Astros Farm Report: 4/23

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB news ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

J.D. Davis - April 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

4/26: OF Franklin Pinto (17)
4/27: 3B/1B J.D. Davis (25)
4/28: IF Jonathan Matute (21)

TWEET OF THE WEEK

My uncle and cousins cheering me on back home 💕 pic.twitter.com/6ZqSZbG18I

— Joshua Rojas (@JoshRojass) April 21, 2018

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Note that some of these moves to and from the GCL and Tri-City (teams which are not yet playing) are likely moves on paper only for the purposes of roster management. In addition, several Quad Cities pitchers were moved to give the team enough fresh arms for two double-headers over the weekend.

4/23: C/1B Kelvin Perez (Dominican Summer League) released
4/22: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to the GCL from Corpus Christi
4/21: RHP Humberto Castellanos assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/22: RHP Dariel Aquino assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/21: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/21: RHP Carlos Sanabria assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/21: RHP Robert Corniel assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/21: LHP Cole Watts assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/21: LHP Patrick Sandoval assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/20: RHP J.B. Bukauskas assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/20: IF Alfredo Angarita assigned to Buies Creek from extended spring training
4/20: RHP Cesar Rosado assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
4/17: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
4/18: RHP James Hoyt optioned from Houston to Fresno

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

4/17: LHP Chris Nunn (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/7: C Eduardo de Oleo (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: DH Randy Vasquez (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Jose Luis Hernández (Buies Creek) placed on the 7-day DL

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

1st 13-5 .722 -.-GB L1

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

🠉T1st 10-6 .625 -.-GB W4

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

🠉1st 12-6 .667 -.-GB W1

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

🠉7th 5-9 .357 5.5GB W1

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

For the week of 4/16 through 4/23, here are just a few of the players whose work has really stood out ...

FRESNO

3B/1B J.D. Davis: 7G .448/.500/.724 2-2B 2HR 8RBI 3BB:5K
RHP Mike Hauschild: 2 starts/2 wins 12.2IP 2.13 ERA/0.868 WHIP 0BB:15K
RHP Matt Ramsey: 3 games/1 win 3.1IP 0.00 ERA/0.000 WHIP 0BB:8K

Plus, the catching duo at Fresno is on 🔥🔥🔥!

C Garrett Stubbs: 4G .444/.474/.611
C Tim Federowicz: 3G .500/.538/.583

And Tony Kemp had a great week as well, collecting 9 RBI!

CORPUS CHRISTI

OF Myles Straw: 6G .520/.581/.680 2-3B 4RBI 4BB:4SO 3SB:1CS
RHP Josh James: 1 start 5.0IP 0.00 ERA/0.800 WHIP 0BB:7K
RHP Ralph Garza: 1 relief outing 4.0IP 2H 0BB:6K

Also, IF Nick Tanielu slugged 1.000 in only four games (3HR 6RBI) while 1B Taylor Jones had a .950 SLG% in his five games (4-2B 2HR 8RBI).

BUIES CREEK

SS Anibal Sierra: 7G .391/.462/.652 3-2B HR 5RBI 2BB:7K 0SB:3CS
OF Ronnie Dawson: 7G .333/.500/.583 2B 3B HR 3RBI 8BB:7K 7SB:0CS
RHP Abdiel Saldaña - 2 starts/1 win 10.2IP 0.00 ERA/0.656 WHIP 2BB:5K
RHP Ronel Blanco - 2 relief outings/1 win 4.2IP 0H 0R 1BB:6K 0-5IRS

Ronnie Dawson wasn't the only BC Astro who was scampering around the bases last week. IF Josh Rojas stole 6 bags for the week and is currently leading the system with 12 total.

QUAD CITIES

Honestly, Quad Cities has gotten off to a very slow start with the bats this season. OF J.J. Matijevic had the best week at the plate, but only played in four games. He was .417/.563/.750 in those games. And C Michael Papierski managed a .600 OBP in his four games, drawing seven walks.

And it wasn't a very good week for starting pitching either with LHP Parker Mushinski arguably having the best week of the bunch. He made one start, allowing one unearned run on one hit and three walks while striking out eight over four innings.

However, the one bright spot for the week was the relief pitching. A number of pitchers did a great job, but I was most impressed with RHP Humberto Castellanos who was pressed into service with bases loaded in his Low A Quad Cities debut. Not only did he strand all three inherited runners, he allowed only two hits (no walks and no runs) while striking out five over 5.1 innings.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jonathan Arauz - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I plan to feature one player each week who bears watching (we'll see how long this lasts when I get super busy with travel and interviews this season). Today's player is SS Jonathan Arauz. Here is what I wrote about Arauz in my Beyond the Top 30 series ...

Arauz is currently ranked by Baseball Prospectus at number 6 and by MLB Pipeline at number 23. After missing the first 50 games of the 2017 season on the restricted list (tested positive for a methamphetamine), Arauz was sent to Quad Cities where he hit a less than robust .220/.331/.276 in 36 games and was subsequently demoted to Tri-City for the remainder of the season. He hit .264/.341/.364 at the lower level. But keep in mind that he is a solid defender who only turned 19 toward the end of the 2017 season. Look for Arauz to start the 2018 season back with Quad Cities where he will try to catch up with full season A pitching.

The biggest key to Arauz's continued development as a top prospect is any improvement he can show with his hit tool at the higher levels. Through his first 13 games (tiny sample size alert!), he is hitting .283/.377/.326 with Quad Cities and has drawn seven walks to only six strikeouts. Although this is a very small sample size, it is a good sign for the 19-year old as he plays against players who are two to three years older than him.

NEWS AND LINKS

Some sports actually pay their lower level players a livable wage. Hmmm, imagine that.

Some of the Quad Cities staff members helped restore a famous Iowa landmark.

MiLB.com shows Corpus Christi's OF Myles Straw and 2B Ryne Birk a little love.

In case you missed this post on the Astros Cuban Contingent, I've updated it with the players stats through Saturday's games.

Checking in on the former Astros playing in Independent and International Leagues.

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

I have had many favorite players in the Astros system over the years and OF Teoscar Hernández has been one of them since before I ever set eyes on him. His stats when he played in the Dominican Summer League screamed 5-tool upside to me. And when I first saw him in action, he did not disappoint. I found him to be a very dynamic player on the field with a somewhat shy, quiet demeanor off the field (and a somewhat shy smile as well). But I digress.

Teoscar Hernández - April 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

As you probably recall, Hernández was included (along with OF Nori Aoki) in a July 2017 trade with the Blue Jays for LHP Francisco Liriano. He played 26 games with the Blue Jays as a September callup last fall, but did not break major league camp with an assignment to the big league club out of Spring Training this season. However, it didn't take long for the Blue Jays to recall him on April 13th. Since then, Hernández has been on a tear, hitting .343/.395/.743 (3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homeruns and 10 RBI in his first 8 games). We at WTHB are happy to see him flourishing in Toronto and wish him nothing but the best!

