Former Astros in Foreign/Independent Leagues: 2018 Update

Time for an update on former Astros playing internationally or with the Indy League clubs as a few more players have come and gone since my original post. I'm including a few stats on selected players which are generally through 7/5/18. 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!

David Rollins - June 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

JAPAN CENTRAL LEAGUE

Hiroshima Carp
LHP Geronimo Franzua (2011-2013 Astros farm system)

Yakult Swallows
OF Nori Aoki (2017 Astros)
.306/.399/.459 in 68 games

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)

Chiba Lotte Marines
3B Matt Dominguez (2012-2015 Astros)

KOREAN BASEBALL ORGANIZATION
(Not updated because Baseball-Reference info is missing)

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)
RHP Juan Robles (2015-2018 Astros farm system) - signed 7/4

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

Leones de Yucatan
RHP Paul Clemens (2011-2014 Astros system) - signed with South Maryland Blue Crabs 5/11
OF Leo Heras (2013-2016 Astros farm system)
OF/2B Ruben Sosa (Astros 2011 23rd round pick; 2011-2014 Astros farm system)

Olmecas del Tabsco
2B Anderson Hernandez (2010 Astros)

Pericos de Puebla
LHP Mitch Lambson (Astros 2011 19th round pick; 2011-2015 Astros farm system) - now playing in the American Association
C Bernardo Heras (2016-2017 Astros farm system)
C Hank Conger (2015 Astros)

Saraperos de Saltillo
LHP Raul Valdes (Astros 2014)

Sultanes de Monterrey
RHP Edgar Gonzalez (2012-2013 Astros)
C Luis Flores (2015 Astros farm system)

Tecolotes de los Dos Loredos
RHP Gerardo Sanchez (2012-2013 Astros farm system)
2B J.C. Thompson (2011-2012 Astros farm system)
RHP Fernando Nieve (2001-2008, 2011 Astros system) - signed 7/3

Tigres de Quintana Roo
OF Jason Bourgeois (2010-2011 Astros)
RHP Lupe Chavez (2015-2016 Astros farm system) - signed 7/3

Toros de Tijuana
RHP Hector Ambriz (2012-2013 Astros)
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) - contract purchased by the Mets organization 6/10
RHP Jay Gause (Astros 2014 10th round pick; 2014 Astros farm system)

New Britain Bees
LHP Kevin Chapman (2012-2016 Astros system) - contract purchased by the Tigers organization 5/20
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)
1.70 ERA/1.108 WHIP in 25 games (37 IP)
C Marlon Avea (2011-2016 Astros farm system) - released 4/24
OF/1B Edwin Gomez (2012-2013 Astros farm system)

Somerset Patriots
LHP Brett Oberholtzer (2011-2015 Astros system) - contract purchased by the Rockies 4/24

Sugar Land Skeeters
RHP Jared Mortensen (Astros Rule 5 draft pick in December 2016; appeared in 3 games for Fresno in April 2017) - released 4/24
RHP Felipe Paulino (2003-2010 Astros system)
RHP Mitch Talbot (Astros 2002 2nd round pick; 2003-2006 Astros system) - contract purchased by the Cleveland organization 5/23
OF Luke Scott (2004-2007 Astros system) - released 4/23
OF Willy Taveras (2004-2006 Astros system) - released 4/23
2B Colin Walsh (2017 Astros farm system) - signed 5/5

South Maryland Blue Crabs
RHP Paul Clemens (2011-2014 Astros system) - signed 5/11

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
RHP Travis Ballew (Astros 2012 23rd round pick; 2012-2015 Astros system)
2.78 ERA/1.237 WHIP in 23 games (32.1 IP)
LHP Sebastian Kessay (Astros 2013 22nd round pick; 2013-2017 Astros farm system)
2.25 ERA/1.275 WHIP in 7 starts (40 IP)

Gary Southshore Railcats
RHP Daniel Minor (Astros 2012 9th round pick; 2012-2105 Astros farm system)
2.62 ERA/1.121 WHIP in 11 starts (68.2 IP)

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)
LHP Mitch Lambson (Astros 2011 19th round pick; 2011-2015 Astros farm system) - signed 6/14

Kansas City T-Bones
C Christian Correa (2015-2017 Astros system) - traded to Sussex County in the Can-Am League 5/16

Sioux City Explorers
OF Jay Austin (Astros 2008 2nd round pick, 2008-2012 Astros farm system)
.345/.410/.453 in 37 games
RHP Andrew Thurman (Astros 2013 2nd round pick, 2013-2014 Astros farm system) - released 5/15
1B Dex McCall (Astros 2014 31st round pick, 2014-2017 Astros farm system)
.297/.372/.388 in 45 games

Texas Airhogs
LHP Michael Freeman (Astros 2015 7th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system) - released 5/16
LHP Sean Stutzman (2016-2018 Astros farm system) - signed 6/30

Chicago Dogs
RHP Tyson Perez (Astros 2011 17th round pick; 2011-2017 Astros farm system)

St. Paul Saints
RHP Andrew Thome (2015-2018 Astros farm system) - signed 7/3
LHP Chris Nunn (2018 Astros farm system) - signed 7/2

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) - released 6/21 (torn UCL; having TJ surgery)
C Marcus Nidiffer (2010 Astros farm system)
1B Conrad Gregor (Astros 2013 4th round pick; 2013-2016 Astros farm system) - signed 5/23
.320/.425/.493 in 41 games

Sussex County Miners
LHP David Rollins (2012-2014 Astros farm system)
1.25 ERA/0.912 WHIP in 9 starts (64.2 IP)
C Martin Figueroa (Astros 2017 32nd round pick; 2017 Astros farm system)
.416/.536/.511 in 45 games
C Christian Correa (2015-2017 Astros system) - traded from the American Association

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)
.302/.339/.473 in 44 games

Windy City Thunderbolts
RHP Devin Raftery (2016-2017 Astros farm system)
1.96 ERA/1.093 WHIP in 18 games/1 start (23 IP)

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) - released 5/18
RHP Lucas Williams (Astros 2016 40th round draft pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system) - released 5/17

Lake Erie Crushers
LHP Ben Smith (Astros 2014 17th round pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system) - released 6/13

PACIFIC ASSOCIATION

San Rafael Pacifics
C Ricky Gingras (Astros 2012 18th round pick; 2012-2014 Astros farm system)

Sonoma Stompers
LHP Cole Watts (Astros 2017 31st round pick; 2017-2018 Astros farm system)

Pittsburg Diamonds
C Gabriel Bracamonte (2014-2018 Astros farm system)

PECOS LEAGUE

Ruidoso Osos
SS Jose Fernandez (2010-2016 Astros farm system)

Trinidad Triggers
LHP Jose Orta (2016 Astros farm system)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, June 24, 2017

Let's play two in Fresno!

