Astros Farm Report: 5-28

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

In case you missed these, here are my prior interviews with the newest Astros:
IF Jack Mayfield
C Garrett Stubbs
RHP Corbin Martin

MAY TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

Note: Some of the assignments to Tri-City are likely to be on paper only in order to help with roster management while some indicate players who have been sent back to extended Spring Training.

5-27: IF Jack Mayfield called up to Houston from Round Rock
5-27: SS Anibal Sierra assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-27: RHP Jacob Billingsley (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
5-27: RHP Cesar Rosado (Fayetteville) activated from the DL
5-26: C Garrett Stubbs called up to Houston from Round Rock
5-26: 2B Jose Altuve sent to Round Rock on a rehab assignment
5-26: C Lorenzo Quintana assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-26: C Carlos Canelon (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL
5-26: RHP Manny Ramirez assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
5-25: OF Derek Fisher recalled to Houston from Round Rock
5-25: RHP Brandon Bielak assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-25: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
5-25: OF Corey Julks (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
5-25: OF Marty Costes assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-25: C Ruben Castro (Quad Cities) activated from the DL
5-25: SS Freudis Nova assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
5-24: RHP Hunter Martin assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
5-24: RHP Erasmo Pinales (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5-22: RHP Hunter Martin assigned to Round Rock from Fayetteville
5-22: RHP Jojanse Torres assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-22: RHP Jayson Schroeder assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
5-21: RHP Gabriel Valdez assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-21: RHP Brady Rodgers recalled to Houston from Round Rock
5-21: RHP Tyler Ivey (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5-21: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
5-21: SS Luis Santana assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
5-20: RHP Brendan McCurry (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day DL
5-20: LHP Kit Scheetz assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-20: RHP Erasmo Pinales (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL
5-19: OF Carmen Benedetti (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5-19: LHP Parker Mushinski (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
5-19: OF Alex McKenna (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5-17: OF Bryan de la Cruz (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
5-17: 1B Scott Schreiber assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-17: OF Alex McKenna (Quad Cities) activated from the DL
5-17: OF Ramiro Rodriguez assigned to Quad Cities
5-16: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day DL
5-16: OF Seth Beer assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
5-16: RHP Brendan Feldmann (Corpus Christi) released
5-16: 3B Enmanuel Valdez assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-16: RHP Nivaldo Rodriquez assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-16: RHP Jose Alberto Rivera assigned to Quad Cities
5-15: RHP Cristian Javier assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
5-15: RHP Jose Hernandez-Urquidy assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-13: OF Marty Costes (Quad Cities) activated from the DL
5-12: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Quad Cities from Fayetteville
5-12: RHP Corbin Martin called up to Houston from Round Rock
5-12: RHP Brett Conine assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-11: RHP Tyler Ivey (Corpus Christi) activated from the suspended list
5-11: RHP Ronel Blanco assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-8: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL and assigned to Fayetteville
5-8: RHP Hunter Martin assigned from Fayetteville to Tri-City
5-7: OF Alex McKenna (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5-7: OF Carlos Machado assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
5-7: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Tri-City from Round Rock
5-6: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Round Rock from Fayetteville
5-6: OF Stephen Wrenn assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
5-6: OF Derek Fisher optioned to Round Rock From Houston
5-6: C Carlos Canelon (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5-6: RHP Akeem Bostick (Round Rock) activated from the temporary inactive list
5-6: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Fayetteville from Round Rock
5-6: LHP Brett Adcock assigned to Corpus Christi from Tri-City
5-4: 1B A.J. Reed (Round Rock) activated from the DL
5-4: OF Derek Fisher recalled to Houston from Round Rock
5-4: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
5-4: IF Michael Wielansky assigned to Quad Cities
5-4: RHP Felipe Tejada assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
5-4: RHP Cody Deason assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
5-3: OF Stephen Wrenn assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
5-3: RHP Akeem Bostick (Round Rock) placed on the temporary inactive list
5-3: OF Carmen Benedetti (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL
5-3: RHP Cesar Rosado (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day DL
5-3: OF Marty Costes (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5-3: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL
C Ruben Castro - activated 5-25
RHP Nick Hernandez - activated 5-8
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna - activated 4-29; back and forth since
RHP Hansel Paulino
RHP Erasmo Pinales - activated 5-20; back on 5-24
RHP Abdiel Saldana
RHP Kyle Serrano
RHP Jairo Solis

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

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

2019 STANDINGS

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

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

🠉 2nd 31-20 .608 0.5GB W2

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

🠉 2nd 25-24 .510 1.5GB W1

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

🠋 4th 23-28 .451 11.5GB L1

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)

🠉 1st 32-15 .681 -.-GB W2

WATCH THIS SPACE

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

Austin Hansen - July 2018
Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Austin Hansen has had a terrific start to his professional career after being drafted in the 8th round in 2018 out of the University of Oklahoma. Several of the 2018 drafted college pitchers excelled with short season Tri-City last season, but that doesn't always translate well to full season A Quad Cities. But Hansen proved that his great 2018 debut (1.76 ERA/0.880 WHIP in 30.2 IP) wasn't a fluke. So far in 2019, Hansen is 4-1 with one save in his eight games (six starts). In 35.2 innings of work, he has a 1.01 ERA, a 1.009 WHIP and has held batters to a .146 batting average (.089 with runners on). Even more impressive is that he has not allowed a single run, earned or unearned, over his last six outings. Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Telvin Nash - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a Sugar Land Skeeters game to catch up with Friend of the Blog Daniel Minor. He didn't pitch that night, but another former Astro made an appearance. A 2009 3rd round pick by the Astros out of Griffin HS (GA), OF Telvin Nash spent seven seasons in the Astros system and has since spent time with the White Sox organization and the independent Atlantic League York Revolution. In his first 29 games of the 2019 season with York, he is hitting .269/.370/.565 and still has the power he was originally signed for ...