WE'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR JOBS (WOMEN IN BASEBALL)

Yeah, you're not going to keep girls and women out of baseball by threatening them with physical harm.

And, yes, the Tri-City ValleyCats will be seeing a female umpire this season.

I provided links last week to some of Alyson Footer's great work covering The Trailblazer series. Here is the final installment.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 23, 2017

Let's play two in Midland!

Fresno 11, Round Rock 8

W- Rogelio Armenteros (4-0, 6-3 season)
L- Tyler Wagner (1-9)
S- Dayan Diaz (2)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (15, solo in 6th), Teoscar Hernandez (12, 2-run in 5th), Preston Tucker (19, 2-run in 6th), Reid Brignac (13, solo in 7th)

The Grizzlies scored 10 of their 11 runs from the 4th-7th innings to take control of this game, and the outburst proved to be enough to withstand a late Express rally.

Rogelio Armenteros went 5.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits (3 solo homers), walked 1, and struck out 8. Brendan McCurry threw 1.1 innings as the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and issued a walk and hit another batter. Ashur Tolliver allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, walked 2, and struck out 1 in the 8th.

Reymin Guduan got 2 outs in the 9th via strikeout but also allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits and walked 2. Dayan Diaz was greeted with an RBI single after coming on, but he was able to get the final out of the game.

J.D. Davis put Fresno on the board with an RBI single in the 2nd inning and added another one to his ledger in the 4th. Jon Kemmer smacked a solo homer in the 5th. D.J. Fisher followed with a single and Teoscar Hernandez sent him home with a home run.

The Grizz scored 4 in the 6th as Tony Kemp scored on a wild pitch following a triple, D.J. Fisher hit an RBI single, and Preston Tucker whacked a 2-run homer. Reid Brignac led off the 7th with a homer and Juan Centeno drove in the last Fresno run with an RBI single.

Davis went 3-5 on the night, while Kemp (3B, R), Fisher (RBI, 2 R), Teoscar (2-R HR, 2 R), and Big Tuck (2-R HR, 2 R) all finished with 2 hits.

David Martinez will be on the mound as Fresno looks for the sweep. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Game 1: Midland 12, Corpus Christi 2

W- Dustin Hurlbutt (3-1)
L- Franklin Perez (0-1, 4-3 season)

CC home runs: Ramon Laureano (6, led off game), Jason Martin (9, 16 season; solo in 4th)

The Hounds were unleashed on the Hooks in game 1 of the doubleheader.

Ramon Laureano led off the game with a homer and Jason Martin smacked a solo shot of his own in the 4th inning. Laureano had two of Corpus Christi's three hits in game 1; Martin's homer was the other one.

Franklin Perez went 4 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Nick Hernandez and Ryan Thompson pitched an inning apiece; Hernandez allowed 5 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 5th, while Thompson allowed a 2-run homer to Max Schrock in the 6th, one of 4 hits that he allowed in the inning. He also struck out 1.

Would the Hooks' fortunes turn out a little better in game 2?

Game 2: Midland 13, Corpus Christi 1

W- A.J. Puk (1-3)
L- Josh James (4-4)

CC home runs: None.

Nope.

Dex McCall went 3-3 and his RBI single in the 4th was the Hooks' only scoring play in game 2. He accounted for 75% of Corpus Christi's hits in this game, which were all singles; Jamie Ritchie had the other hit.

Josh James went 3.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Andrew Thome was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and went 1.2 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3. Andrew Walter allowed 6 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits (2-run homer) and walked 1 while only getting one out in the 6th. Riley Ferrell got the last two outs of the 6th, one via strikeout, but not before allowing a 3-run homer to B.J. Boyd that also allowed the two runners he inherited from Walter to score.

Akeem Bostick gets the start as Corpus begins a 4-game series with San Antonio. He'll take on Enyel De Los Santos at 7:05.

Buies Creek 7, Carolina 1

W- Cionel Perez (1-0, 5-3 season)
L- Marcos Diplan (6-6)

BC home runs: None.

Buies Creek busted this game open early with a 5-run 3rd inning. Meanwhile, Cionel Perez and Justin Ferrell shackled the Mudcats offense.

Cionel allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5 in 7 innings, and Ferrell finished it off by striking out all 6 Carolina hitters he faced.

Randy César scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch in the 2nd inning.

Yordan Alvarez singled with one out in the 3rd and scored the first run of the frame on a Jake Rogers double. Rogers came home on a Taylor Jones single. César singled and Spencer Johnson walked to load the bases for Alex De Goti, who ripped a 2-run double. Anibal Sierra added a sac fly. César capped off the scoring with a sac fly in the 4th.

Alvarez went 4-5 to bust out of his brief slump. César (RBI, 2 R) and De Goti (2B, 2 RBI) both finished 2-3.

Ryan Hartman takes the mound as the Carolina Stros begin a 3-game series with Winston-Salem. He'll go up against Bernardo Flores at 7:00 Eastern.

Great Lakes 6, Quad Cities 3

W- Dustin May (6-5)
L- Yohan Ramirez (2-3)
S- Angel German (6)

QC home runs: None.

Great Lakes took control with a 4-run 7th inning to break a 2-2 tie.

Quad Cities tied it with 2 in the 6th as Josh Rojas hit an RBI single and came home on a Troy Sieber double. Ronnie Dawson went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 9th.

Carlos Sanabria pitched 5 innings and allowed an unearned run on a single, walked 2, and struck out 5. The Loons tagged Yohan Ramirez for 5 runs on 7 hits in his 3 innings; he also issued a walk, hit a batter, and struck out 3. Devon Carr got two flyouts and a popout in a 1-2-3 9th.

Ronel Blanco faces Leo Crawford in the series finale, which begins at 1:15.

Tri-City 5, Vermont 4

W- Jesús Balaguer (1-1)
L- Marc Berube (2-1)

TC home runs: Jake Adams (6, solo in 6th)

The ValleyCats scored 4 of their 5 runs over the last 4 innings of this game to steal it from the Lake Monsters.

Juan Robles went 3.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Colin McKee was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, walked 4, and struck out 3. Jesús Balaguer walked 1 and fanned 3 over 2 scoreless to get the win.

Andy Piñeda reached on an error to lead off the 3rd and scored TC's first run on a J.J. Matijevic double. Jake Adams whacked a solo homer in the 6th. Tri-City tied the game in the 7th thanks to a Jonathan Arauz RBI double and an Adams groundout that allowed Kyle Davis to score. Arauz scored the go-ahead run on a Reid Russell groundout.

Adams, Arauz, and Carlos Canelon all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Tri-City and Vermont will continue their series at 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville and Pulaski was postponed

Due to rain. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader in Pulaski on August 17.