Game 1: Fresno 6, Sacramento 2

W- Casey Coleman (3-4)
L- Roberto Gomez (1-4)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies only scored in one inning, but they got what they needed.

Casey Coleman pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 1. Aaron West had a strikeout in a 1-2-3 7th inning.

All 6 of Fresno's runs in game 1 came in the 4th as they took full advantage of a bases-loaded, no out situation. D.J. Fisher doubled to lead off the inning, then Juan Centeno and Teoscar Hernandez joined him by reaching on a fielder's choice and walking, respectively. A.J. Reed and Reid Brignac followed by drawing walks to put the Grizzlies up 2-1, then Jon Kemmer sent everyone home with a triple. Kemmer trotted home on a Tony Kemp triple. The only batters who didn't score a run were the ones in the top third of the order (Kemp, Colin Moran, and Preston Tucker).

Game 2: Fresno 6, Sacramento 2

W- Brendan McCurry (1-0)
L- Dusten Knight (1-2)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (11, solo in 4th), Jon Kemmer (10, solo in 5th)

The Grizzlies swept the doubleheader and took the series with another 6-2 decision in the nightcap. They posted the only crooked-number innings in each game.

Tyler White put Fresno on the board in game 2 with a solo homer to start the 4th inning. Kemmer followed up his triple in game 1 with a solo shot in the 5th to put the Grizz in front. One batter later, Max Stassi got plunked. He advanced on Alejandro Garcia's single and scored on an error following a Tony Kemp sacrifice bunt. Fresno got 3 in the 6th on RBI singles from Kemmer, Stassi, and Kemp.

Kemmer finished 2-2 with a stolen base (4) in game 2, which made him the only person on either side to finish with a multi-hit game in the nightcap.

The Grizzlies have Sunday off. They'll start a 4-game series with Albuquerque tomorrow.

Corpus Christi 11, Frisco 4

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (2-4)
L- Collin Wiles (6-4)

CC home runs: Kyle Tucker (6, 15 season; solo in 1st), Jon Singleton (14, solo in 4th), Jason Martin (4, 11 season; 2-run in 4th), Jack Mayfield (6, 7 season; solo in 6th)

The Hooks bashed 4 home runs and blew this game open with 5 runs in the 8th.

Kyle Tucker opened the scoring with a solo blast in the 1st inning. Jon Singleton (solo) and Jason Martin (2-run) went deep in the 4th, and Jack Mayfield whacked a solo shot in the 6th. J.D. Davis hit an RBI single in the 7th.

Mayfield ripped a double to begin the 8th and Martin joined him on the bases by legging out a bunt single. Ramon Laureano hit an RBI infield single to score Mayfield. Tony Nuñez bunted for a single to load the bases. Drew Ferguson was the first casualty of the inning, but Little Tuck came through with a 2-run single. Davis went down on strikes, but Singleton walked to re-load the bases for Garrett Stubbs, who capped off the outburst with a 2-run single.

Tucker (solo HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) and Martin (solo HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) both finished with 3 hits on the evening. Stubbs (2 RBI, R), Mayfield (2B, solo HR, 2 R), and Nuñez (2 R) all had 2 hits.

Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Brock Dykxhoorn went 6.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Jacob Dorris allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 2 in 1.1 innings, and Riley Ferrell allowed a run on 2 hits in the 9th.

Yoanys Quiala will start the Hooks' final game before the Texas League All-Star break begins. He'll take on Yohander Mendez at 6:05.

Winston-Salem 4, Buies Creek 2

W- Jimmy Lambert (1-0)
L- Franklin Perez (3-2)

BC home runs: None.

A 1st-inning grand slam was all the Dash needed to win this one.

To Franklin Perez's credit, however, he bounced back to complete 5 innings. The grand slam to Seby Zavala was the only run-scoring play that he allowed; he also allowed 4 other hits, walked 3, and struck out 7. Sebastian Kessay threw 3 perfect innings out of the bullpen, striking out 1.

The Carolina Stros got RBI singles from Yordan Alvarez in the 8th and Alex De Goti in the 9th.

Buies Creek and Winston-Salem will wrap up their series at 2:00 Eastern. Ryan Hartman will go up against Tanner Banks.

Quad Cities 3, Cedar Rapids 2

W- Carson LaRue (8-2)
L- Domenick Carlini (3-6)
S- Kevin Hill (3)

QC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (6, 2-run in 4th), Daz Cameron (8, solo in 5th)

The Banditos edged out the Kernels behind a pair of blasts and another nice outing from Carson LaRue.

LaRue allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 in 6 innings of work. Kevin Hill pitched the final 3 innings to earn the save, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4.

Ronnie Dawson's 2-run shot in the 4th tied the game at 2. Daz Cameron put Quad Cities in front with his solo blast in the 5th inning. Troy Sieber (2B, R) and Wander Franco (2B) both went 2-3 on the night.

Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids will wrap up their series at 5:15 as Ronel Blanco faces Clark Beeker.

Vermont 4, Tri-City 2

W- Jhenderson Hurtado (1-0)
L- Colin McKee (0-1)
S- Marc Berube (1)

TC home runs: None.

Both teams scored 2 runs in the innings in which they scored. Unfortunately for the ValleyCats, the Lake Monsters scored in one more inning than they did.

Tri-City's 2 runs came in the 2nd on a Luis Payano RBI double and an RBI single from Andy Piñeda. Corey Julks finished 2-3 with a double and 2 stolen bases.

César Rosado dominated in his 5 innings; he only issued a walk and struck out 6. Vermont, however, got to Colin McKee. In 3.2 innings, McKee allowed 4 runs (3 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1. Humberto Castellanos got the last out of the 9th, but not before he allowed the go-ahead 2-run single to Jesus Lopez that allowed McKee's runners to score.

TC and Vermont will continue their series at 5:00 Eastern.

Bluefield 7, Greeneville 6 in 11 innings

W- Mitch McKown (1-0)
L- Johsson Arias (0-1)

Greeneville home runs: Brody Westmoreland (2, solo in 7th)

The Appy Astros tied the game with a couple in the 8th... only to see the Blue Jays break the tie in the 11th to take the series.

Greeneville got 3 in the 3rd on a Reiny Beltre RBI double, a Ruben Castro RBI single, and an error that allowed Castro to score. Castro's run would be the last time that Greeneville would score until the 7th, when Brody Westmoreland launched a solo homer. Wilson Amador hit a 2-run single in the 8th to tie the game at 6.

Castro finished 3-6 with a double and scored twice. Beltre and Carlos Machado both finished 2-5.

Gerardo Bojorquez went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits (2 solo homers) while striking out 2. Javier Navas was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2 in 3 innings. Johsson Arias went 2.1 innings and allowed a run, which was an inherited runner that was charged to him. He also allowed a single, walked 2, and struck out 2. Dariel Aquino issued an intentional walk and allowed the go-ahead sac fly that turned into an inning-ending double play in the 11th.

