more. Juan Corniel allowed a run on 3 hits in the 11th.

Both teams scored a run in the 1st; Greeneville's came on a Brody Westmoreland sac fly. Colton Shaver smacked a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning, and Westmoreland scored on a Frankeny Fernandez RBI single in the 5th. Gilberto Celestino (2B, 2 R, SB) and Ruben Castro both finished 2-5.

Hansel Paulino faces TBA at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 5, GCL Astros 3 through 2.5 innings

This game was suspended due to severe weather. They'll continue on July 26.

Juan Piñeda went 2-2 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI while his fellow Panamanian, Ozziel Sanchez-Galan, has an RBI single and 2 runs scored.

Jairo Solis went 3 innings and allowed 5 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3.

DSL Athletics 5, DSL Astros Blue 2

W- Mario Benjamin-Garnett (1-0)
L- Antonio Pujols (2-1)

Blue home runs: None.

The A's got 4 in the 8th to seize control of this one.

Luis Coronel reached on an error in the 7th that allowed Leonardo Gonzalez to score. Coronel wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Yorbin Ceuta went 3-4.

Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 in 5 innings. Antonio Pujols went 2.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Christopher Javier issued a walk, hit a batter, and got the last out of the 8th.

DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Rangers1 3 in 6.5 innings

W- Fredy Medina (2-1)
L- Daniel Mavo (0-2)

Orange home runs: None.

This game was called due to rain.

Ernesto Jaquez walked 2 and struck out 2 over 4 scoreless innings, while Fredy Medina allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4 in 3 innings.

Jeury Castillo tripled to lead off the 3rd and scored on a Marco Van Der Wijst sac fly. Team Orange got 5 in the 5th thanks to an error that allowed Michael Garcia and Van Der Wijst to score, a Freudis Nova RBI single, and a 2-run double from Kelvin Perez. Nova and Perez both finished 2-3.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jose Antonio Hernandez, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 6 K

Freudis Nova, IF, DSL Astros Orange: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
Kelvin Perez, C, DSL Astros Orange: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI

Ashur Tolliver's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 5-0 vs. Round Rock

Dean Deetz: W (3-3, 7-5 season), 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Brendan McCurry: 1.2 IP, 3 K

Ashur Tolliver: IP, 2 H, BB

Dayan Diaz: IP, H, 2 K

Tyler White, IF, Fresno

2-3, 2-R HR (18)

Jack Mayfield, IF, and Jason Martin, OF, Corpus Christi

Mayfield: 2-5, 2-R HR (14, 15 season), 2 R

Martin: 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI

Erasmo Pinales, RHP, and Sean Stutzman, LHP, Buies Creek

Pinales: W (1-0, 4-1 season), 3.1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Stutzman: Save (1), 2 IP, BB, 3 K

Stephen Wrenn, OF, Buies Creek

3-5, 2-R HR (4, 7 season), 2 R

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Quad Cities River Bandits: W 14-3 vs. Lansing

Outscored Lansing 36-9 in series

Daz Cameron: 2-5, 3-R HR (11)

Chuckie Robinson: 2-4, 3-R HR (10)
Josh Rojas: 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R

His mugshot on MiLB.com

J.J. Matijevic, UTIL, Tri-City

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

Tri-City ValleyCats pitchers: W 8-1 @ Lowell

9 IP, 6 H, ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Alex House: 2 IP, 4 K

Parker Mushinski: W (2-0), 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, K

Hunter Martin: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 2 K

His mugshot on MiLB.com

Adam Bleday, LHP, Greeneville

5 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K