The Appy Astros return to action tonight when they start a 3-game series with the Princeton Rays at 7:00 Eastern.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

.@CionelP pic.twitter.com/sJnkhCRqWI

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) May 29, 2017

Cionel Perez's photo taken by Rich Guill.
Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 7-1 vs. Carolina
Cionel Perez: W (1-0, 5-3 season), 7 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 5 K
Justin Ferrell: 2 IP, 6 K; perfect outing

 Carlos Sanabria, RHP, Quad Cities
5 IP, H, unearned run, 2 BB, 5 K

J.D. Davis, 3B, Teoscar Hernandez, OF, and Preston Tucker, OF, Fresno
Davis: 3-5, 2 RBI, R
Hernandez: 2-4, 2-R HR (12), 2 R
Tucker: 2-3, 2-R HR (19), 2 R

Ramon Laureano, OF, and Dex McCall, 1B, Corpus Christi
Laureano: 2-4, solo HR (6), SB (21) in game 1 of doubleheader
McCall: 3-3, RBI in game 2 of doubleheader

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, July 13, 2017 and Friday, July 14, 2017

Thursday: Fresno 5, Tacoma 1

W- Trent Thornton (6-2, 7-4 season)
L- Sam Gaviglio (2-4)

Fresno home runs: Teoscar Hernandez 2 (10; solo in 5th, solo in 6th)

The Grizzlies only had 4 hits, but three of them resulted in runs.

Teoscar Hernandez led off the 5th with a solo shot. Colin Moran and A.J. Reed walked and scored on a Jon Kemmer triple. Kemmer ended up scoring on an error after Reid Brignac hit into a fielder's choice. Teoscar smacked another solo homer to lead off the 6th.

Trent Thornton allowed a run on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 5 innings. Aaron West struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings. Reymin Guduan worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th, and Brendan McCurry walked 2 and struck out the side in the 9th.

Friday: Fresno 4, Tacoma 0

W- Kevin Comer (4-3)
L- Casey Lawrence (2-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

There was only one half-inning with runs and it belonged to Fresno.

Reid Brignac walked to lead off the top of the 8th, advanced to 2nd on an Alejandro Garcia sac bunt, went to 3rd on a Tony Kemp single, and scored the first run of the evening on a Preston Tucker single. D.J. Fisher walked to load the bases. Teoscar Hernandez flew out for the 2nd out, but Colin Moran kept the line moving by drawing a walk to bring Kemp home. A.J. Reed followed with a 2-run double. Kemp finished 3-5 with a stolen base (15) and extended his hitting streak to 19 games.

Four Grizzlies pitchers combined on a shutout. David Martinez started it off by allowing 4 hits, walking 3, and striking out 3 over 6 innings. Kevin Comer, Jordan Jankowski, and Dayan Diaz finished it off by throwing scoreless innings. Comer and Jankowski struck out the side in order in the 7th and the 8th, and Diaz worked around a hit in the 9th, striking out 2.

Dean Deetz faces Tyler Cloyd in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Thursday: Corpus Christi 6, Midland 3

W- Ryan Thompson (1-2, 1-3 season)
L- Joel Seddon (3-3)
S- Andrew Walter (1, 2 season)

CC home runs: Jon Singleton (16, solo in 4th), J.D. Davis (20, 2-run in 7th)

The Hooks scored the last 6 runs of the game and took control with a 3-run 7th inning.

Jon Singleton started off the 4th by launching a homer to put Corpus on the board. J.D. Davis added an RBI single in the 5th. Tony Nuñez doubled to lead off the 7th and scored the tying run on a Ramon Laureano groundout. Two batters later, Davis put the Hooks in front with a 2-run blast. Bryan De La Cruz capped off the evening with a sac fly in the 8th. Davis is the first man in the system to 20 homers. He, Singleton, and Nuñez all finished with 2 hits on Thursday.

Brock Dykxhoorn allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 5 innings. Ryan Thompson and Andrew Walter threw 2 scoreless innings apiece and they both allowed 3 hits. Thompson struck out 3, while Walter got the save and struck out 1.

Friday: Midland 7, Corpus Christi 1

W- Grant Holmes (6-9)
L- Yoanys Quiala (1-2, 6-3 season)

CC home runs: None.

Midland got the jump on Yoanys Quiala with 5 1st-inning runs, which turned out to be enough for them to get the win on Friday.

Quiala went 4.1 innings and allowed 7 runs (4 earned) on 11 hits (all singles), walked 3, and struck out 2. Nick Hernandez went 2.2 innings, allowing a hit and walking 1. Ralph Garza worked around a couple of singles to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 2.

Ramon Laureano doubled to lead off the game and scored the lone Hooks run on a Jon Singleton RBI single.

Corpus and Midland will wrap up their series at 7:00 as Framber Valdez takes on Heath Fillmyer.

Thursday: Buies Creek 6, Frederick 5

W- Sebastian Kessay (6-2)
L- Tanner Chleborad (0-3)

BC home runs: Jake Rogers (9, 15 season; 2-run in 3rd)

The Carolina Stros walked off with the win after withstanding a 5-5 night from Ryan Mountcastle and a 3-run top of the 8th from the Keys which gave them a 5-4 lead.

Both teams scored a run in the 2nd; Buies Creek's came on an Anibal Sierra sac fly. Jake Rogers whacked a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning. Stephen Wrenn scored on a Myles Straw groundout in the 6th.

Buies Creek scored both of their runs in the bottom of the 9th while down to their final out. Yordan Alvarez kept the game going with a double and scored the tying run on Anthony Hermelyn's two-bagger. Alex De Goti came on to run and Wrenn won it with a single. Wrenn went 2-4 and was the only player in the starting 9+1 to finish with more than one hit.

Matt Bower allowed a run on 5 hits and struck out 3 in 5 innings. Jorge Alcala and Sebastian Kessay followed with 2 innings apiece; Alcala allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2, while Kessay allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Friday: Frederick 6, Buies Creek 2

W- Cristian Alvarado (4-8)
L- Justin Ferrell (7-4)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros saw their 5-game winning streak go by the wayside on Friday.

Justin Ferrell was unable to get out of the 1st as the Keys got 3 runs off of him. He got 2 outs, both via strikeout, walked 1, and allowed 4 hits. Kevin Hill restored some order, allowing a run on 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4 in 5.1 innings. Erasmo Pinales pitched the last 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

Stephen Wrenn put Buies Creek on the board with an RBI groundout in the 2nd inning. Alex De Goti hit an RBI single in the 8th. Jake Rogers went 3-4 and scored on Wrenn's groundout back in the 2nd.

Forrest Whitley makes his third Carolina League start in the series finale. He'll go up against Reid Love at 6:00 Eastern.

Thursday: Quad Cities 5, South Bend 3

W- Ronel Blanco (4-2, 4-3 season)
L- Michael Knighton (2-2)
S- Salvador Montaño (3)

QC home runs: Josh Rojas (5, 3-run in 6th)

The Banditos scored in three straight innings, culminating in Josh Rojas' 3-run blast in the 6th inning.

Ronel Blanco went 6.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned, both on a homer) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Robert Corniel was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed a run on a wild pitch, a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 1.2 innings. Salvador Montaño worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Tyler Wolfe opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the 4th, Daz Cameron ripped an RBI double in the 5th, and Rojas whacked a 3-run homer in the 6th. Daz (2 2B, RBI, R) and Chuckie Robinson (2B) both finished 2-5.