The Appy Astros will hit the road for the first time in 2017. Their first stop is Bristol, Virginia, where they'll send Hansel Paulino out to start the first of a 3-game series tonight at 6:00 Eastern.

DSL Red Sox 7, DSL Astros Blue 0

W- Andres Jimenez (1-0)
L- Freylin Garcia (0-2)
S- Shair Lacrus (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team got held off the board on Saturday.

Ronaldo Urdaneta (2B, 3B) and Luis Coronel both went 2-4.

Freylin Garcia allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 in 1.2 innings. Bryan Solano was the first man out of the Blue team bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3.1 innings. Renny Ugarte was next, and he allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 3.2 innings. Oscar Severino got the last out of the 9th with a strikeout.

DSL Dodgers2 12, DSL Astros Orange 1

W- Neifri Contreras (1-0)
L- Mauricio Santana (0-1)

Orange home runs: None.

Team Orange scored first, but the Dodgers scored the game's next 12 runs.

Euclides Chavez went 2-4 and his RBI single in the 1st was the Orange team's only scoring play. Fildex Perfecto, owner of the best name in the Astros system, made his debut as a defensive sub in the 6th and flew out in his only plate appearance.

Mauricio Santana, Fabricio Reina, and Cristofer Melendez all pitched 2.1 innings and they all got knocked around. I'll just leave it at that. Luis De Paula threw a 1-2-3 9th.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Bryan Solano, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 3.1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Jon Kemmer, OF, Fresno

Game 1 of doubleheader: 3-RBI 3B, R

Game 2 of doubleheader: 2-2. solo HR (10), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (4)

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

Tucker: 3-5, solo HR (6, 15 season), 3 RBI, 2 R

Martin: 3-4, 2-R HR (4, 11 season), 2 R

Mayfield: 2-5, 2B, solo HR (6, 7 season), 2 R

Brock Dykxhoorn, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (2-4), 6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER (1 inherited runner charged to him), 2 BB, 5 K

Inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

Sebastian Kessay, LHP, Buies Creek

3 IP, K; perfect outing

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers

W 3-2 vs. Cedar Rapids

9 IP, 7 H (HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Carson LaRue: W (8-2), 6 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 8 K

Kevin Hill: Save (3), 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green

César Rosado, RHP, Tri-City

5 IP, BB, 6 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 19, 2017

Welcome to the Carolina League, Jorge Alcala!

Fresno 10, Memphis 2

W- Kevin Comer (1-0)
L- Luke Weaver (3-1)

Fresno home runs: D.J. Fisher (10, solo in 7th)

Memphis starter Luke Weaver allowed just one run in his four starts prior to this contest. The Grizzlies tagged him for 6 runs in the first two frames; 4 of those runs were earned. Fresno scored 4 more in the 7th for good measure as they took game 1 from the Redbirds.

Mike Hauschild went 4.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 8 hits, walked 5, and struck out 3. The bullpen picked him up and finished this one off with 4.2 scoreless innings.

Kevin Comer was first; he got Hauschild out of a bases-loaded predicament in the 5th and went on to throw 1.2 perfect frames, striking out 2. Reymin Guduan followed with 2 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3. Aaron West worked around a hit to finish the game, striking out 1 in the 9th.

D.J. Fisher and Teoscar Hernandez hit one-out singles in the 1st inning to bring up Colin Moran, who put the Grizz on the board with an RBI single. Teoscar wound up scoring on a wild pitch, and Tyler White, who was at the plate at the time, wound up ripping an RBI double. Reid Brignac and Andrew Aplin led off the 2nd with singles; Brignac eventually scored on a Tony Kemp groundout. Fisher reached on a fielder's choice and Teoscar singled and advanced to 2nd on the play. They both scored on an error that allowed Moran to reach; he ended up moving to 3rd on another error on the play.

Fisher led off the 7th with a homer. The Grizzlies then got an RBI single from A.J. Reed, an RBI double from Juan Centeno, and a run-scoring groundout from Brignac. Centeno extended his hitting streak to 16 games with that two-bagger. Fisher (solo HR, 3 R), Teoscar (RBI, 2 R), Moran (RBI, 2 R), Reed (2B, RBI, R), and Andrew Aplin all finished with two hits on the evening. Fisher is the first man in the system to hit 10 home runs this year.

Francis Martes will go up against Marco Gonzales in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 2, Frisco 1 in 10 innings

W- Josh James (3-1)
L- Joe Filomeno (0-2)
S- Andrew Thome (2, 3 season)

CC home runs: Jon Singleton (8, solo in 2nd), Antonio Nuñez (2, solo in 10th)

Nine innings wasn't enough to decide the outcome of this game, but the Hooks only needed one extra inning to do just that.

The two solo shots you see above were the Hooks' only scoring plays of the game. Tony Nuñez entered this season with zero career home runs; he now has two after sending one out in the first extra frame to put Corpus in front. Drew Ferguson went 2-4 with a stolen base (9); he is now on a 16-game hitting streak. He appeared as a pinch-runner on May 11 but did not have a plate appearance, so his streak is technically still active.

Rogelio Armenteros issued a walk and struck out 5 in 5 shutout innings. Josh James tagged in for 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on a wild pitch, 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Andrew Thome earned the save with a 1-2-3 10th; he got two groundball outs and struck out Drew Vettleson to end the game.

Cy Sneed gets the call in game 2. He'll face Ariel Jurado at 7:05.

Buies Creek 7, Down East 1

W- Jorge Alcala (1-0, 3-0 season)
L- Wes Benjamin (2-4)
S- Sebastian Kessay (1)

BC home runs: Spencer Johnson (1, 4 season; 3-run in 5th), Ryne Birk (3, 2-run in 7th)

Make it 2-0 for the Astros system over the Rangers on Friday night.

The Carolina Stros broke a 0-0 game wide open by scoring 4 runs in the 5th inning. Three of those runs came off the bat of one Spencer Johnson, who connected for his first Carolina League home run.

Before Johnson launched that 3-run homer off Wes Benjamin, Ryne Birk opened the scoring with a sac fly. Jason Martin went 3-4 with a sac fly in the 6th, and Birk capped off the scoring with a 2-run blast in the 7th. Johnson and Myles Straw both finished 2-4. After a terrible slump that saw his average drop to .218 on May 10, Birk has responded with hits in 7 of his last 8 games.

Jorge Alcala was a winner in his first Carolina League start; he went 6 innings, and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer hit by Josh Altmann in the 6th. Alcala allowed 2 other hits, walked 3, and fanned 6. Sebastian Kessay struck out 2 over 3 perfect frames to finish off the game.

Yoanys Quiala will take on Richelson Peña in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Kane County 5, Quad Cities 0

W- Jon Duplantier (4-0)
L- Enoli Paredes (0-3)
S- Jake Winston (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos are not enjoying their time in Chicago's suburbs... they were blanked for the second consecutive night.