Telvin Nash launches a solo shot to left-center, @yorkrevolution on the board down 3-1 in 4th. Nash breaks PeoplesBank Park stadium record with his 39th at home, surpassing Andres Perez. Now has 61 all-time with Revs, approaching Perez' record of 66.

— SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK (@WOYK1350) May 26, 2019

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

New Mexico - 2005

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Farm Report: 6-24

If you haven't been paying attention, Dustin has been killing it with his Astros MiLB game recaps and short season team intros. Ah, to be young again and to have that kind of energy. Anywho, let's check in on the latest happenings in the Astros system, plus an update on a former Astro third rounder.

TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

6-23: OF Eury Perez traded from Fresno to Tampa Bay for cash
6-23: RHP Chad Donato assigned to the GCL (2016 11th round pick out of West Virginia University)
6-23: OF Kyle Tucker activated from the Quad Cities 7-day DL
6-23: RHP Kevin McCanna assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
6-22: RHP Juan Minaya (Fresno) claimed off waivers by the White Sox
6-22: 2B Ryne Birk assigned to Tri-City (2016 13th round pick out of Texas A&M)
6-22: RHP Willy Collado assigned to the DSL Astros Orange team
6-21: IF Chan Jong Moon assigned from Corpus Christi to Fresno
6-21: LHP Albert Minnis to Tri-City for a rehab assignment
6-21: RHP Kevin Hill assigned to Tri-City (2016 25th round pick out of the University of South Alabama)
6-20: RHP Brendan McCurry assigned from Corpus Christi to Fresno
6-20: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
6-14: RHP Starlyn Taveras released

In addition, the Astros have signed several more players over the last few days from the 2016 draft, many of whom have been assigned to the Greeneville Astros team which Dustin covered in depth right here. And first round pick 1st round pick RHP Forrest Whitley (out of Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio) signed on Wednesday, but he won't be assigned to a team right away. The GCL Astros start play on Saturday and some of the recent draftees will be assigned to that team. Look for another team intro from Dustin on that team's makeup.

STANDINGS

It's been while since we last checked in on the standings. Let's see how things have gone for the farm crews. Fresno is still in third place, but they have gone 6-2 in the last 8 and are climbing closer to .500. Both the division-leading Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) and second place Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) have gone 5-5 over that period. The Grizzlies trail the second place team by two games.

Similarly, the Hooks have gone 7-2 in their last nine. They handily won the first half championship, assuring that they will appear in the playoffs at the end of the season. They are currently tied for first place in the second half with Midland (Oakland) with both teams 2-1 to start the second half.

Lancaster has scuffled a bit since we last looked in on them (1-4), but came back from their All-Star break to win their first game of the second half. Although they may be seven and a half games back for the entire season, they are actually tied for first in the second half with Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers). A clean slate is a good thing!

Quad Cities first half was completely forgettable, so let's do that. They also get the opportunity for a do-over in the second half, but unlike Lancaster, they lost their first game of the second half. Hopefully, they will start playing stronger in the second half and get an opportunity for a playoff berth by virtue of their second half record.

The short season A Tri-City team is on a 3-game losing streak, but it is EARLY in the season so they will have a lot of opportunities to right that ship. Greeneville lost their season opener on Thursday.

The DSL Blue team is practically unbeatable. They are currently on an 11 game win streak. But the Orange team is 3-4 over their last seven games and have slipped into second place. But considering that the Orange team jockeyed for dead last most of the 2015 season, a second place ranking is very encouraging.

AAA Fresno 3rd 35-37 .486 5.5GB W4

AA Corpus Christi 1st 49-24 .671 0.0GB W1

A+ Lancaster 3rd 35-35 .500 7.5GB W1

A- Quad Cities 8th 31-39 .443 8.5GB L1

SSA Tri-City 4th 2-5 .286 5.0GB L3

Rk+ Greeneville T4th 0-1 .000 1.0GB L1

FRk DSL Blue 1st 15-1 .938 0.0GB W11

FRk DSL Orange 2nd 11-6 .647 2.0GB L2

The Gulf Coast League Astros team will start play tomorrow.

RANDOM FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

I went to find out how 2009 Astros 3rd round pick 1B Telvin Nash was doing playing for the York Revolution in the Atlantic (independent) League and he wasn't on the roster despite having hit .275/.385/.565 with 11 doubles and 15 home runs for York in 54 games this season. That's because his contract was purchased by the White Sox on Tuesday so he's back in affiliated ball! Here's the story. Nash will start with the Sox playing for their High A affiliate, the Winston-Salem Dash. We at WTHB wish Nash the best of luck as he continues his quest.

Telvin Nash - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 11, 2015

Las Vegas 7, Fresno 2

W- Darin Gorski (1-0)
L- Alex White (0-1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies suffered their first setback of the season as their bats were largely held in check. They had just 3 hits, all of which were doubles, and their 2 runs came in the bottom of the 4th, as Preston Tucker scored on an error that allowed Jon Singleton to reach; Singleton would later score on an RBI double from L.J. Hoes. In case you were wondering, Tucker and Singleton had the other 2 doubles.

