Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 22, 2018

Let's play two on Staten Island!

Fresno 10, Albuquerque 4

W- Trent Thornton (7-7)
L- Brett Oberholtzer (4-9)

Fresno home runs: Jack Mayfield (9, solo in 2nd), Tyler White (14, solo in 7th)

The Grizzlies took two of three from the Isotopes after they were foiled in their bid to sweep a series that occurred seven weeks ago.

Trent Thornton allowed a run on a solo homer, four other hits, and struck out ten in five innings. Buddy Boshers was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen for the 6th but he failed to record an out; he allowed three runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on three hits. Ken Giles took ownership of the 6th and allowed a hit while striking out one. Reymin Guduan worked around a couple of hits to throw a scoreless 7th, striking out one. Dean Deetz pitched the final two innings and allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two.

Jack Mayfield went 3-4 and opened the scoring with a solo homer in the 2nd inning. Garrett Stubbs added another run when Jake Marisnick grounded into a force out in the 3rd and then Fresno opened things up with four in the 4th, as they got RBI singles from Nick Tanielu and Myles Straw with a two-run double from Stubbs sandwiched in between. Tyler White smacked a solo homer in the 7th and finally, D.J. Fisher hit an RBI single in the 8th and White capped off the evening with a run-scoring groundout. Tanielu finished 3-5 and scored twice, while Stubbs finished 2-2.

Fresno has Monday off. They'll begin a series with the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday.

Midland 8, Corpus Christi 4

W- Joel Seddon (5-6)
L- Jorge Alcala (2-3, 3-7 season)
S- Kyle Finnegan (4)

CC home runs: Carmen Benedetti (4, 2-run in 7th)

The Hooks had to settle for the split as the Hounds teed off on Jorge Alcala and Ronel Blanco. Corpus manager Omar Lopez's day ended almost instantaneously as he got run for a dispute over whether Stephen Wrenn beat a double play in the 1st inning.

Akeem Bostick went five innings and allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked one, and struck out six. Alcala came on for the 6th but his time on the mound was short-lived; he got two outs in the inning, one via strikeout, but not before Midland got him for three runs on two hits. Alcala also issued three walks during his stint. Ronel Blanco got the last out of the 6th, but he too would have to bear the brunt of the Hounds' assault as he allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits. Blanco also walked three and struck out two. Erasmo Pinales was the only Corpus pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing; he worked around a couple of walks in the 8th to do so and struck out one.

Josh Rojas scored the first run of the day when he stole home in the 3rd as part of a double steal with Randy César. Carmen Benedetti launched a two-run homer in the 7th to cut the deficit to one run, but the Hooks couldn't get over the hump. Alex De Goti scored when Aníbal Sierra grounded into a force out in the 8th inning. De Goti finished 4-4 with a double and a stolen base (5). Rojas swiped two bases (17, 29 season). César and Benedetti both finished with two hits on the day.

Brandon Bielak will take the mound for the first of a three-game series in San Antonio. He'll take on Jacob Nix at 7:05.

Buies Creek 10, Down East 7

W- Abdiel Saldaña (8-1)
L- Jacob Lemoine (1-4)
S- Colin McKee (4)

BC home runs: Chuckie Robinson 2 (6; grand slam in 3rd, 3-run in 8th)

The Carolina Stros saw a 7-0 lead vanish... and still won.

Chuckie Robinson had a monster afternoon, but I'll get to him in a moment. Those seven runs all came in the 3rd inning.

Jonathan Arauz led things off with a double and he came around to score the first run of the day on a double from Jake Meyers. Meyers advanced to third on a wild pitch and after J.J. Matijevic drew a walk, Osvaldo Duarte brought Meyers in with a base hit. Matijevic scored on Ronnie Dawson's double and Jake Adams got a free pass to first to load the bases for Robinson, who sent everyone home with a grand slam. After the Wood Ducks fought back to tie the game, Robinson whacked a three-run home run in the 8th to put Buies Creek back in front. Robinson and Dawson both went 2-4 on the afternoon.