Rodrigo Ayarza went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game. Ayarza also extended his hitting streak to 8 games. Stephen Wrenn tripled, which was Quad Cities' only extra-base hit of the evening.

Enoli Paredes went 4.1 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Ronel Blanco extracted him from a bases-loaded jam in the 5th and then got victimized by some not-good defense in the 7th; Quad Cities committed 3 errors in the bottom of the 7th which led to 4 runs, all of which were unearned. Blanco went 2.2 innings and allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Salvador Montaño threw a 1-2-3 8th.

Ryan Hartman gets the start in game 3. First pitch is at 6:30.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jorge Alcala's photo by Bryan Green

Buies Creek Astros pitchers

W 7-1 @ Down East

9 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Jorge Alcala: W (1-0, 3-0 season), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Sebastian Kessay: Save (1), 3 IP, 2 K

Always one in every crowd.... @BigJohnson_34 pic.twitter.com/sVUN2pdDIW

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) April 27, 2017

Photo by Rich Guill

Spencer Johnson, 1B, Buies Creek

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

Ryne Birk, 2B, Buies Creek

1-3, sac fly, 2-R HR (3), 3 RBI

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers

W 2-1 (10 innings) @ Frisco

Rogelio Armenteros: 5 IP, BB, 5 K

Josh James: W (3-1), 4 IP, 5 H, unearned run, BB, K

Andrew Thome: Save (2, 3 season), IP, K

Antonio Nuñez, IF, Corpus Christi

Go-ahead solo HR (2) in 10th

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno

2-5, solo HR (10), 3 R

Fresno Grizzlies bullpen

W 10-2 vs. Memphis

4.2 IP, 4 H, BB, 6 K

Kevin Comer: W (1-0), 1.2 IP, 2 K

Reymin Guduan: 2 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Aaron West: IP, H, K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 14, 2016

Let's play two in Vermont!

Iowa 9, Fresno 5

W- Pierce Johnson (2-6)
L- Mike Hauschild (8-10)
S- Armando Rivero (1)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (15, 3-run in 7th)

The Grizz nearly fought back from a 6-0 deficit, but the Cubs scored 3 runs in the final two frames to put the game out of reach.

Colin Moran put Fresno on the board with an RBI single in the 5th. Later in the inning, Danny Worth drew a bases-loaded walk. Jon Kemmer whacked a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 7th to cut the deficit to 1, but the Grizzlies couldn't get over the hump. Chan-Jong Moon finished 3-4 and scored 2 runs from the of the order, and Worth went 2-4 with a double.

Mike Hauschild only pitched the 1st inning; he allowed 4 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Albert Minnis was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen, and he allowed 2 unearned runs on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2 in 3.2 innings. Aaron West allowed 2 hits and fanned 1 over 2.1 scoreless. Reymin Guduan came on to pitch the 8th inning and faced 3 batters, but he failed to record an out. Two of the batters he faced ended up scoring after he left the game; he allowed a hit and walked 2. Kevin Chapman took ownership of the 8th and ended up pitching the final 2 innings, allowing a run of his own on 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2.

Brad Peacock will start the series finale. He'll take on Jordan Pries at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, Arkansas 1

W- David Paulino (5-2)
L- Jose Molina (0-3)
S- Kyle Smith (2)

CC home runs: James Ramsay (4, solo in 4th), Ramon Laureano (3, 13 season; 3-run in 7th)

David Paulino was a winner in his return to Corpus Christi and helped the Hooks take 2 of 3 from the Travelers.

Paulino threw 6 innings, and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer hit by Wade Wass in the 2nd inning. He allowed 3 other hits and struck out 6. Kyle Smith pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.

Yulieski Gurriel opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st inning. Wass's homer tied the game at 1, but Gurriel put Corpus back in front with an RBI single in the 3rd. James Ramsay smacked a solo homer in the 4th inning to push the Corpus lead to 3-1. Chase McDonald, Ramsay, and Mott Hyde all singled to lead off the 7th inning, and the Hooks took full advantage of the situation. Bobby Boyd hit a sac fly, and one batter later, Ramon Laureano capped off the evening with a 3-run home run. Laureano (3-R HR, 2 R, SB [2, 35 season]), Ramsay (solo HR, 2 R), and McDonald (2B, R) all finished with 2 hits on the night.

After a day off, the Hooks will begin their final tour of Arkansas.

Lancaster 9, San Jose 4

W- Elieser Hernandez (2-4, 6-7 season)
L- Austin Fleet (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: Marc Wik (3, solo in 6th)

A 4-run 6th inning pushed the JetHawks' lead to 9-3, and the big inning propelled them to a series win.

They also stormed out with 3 runs in the 1st inning: Drew Ferguson drove in the first run of the evening with a sac fly, and Jason Martin whacked a 2-run triple. Ferguson added an RBI single to his ledger in the 2nd, and Brooks Marlow ripped an RBI double in the 3rd. Marc Wik's solo home run was the first run of the 6th inning, and Lancaster later got RBI singles from Aaron Mizell, Ferguson, and Bryan Muñiz.

Everyone in the JetHawks lineup recorded a hit; Ferguson (3 RBI, R), Osvaldo Duarte (2B, R), and Myles Straw (2B, 2 R) all finished 2-4. Martin was the only player who didn't score, but he did have that 2-run triple in the 1st. Ferguson also stole his 28th base of the season.

Elieser Hernandez had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 5 hits (2 solo homers) and striking out 9. Ryan Deemes allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless innings, and Dean Deetz allowed a run on a double in the 9th; the runner reached after getting hit by a pitch.

Tonight, the JetHawks will begin a 4-game series in High Desert. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 4, Peoria 0

W- Franklin Perez (3-2)
L- Ryan Helsley (8-2)
S- Albert Abreu (4)

QC home runs: Pat Porter (8, solo in 3rd)

The young guns joined forces for a shutout that gave the Banditos a series split.

Franklin Perez has announced his arrival onto the prospect scene with a fine year in a full-season league at age 18. He allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9 over 5 shutout innings. Albert Abreu has been a bit up-and-down, but there is no denying his raw talent. He completed the shutout, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 5 over the final 4 innings.

Pat Porter opened the scoring with a home run to lead off the 3rd inning. Kyle Tucker hit an RBI single in the 6th, and Randy César capped it off with a 2-run single. Little Tuck finished 3-4, and Porter went 2-4.

Yoanys Quiala will get the start for the River Bandits as they start a 4-game series in Clinton. He'll face Pedro Vasquez at 6:30.

Game 1: Tri-City 3, Vermont 0

W- Sebastian Kessay (3-1, 4-4 season)
L- Heath Bowers (2-6)
S- Carlos Sierra (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats took the first game in the twinbill with a one-hit shutout.

Ryan Hartman and Sebastian Kessay both tossed 3 innings; Hartman's 3 innings were perfect, and he ended up striking out 3. Kessay allowed the one hit, walked 1, and struck out 3, and Carlos Sierra struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 7th to secure the win.