Alex White was roughed up in his 3.1 innings as he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 3, and struck out 2. Richard Rodriguez was the first man out of the bullpen; he inherited a bases-loaded situation in the 4th, but he tightroped out of the inning without further incident. Rodriguez allowed a 2-run homer to Alex Castellanos in the 5th, which ended up being the only 2 runs he allowed in 2.2 innings. He allowed one other hit and fanned 2. Jordan Jankowski worked around a walk and a hit to toss a scoreless 7th, striking out 2. Josh Fields walked Kyle Johnson to lead off the 8th, and he came around to score on a groundout. James Hoyt issued a 1-out walk in a scoreless 9th.

Fresno and Vegas will wrap up this opening series at 2:05 Pacific. Luis Cruz will face Tyler Pill.

Corpus Christi 9, Springfield 2

W- Chris Devenski (1-0)
L- Thomas Lee (0-1)

CC home runs: Telvin Nash (1, 3-run in 5th)

The Hooks opened up the season with a bang as they swept the Cardinals, outscoring them 26-8 over the 3-game set. They only scored in 2 innings in this game, but they scored plenty, I'll tell you that.

Conrad Gregor got the party started in the 2nd with an RBI double. Jio Mier followed with an RBI single, and after Tony Kemp singled to load the bases, Carlos Correa clubbed a 2-run ground-rule double. One batter later, Colin Moran added a 2-run single. Telvin Nash, whose leadoff double was the catalyst for that 6-run 2nd, smacked a 3-run homer in the 5th, his 1st of the year. Correa originally went 3-5, but his single to lead off the 5th inning was changed to an error. He, Moran, and Nash had 2-hit nights.

Josh Hader was tagged for a 2-run homer by Jacob Wilson in the 3rd inning, which turned out to be the only Springfield runs. Hader allowed one other hit, walked 4, and struck out 3 in 3 innings. Jandel Gustave, fresh from his spring foray in Arizona with the Royals and the Padres, threw 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 1. He faced a bases-loaded situation in the 4th but escaped unscathed. Chris Devenski took the Hooks home with 4 scoreless, allowing 4 hits and striking out 3.

The 2nd leg of Corpus Christi's season-opening roadtrip takes them to Tulsa, now an affiliate of the Dodgers. In the opener, Lance McCullers will take on Jeremy Kehrt. First pitch is at 2:05.

San Jose 8, Lancaster 3

W- Christian Jones (1-0)
L- Evan Grills (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks were pounded as the Giants got the upper hand in the series. They got a 10-hit night, but struck out 15 times and had just 3 runs to show for it. Lancaster had runners on 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 9th as they threatened to cut into the deficit, but James Ramsay struck out to end the game.

All 3 JetHawks runs came off of RBI doubles. Ronnie Mitchell got the Hawks on the board with one in the 4th. James Ramsay smacked one of his own in the 5th, and J.D. Davis ripped one in the 8th. Ramsay was a home run shy of the cycle, and he was on the verge of completing it in order. He singled with 1 out in the 1st, hit that RBI double in the 5th, and tripled and scored in the 8th on Davis' double. J.D. Davis and Jose Fernandez both finished 2-4.

Evan Grills was knocked around in his 3.1 innings as he gave up a pair of 3-run innings; 5 of those runs were earned. He allowed 8 hits, 4 of which were doubles, and a 3-run homer to Tyler Horan in the 1st. Grills walked and struck out 1. Gonzalo Sañudo gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and struck out 3 in 3.2 innings. Frederick Tiburcio pitched the final 2 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 2.

The JetHawks will look for the split at 2:00 Pacific. Troy Scribner will take on D.J. Snelten.

Peoria 4, Quad Cities 1

W- Daniel Poncedeleon (1-0)
L- Dan Mengden (0-1)
S- Kyle Grana (1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits were foiled in their bid for a season-opening sweep as their offense was held. The lone Quad Cities run was scored in the 3rd by Sean McMullen, who scored on two passed balls. He led off the inning with a single, was sacrificed over to 2nd, and then the passed balls happened. Bobby Boyd went 2-4 at the top of the order.

Dan Mengden allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 8 over 4 innings of work. Keegan Yuhl tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits. Albert Minnis tossed a 1-2-3 8th inning.

The Banditos are ready for their first home series of the year. They will be welcoming the Clinton LumberKings, who will be making the first of many 40-mile journeys south to Davenport. In game 1, Austin Chrismon will take on Pat Peterson, the identical twin brother of Eric Peterson. First pitch is at 1:15.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi

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

2. 

James Ramsay, OF, Lancaster

3-5 (finished a home run shy of the cycle), RBI, R

1. 

Telvin Nash, 1B/DH, Corpus Christi

2-5, 2B, 3-R HR (1), 2 R

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Jandel Gustave, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, H, BB

2. 

Frederick Tiburcio, RHP, Lancaster

2 IP, H, 2 K

1. 

Chris Devenski, RHP, Corpus Christi

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

Honorable Mentions

- Nice to see J.D. Davis with a 2-hit outing. Let's see if that gets his bat going. Ditto for Colin Moran.

Happy Birthday - 2/20

Happy Birthday to ~

LF/DH Telvin Nash (24)
Drafted in the third round in 2009 out of high school in his native Georgia, Nash spent his 2014 season with the AA Corpus Christi team. In 84 games, he hit .227/.330/.484 with four doubles, 22 home runs and 49 RBI.

OF Rodrigo Ayarza (20)
2014 was Ayarza's first season in the Astros organization, having played the previous two seasons in the Rangers organization. In 61 games in the Dominican Summer League, he hit .274/.387/.359. He is originally from Panama.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Bill Gullickson (55)
A first round pick by Montreal in 1977, Gullickson came to Houston as a free agent in December 1989. In one season for the Astros in 1990, he was 10-14 with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.459 WHIP in 32 starts. In 1991, after being released by Houston, he went 20-9 for Detroit. Gullickson came in second to Steve Howe in Rookie of the Year voting in 1979.