Friday: South Bend 7, Quad Cities 4

W- Bryan Hudson (4-3)
L- Patrick Sandoval (0-1, 1-3 season)
S- Mark Malave (1)

QC home runs: Marcos Almonte (9, 3-run in 2nd)

The Cubs foiled the Banditos' bid to sweep the series by putting up crooked numbers in all of their scoring innings.

Marcos Almonte smacked a 3-run homer in the 2nd to open the scoring. Carmen Benedetti scored the other Quad Cities run on a double play in the 3rd. Ronnie Dawson finished 2-4 to extend his hitting streak to 8 games.

In his Midwest League debut, Patrick Sandoval went 2.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Dustin Hunt was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and went 1.1 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Abdiel Saldaña allowed 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 over 4 scoreless innings.

The River Bandits will start a 3-game series with West Michigan at 6:00 Eastern. TBA goes up against Spenser Watkins.

Thursday: State College 7, Tri-City 6

W- Daniel Castano (5-0)
L- Carlos Hiraldo (0-3)
S- Spencer Trayner (1)

TC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (4, 2-run in 9th)

The ValleyCats almost erased a 7-2 deficit. Almost.

Abraham Toro-Hernandez reached on an error in the 1st inning and scored on a Kyle Davis triple. Jake Meyers ripped an RBI double in the 2nd. Andy Piñeda tripled to start the 5th and trotted home on Toro's single. Piñeda tripled again in the 7th and came home on a J.J. Matijevic groundout. In the 9th, Matijevic walked and then advanced to 2nd on defensive indifference. Toro followed by smacking a 2-run homer. Toro (2-R HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) and Piñeda (2 3B, 2 R) both finished with 2 hits on the night.

Carlos Hiraldo allowed 7 runs on 5 hits (grand slam), walked 4, and struck out 2 in 2.2 innings. The bullpen picked him up with 6.1 scoreless to close the game. Diogenes Almengo had a perfect outing, striking out 3 in 2.1 innings. Juan Robles went 3 innings and allowed 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2, and Reggie Johnson threw a 1-2-3 9th.

Friday: Batavia 8, Tri-City 4

W- Shane Sawczak (1-0)
L- Tyler Ivey (0-1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats scored 2 in the 7th to tie the game at 4... only to see the Muckdogs regain control of this game with 4 after stretch time.

Andy Piñeda tripled to start the 3rd and scored Tri-City's first run on a Corey Julks single. J.J. Matijevic added a sac fly in the 4th. Mike Papierski singled to lead off the 7th and scored on Miguelangel Sierra's double. Matijevic, who joined Papierski on the bases after a single, ended up scoring on a wild pitch.

Cristian Javier went 2.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Luis Ramirez was the first man out of the ValleyCats bullpen and went 1.1 innings, walking 1 and striking out 1. Tyler Ivey bore the brunt of Batavia's assault; he pitched 2.2 innings and allowed all 4 Muckdogs runs in the 7th, 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5. Jesús Balaguer allowed a hit and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings.

Both teams will get back to it at 7:05 Eastern.

Thursday: Bluefield 10, Greeneville 9

W- Marcus Reyes (1-0)
L- Felipe Tejada (0-1)
S- Ty Tice (4)

Greeneville home runs: Frankeny Fernandez (1, 3-run in 1st)

The Appy Astros got off to a fast start. Unfortunately, the finish was forgettable.

Cody Bohanek singled to lead off the game and scored the first run of the evening on a balk. Adrian Tovalin followed with an RBI single. Tovalin wound up scoring on a Patrick Mathis single and one batter later, Frankeny Fernandez whacked a 3-run homer to put Greeneville up 6-0. In the 5th, Brody Westmoreland hit an RBI single and Mathis added a sac fly to his ledger. Mathis legged out an RBI infield single in the 9th to cut the deficit to one run, but Fernandez struck out to end the game.

Gilberto Celestino finished 3-5 and scored twice. Bohanek, Tovalin, Roman Garcia, and Mathis all had 2 hits on the evening.

Francisco Villegas and Felipe Tejada started off with 3 innings apiece and they both allowed 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Villegas allowed 5 runs and two homers (solo and 2-run) while Tejada allowed 4 runs (3 earned). Austin Kerns allowed a run on 2 hits and walked 1 in 2 innings.

Friday: Greeneville 11, Bluefield 0

W- Tim Hardy (1-1)
L- Joel Espinal (1-2)

Greeneville home runs: Cody Bohanek (3, solo in 6th), Patrick Mathis (1, grand slam in 6th)

Both teams combined to put up ten zeroes on the scoreboard until the Appy Astros blew this game wide open with a pair of homers in the 6th.

Cody Bohanek opened the scoring with a solo homer in the 6th. Gilberto Celestino singled, Roman Garcia walked, and Colton Shaver singled to load the bases for Patrick Mathis, who promptly sent everyone and himself home with a grand slam, his first home run as a pro.

Celestino legged out an infield single to lead off the 8th and Garcia joined him on the bases after getting plunked. They both advanced on a wild pitch, and Shaver walked to load the bases once more. Mathis and Brody Westmoreland followed with RBI singles, and then Oscar Campos ripped a 2-run double. Westmoreland scored on a Wilson Amador groundout, and Celestino capped off the scoring with an RBI single in his second plate appearance of the inning. He (RBI, 2 R, SB) and Mathis (grand slam, 5 RBI, 2 R) both finished 3-5. Bohanek (2B, solo HR), Westmoreland (RBI, R), and Campos (2B, 2 RBI, R) all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Meanwhile on the mound, three pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Leovanny Rodriguez allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 in 4 innings. Tim Hardy followed with 3.2 innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3. Ian Hardman allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings.

The Appy Astros will start a big 3-game set with Elizabethton tonight at 6:00 Eastern. Both teams enter the series separated by a half-game in the standings.

Friday: GCL Astros 11, GCL Mets 2

W- Saul Martinez (1-0)
L- Yeizo Campos (1-2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros broke a 2-2 tie in a massive way with 4 in the 6th and 5 more in the 7th for good measure.

Prior to the outburst, they scored twice in the 4th on a Carlos Machado sac fly and a Juan Piñeda RBI triple.

Jonathan Matute walked to lead off the 6th and scored the go-ahead run on a Bernardo Heras single. Piñeda followed by adding a sac fly to his ledger, and then Enmanuel Valdez ripped an RBI double and César Cortez added an RBI single. Heras hit another RBI single in the 7th and an error on the play allowed Jose Benjamin to score another run. A balk allowed Machado to score. Heras scored when Piñeda hit into a fielder's choice. Cortez finished off the day with an RBI double. He, Machado, and Heras all had 2 hits on the day.

Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 4 innings. Saul Martinez allowed a run on 2 hits in the 5th. Corbin Martin and Brandon Bielak threw 2 scoreless innings in their pro debuts. Martin struck out 5 in a perfect outing, while Bielak allowed 2 hits and struck out 4.

Thursday: DSL Astros Blue 17, DSL Marlins 10

W- Angel Matos (1-0)
L- Yoilan Quinonez (0-2)

Blue home runs: Ronaldo Urdaneta (3, 2-run in 8th)

The Blue team jumped out to a 12-0 lead. The Marlins managed to put a few dents into that lead, but it proved to be a comfortable enough cushion.

Fredis Guerrero went 4 innings and allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Nathanael Ventura came on for the 5th but failed to record an out; he allowed 3 runs (all inherited runners charged to him), hit 2 batters, and walked 1. Asael Uribe took ownership of the 5th inning and ended up allowing 4 runs on 2 hits and also walked 3. Angel Matos pitched the last 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 5. 

Friday: DSL Astros Blue 2, DSL Marlins 1

W- Jose Antonio Hernandez (1-1)

L- Winston Mora (0-2)
S- Yulian Frontado (1)

Blue home runs: None.

Angel Tejeda's 2-run double in the 8th inning allowed the Blue team to edge the Marlins. Ronaldo Urdaneta finished 2-2 with a stolen base (14).

Angel Macuare allowed a hit and struck out 2 in a scoreless 1st inning. Antonio Pujols followed with 5 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and striking out 5. Jose Antonio Hernandez was next; he allowed the lone Marlins run on 2 hits and struck out 3 in 2 innings. Yulian Frontado worked around a hit and a walk to get the save.

Thursday: DSL Cubs1 7, DSL Astros Orange 3

W- Hector Matos (2-0)

L- Elian Rodriguez (0-2)
S- Miguel Estevez (2)

Orange home runs: None.

The Cubs 1 got out to a 5-0 lead after 2.5 innings.

Gerry Castillo drew a bases-loaded walk in the 3rd and Euclides Chavez had a 2-run single in the 7th. Ramiro Rodriguez scored 2 of Team Orange's 3 runs in this game.

Elian Rodriguez allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Ronny Garcia retired all 4 Cubs he faced, striking out 2 of them. Cristofer Melendez allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4 innings, and Luis De Paula struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Friday: DSL Cubs1 14, DSL Astros Orange 5

W- Yan De La Cruz (2-2)

L- Carlos Perdomo (2-1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team faced another big deficit early on.

Euclides Chavez hit an RBI single in the 6th. Jeury Castillo didn't have a hit, but he still managed to drive in 2 with a sac fly in the 8th and a bases-loaded walk in the 9th. Kelvin Perez went 2-2 with an RBI single in the 9th. Ramiro Rodriguez and Sean Mendoza also finished with 2 hits. Luis Barajas drew a bases-loaded walk in the 9th.

Carlos Perdomo struggled and I'll just keep it at that. Diosward Gonzalez went 3.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Gustavo Almonte, Hecduar Barcenas, and Fredy Medina all pitched an inning with varying results. Almonte allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and walked 2 in the 6th, Barcenas allowed a hit in a scoreless 7th, and Medina allowed 4 runs on 4 hits (3-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 8th.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

DSL Astros Blue: W 17-10 @ DSL Marlins

Ronaldo Urdaneta: 4-5, 2B, 2-R HR (3), 5 RBI, 2 R

Leonardo Gonzalez: 3-3, 2B, RBI, 3 R, 2 BB

Angel Tejeda: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B/C, Tri-City

2-5, 2-R HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 R

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen

6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Diogenes Almengo: 2.1 IP, 3 K; perfect outing

Juan Robles: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K

Reggie Johnson: IP

J.D. Davis, 3B, Corpus Christi

2-5, 2-R HR (20), 3 RBI

Stephen Wrenn, OF, Buies Creek

2-4, walk-off RBI single, 2 R, SB (5, 13 season)

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Fresno

2-4, 2 solo HR (10)

Friday's Stars

Once again, all photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Antonio Pujols, LHP, DSL Astros Blue: 5 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Photo by Don Carson

Corbin Martin, RHP, GCL Astros

2 IP, 5 K; perfect outing in pro debut

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Greeneville Astros: W 11-0 @ Bluefield

Patrick Mathis: 3-5, grand slam (1), 5 RBI, 2 R; first pro HR

Gilberto Celestino: 3-5, RBI, 2 R, SB (3)

Cody Bohanek: 2-4, 2B, solo HR (3)

Oscar Campos: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Leovanny Rodriguez: 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 8 K

Tim Hardy: W (1-1), 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Ian Hardman: 1.1 IP, 2 H, K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 4-0 @ Tacoma

David Martinez: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Kevin Comer: W (4-3), IP, 3 K

Jordan Jankowski: IP, 3 K

Dayan Diaz: IP, H, 2 K

Kevin Hill, RHP, Buies Creek

5.1 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, June 23, 2017

This Yordan Alvarez cat looks promising.

Fresno 7, Sacramento 6

W- Tyson Perez (2-0)
L- Derek Law (0-1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies walked it off Friday night.

Mike Hauschild went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5. Brian Holmes was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 1. Kevin Comer threw 1.2 innings and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1. Tyson Perez got a strikeout in a 1-2-3 9th.

Fresno responded to Sacramento's 3-run 1st inning with 3 of their own in the 3rd. Preston Tucker put them on the board with a 2-run single and Colin Moran hit a sac fly. Both teams scored a run in the 5th; the Grizz got theirs on a D.J. Fisher sac fly. Fisher scored on an A.J. Reed groundout in the 8th.

Max Stassi walked to lead off the bottom of the 9th and Alejandro Garcia came on to run for him. Tony Kemp joined Garcia on the bases by drawing a walk. They both advanced on a Tyler White sac bunt, and then Big Tuck got a free pass to 1st. Fisher went down on strikes, but Colin Moran came through with a walk to tie the game. One batter later, Teoscar Hernandez hit an RBI single to win it.

The top third of the Grizzlies order, which was Kemp (3 R, SB), White (R, BB), and Tucker (2 RBI), all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Fresno and Sacramento will conclude their series with a doubleheader starting at 5:05 Pacific. Casey Coleman starts game 1 while Dean Deetz gets the nightcap.

Frisco 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- Shane McCain (1-1)
L- Rogelio Armenteros (2-3)
S- Reed Garrett (6)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks scored a pair in the 5th to take a 2-1 lead, but the Roughriders responded with 2 of their own in the top of the 6th. Corpus had a chance to steal it late, but they left the bases loaded to end the game.

Corpus Christi's 2 runs in the 5th came when Kyle Tucker hit into a fielder's choice that scored Jack Mayfield and an RBI single from J.D. Davis. They also missed an opportunity to do more damage in the 5th as they left the bases loaded. Davis and Drew Ferguson had 2 hits apiece.

Rogelio Armenteros went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 10 hits (9 singles and a double) and struck out 5. Sean Stutzman allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 1.1 scoreless innings. Ditto for Ryan Thompson, although he threw 2.2 scoreless innings.