Ten zeroes were put up on the scoreboard before the ValleyCats made the breakthrough in the 6th inning. Chuckie Robinson led off the inning with a double, advanced to 3rd on an error that allowed Taylor Jones to reach, and scored on a Ronnie Dawson double. Bryan De La Cruz followed with a sac fly. Marcos Almonte hit a one-out single in the 7th, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on a Miguelangel Sierra single, and scored on an errant pickoff throw. Almonte and Sierra had 2 hits apiece.

How did the ValleyCats fare in their final game before the New York-Penn League All-Star break?

Game 2: Vermont 2, Tri-City 1

W- Matt Milburn (1-0)
L- Nick Hernandez (1-1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats only had 3 hits, and they walked off with the loss.

Rodrigo Ayarza's sac fly in the 5th was Tri-City's only scoring play in game 2. Gabriel Bracamonte, Alex De Goti, and Marcos Almonte each hit a single.

Abdiel Saldaña allowed a hit and struck out 3 over 2 innings. Austin Nicely was the first man out, and he allowed a hit and struck out 3 over 3 innings. Angelo Serrano got 2 outs in the 6th, both via strikeout, and allowed an unearned run on 2 hits. Nick Hernandez got the final out of the 6th, but the winning run scored on a two-out single in the 7th. That single was the only hit he allowed, and the run was unearned. Hernandez struck out 2.

The NYPL All-Star Game will take place tomorrow from Wappingers Falls, New York, home of the Hudson Valley Renegades. Tri-City will return to action on Wednesday.

Greeneville 7, Kingsport 3

W- Reggie Johnson (3-2)
L- Adrian Almeida (0-3)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros fell behind 3-0 after 2 innings, but they scored the game's final 7 runs to win on Sunday.

Abraham Toro put Greeneville on the board with a 2-run single in the 3rd inning. In the 4th, Luis Payano scored on an error, and then Toro struck again with an RBI single that put Greeneville in front. Carlos Machado followed with an RBI single. Machado got plunked to lead off the 7th and scampered home on a Vicente Sanchez triple. Sanchez scored the final run of the evening on a Ruben Castro sac fly. Toro and Castro both finished with 2 hits in the game.

Ben Smith went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits (solo homer) and walked 3. Reggie Johnson allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 2 innings. Cristian Javier was next; he went 4 innings and allowed a hit and fanned 3, and Lucas Williams allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

Carlos Sanabria will take on Darwin Ramos in the third game of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Nationals 8, GCL Astros 6

W- Matt Tindall (4-1)
L- Bryan Abreu (1-3, 1-4 season)

GCL home runs: Edgar Lorenzo (1, 2-run in 2nd)

The Nationals took control with 4 runs in the 7th.

Edgar Lorenzo's 2-run homer put the Kissimmee Stros on the board. He added an RBI single to his ledger in the 4th inning. Jose Benjamin drew a bases-loaded walk in the 5th, and Wilson Amador scored on an error following a successful double steal in the 6th inning. Benjamin went 3-4 and hit an RBI single in the 9th. Lorenzo finished 2-4 on the day.

Juan Robles went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Saul Martinez and Bryan Abreu pitched 2 innings apiece; Martinez allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, while Abreu allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Manuel Gonzalez struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 8th.

Sunday's Stars

David Paulino, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (5-2), 6 IP, 4 H (solo HR), ER, 6 K

Franklin Perez, RHP, Quad Cities

W (3-2), 5 IP, 4 H, BB, 9 K (career-high)

Albert Abreu, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (4), 4 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Ramon Laureano, OF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3-R HR (3, 13 season), 2 R, SB (2, 35 season)

Drew Ferguson, OF, Lancaster

2-4, 3 RBI, R, SB (28)

From top: Ryan Hartman, LHP, Sebastian Kessay, LHP, and Carlos Sierra, RHP, Tri-City

1-hit shutout in game 1 of doubleheader

Hartman: 3 IP, 3 K

Kessay: W (3-1, 4-4 season), 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Sierra: Save (1), IP, 2 K

Photo from MiLB.com

Abraham Toro-Hernandez, IF, Greeneville

2-5, 3 RBI

Photo by Bryan Green

Edgar Lorenzo, OF, GCL Astros

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 4, 2016

Let's play two in Las Vegas!

Game 1: Fresno 6, Las Vegas 3

W- Brady Rodgers (11-3)
L- Darin Gorski (3-3)

Fresno home runs: Tony Kemp (2, solo in 3rd)

Brady Rodgers allowed 3 runs in the 1st inning, but he shook that off and threw his second complete game of the season. Rodgers allowed 9 hits, struck out 5, and it took him 100 pitches to finish the 7 innings.

An error in the 1st inning allowed Jon Kemmer to reach and also allowed Tony Kemp to score the first run of game 1. Kemp hit a solo homer in the 3rd inning, and Max Stassi later added an RBI single. In the 4th, Nolan Fontana hit an RBI groundout, and Kemp struck once again with an RBI single. Colin Moran drove in the final run of game 1 with an RBI single.

Kemp (solo HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Danny Worth (2 2B, R) both finished 3-4 at the top of the order, while Teoscar Hernandez and Max Stassi both went 2-3.

What did game 2 have in store for the Grizzlies?

Game 2: Las Vegas 9, Fresno 4

W- Chase Huchingson (1-0)
L- Brian Holmes (0-1, 4-3 season)

Fresno home runs: None.

A 3-run home run and a grand slam sunk Fresno in game 2 of the twinbill.

Brian Holmes allowed a 3-run home run to Eric Campbell in the 1st inning. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. The one hit that Brendan McCurry surrendered in his 2 innings of work was a grand slam to Travis Taijeron. McCurry walked 2, hit a batter, and struck out 1. Kevin Chapman also pitched 2 innings; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4. Aaron West allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 1 in the 6th.

César Valdez will start game 4 of this series. He'll face Robert Gsellman at 7:05 Pacific.

Midland 7, Corpus Christi 1

W- Joel Seddon (7-8)
L- Kent Emanuel (3-2)

CC home runs: None.

It was all Midland in the first game of this series.

Garrett Stubbs' RBI double in the 3rd was Corpus Christi's only scoring play. Conrad Gregor finished 2-4 with a double. Tony Nuñez, who scored the Hooks' only run, singled and walked twice.

Kent Emanuel went 5.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and struck out 4. Kyle Smith was the first man out, and Midland gave him a rude welcome. In 1.2 innings, Smith allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits and struck out 1. Michael Freeman allowed a hit and fanned 1 in a scoreless 8th.

In game 2 of this series, Cy Sneed will go up against Heath Fillmyer. First pitch is at 7:00.