RHP Jason Hirsh (33)
A second round pick by Houston in 2003, Hirsh started nine games for the Astros in 2006, going 3-4 with a 6.04 ERA and a 1.567 WHIP.  He was traded, along with Taylor Buchholz and Willy Taveras, to the Rockies for Miguel Asencio and he-who-must-not-be-named in December of 2006.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 30, 2014

Oklahoma City 2, Omaha 1

W- Alex White (1-0)
L- Buddy Baumann (1-1)

OKC home runs: None.

The RedHawks avoided the sweep in dramatic fashion as they scored a pair in the 9th and executed the ol' walk-off squeeze play.

Mike Foltynewicz was just excellent in this one. He pitched 7.2 innings and allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 10. Both of his double-digit strikeout outings this season have come against the Storm Chasers. Josh Zeid only faced one batter; he struck out Paulo Orlando to end the 8th. Alex White worked around a 2-out infield single to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1 in the inning.

Well, it took them the entire game, but better late than never. The RedHawks had a chance to take control earlier, but they left the bases loaded in the 7th and the 8th. 4 batters appeared in the 9th, and all 4 of them reached. Kiké Hernandez kicked off the rally by walking, and then he advanced to 2nd on a Gregorio Petit single. Hernandez would score the tying run as Matt Duffy reached on an error. Petit moved up to 3rd on the play. One batter later, Carlos Perez laid down an exquisite bunt and Petit made an "unreal" slide home for the winning run. The bunt was scored as a sacrifice and Perez received credit for the only OKC RBI. He was also the owner of the lone RedHawks extra-base hit when he doubled with 1 out in the 6th.

Memphis is in town for 4. In game 1, Jake Buchanan will face Zach Petrick. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 7, Northwest Arkansas 2

W- Mike Hauschild (1-0, 3-1 season)
L- J.C. Sulbaran (2-4)

CC home runs: Telvin Nash (3, solo in 6th)

The Hooks took the opener as they were able to get themselves out of the offensive rut that they were in during the last 2 games of the Arkansas series. The Naturals briefly tied the game at 2 after they scored a pair in the top of the 3rd, but Corpus ran off 5 unanswered to get the W.

Leo Heras put Corpus on the board first in the 2nd with an RBI triple. He would score on a Tyler Heineman groundout. Nolan Fontana led off the bottom of the 3rd with a ground-rule double and scored on a Jonathan Meyer fielder's choice to put the Hooks up for good. Telvin Nash finished a triple shy of the cycle (in 3 at-bats); he swatted a solo homer (3) in the 6th and scored twice. He was plunked in his final plate appearance of the evening, in the 8th inning. Before he was hit, Heineman led off the inning with a double and scored when Delino DeShields laid down a sac bunt and an error was committed on the play. Meyer brought Nash home with a pop-fly RBI single, and DeShields scored the final run of the night on another error that allowed Preston Tucker to reach, and loaded the bases. Tucker, who finished 2-5 with a double, was credited with an RBI on the play.

Mike Hauschild finally got his 1st win at the AA level after 2 really good starts and a decent one. He pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. In his AA debut, Tyson Perez fired 3 scoreless and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Pat Urckfitz struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to wrap it up.

In the middle game of this series, Luis Cruz and Jordan Jankowski will take on Sam Selman at 7:10.

Lancaster 9, Rancho Cucamonga 1

W- Josh Hader (5-0)
L- Geoff Brown (1-3)

Lancaster home runs: Roberto Peña (3, 2-run in 2nd)

Rancho got on the board in the 6th to make it a 2-1 game, but the JetHawks took off in the 7th with a touchdown to run away with the opener and their 7th straight victory. Also, Josh Hader continued his fine season.

Hader went 7.2 and the only ding on his line was a solo homer to James Baldwin, which constituted the entire Rancho offense. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. J.D. Osborne retired all 4 Quakes hitters he faced, striking out 3 of them.

Before the JetHawks' assault in the 7th, their 2 runs came in the form of a Roberto Peña (3) 2-run homer in the 2nd. A couple of triples from Ruben Sosa and Jordan Scott signaled the beginning of the end for the Quakes. Tony Kemp then ripped an RBI double. Teoscar Hernandez walked, and then Carlos Correa hit a 2-run single. Rio Ruiz continued the assault with an RBI double, and after Peña went down for the 2nd out, Conrad Gregor drew a walk. Dan Gulbransen capped it off with a 2-run triple. Rio finished 3-4, while Correa was 2-5 with a steal (13). Sosa also had a double to go along with his triple, which served as the catalyst for the big inning, and Peña also ripped a double to go along with his blast.

Game 2 of the series has Mark Appel making his return to the Lancaster rotation. He'll take on the young phenom, Julio Urias, at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Beloit 3

W- Edison Frias (2-3)
L- Lou Trivino (3-4)

QC home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (7, grand slam in 1st)

The River Bandits swept the Snappers out of the Quad Cities as they raced out to a 7-0 lead after 4 innings, powered by Mitchell's slam in the 1st.

Chase McDonald opened the scoring in the 1st with an RBI single. Later on in the inning, Mitchell homered for the 4th straight game. The grand slam (7) extended his hitting streak and his RBI streak to 5 games. The last time he hit a grand slam was in Little League. Tyler White went 2-3 with a couple of doubles; one of them brought home Brian Holberton in the 3rd. Chan-Jong Moon added an RBI double in the 4th. Holberton and Jon Kemmer also had 2-hit nights.