Patrick Sandoval went five innings and allowed two runs on two hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out four. Abdiel Saldaña had a bit of a tough day as he allowed five runs on nine hits (three-run homer), walked one, and struck out four in three innings. Colin McKee worked around a hit and a walk to close it out, striking out two.

The Carolina Stros will look for the sweep at noon Eastern.

West Michigan 6, Quad Cities 4

W- Billy Lescher (2-0)
L- Tanner Duncan (2-3)
S- Will Vest (4)

QC home runs: Seth Beer (3, 7 season; solo in 3rd)

The Whitecaps scored in more innings than the Banditos did. Quad Cities failed to score in a bases loaded, no out situation in the bottom of the 1st.

Seth Beer put the Banditos on the board with a homer to start the 3rd inning. David Hensley followed by reaching on an error and eventually scored on a single from Colton Shaver. Alfredo Angarita and Ruben Castro both singled with one out in the 6th and they both ended up scoring; Miguelangel Sierra ripped a double to bring Angarita in and Castro scored on a sac fly from Logan Mattix. Shaver, Castro, and Sierra all finished with two hits on the evening.

Chad Donato allowed four runs on a pair of two-run home runs, two other hits, walked two, and struck out six in four innings. Tanner Duncan did not allow a hit in his 2.2 innings, but he had two runs charged to him after Willy Collado allowed a double. He walked four and struck out four. Collado allowed one other hit and struck out three in 2.1 innings.

Peter Solomon will go up against Wilkel Hernandez in the series finale. First pitch is at 1:15.

Game 1: Tri-City 10, Staten Island 1

W- Carlos Hiraldo (2-0, 3-0 season)
L- Shawn Semple (1-3)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats scored in six of the seven innings as they disposed of the Pizza Rats in the first game of the twinbill: they scored one run in each of the first five frames and then put this game away with a five-run 6th.

Jeremy Peña returned to the lineup after a week off and led off the game with a single. He advanced to third on an Alex McKenna double and scored the first run of game one on an Austin Dennis sac fly that turned into an inning-ending double play. César Salazar ripped an RBI double in the 2nd. Peña singled to lead off the 3rd and scored on a base hit from Dennis. Michael Wielansky hit a sac fly in the 4th and Dennis stole third and scored on the errant throw down in the 5th. Things got a bit out of hand in the 6th.

Wielansky walked to lead things off and advanced to third when Peña hit into a botched force out attempt. McKenna was robbed of extra bases but Wielansky managed to score, so no harm done. Peña advanced to third on a wild pitch and then Enmanuel Valdez and Dennis walked to load the bases. Peña was thrown out at home on... a play, but Alex Holderbach walked to reload the bases for Carlos Machado, who came through with a two-run single. Ramiro Rodriguez walked to load the bases yet again for Salazar, who capped off the onslaught with a two-run single.

Salazar finished 3-4 in game one. Peña and Machado both had two hits and they both scored twice.

Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed a run on four hits and struck out one in four innings. Carlos Hiraldo allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two over two scoreless, and Riley Cabral worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 7th.

Game two of the doubleheader was suspended in the top of the 2nd inning. The suspended game will be completed on Saturday in Troy, during the next ValleyCats/Yankees encounter.

Tri-City has Monday off. They'll start a three-game series with the Auburn Doubledays on Tuesday.

GCL Nationals 4, GCL Astros 3

W- Fray Perez (1-1)
L- Jose Bravo (0-3)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros walked off with a loss on Sunday.

Fredy Medina allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out five over five shutout frames. Jose Bravo pitched 3.2 innings and allowed the Nationals' four runs on seven hits and struck out one.