Lancaster 5, Modesto 4

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (1-0, 6-4 season)
L- Marc Magliaro (0-1)
S- Jacob Dorris (10)

Lancaster home runs: Brooks Marlow (5, 7 season; 2-run in 8th)

Brooks Marlow's blast in the 8th inning broke a 3-3 tie in the JetHawks' favor.

Yulieski Gurriel opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st inning. This was the first time that Gurriel did not appear in the lineup as a DH since signing; he got the start at 3B and played 5 innings.

Aaron Mizell added an RBI single in the 2nd, and Jamie Ritchie hit an RBI single of his own in the 4th inning, which tied the game at 3. Brooks Marlow replaced Gurriel at 3B in the 6th inning and he made the most of his at-bat. Ritchie and Johnny Sewald had 2 hits apiece.

Dean Deetz went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on a solo homer and a 2-run homer. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. In his Lancaster debut, Ralph Garza Jr. allowed 2 hits and struck out 7 over 3 scoreless innings. Jacob Dorris walked 2 and struck out 2 in the 9th to record his 10th save of the season.

Akeem Bostick will face Yency Almonte in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Quad Cities 4, Peoria 3 in 13 innings

W- David Schmidt (3-2, 4-3 season)
L- Bob Wheatley (0-1)
S- Juan Carlos Santos (2, 4 season)

QC home runs: Kyle Tucker (5, solo in 2nd)

The River Bandits saw their lead vanish in the 9th, but they pulled themselves together to edge the Chiefs.

Kyle Tucker finished 3-5 with 2 doubles, and his solo home run in the 2nd inning opened the scoring. Ryne Birk also finished 3-5 with 2 doubles; his first one drove in a run in the 8th, and he later scored on a Dex McCall groundout. Birk walked to lead off the top of the 13th, advanced to 2nd on a sacrifice bunt, and scored the go-ahead run on a single from McCall. Stephen Wrenn and Myles Straw both finished with 2 hits in the game.

Elieser Hernandez allowed 3 hits and struck out 8 over 8 shutout innings; he was perfect through 6 innings. Adam Whitt came on to pitch the 9th inning, but he allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 3 hits and walked 1 while failing to record an out. David Schmidt took ownership of the 9th and ended up going 4 innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 4. Juan Carlos Santos walked 1 and struck out 2 in the bottom of the 13th.

In the series finale, Framber Valdez will take on Dailyn Martinez. First pitch is at 7:00.

Aberdeen 3, Tri-City 2 in 11 innings

W- Yi-Hsiang Lin (3-0)
L- Howie Brey (0-1)

TC home runs: None.

The Ironbirds scored a run in the 8th to tie and walked off with the win in the 11th to even up the series.

Chuckie Robinson opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 1st, and Miguelangel Sierra grounded into a force out that allowed Alex De Goti to score in the 7th. De Goti finished 3-5 and was the only player in the Tri-City lineup with a multi-hit game.

Sebastian Kessay went 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out a career-high 9. Abdiel Saldaña tagged in for 3 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Angelo Serrano allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings. Aberdeen scored the winning run on Howie Brey with 2 outs in the 11th inning. The run, which was unearned, scored on a sac fly. Brey also allowed a single and walked 1.

Makay Nelson will start the series finale. He'll face Lucas Humpal at 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 4, Bristol 2

W- Cristian Javier (1-0, 4-1 season)
L- Matt Eckelman (4-2)

Greeneville home runs: Chaz Pal (3, solo in 5th)

The Appy Astros doubled up the Pirates to take the first game of a new series.

Abraham Toro finished 3-4 and opened up the scoring with an RBI double in the 4th. Chaz Pal led off the 5th inning with a home run. Toro scored on a balk in the 7th, and Luis Payano added a sac fly later in the inning. Pal also recorded 2 outfield assists, and Jonathan Arauz went 2-4 with a double and a run scored.

Ben Smith threw 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 6, and striking out 5. Luis Ramirez recorded the final two outs of the 5th. Cristian Javier tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Bristol spoiled the shutout by scoring 2 runs off Reggie Johnson in the 9th. One of those runs was earned; Johnson allowed 2 hits and walked 1.

Carlos Sanabria will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Nationals 6, GCL Astros 2 in 5.5 innings

W- Sterling Sharp (1-0)
L- César Rosado (2-2, 2-3 season)

GCL home runs: Wander Franco (1, 2 season; 2-run in 6th)

This game was called due to rain.

Wander Franco's 2-run homer in the 6th was the Kissimmee Stros' only scoring play.

César Rosado allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 in 3 innings. Manuel Gonzalez and Saul Martinez each pitched an inning; Gonzalez allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and walked 1 in the 4th, and Martinez struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 5th. Felipe Tejada allowed a hit in the 6th, and then the game ended.

DSL Astros Blue 12, DSL Rays1 5

W- Yonatan Quintin (3-0)
L- Aldor Rodriguez (0-2)
S- Carlos Perdomo (2)

Blue home runs: Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (1, 3-run in 7th)

Ozziel Sanchez-Galan's 3-run blast was part of an 8-run 7th inning that spurred the Blue team on to victory. He went 2-5 with 4 RBI and scored twice; the homer was his first as a pro. Angel Tejeda and Nestor Tejada also had 2 hits, and they also scored 2 runs. Anibal Sierra went 3-5 with 2 doubles, an RBI, and a run scored.

Yulian Frontado allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2 in 5 innings. Yonatan Quintin allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and walked 3 in the 6th, and Carlos Perdomo pitched the final 3 innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 1.

DSL Rangers2 7, DSL Astros Orange 2

W- Edwin Cruz (4-1)
L- Kilvio Peralta (2-1)

Orange home runs: None.

Yordan Alvarez went 1-2 with a walk in his first game with the Astros organization; he was acquired at the trade deadline for Josh Fields. Vicente Mota's 2-run single in the 7th was the Orange team's only scoring play. Yeuris Ramirez went 2-4.

Francisco Villegas went 5 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. The wheels fell off from under the bullpen, however.

Thursday's Stars

Ozziel Sanchez-Galan, IF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-5, 3-R HR (1), 2 R
Francisco Villegas, LHP, DSL Astros Orange: 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 2 K

Elieser Hernandez, RHP, Quad Cities

8 IP, 3 H, 8 K; perfect game through 6 innings

Kyle Tucker, OF, Quad Cities

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

Ryne Birk, 2B, Quad Cities

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

Brooks Marlow, 2B, Lancaster

Go-ahead 2-R HR (5, 7 season) in 8th

Ralph Garza Jr., RHP, Lancaster

W (1-0, 6-4 season), 3 IP, 2 H, 7 K; California League debut

Sebastian Kessay, LHP, Tri-City

5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 9 K (career-high)

Photo from MiLB.com

Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B, Greeneville

3-4, 2B, RBI, R

Tony Kemp, 2B/OF, Fresno

Cumulative stats for doubleheader: 4-7, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R

3-4, solo HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R in game 1

1-3, 2B in game 2

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 1, 2016

After two AAA games, Alex Bregman has demonstrated his proficiency at the level. #callamup

The Astros' lower-level affiliates continued their battle with the Rays on Friday. How did they fare?