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

Buies Creek 3, Winston-Salem 0

W- Brett Adcock (2-3, 3-3 season)
L- Dane Dunning (3-3)
S- Nick Hernandez (8)

BC home runs: Yordan Alvarez (1, 10 season; solo in 4th)

Dane Dunning threw a complete game shutout against Buies Creek in last week's doubleheader. The Carolina Stros got even with him on Friday.

Brett Adcock, Justin Ferrell, and Nick Hernandez combined to throw a 3-hit shutout; each of them allowed one hit. Adcock went 5, walking 2, and striking out 5. Ferrell was the first man out of the bullpen and walked 1 while striking out 5 in 3 innings, and Hernandez worked around his hit to complete the shutout, striking out the side in the 9th.

Yordan Alvarez opened the scoring in the 4th with his first Carolina League home run, a solo shot. Jake Rogers went 2-3 with an RBI single in the 5th. Spencer Johnson also had a 2-hit game; he doubled in the 8th and scored the last run of the night on an error that also allowed Randy César to reach. Ryne Birk finished 2-4 with a double and scored on Rogers' single.

Franklin Perez starts game 3 of this series. He'll go up against Jimmy Lambert at 6:30 Eastern.

Quad Cities 7, Cedar Rapids 6

W- Yohan Ramirez (1-1)
L- Sean Poppen (5-2)

QC home runs: Daz Cameron (7, 2-run in 4th), Wander Franco (4, 2-run in 6th)

The Banditos nearly saw a 7-1 lead vanish, but they managed to hang on by the skin of their teeth.

Yohan Ramirez posted a nice start as he allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5 in 5 innings of work. Carlos Sanabria went 1.2 innings and allowed an RBI double, walked 5, and struck out 2. Salvador Montaño allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 1.1 innings, and Erasmo Pinales had a rocky 9th inning, allowing 4 runs on 2 hits (3-run homer) and walking 2. Despite his ordeal, he still found a way to preserve the lead.

Bryan De La Cruz put Quad Cities on the board with his RBI single in the 2nd inning. Troy Sieber, who scored on that play, hit an RBI single in the 4th and came home on Daz Cameron's blast. Ronnie Dawson led off the 6th with a single and scored when Wander Franco launched a homer. De La Cruz hit his second RBI single of the evening in the 8th.

Chuckie Robinson (R, SB), Sieber (RBI, 2 R), and De La Cruz (2 RBI) all finished 2-4 on the night.

Carson LaRue takes on Domenick Carlini at 6:35.

Lowell 7, Tri-City 2

W- Denyi Reyes (1-0)
L- Ben Smith (0-1)

TC home runs: Jake Adams (1, solo in 2nd)

The ValleyCats were foiled in their bid to sweep their first home series of 2017.

Jake Adams smacked a solo homer in the 2nd inning to open the scoring. His first home run as a pro is also his 30th this calendar year. Adams led Division I with 29 homers for Iowa in the spring. Connor MacDonald hit an RBI single in the 3rd.

Cristian Javier pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 6. Ben Smith was the first man out of the TC bullpen and allowed 5 runs (4 earned, 3 inherited runners charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. Nathan Thompson didn't have any runs charged to him in his 3.2 innings, but he couldn't get Smith out of a bases-loaded quagmire unscathed. Thompson allowed 3 hits and struck out 7. Reggie Johnson struck out the side in order in the 9th inning.

César Rosado will start the first of a 3-game series against the Vermont Lake Monsters at 7:00 Eastern. He'll take on Oscar Tovar.

Bluefield 9, Greeneville 5

W- Randy Pondler (1-0)
L- Bryan Abreu (0-1)
S- Yonardo Herdenez (1)

Greeneville home runs: Juan Piñeda (1, 2-run in 9th)

Bluefield blew this game open with a pair of 4-run innings.

The Appy Astros scored twice in the 5th as Ruben Castro scored on a Juan Piñeda groundout and Carlos Machado scampered home on a passed ball. Machado ripped an RBI double in the 9th and one batter later, Piñeda launched a 2-run homer, the first of his career.

The bottom third of the order scored all 5 of Greeneville's runs; Castro and Machado scored twice, while Piñeda scored on his homer. Machado (2B, RBI, 2 R) and Brody Westmoreland both finished with 2 hits on the night.

Bryan Abreu went 4.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 6. Jheyson Caraballo allowed 4 hits, walked 2, struck out 5, and allowed both of the runners he inherited from Abreu to score in 3.1 innings. Ian Hardman got the last two outs of the 8th and 1 out in the 9th, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits and walking 2. Dariel Aquino got the last out of the 9th inning.

Gerardo Bojorquez takes the mound as the Appy Astros wrap up their first series of the year. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

DSL Dodgers1 6, DSL Astros Blue 3

W- Joan Valdez (1-0)
L- Gustavo Almonte (0-2)
S- Luis Pasen (3)

Blue home runs: None.

The Dodgers 1 seized control with 4 runs in the 8th.

Both teams scored one run in the 2nd and the 3rd innings. The Blue team got theirs on a couple of passed balls: Nerio Rodriguez scored in the 2nd and Samir Caraballo did the same in the 3rd. Caraballo scored on Angel Tejeda's RBI single in the 5th. Tejeda finished 3-3 with a double and stole 3 bases.

Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Yulian Frontado tagged in to throw 3 scoreless, allowing a hit and walking 2. Gustavo Almonte allowed 4 runs, a single, and walked 4 in the 8th. He hit a batter with the bases loaded, allowed a sac fly, uncorked a wild pitch, and induced a force out in which a runner scored. Natanael Ventura worked around a hit batter to throw a scoreless 9th.

DSL Indians 8, DSL Astros Orange 6

W- Wuilson Meza (1-0)
L- Wender Oberto (1-1)
S- Luigence Thomas (1)

Orange home runs: None.

Giving up 6 runs in the 1st proved to be too much for the Orange team to overcome.

Team Orange scored 3 in the 1st on RBI singles from Euclides Chavez and Jose Alvarez and a sac fly from Jeury Castillo. Freudis Nova scored on an error following a Chavez single in the 5th. Speaking of Chavez, he added a sac fly to his ledger in the 7th. He doubled in the 9th and scored on a single from Jose Carrillo. Chavez went 3-4, while Nova went 2-4 and scored twice.