Edison Frias went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and struck out 7. Chris Cotton allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 2. Tyler Brunnemann finished it off by retiring all 5 Snappers he faced, striking out 3 of them.

QC will now begin a 3-game series in Wisconsin; Evan Grills will start the opener against Zach Quintana at 6:35.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Roberto Peña, C, Lancaster

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

2.

Ronnie Mitchell, RF, Quad Cities

1-2, Grand Slam (7); 4th straight game with a home run

1.

Telvin Nash, 1B, Corpus Christi

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

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Tyson Perez, RHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K; AA debut

2.

Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Oklahoma City

7.2 IP, 6 H, ER, 10 K

1.

Josh Hader, LHP, Lancaster

W (5-0), 7.2 IP, 4 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 9 K

Astros Minor League Roster Moves/Transactions

In addition to the news that some guy named George Springer got promoted to Houston, I found a couple more transactions for today.

OKLAHOMA CITY
2B Enrique Hernandez was assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City
OF Robbie Grossman was optioned from Houston to Oklahoma City

LANCASTER
IF/OF Ruben Sosa was assigned from Oklahoma City to Lancaster

There was also this tweet noting that Telvin Nash was being assigned to Corpus Christi, but the transaction has not been posted on MiLB.com yet.

Old friend Telvin Nash activated off DL today and will join AA Corpus Christi. Sorry Texas League baseballs... #lighttowerpower
— Lancaster JetHawks (@JetHawks) April 16, 2014

Happy Birthday - 2/20

Happy Birthday to ~

LF/DH Telvin Nash (23)
Drafted in the third round in 2009 out of high school in his native Georgia, Nash spent a second season in Lancaster, but last appeared on July 18th. In 62 games, he hit .246/.357/.500 with 10 doubles, 16 home runs and 48 RBI. Nash made a solid improvement in batting average and on-base percentage and lowered his strikeout rate by almost 10 percentage points. He was hitting .324/.432/.585 in his final 10 games.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Bill Gullickson (55)
A first round pick by Montreal in 1977, Gullickson came to Houston as a free agent in December 1989. In one season for the Astros in 1990, he was 10-14 with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.459 WHIP in 32 starts. In 1991, after being released by Houston, he went 20-9 for Detroit. Gullickson came in second to Steve Howe in Rookie of the Year voting in 1979.

RHP Jason Hirsh (31)
A second round pick by Houston in 2003, Hirsh started nine games for the Astros in 2006, going 3-4 with a 6.04 ERA and a 1.567 WHIP.  He was traded, along with Taylor Buchholz and Willy Taveras, to the Rockies for Miguel Asencio and he-who-must-not-be-named in December of 2006. He pitched in one game for Amarillo in the Independent League in 2013.

It Was a Very Big Year For ...

Back in March, I wrote a piece about a few players for whom I declared, "This is going to be a very big year." I would like to revisit what I said back in March and what ultimately happened with each of them. Last week, I looked at a few pitchers. This week it's position players. The article, in full, follows with updates.

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Over the last couple of weeks, I've talked to John Manuel of Baseball America, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and others about many of the players in the Astros farm system, both prospect and non-prospect alike. One phrase kept coming up time and time again. "This is going to be a big year for (fill-in-the-blank)." I found myself saying it as well.

With the Astros depth increasing, players will need to step up to keep up. For some, it may be a matter of staying healthy. For some, it will be recapturing earlier promise. For some, it will be taking that next step developmentally. Here are just a few position players for whom THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG YEAR.

1B/DH Chase Davidson
Davidson turned 23 in January and has only played 53 games professionally to date. Davidson was originally drafted in the third round by the Astros in 2008 but did not sign; they re-drafted him in 2011 in the 41st round. In his first season, he hit .327/.417/.630 with 13 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 44 RBI in 44 games. He also struck out 53 times. In 2012, he only appeared in nine games with Tri-City in June before disappearing off the radar for the remainder of the year. At 23, he will need to get healthy, stay healthy and move quickly through the system before time starts working against him.

UPDATE: Time is now officially working against Chase Davidson. He will be 24 in January and he has yet to advance beyond Low A. Davidson only appeared in 10 games for Quad Cities this season, the last of which was on April 23rd. Presumably, he was injured (although I don't know that for a fact). In three professional seasons, Davidson has only played in 63 games. In his 10 games this season (42 at-bats), he hit .238/.289/.381 with three doubles, one home run and five RBI. He walked twice and struck out 21 times in those 10 games. To put it bluntly, I find it increasingly difficult to find a path forward for Mr. Davidson.

SS Jonathan Villar
Yes, Villar has all of the tools but he has yet to put them all together consistently. He needs to show more focus defensively. He has a tendency to speed up the game and make mental errors in the field. Prior to breaking his hand in July, Villar's bat did show signs of coming around but he lost valuable developmental time. Villar won't turn 22 until May so he still has plenty of time to put it all together, but if he doesn't take that next step forward, he could find himself jockeying for position in the Astros depth charts.

UPDATE: Villar spent the first 91 games of the season with Oklahoma City where he definitely made inroads with the bat, hitting .277/.341/.442 with 16 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs, 51 RBI and 31 stolen bases. He then made his major league debut on July 22nd, and in 58 games in Houston, he hit .243/.321/.319 with nine doubles, two triples, one home run, eight RBI, 18 stolen bases and one spectacularly embarrassing baserunning move. But to his credit, he also did this. Overall, I feel as though his baserunning and his bat lived up to expectations at the major league level, but there were still signs that Villar's internal defensive clock needs adjustment. His 16 errors tied for fifth in the American League, despite playing in significantly fewer games than the other category leaders. And before you SABR-types jump on me for using errors, I looked up his UZR for the Astros and it was -8.1 which isn't exactly great either (albeit based on a relatively small sample size). With all that said, personally I thought that he looked better in the field than he did when I saw him in Corpus Christi last season. Ultimately, if he can be more consistent defensively, it will go a long way towards his realization of sustained success at the major league level.