Fresno 4, Salt Lake 1

W- Mike Hauschild (6-7)
L- Nate Smith (5-3)
S- James Hoyt (20)

Fresno home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (2, 8 season; solo in 2nd), Alex Bregman (1, 15 season; 2-run in 8th)

I think it might be safe to say that Teoscar Hernandez and Alex Bregman really like their new surroundings in the Pacific Coast League.

Mike Hauschild allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4 in 5 innings of work. Kevin Chapman was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen, and in 1.1 innings, he walked 2 and struck out 1. Reymin Guduan allowed a hit and got the second out of the 7th inning. Brendan McCurry recorded the final out of the 7th and threw a 1-2-3 8th inning; he got 3 groundball outs and a flyout. James Hoyt navigated through some traffic in the form of a hit and a walk to record his 20th save, striking out 2 in the 9th inning.

Tony Kemp led off the game with a single. He then stole 2nd base (6) and scored the first run of the evening on a single from Matt Duffy. Teoscar Hernandez led off the 2nd inning with a home run to put the Grizzlies up 2-0 at that point, and Alex Bregman whacked his first home run at the AAA level in the 8th inning, a 2-run blast to bring in the final runs of the evening. Duffy finished 2-3 on the night.

Tommy Shirley will start game 3 of this series. He'll face David Huff at 6:35 Mountain.

Springfield 11, Corpus Christi 1

W- Heath Wyatt (1-1)
L- Francis Martes (5-3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks' first series after the Texas League All-Star break has been forgettable, to say the least. Frustrations reached a boiling point in the 3rd when Hooks manager Rodney Linares was tossed.

Jack Mayfield finished 2-4; both of his hits were doubles, and the one he hit in the 8th inning was Corpus Christi's only scoring play. James Ramsay, who scored on Mayfield's 8th-inning double, also finished with 2 hits in the game.

Francis Martes went 2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 5. Eric Peterson was the first man out of the Corpus Christi bullpen; he allowed a grand slam, 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 2 innings. Ryan Thompson pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4, and Albert Minnis allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 innings.

Corpus will look to avoid the sweep as Evan Grills takes the mound. He'll face Luke Weaver at 7:05.

Lancaster 5, Lake Elsinore 1

W- Trent Thornton (4-4)
L- Brett Kennedy (2-6)

Lancaster home runs: None.

Trent Thornton shined on the mound, and the JetHawks have won the first 2 games of this series by a score of 5-1.

Thornton allowed a run on 5 hits and struck out a career-high 9 in 7 innings of work. Kevin McCanna's second California League outing went much smoother; he threw 2 perfect innings and got a strikeout.

Garrett Stubbs opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 3rd inning. Lancaster scored 3 in the 4th thanks to an RBI single from Aaron Mizell and a 2-run single from Tony Nuñez. Both teams scored a run in the 6th inning; the JetHawks' run came in the form of a sac fly from Bryan Muñiz. Everyone in the lineup got a hit; Nuñez (2 RBI, R), Brooks Marlow, and Ramon Laureano (BB, SB) had 2 hits apiece. Laureano also stole his 28th base of the season.

Rogelio Armenteros will start game 3 of this series. He'll take on Chris Huffman at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Kane County 3

W- Justin Ferrell (4-4)
L- Drew Muren (0-4)

QC home runs; None.

The Banditos scored 4 in the top of the 9th to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Yes, the losing pitcher is the same Drew Muren who played in the Astros' system from 2011-13 as an outfielder.

Prior to the 9th, Quad Cities' only run came in the 5th when Myles Straw scored on an error. Pat Porter ignited that big 9th inning with a single. He advanced to 3rd on an error and scored on a Christian Correa single to tie the game at 2. Bobby Wernes ripped an RBI double to put the Banditos in front, and Straw capped off a huge night with a 2-run single, his 5th hit of the game. Straw, who also stole a base (10), was the only player on either side to record a multi-hit game, and he accounted for 31% of all the hits recorded in this game.

Matt Bower went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 11. The 11 strikeouts represents a new career high and is the 2nd time that he's recorded double-digit strikeouts in an appearance this season. At one point, he struck out 6 consecutive batters. Justin Ferrell pitched the final 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2.

In game 3 of this series, Franklin Perez will face Justin Donatella. First pitch is at 6:30.

Tri-City 5, Hudson Valley 3

W- Sebastian Kessay (1-0, 2-3 season)
L- Brock Burke (0-1)
S- Sean Stutzman (1)

TC home runs: Kevin Martir (1, 2-run in 7th)

The ValleyCats got a solid start from Sebastian Kessay as they took the first of 3 from the Renegades.

Daz Cameron hit a single with 1 out in the 1st inning, advanced to 3rd on a Ronnie Dawson single, and scored the game's first run on a wild pitch. Kevin Martir smacked an RBI double in the 2nd inning, and he clubbed a 2-run homer in the 7th. Stephen Wrenn provided a big insurance run with an RBI single in the 8th. Wrenn and Martir both finished 2-4.

Sebastian Kessay pitched 5.1 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits while striking out 7. Carlos Sierra allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 2 in an inning of work (2 outs in 6th, first out of 7th). Chris Cotton allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 1.2 scoreless, and Sean Stutzman struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Edgardo Sandoval will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 5, Princeton 2

W- Ricardo Castro (1-0)
L- Jose Disla (0-2)
S- Abdiel Saldaña (1)

Greeneville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (3, solo in 7th)

The Appy Astros got their first series win of the season as Ricardo Castro and Abdiel Saldaña combined on a 3-hitter.

The two runs that Castro allowed in his 6 innings both came on solo home runs. He allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 3. Saldaña walked 1 and struck out 4 over the final 3 innings to record the save.

Bryan De La Curz scored Greeneville's first run when he came home on a Chaz Pal groundout in the 2nd inning. Ray Henderson followed with an RBI single to put them in the lead. De La Cruz ripped a 2-run triple in the 3rd inning, and Miguelangel Sierra clubbed a solo home run in the 7th inning to cap off the scoring. Tyler Wolfe finished 3-5 with a run scored and a stolen base (1), and Jonathan Arauz went 2-4 with a run scored.

Tonight, Greeneville will begin a 4-game series with Kingsport. For some reason, the first three games of this series will take place in Greeneville, and the finale will be in Kingsport. Framber Valdez will start game 1, and he'll take on Adonis Uceta at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 12, GCL Astros 3

W- Yeudy Colon (1-0)
L- Enoli Paredes (0-2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros scored first, but the Mets closed the game on a 12-1 run.

Juan Piñeda finished 2-3 and opened up the scoring with a 2-run single in the 2nd inning. Troy Sieber also finished 2-3; he doubled in the 2nd and scored on Piñeda's single. He also hit an RBI single in the 5th inning.