Wender Oberto got the start but only got 1 out. He allowed 4 runs (3 inherited runners charged to him) on 2 hits and walked 2. Jervic Chavez allowed 2 runs, a hit, walked 3, and fanned 2 in 1.2 innings. Jairo Solis had the longest outing for the Orange team as he went 3.2 innings; the one run he allowed came on a homer hit by Jhon Torres. Solis allowed 2 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. The one run that Fredy Medina allowed in his 1.2 innings came on a homer hit by Henderson de Oleo in the 7th. Medina allowed one other hit and walked 4. Luis De Paula got the last two outs of the 8th.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Angel Tejeda, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 3-3, 2B, RBI, 3 SB (3)
Euclides Chavez, OF, DSL Astros Orange: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Jairo Solis, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: 3.2 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Brett Adcock's photo from MiLB.com

Buies Creek Astros pitchers

W 3-0 @ Winston-Salem

9 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 13 K

Brett Adcock: W (2-3, 3-3 season), 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

Justin Ferrell: 3 IP, H, BB, 5 K

Nick Hernandez: Save (8), IP, H, 3 K

Juan Piñeda's photo taken by Bryan Green

Carlos Machado, OF, and Juan Piñeda, 2B, Greeneville

Machado: 2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R

Piñeda: 1-4, 2-R HR (1), 3 RBI; 1st career HR

Photo from MiLB.com

Yohan Ramirez, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-1), 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Nathan Thompson, LHP, Tri-City

3.2 IP, 3 H, 7 K

Tony Kemp, 2B, Teoscar Hernandez, OF, and Preston Tucker, OF, Fresno

Kemp: 2-4, 3 R, SB (13)

Hernandez: Walk-off RBI single

Tucker: 2-4, 2 RBI; 9-game hitting streak

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, June 15, 2017

Albuquerque 12, Fresno 11 in 10 innings

W- Carlos Estevez (1-2)
L- Jordan Jankowski (1-2)

Fresno home runs: Reid Brignac 2 (6; solo in 3rd, solo in 6th) Teoscar Hernandez 2 (7; 3-run in 5th, solo in 9th), Jon Kemmer (7, 2-run in 6th), Tyler White (8, solo in 6th)

Six homers were not enough for Fresno on Thursday... because they couldn't hold a 10-4 lead. After the top of the 6th, the Isotopes closed this game on an 8-1 run, which culminated in them walking off with the win in the first extra frame.

Tyler White went 4-6 to extend his hitting streak to 9 games, all of which have been multi-hit efforts.

In his AAA debut, Kyle Smith went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits (solo homer), walked 2 (1 intentionally), and struck out 4. Kevin Comer was the first man out of the Grizzlies bullpen and got Smith out of the 5th without further damage. Unfortunately, he got himself into some trouble in the 6th (the first 3 men he faced all reached) and Ashur Tolliver couldn't extract him from that predicament. Comer allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and had 3 inherited runners charged to him. Tolliver got 2 outs in the 6th and allowed a hit, walked 2, and a run of his own. Tyson Perez got the final out of the 6th and pitched the 7th. The 2 runs he allowed came on a homer from Ryan McMahon. Perez allowed one other hit and walked 1. Aaron West worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 2. Jordan Jankowski pitched 1+ innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out the side in the 9th. He did not record an out in the 10th.

The Grizzlies wrap up their longest roadtrip of the year at 7:05 Mountain. Trent Thornton will face Matt Flemer.

Corpus Christi 11, Midland 3

W- Cy Sneed (5-4)
L- Grant Holmes (5-6)
S- Ryan Thompson (3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks put up crooked numbers in 5 of the first 6 innings and pounded out 17 hits in their assault. None of those 17 hits was a homer. 

Cy Sneed had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 8 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Ryan Thompson pitched the final 3 innings to get the save and allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2.

Corpus and Midland will play two on Friday to make up Wednesday's game, which was rained out. Akeem Bostick takes on Evan Manarino in game 1, which starts at 4:30. Kent Emanuel starts game 2.

Buies Creek 4, Winston-Salem 1

W- Framber Valdez (1-3, 1-4 season)

L- Brannon Easterling (4-4)

BC home runs: None.

Two lefties turned in fine performances on the mound for the Carolina Stros.

Matt Bower started it off by striking out 5 over 4 perfect frames. Framber Valdez has pitched well in 2017 but had yet to break into the win column... until he allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 5 innings. 

Rodrigo Ayarza opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. He advanced to 2nd on the relay throw home, moved to 3rd on a Stephen Wrenn infield single, and scored on Spencer Johnson's sac fly. Johnson scored on an error that allowed Alex De Goti to reach in the 5th. Ayarza hit another RBI single in the 8th to cap off the evening. Myles Straw finished 3-4 with 2 steals (17).

Hector Perez takes on Dane Dunning in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 5, Cedar Rapids 4

W- Erasmo Pinales (2-1)
L- Alex Robinson (1-5)

QC home runs: Taylor Jones (5, solo in 4th)

The Banditos kept themselves in the playoff picture after taking this series from the Kernels. 

Both teams scored twice in the 1st; Quad Cities' 2 runs came on a Yordan Alvarez RBI single and a Ronnie Dawson groundout. Taylor Jones launched a solo homer in the 4th and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 5th. After Cedar Rapids tied the game at 4 in the 8th, Alvarez put the Banditos back in front with a sac fly in the bottom of the 8th. 

Jones (solo HR, 2 RBI), Alvarez (2 RBI), and Chuckie Robinson (SB, R) all finished with 2 hits on the evening. 

Gabriel Valdez allowed 2 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings of work, striking out 6. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and pitched 1.1 innings; he allowed a hit, had an inherited runner charged to him in the 8th, walked 1, and struck out 1. Erasmo Pinales got the final 1.2 innings and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1. That one hit that Pinales allowed was an RBI single to Jaylin Davis that tied the game. Banditos manager Russ Steinhorn thought they got Davis at 2nd and vehemently argued his case. Unfortunately, his efforts proved to be fruitless and he ended up getting tossed.

Quad Cities will wrap up the first half with 3 games in Beloit. Game 1 starts at 7:00.

DSL Astros Blue 2, DSL Royals 1 in 6.5 innings

W- Antonio Pujols (2-0)
L- Brian Abreu (0-1)

Blue home runs: None.

This game was called early due to rain. Good thing the Blue team went ahead beforehand.

César Cortez hit a sac fly to put the Blue team on the board in the 3rd inning. Ronaldo Urdaneta walked in the go-ahead run in the top of the 7th.

Angel Macuare went 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Antonio Pujols allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless.

DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Pirates 1 in 5 innings

W- Carlos Perdomo (1-0)
L- Noe Toribio (1-1)

Orange home runs: Ramiro Rodriguez (2, 3-run in 5th)

This game was also called early because of rain. Good thing this game went 5 innings so it counts in the standings.

Deury Carrasco scored the first run of the day on a Ramiro Rodriguez groundout in the 1st. Leonardo Gonzalez scored on a double play in the 2nd. Jeury Castillo stole home in the 4th and Rodriguez smacked a 3-run homer in the 5th. Freudis Nova, the highly-touted Dominican infielder, went 1-3 and scored a run in his pro debut.

Diosward Gonzalez pitched 4.1 innings and allowed an unearned run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Carlos Perdomo got the last two outs of the 5th, one via strikeout. He also issued a walk and hit a batter. 