SS Jio Mier
Speaking of which, Jio Mier could be the one to challenge Villar, but he has to stay healthy and he has to continue the progress he made last season (before  a bad hamstring injury) and later in the Arizona Fall League. He missed a large chunk of the 2012 season due to the injury, but it appeared that he was finally putting things together at the plate, hitting .292/.396/.409 at Lancaster and .297/.333/.422 in the Arizona Fall League. If Villar falters and Mier continues his progress and stays healthy, things could get interesting. Mier won't be 23 until August. Did I mention that he really needs to stay healthy?

UPDATE: Jio, Jio, Jio. What can I say? I really like Jio. I'm really rooting for him, but his bat was a definite disappointment in the 2013 season. Everyone I spoke with when I was in Corpus Christi this summer simply raved about Jio's defense and that's precisely what I saw on the field, but what I saw in the batter's box was discouraging. In 104 games, he hit .194/.293/.265 with 10 doubles and five home runs. As far as I know, he was healthy all season so his lack of production can't be blamed on that. I refuse to give up on Jio, but he is going to have to make very big strides at the plate in the coming season because, frankly, there is a great deal of talent coming up through the system looking to challenge him.

C/OF Mike Kvasnicka
I'm not even sure where to start with Kvasnicka. His development seems to have been stunted by his moves from catcher to third base back to catcher and now, apparently, to right field. Kvasnicka had a horrible start to his 2012 season, but seemed to have gotten into a groove at the plate about the time he was moved to right field. He also found his home run stroke, tripling his home run output from prior years. But the fact remains that he is 24 years old and hasn't gotten above Low A yet. He will need to come to Spring Training prepared to show that he belongs and will need to contribute immediately wherever he is placed.

UPDATE: Well, Kvasnicka did have a very big year ... for another team. Traded to the Twins for RHP Gonzalo Sanudo in March, Kvasnicka didn't make his season debut until June, reportedly due to a wrist injury, but played extremely well in 69 games for the High A Fort Myer Miracles, hitting .282/.341/.460 with 13 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 40 RBI. He played most of his games, by the way, in right field.

1B/DH Telvin Nash
Telvin Nash just turned 22 last month. He needs to do two things. He needs to replicate his home run power outside the hitter-friendly confines of Lancaster and he needs to cut down on the strikeouts. If Nash is promoted to AA this season, I think he will find that the more advanced pitchers will take advantage of the holes in his swing. He will have to find a way to adjust. The recent news that Nash lost 30 pounds during the offseason tells me that he is highly motivated. That is encouraging.

UPDATE: Nash gets an incomplete for the season, but the news is mostly positive. He last played on July 18th and was ultimately placed on the DL for the remainder of the season. Since he didn't advance beyond Lancaster, we still don't know whether or not his power will translate away from The Hangar. But one thing he did accomplish was cutting down on his strikeouts. Nash struck out in over 44% of his plate appearances in 2012. He cut that down to approximately 34.5% in 2013. Still a lot of strikeouts, but a huge improvement! And he improved his walk rate as well. His improved discipline at the plate didn't hamper his home run production so that is encouraging as well. In 62 games, he hit .246/.357/.500 (as compared to .224/.316/.494 in 2012) with 10 doubles, 16 home runs and 48 RBI.

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

In addition to the MUCH reported moves that brought RHP Josh Zeid and RHP Chia-Jen Lo up to the Astros and sent Hector Ambriz to Oklahoma City, there are a couple of other minor league moves to report.

Lancaster
1B Jesse Wierzbicki assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
1B Telvin Nash placed on the 7-day DL

Quad Cities
OF Danry Vasquez assigned to Quad Cities

GCL
RHP Luis Ordosgoitti assigned to the GCL (Ordosgoitti started the season on the DL)

Tweets of the Day

Morgan Ensberg ‏@MorganEnsberg
That's how you do it!!! @TNASH100 just hit a ball 8 miles!!! Dude has pop!!!!

Morgan Ensberg ‏@MorganEnsberg
Seriously, @TNASH100 just hit that ball into the desert.

Photo Friday - Lancaster Edition

I haven't labeled my Lancaster trip photos yet. I haven't even finished weeding out the bad ones, but if you're game to look through a ton of photos, you can find them here. In the meantime, here are some of my favorites.

 Brady Rodgers 

Chris Devenski

T.J. Geith

Delino DeShields

Luis Cruz

Tyler Heineman

David Rollins

Telvin Nash

Brady Rodgers

Photos by Jayne Hansen

 All Rights Reserved*

*The players featured in these photos are hereby granted permission to use these photos for personal use. All other uses require permission and acknowledgment.

An Interview with Telvin Nash

Before I talked with Lancaster 1B Telvin Nash on Monday, I touched base with Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson about Nash's progress, "Telvin's doing good. He's doing real good right now. His head is on right this year. He's more positive. We've had some good conversations just to get him in a good spot, get him to free his mind and go out and just perform on the field. Don't worry about the outside interferences that go on because there's always something. Just the other day, we talked about mental toughness, being able to concentrate on the job at hand under adverse conditions. And that's something that he's really doing this year. He's a year older and a year wiser. He's going about his business and I like it."

Despite having a couple of rough games on Friday and Saturday (as far as strikeouts go), Nash has definitely been making strides in that area. And when he connects, as he did with two very impressive home runs on Friday night, there is no doubt that his power is the real deal.