Carlos Diaz went 2-5 and opened the scoring with an RBI bunt single in the 5th. Sean Mendoza drew a bases-loaded walk in the 7th and Freudis Nova hit a sac fly in the 8th. Freudis also finished with two stolen bases (5) on the afternoon.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fredy Medina, RHP, GCL Astros: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, Buies Creek

2-4, 2 HR (6), 7 RBI

César Salazar's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

César Salazar, C, and Carlos Machado, OF, Tri-City

Salazar: 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Machado: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R

Both players' stats are from game one of a doubleheader.

Carmen Benedetti, OF, and Alex De Goti, IF, Corpus Christi

Benedetti: 2-4, 2-R HR (4)
De Goti: 4-4, 2B, R, SB (5)

Akeem Bostick, RHP, Corpus Christi

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

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

W (7-7), 5 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 10 K

Nick Tanielu (pictured twice), IF, Garrett Stubbs, C, and Jack Mayfield, IF, Fresno

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

Mayfield: 3-4, 2B, solo HR (9), 2 RBI, 2 R

Stubbs: 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Getting to Know Astros/Grizzlies RHP Trent Thornton

I first crossed paths with Fresno Grizzlies RHP Trent Thornton when he was playing in High A Lancaster in June 2016. I didn't have the opportunity to talk with him during that trip, but I figured that I would run into him again sooner rather than later. Little did I know that it would take two more years before I would finally have the chance to get to know him a little bit better.

Trent Thornton - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Thornton has flown somewhat under the radar since he was drafted in the 5th round in 2015 out of the University of North Carolina, but has flirted with Astros top 30 prospect lists from time to time. His 2017 season with his first taste of AAA was a mixed bag, but he is working to put those struggles behind him in 2018. Thus far this season, Thornton has a 3.01 ERA and a 1.005 WHIP in 13 games (12 starts), improving to a 2.33 ERA and 0.926 WHIP in his four starts in June.

I was in attendance for his June 16th start in which he took a no-hitter seven and two-thirds innings against Round Rock, ultimately allowing one hit over eight innings. I asked him when he realized that he had a no-hitter going. Thornton said, "It's in the back of your mind the whole time, but it's not something you openly talk about. When I come in and sit in the dugout, people don't normally really talk to me because I'm kind of in my own zone. After I got through the seventh, I was like kind of thinking a little bit more about it, getting pretty close."

Thornton continued, "Two outs in the 8th and their catcher had just popped out and he ran behind the mound and said, 'Man, you're locked in. You're dominant tonight. Good luck.' And the next batter, I get 0-2 and leave a breaking ball up, ground ball through the hole and that was that. I'm not going to say he jinxed me, but luck kind of ran out there. It was fun because I started getting a little goose bumps on the mound, a little adrenaline, because it was four outs away and that's the closest I've been since (my freshman year in college). That was a lot of fun. Wish I could have finished the job, but I'm just happy our team won."

As Thornton walked off the mound that night, I noticed him venting some of the frustration into his glove. "Yeah, I wasn't too happy just because the guy was 0-2 and it's so easy to make a better pitch than what I did. I left a breaking ball right down the middle and I paid for it." As a consolation prize, Thornton did earn the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors for that week however.

Thornton credits the great defense behind him with helping him get deep into the no-hit bid. "I had some tremendous defense behind me and a little bit of luck. You've got to have a little bit of both," said Thornton. In particular, Thornton thanked newly promoted teammate Myles Straw for a couple of great centerfield catches that helped him out. "That's the first time I'd ever played with him on a team. That guy, he can do it all. He can hit. He can throw. He plays hard every single time and as a pitcher, you can't ask a guy to do anymore than that."

Grizzlies Pitching Coach Dyar Miller credits Thornton's improvement in 2018 more to his ability to make mental adjustments, putting both the good and bad behind him and moving on to the next pitch and the next game, than any physical adjustment. Thornton agreed that he has made strides in his mental game, "For me, last year it was more of a focus and execution thing where I never really had a problem throwing strikes or commanding my pitches. It was just whether it was a quality strike or a quality ball. And for this year, Fed (Grizzlies Catcher Tim Federowicz) has really helped me out a lot with the focus of executing each pitch no matter the count, no matter the hitter. I've been able to be a little more consistent with that which has helped my success a little bit this year."