The pitchers struggled, and I'll leave it at that. Luis Vásquez walked 1 and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings; he was the only GCL pitcher with a scoreless outing.

The Kissimmee Stros are currently playing the Marlins.

DSL Astros Blue 5, DSL Rays1 1

W- Edwin Fidel (1-0)
L- Jose Zerpa (0-3)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team got a fine outing from Edwin Fidel, who dominated the Rays 1 in his 5 innings. He allowed just 1 hit, walked 2, and struck out 3. Yulian Frontado allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 3 innings, and Yeremi Ceballos worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Angel De Leon opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 4th inning. Alfredo Angarita whacked a 2-run triple in the 5th, and in the 8th, Jose Benjamin hit an RBI single and Nicolás Miranda scored on a wild pitch. Benjamin (RBI, R, 2 SB) and César Cortez both finished with 2 hits on the day.

The Blue team is taking on the A's today.

DSL Astros Orange 3, DSL Rays2 2 in 13 innings

W- Gabriel Pirela (2-0)
L- Enyerbeth Lugo (1-1)
S- Carlos Espinoza (3)

Orange home runs: Anthony Rodriguez (2, 2-run in 9th)

With the Orange team down to its final two outs, Anthony Rodriguez tied the game with a 2-run home run in the top of the 9th to force extra innings. Jose Abel Hernandez was hit by a pitch in the 13th inning, and a wild pitch allowed him to advance to 2nd. He scored the go-ahead run on another wild pitch that struck out Gerry Castillo.

Gerardo Bojorquez allowed a solo homer to Sabriel Polanco in the 1st, which was the only run he allowed in 4 innings. He allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 4. Francisco Villegas also went 4 innings; he allowed a run on a sac fly in the 8th, a triple that preceded the sac fly, and struck out 5. Willy Collado was next; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless. Gabriel Pirela walked 1 and struck out 4 over 2 scoreless, and Carlos Espinoza worked around a walk to close out the game, striking out 1.

The Orange team faced the Phillies 2 today.

Friday's Stars

Edwin Fidel, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: W (1-0), 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, Greeneville

Save (1), 3 IP, BB, 4 K

Photo from MiLB.com

Kevin Martir, C, Tri-City

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

Sebastian Kessay, LHP, Tri-City

W (1-0, 2-3 season), 5.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 7 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Lancaster

W (4-4), 7 IP, 5 H, ER, 9 K (career high)

Matt Bower, LHP, Lancaster

6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 11 K (career high)

Myles Straw, OF, Quad Cities

5-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R, SB (10)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 29, 2016

Astros affiliates split their contests with Padres affiliates on Friday night.

El Paso 6, Fresno 5

W- Derek Eitel (1-0)
L- James Hoyt (0-2)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (5, solo in 3rd)

The Grizzlies rallied to tie the game at 5 with a 3-run 8th inning.... only to see El Paso break the tie with the eventual winning run in the top of the 9th.

A.J. Reed put Fresno on the board with an RBI double in the 1st. Jon Singleton added another run in the 3rd with his 2nd homer in as many nights. In the 8th, Colin Moran hit a 2-run single, and Singleton struck again, driving in the tying run with an RBI single. Singleton finished 2-4 for the second straight night.

Brady Rodgers allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 3 in 4.1 innings. César Valdez allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 2.1 scoreless. Kevin Chapman got the final out of the 7th with a strikeout. Juan Minaya allowed a run on a double and walked 1 in the 8th. James Hoyt allowed the go-ahead run on a sac fly in the 9th inning.

In game 3 of this series, Mike Hauschild takes on Jeremy Guthrie. First pitch is at 7:05.

Frisco 8, Corpus Christi 7

W- Cody Palmquist (1-0)
L- Francis Martes (1-2)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (4, grand slam in 7th)

The Roughriders spoiled a huge night from Chase McDonald as they went ahead with a 5-run 8th.

McDonald was effectively the Hooks offense as he went 3-4 and drove in 6 of their 7 runs. He opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, added a sac fly in the 3rd, and clubbed a grand slam in the 7th that put Corpus up 7-3 at that point. Alfredo Gonzalez had an RBI groundout in the 4th. D.J. Fisher went 2-4 with a double and scored a run.

Brian Holmes went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Francis Martes will be looking to put a tough first month behind him. He allowed 6 runs (5 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2.1 innings. Michael Freeman got the final 2 outs of the 8th, but not before the go-ahead run that was charged to Martes scored.

Edison Frias will get the start tonight. He'll take on Frank Lopez at 7:05.

Lancaster 1, Lake Elsinore 0

W- Trent Thornton (1-0)
L- Dinelson Lamet (3-1)
S- Josh James (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks took game 1 from the Storm thanks to a combined 1-hitter from Trent Thornton and Josh James.

Thornton allowed the hit and struck out 5 in 5 innings, while James walked 1 and fanned 6 in 4 innings.

Nick Tanielu went 2-3 and drove in the only run of the night with an RBI single in the 1st. Tanielu is currently on a 6-game hitting streak. Bobby Boyd stole 2 bases, making him the first man in the system to reach double digits in stolen bases.

Brock Dykxhoorn will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Thomas Dorminy at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, West Michigan 1

W- Sebastian Kessay (1-2)
L- Toller Boardman (1-3)
S- Andrew Thome (3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos scored the last 2 runs of the game to edge the Whitecaps in game 1. They won despite going 0-13 with runners in scoring position.

Brooks Marlow drove in Quad Cities' first run of the evening on a fielder's choice that scored Christian Correa in the 5th. Connor Goedert hit a single in the 8th, and Kyle Tucker scored the go-ahead run on the ensuing error. Bobby Wernes went 3-3 with 2 doubles, while Correa finished 2-3.

Kevin McCanna went 4 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Ryan Deemes was the first man out, and he worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 5th. Sebastian Kessay allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 over 3 scoreless to get the win, and Andrew Thome shut the door despite allowing 2 hits in the 9th.

In game 2, Justin Ferrell will make his 2016 debut. He'll take on Beau Burrows at 6:00.

Four Stars

3.

Sebastian Kessay, LHP, Quad Cities

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

2.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

3-4, Grand Slam (4), 6 RBI

1.

 

Trent Thornton and Josh James, RHPs, Lancaster

Thornton: W (1-0): 5 IP, H, 5 K

James: Save (1), 4 IP, BB, 6 K

Honorable Mentions

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno: 2-4, solo HR (5), 2 RBI
- Another good performance for Singleton as he's trying to shake off that slow start.

Nick Tanielu, IF, Lancaster: 2-3, RBI
- He's a professional hitter. No matter where's he at, Tanielu has always performed.

Bobby Wernes, 3B, Quad Cities: 3-3, 2 2B
- Wernes is trying to find the form that made him the NYPL batting champion last year. This is a good start.