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Angel Macuare, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 7 K

Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, DSL Astros Orange: 1-3, 3-R HR (2), 4 RBI

Buies Creek Astros pitchers

W 4-1 vs. Winston-Salem

9 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 12 K

Matt Bower: 4 IP, 5 K; perfect outing

Framber Valdez: W (1-3, 1-4 season), 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 7 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Corpus Christi Hooks

W 11-3 @ Midland; 11 R, 17 H

Drew Ferguson: 3-6, 2B, RBI, 2 R

J.D. Davis: 3-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Jack Mayfield: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Trent Woodward: 3-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R

Photo by Bryan Green

Gabriel Valdez, RHP, Quad Cities

6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 6 K

Yordan Alvarez's photo from MiLB.com

Yordan Alvarez, 1B, and Taylor Jones, 1B, Quad Cities

Alvarez: 2-3, 2 RBI; go-ahead sac fly in 8th

Jones: 2-4, solo HR (5), 2 RBI

Tyler White, IF, and Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Fresno

White: 4-6, solo HR (8), 3 R

Hernandez: 3-5, 2 HR (7; solo and 3-run)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 29, 2017

Sweep!

Fresno 10, Albuquerque 3

W- Trent Thornton (2-2, 3-4 season)
L- Barry Enright (2-1)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (7, 2-run in 5th), D.J. Fisher (12, 3-run in 8th)

Trent Thornton shackled the 'Topes and the offense pounded out 15 hits in a Memorial Day romp.

Thornton allowed just 1 run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 6 innings of work. Reymin Guduan allowed a run on a double, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 7th, and Brendan McCurry pitched the final 2 innings, allowing a solo homer to Jordan Patterson in the 9th. McCurry also allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in his season debut. He had to sit out the first 50 games of the year after a positive test for methamphetamine in the off-season.

Teoscar Hernandez put Fresno on the board with an RBI single in the 3rd. Colin Moran and A.J. Reed followed with RBI singles of their own, and Preston Tucker added a sacrifice fly. Reed whacked a 2-run homer in the 5th. Jon Kemmer and Tony Kemp both walked to lead off the 8th. Kemmer then stole 2nd and scored on an error following a Tyler White single. One batter later, D.J. Fisher sent one off the batter's eye for a 3-run home run.

Fisher reached in all five of his plate appearances on the evening, going 3-3 with a couple of walks and a couple of runs scored. His 12 homers tops the system. Teoscar (RBI, R) and Moran (RBI, 2 R) also finished with 3 hits on the evening. Reed (2-R HR, 3 RBI) and Kemp (2 R) had 2 hits apiece.

Fresno and Albuquerque will wrap up their series at 6:35 Pacific as Mike Hauschild goes up against Matt Flemer.

Corpus Christi was off

Kent Emanuel gets the start for the Hooks as they kick off a 3-game series in Springfield tonight at 6:30.

Buies Creek 13, Frederick 4

W- Justin Ferrell (4-3)
L- Cristian Alvarado (2-6)

BC home runs: Ryne Birk (5, 3-run in 2nd), Kyle Tucker (9, solo in 6th)

The Carolina Stros earned the split with a 13-run, 17-hit assault in the finale. They outscored the Keys 13-2 the rest of the way after falling behind 2-0 after the opening inning.

Franklin Perez went 3.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (both in the 1st) on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Sebastian Kessay was the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen, and the two runs he allowed in his 1.1 innings came on a homer hit by Yermin Mercedes in the 5th. Kessay also allowed 2 other hits and struck out 2. Justin Ferrell allowed 4 hits and struck out 4 over 3.1 scoreless, and Nick Hernandez got a strikeout in a 1-2-3 9th.

Buies Creek scored 4 runs in the 2nd, all with 2 outs in the inning. Jason Martin ripped an RBI double and Ryne Birk followed by launching a 3-run homer. Pat Porter smacked an RBI double in the 3rd and came around to score on Arturo Michelena's single. Jake Rogers hit a sac fly in the 4th and Kyle Tucker cranked a solo shot in the 6th. In the 7th, Anthony Hermelyn drew a bases-loaded walk and Rogers ripped a 2-run double. Michelena capped it off in the 9th with a 2-run single.

Rogers (2B, 3 RBI) and Porter (2B, RBI) both finished the day with 3 hits and 2 runs scored. Martin (2B, RBI, 2 R), Birk (3-R HR, 2 R, SB), Little Tuck (solo HR, 2 R, 2 BB, SB), Michelena (3 RBI), and Anibal Sierra (2 R) all finished with 2 hits. Hermelyn drew 3 walks.

Buies Creek is back home and they have today off. They'll start a 4-game series with Carolina tomorrow.

Quad Cities 7, Beloit 3

W- Ronel Blanco (1-0, 1-1 season)
L- Matt Milburn (2-4)

QC home runs: Chuckie Robinson 2 (4; solo in 2nd, 2-run in 4th), Wander Franco (2, solo in 2nd), Carmen Benedetti (1, solo in 7th)

After Beloit battered them with three homers on Sunday, the Banditos returned the favor on Memorial Day.

Yordan Alvarez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and Carmen Benedetti scored another run when Rodrigo Ayarza grounded into a double play later in the frame. Chuckie Robinson turned in his first multi-homer game as a pro: he and Wander Franco hit back-to-back solo shots in the 2nd, and then he smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th. Benedetti hit a solo shot in the 7th for the final Quad Cities run; he and Robinson both had two hits on the evening.

Forrest Whitley went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Ronel Blanco and Kevin Hill picked him up out of the bullpen and combined to allow just one run the rest of the way. Blanco went 4 innings and allowed that one run on a solo homer hit by Kyle Nowlin in the 7th. He also allowed 3 other hits and struck out 6. Hill allowed a hit, walked 1, and fanned 3 over 2 scoreless to finish the game.

Quad Cities will start a 3-game series in Cedar Rapids tonight at 6:35. It's a pretty big series in store for the Banditos as they sit 3 games behind the division-leading Kernels.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Follow the Buies Creek Astros on Twitter @bcreekastros

Buies Creek Astros 

W 13-4 @ Frederick

13 R, 17 H, E

Ryne Birk: 2-6, 3-R HR (5), SB (5)

Kyle Tucker: 2-4, solo HR (9), 2 R

Jake Rogers: 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R

Pat Porter: 3-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Arturo Michelena: 2-5, 3 RBI

Justin Ferrell: W (4-3), 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, and Carmen Benedetti, 1B/OF, Quad Cities

Robinson: 2-3, 2 HR (4), 3 RBI; 1st career multi-HR game

Benedetti: 2-4, 2B, solo HR (1), 2 R

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen

6 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 9 K

Ronel Blanco (not pictured): W (1-0, 1-1 season), 4 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 6 K

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

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

W (2-2, 3-4 season), 6 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Derek Fisher, OF, A.J. Reed, 1B, Teoscar Hernandez, OF, and Colin Moran, 3B, Fresno

Fisher: 3-3, 3-R HR (12), 2 R, 2 BB

Reed: 2-5, 2-R HR (7), 3 RBI

Hernandez: 3-5, RBI, R

Moran: 3-5, RBI, 2 R