Grizzlies skipper Rodney Linares credits Thornton's improvement to something else, "He's pitching better after I gave him that haircut!" Linares thought Thornton looked just a little too straight-laced earlier this season (see the tweet below) and decided, "We had to do something!"

Ladies and Gentleman he’s name is @Trent_Thornton1 and believe it or not he’s a really good Pitcher 🦄 pic.twitter.com/KG2gq2Odb5

— Rodney Linares (@RondeyLinares) May 3, 2018

All kidding aside, the first thing you notice about Thornton when he is on the mound is not his haircut. It's his leg kick.

Trent Thornton - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Of the leg kick, Thornton told me, "I've always done that my whole entire life. It's really helped with my rhythm and timing of everything and adds a little deceptiveness. For probably about a half a season last year, I kind of took it away and had a very generic leg lift and I saw that it messed up my timing and rhythm and my stuff wasn't quite as sharp. Towards the end, probably the last third, of the season, I started messing around with it in the bullpen again and Dyar was like, 'Man, your stuff looks really good. Stick with that.' And I basically went back to my old ways and it's been working again for me."

Miller agreed that Thornton has improved since re-committing to the high leg kick, "I think it's just a matter of rhythm and timing. Everybody is unique. He's unique." Of his overall delivery, Miller said, "I'm sure some coaches and scouts look at him and say that's the worst arm action of anybody I've ever seen. And it is a typical bad arm action. But he's like double-jointed. He's completely different. You can't put him in a normal category. He's very flexible. So that's why his arm goes way back and as far as I know, he's never had any injuries, never missed a start. He's been pretty solid. He's a little different bird with his physical make-up and mentality. I think he's going to get a chance to pitch in the big leagues."

I looked back at Thornton's career starts and it appears that he may have missed one start two years ago, but he has indeed managed to stay healthy despite a delivery that many early scouting reports found awkward and high effort. "I've always prided myself on flexibility. I stretch all the time and take pride in being able to move my body in ways that most people can't. It's just kind of my own individual thing that helps me be me," said Thornton.

The most surprising thing I learned about Thornton is that, unlike so many other baseball players I know, he is most decidedly NOT addicted to video games. "Actually, I don't play video games at all. I've always been an outside guy, growing up, playing everything with my buddies and my dad -- baseball, basketball, football, golf. I love fishing, frisbee golf. I definitely think I'm more of an outside type person. I don't really like playing video games that much." Aside from that, Thornton is very close with his family, including two younger sisters, back in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thornton was able to show off for his parents whose visit to see him corresponded with his no-hit bid, making their visit even more special for all of them.

As far as what has changed most for him in the four years since he was drafted, he said, "Baseball-wise, just the knowledge of the game, being able to play with some older guys that have so much to provide you and knowledge to give you. (That's) really helped me in the sense of becoming better each day even if it's something little like this year in my first big league spring training. I didn't even have to talk to some of the veteran guys. I could just overhear what they were saying which was so beneficial for me."

Thornton left me with some final words, "It's been a fun ride so far and hopefully it's just beginning." Considering the depth of the Astros system, Thornton's ride may still have a few twists and turns ahead, but everything that makes him unique points to that ride being far from over.

Thank you for your time, Trent, and best of luck as your career continues to unfold.

An Embarrassment of Riches

From Saturday through Tuesday, the Fresno Grizzlies made themselves at home in Round Rock, Texas, sweeping the Express and putting on a show of dominant starting pitching. And when I made the following statement during my trip to see the Grizzlies (in what we all hope will be their new digs next season), I was only being slightly hyperbolic.

Bold statement: You could take this @FresnoGrizzlies team as is, make it the 31st major league team and they would be in the playoff hunt.