I spoke with him briefly the day after Lancaster no-hit the Stockton Ports.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday's Games

Cedar Rapids Kernels 2, Quad Cities River Bandits 0 (11) Game 1 

This game was the first of two scheduled for the day and it quickly became a classic pitchers' duel, lasting 11 innings. Josh Fields, on rehab assignment, started on the hill for Quad Cities and pitched the first two innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Jamaine Cotton followed Fields for the next four frames and kept it scoreless, allowing just a hit of his own, walking two and striking out a pair. John Neely came on in the seventh, for what was scheduled as the last inning of the game, and gave up a hit, walked one and struck out two. Cameron Lamb (1-2) was next on the mound, starting the extra innings, and pitched three and a third scoreless of his own before allowing two runs on three hits in the 11th to break the stalemate and tally the loss. Lamb finished at two runs on five hits with five Ks. Mitchell Lambson came in to replace Lamb and retired the final two batters, striking out one. There wasn't much happening at the plate for the River Bandits in this game, they collected six hits (all singles) and two walks total. That said, Jordan Scott still ended up three-for-four batting, collecting half of his team's hits.

Cedar Rapids Kernels 5, Quad Cities River Bandits 1 (7) Game 2

Game two of the doubleheader was the makeup of the rainout from the previous day and the River Bandits came within one out from being shutout in this one (Roberto Pena, who was on with a leadoff walk, scored on a one-out sac' fly by Jordan Scott in the bottom of the seventh). Vincent Velasquez (3-1) took the start and the loss, his first of the season, after pitching the first four and two thirds. Velasquez was hit hard in the first frame for four runs on six hits and ended up allowing five runs all day over nine hits while recording a career-high nine Ks. Gera Sanchez took over the helm from Velasquez and finished out the game, retiring the first four batters he faced in order before allowing a single in the seventh. Sanchez then got back in the groove and retired the final two and recorded one strikeout on the day. There was very little offense in this game as well for Quad Cities, four hits and five walks, but Teoscar Hernandez, who hit one-for-four, did steal a base in the second for his 10th of the season. 

Stockton Ports 13, Lancaster JetHawks 19

Allowing 13 runs to the opposing team is not usually a good thing, but when you are already far ahead and record 19 of your own, the home crowd doesn't seem to mind too much. Brady Rodgers got the start and threw for the first four and two thirds, allowing seven runs (5ER) on seven hits, walking two and striking out five. By the time Rodgers left the game in the top of the fifth the JetHawks already had 16 runs. Chris Devenski (3-1) picked up the reins in the six to finish out the pitching and took the win as well, giving up six runs on six hits, walking three and striking out four. At the plate, it was pure insanity: all but two starters had multi-hit games, every one of them recorded a hit, Telvin Nash hit two homers and recorded seven RBI,  Andrew Aplin hit three-for-four with a triple and four RBI of his own and while all that was going on Chris Epps was running around stealing bases. Here's the box, because trust me, I'd miss something otherwise:  

Frisco RoughRiders 4, Corpus Christi Hooks 9

The Hooks crept out to an early lead in this one and when things got close again in the seventh frame, they came back to drop four runs in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win. Nick Tropeano got things started on the mound, pitching four innings and recording one run (0ER) on two hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Bobby Doran (5-0) clocked in for the next three and a third and went on to earn the win. Doran cruised through his first two frames of work, but allowed three runs in the seventh, finishing with those three runs on two hits and a K. One man was responsible for over half of Corpus Christi's nine runs on Friday, Domingo Santana. Santana hit a team-first, three homers in the game and recorded five RBIs all day, finishing three-for-four at the plate. Rene Garcia hit two-for-four with a double, RBI, and run scored. 

Tacoma Rainiers 0, Oklahoma City RedHawks 1

Oklahoma City won what could be called a four-hit shutout on Friday at home, but what really was another classic pitchers' duel. The RedHawks didn't tally a hit until the fourth inning when a Brett Wallace (1X4 R 3B 2SO) triple followed by a Brandon Laird (1X4 2B RBI SO) double scored the only run of the game. Brett Oberholtzer (2-3) threw the first five and two thirds frames and collected the win. Oberholtzer recorded 1-2-3 innings in the second, third and fourth while allowing one hit, walking two and striking out nine. Josh Zeid (1.1 IP H 4SO), Kevin Chapman (.1 IP H BB) and Jason Stoffel (.2 IP SO) all earned holds, their third, fifth and second, respectively, after Oberholtzer left the game. Jose Valdez came in for the ninth to close and picked up his ninth save after giving up a hit and striking out one. Valdez is second in the Pacific Coast League in saves so far this year.

Player of the Day: What a day Friday was. Telvin Nash hit two homers and would normally be a shoe in, but Domingo Santana had to come along and hit three. You know what? They get to split it today. They without a doubt earned it and both had incredible games. Between the two is 12 runs and five homers on Friday. Wow.   

Pitcher of the Day: Brett Oberholtzer, come on down. This guy was on fire Friday and set the pace for the rest of the pitching staff in their shutout while striking out 9-nearly two guys an inning. 

Roster Moves

HOUSTON

OF Justin Maxwell placed on the 15-day DL

OF Robbie Grossman assigned from Oklahoma City to Houston

LANCASTER

LF Telvin Nash activated from the DL

LHP Kenny Long activated from the DL
2B Raoul Torrez placed on the Temporary Inactive List

QUAD CITIES

LHP Joe Bircher assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities (Note: This was effective Sunday and he was just sent down five days prior to that.)