— Jayne Hansen (@JayneWTHB) June 19, 2018

Let's leave to the side for a moment that 3B J.D. Davis (.362/.425/.568 in 46 games), OF Derek Fisher (.286/.408/.540 in 17 games) and a newly rejuvenated 1B A.J. Reed (.267/.378/.551 in 68 games) who is walking more and striking out less all have at least some MLB experience and should only improve at the higher level with their next opportunities. Also leave to the side that OF Kyle Tucker, the Astros #2 prospect (.306/.375/.506 in 66 games) is in the groove with a 10-game hitting streak and OF Myles Straw, another top prospect, is hitting .435/.480/.565 with 6 stolen bases in his first five games after being promoted to the level (and leads all affiliated teams with 40 steals). Let's just put all of that to the side for a moment and just talk starting pitching.

Brock Dykxhoorn - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

So far in June, the Grizzlies starting pitchers are a combined 11-2 in 18 starts with a 1.61 ERA and a 0.949 WHIP. RHP Trent Thornton (1.71 ERA/0.762 WHIP in June) tossed 7.2 no-hit innings on Saturday (ending with one hit over eight innings) and was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for last week. RHP Cy Sneed (1.33 ERA/0.836 WHIP in June) threw the first 9-inning complete game and shut-out of his career on Thursday (with six no-hit innings to start it). RHP Josh James (0.95 ERA/0.789 WHIP in June) and RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (1.74 ERA/0.532 WHIP in June) have both dominated since their May promotions to Fresno. RHP Rogelio Armenteros (1.93 ERA/1.571 WHIP in June, including three innings of a suspended game on the 3rd) and RHP Mike Hauschild (2.16 ERA/1.500 WHIP in June) round out the group with five wins in the five completed games they've pitched in thus far this month. My "bold statement" was based in large part on this great work from the rotation.

But this brings me to the next topic of discussion. The Grizzlies rotation is stacked with MLB-ready and near-ready starters. In AA, you have five top-30 prospect starters chomping at the bit to get to AAA (RHP Forrest Whitley, LHP Cionel Perez, RHP Jorge Alcala, RHP Corbin Martin and LHP Framber Valdez). RHP Brady Rodgers is on a rehab assignment and will soon be ready to rejoin the Grizzlies. And that doesn't even touch on RHP Francis Martes and RHP David Paulino who are currently on the DL. Phew!! That's a lot of moving parts. Obviously, there are way too few roster spots moving forward to stash all of these starting pitchers. Don't be surprised to see several of them leave the Astros fold by the end of July via trade. Others will be given the opportunity to work out of the bullpen (as has been the case with LHP Kent Emanuel who started the Grizzlies season in the rotation but was moved to the bullpen in early May). And one or more may very well be lost to the Rule 5 draft in December.

This is what they call "an embarrassment of riches." Honestly, I'm glad that I'm not the one who has to sort this all out. I wish each and every one of these players the best of luck as they battle to break through the logjam and achieve their dreams.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, June 16, 2018

Fresno 6, Round Rock 1

W- Trent Thornton (5-4)
L- Adrian Sampson (3-3)

Fresno home runs: Jack Mayfield (8, solo in 6th)

Trent Thornton was magnificent as the Grizzlies shackled the Astros' old AAA team.

Thornton had a no-hitter going for 7.2 innings. He ultimately went eight innings and allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out three. The Express spoiled the shutout by scoring a run against Buddy Boshers in the 9th. Boshers allowed three hits in the inning, but he pulled himself together to secure the win.

Garrett Stubbs singled to lead off the 3rd, advanced to third base on a double from Myles Straw, and scored the first run of the evening on a sac fly from Kyle Tucker. In the 5th, J.D. Davis drew a bases-loaded walk and A.J. Reed added a sac fly. Jack Mayfield launched a solo homer with one out in the 6th. Two batters later, Tony Nuñez drew a walk and dashed home on Straw's triple. Little Tuck followed by ripping an RBI double.

Straw finished 3-5 and a homer shy of the cycle in his AAA debut. Stubbs went 2-4 and scored twice.