Roster Moves

I missed this Baseball America transaction post from over the weekend. Apparently, Kyle Weiland is NOT a figment of our imagination:

Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Murilo Gouvea, RHP Chia-Jen Lo, RHP Kyle Weiland, LHP Sergio Escalona, LHP Kenny Long, C Max Stassi, 3B Andy Simunic, 3B Brandon Wikoff, OF Grant Hogue, OF Telvin Nash

In addition, RHP Edgar Gonzalez was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays and 2B/LF Ruben Sosa was assigned to Oklahoma City.

Rumors have been floating about Paul Clemens coming to Houston, but nothing official has been announced by the team.

UPDATES:

• RHP Paul Clemens is indeed headed to Seattle to join the team as RHP Josh Fields goes on the DL with forearm tightness.
• RHP Ross Seaton is being sent to Oklahoma City from Corpus Christi.
• RHP Carlos Quevedo is being sent to Corpus Christi from Lancaster.
• RHP Michael Dimock is headed from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities.
• According to Daniel Makarewicz (who covers the Quad Cities team), RHP Jordan Jankowski is being sent from Quad Cities back to Extended Spring Training.
• LHP Tommy Shirley activated from the temporary inactive list for Lancaster.

Batting Practice Videos

I am STILL trying to catch up from my Spring Training trip. So, today I'm going to offer up some of the video I took at Spring Training. Here are a few of the hitters I saw take batting practice.

This is Going to be a Very Big Year for ...

Over the last couple of weeks, I've talked to John Manuel of Baseball America, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and others about many of the players in the Astros farm system, both prospect and non-prospect alike. One phrase kept coming up time and time again. "This is going to be a big year for (fill-in-the-blank)." I found myself saying it as well.

With the Astros depth increasing, players will need to step up to keep up. For some, it may be a matter of staying healthy. For some, it will be recapturing earlier promise. For some, it will be taking that next step developmentally. Here are just a few position players for whom THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG YEAR.

1B/DH Chase Davidson
Davidson turned 23 in January and has only played 53 games professionally to date. Davidson was originally drafted in the third round by the Astros in 2008 but did not sign; they re-drafted him in 2011 in the 41st round. In his first season, he hit .327/.417/.630 with 13 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 44 RBI in 44 games. He also struck out 53 times. In 2012, he only appeared in nine games with Tri-City in June before disappearing off the radar for the remainder of the year. At 23, he will need to get healthy, stay healthy and move quickly through the system before time starts working against him.

SS Jonathan Villar
Yes, Villar has all of the tools but he has yet to put them all together consistently. He needs to show more focus defensively. He has a tendency to speed up the game and make mental errors in the field. Prior to breaking his hand in July, Villar's bat did show signs of coming around but he lost valuable developmental time. Villar won't turn 22 until May so he still has plenty of time to put it all together, but if he doesn't take that next step forward, he could find himself jockeying for position in the Astros depth charts.

SS Jio Mier
Speaking of which, Jio Mier could be the one to challenge Villar, but he has to stay healthy and he has to continue the progress he made last season (before  a bad hamstring injury) and later in the Arizona Fall League. He missed a large chunk of the 2012 season due to the injury, but it appeared that he was finally putting things together at the plate, hitting .292/.396/.409 at Lancaster and .297/.333/.422 in the Arizona Fall League. If Villar falters and Mier continues his progress and stays healthy, things could get interesting. Mier won't be 23 until August. Did I mention that he really needs to stay healthy?

C/OF Mike Kvasnicka
I'm not even sure where to start with Kvasnicka. His development seems to have been stunted by his moves from catcher to third base back to catcher and now, apparently, to right field. Kvasnicka had a horrible start to his 2012 season, but seemed to have gotten into a groove at the plate about the time he was moved to right field. He also found his home run stroke, tripling his home run output from prior years. But the fact remains that he is 24 years old and hasn't gotten above Low A yet. He will need to come to Spring Training prepared to show that he belongs and will need to contribute immediately wherever he is placed.

1B/DH Telvin Nash
Telvin Nash just turned 22 last month. He needs to do two things. He needs to replicate his home run power outside the hitter-friendly confines of Lancaster and he needs to cut down on the strikeouts. If Nash is promoted to AA this season, I think he will find that the more advanced pitchers will take advantage of the holes in his swing. He will have to find a way to adjust. The recent news that Nash lost 30 pounds during the offseason tells me that he is highly motivated. That is encouraging.

Next week I'll look at a few pitchers for whom THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY BIG YEAR.

Happy Birthday - 2/20

Happy Birthday to ~

LF/DH Telvin Nash (22)
Drafted in the third round in 2009 out of high school in his native Georgia, Nash spent the 2012 season at Lancaster where he hit 19 doubles, 29 home runs and drove in 75 in 106 games. He finished the season with a .224/.316/.494 batting line and struck out 198 times to 47 walks. He hit two home runs and had five RBI in the post-season.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Bill Gullickson (54)
A first round pick by Montreal in 1977, Gullickson came to Houston as a free agent in December 1989. In one season for the Astros in 1990, he was 10-14 with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.459 WHIP in 32 starts. In 1991, after being released by Houston, he went 20-9 for Detroit. Gullickson came in second to Steve Howe in Rookie of the Year voting in 1979.

RHP Jason Hirsh (31)
A second round pick by Houston in 2003, Hirsh started nine games for the Astros in 2006, going 3-4 with a 6.04 ERA and a 1.567 WHIP.  He was traded, along with Taylor Buchholz and Willy Taveras, to the Rockies for Miguel Asencio and he-who-must-not-be-named in December of 2006.

We also have a birthday in the Astros blogging community ~

Deputy Jason (33)
Jason Phelps, writer for Astros County, celebrates his birthday today as well!