Rogelio Armenteros will take on Dustin Hurlbut (snicker) in game two of this series. First pitch is at 1:05.

Corpus Christi and Midland was canceled

Due to rain. The Hooks had been leading 9-8 in the top of the 5th. This game will not be made up as it was the final game between both teams in the first half.

I'm sure Jorge Alcala and Erasmo Pinales are happy that their lines for this game won't count towards their season stats... I'm not so sure that Josh Rojas and Yordan Alvarez are feeling the same way. Rojas was 3-3 and led off the game with a homer, while Alvarez launched two home runs in what was supposed to be his first game since coming off the disabled list.

Corpus will duke it out with San Antonio for the Texas League South Division first-half crown. Cionel Perez will take on Jerry Keel in game one. First pitch is at 4:05.

Buies Creek 4, Potomac 2

W- Gabriel Valdez (3-3)
L- Matt Crownover (3-5)
S- Ronel Blanco (4)

BC home runs: Jonathan Arauz (1, 5 season; solo in 5th)

Scoring four runs in a game doesn't seem like a lot these days, but for a team that's been shut out in two straight, it's a welcome sign for the Carolina Stros.

Gabriel Valdez turned in a career night as he allowed just one hit, walked two, and struck out six over seven shutout frames. The Nationals got their two runs off of Adam Bleday in the 8th as they tried to stage a late uprising. Bleday, who got two outs in the inning, allowed a hit and walked three. Ronel Blanco put the fire out and got the save. He walked one and struck out two over the final 1.1 innings.

Osvaldo Duarte led off the 4th with a triple and scored when Ronnie Dawson reached on a fielder's choice. Abraham Toro, who walked and reached second safely, moved to third when Jake Adams grounded into a double play and scored on a single from Corey Julks. Jonathan Arauz smacked a solo homer in the 5th inning. Toro hit an RBI single in the 8th. Duarte finished 2-4, as did Julks, who was making his Carolina League debut.

Brandon Bailey faces Sterling Sharp in the series finale. First pitch is at 1:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 2, Burlington 1

W- Tanner Duncan (1-1)
L- Oliver Ortega (2-3)
S- Carlos Sanabria (7)

QC home runs: None.

With this victory, the Quad Cities River Bandits have won the first half of the Midwest League's Western division and the playoff berth that comes with it.

Ruben Castro went 3-4 and scored both Quad Cities runs in this game. Miguelangel Sierra brought him in with a single in the 1st and Colton Shaver ripped a double to score him in the 3rd. Shaver finished 2-4.

Jairo Solís went two innings and allowed an unearned run on a single, walked five, and struck out two. The bullpen picked him up with seven scoreless to close it out. Tanner Duncan and Willy Collado pitched three innings apiece; Duncan struck out three in a perfect outing, while Collado allowed two hits and fanned five. Carlos Sanabria worked around a hit in the 9th to earn the save, striking out two.

Yohan Ramirez will face Houston Christian and TCU alum Mitchell Traver in the Banditos' first-half finale. First pitch is at 1:15.

Vermont 6, Tri-City 2

W- Slater Lee (1-0)
L- Tim Hardy (0-1)

TC home runs: None.

The Lake Monsters scored all six of their runs in the final three innings to seize control of this game. Tri-City had their chances though... they couldn't convert. The ValleyCats went 1-12 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base. 

Juan Robles allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out five over 4.2 shutout innings. Vermont got to the ValleyCats bullpen. Tim Hardy went 3.1 innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits, walked one, and struck out four. Juan Pablo Lopez allowed three runs on three hits, two of which left the park, in the 9th.

Gilberto Celestino scored the first run of the game on an error in the 4th and hit an RBI single in the 7th. He finished 2-3 on the night.

Tri-City will wrap up its first series of the season at 5:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros 3, DSL Dodgers Robinson 0

W- Fabricio Reina (1-1)
L- Juan Gonzalez (0-1)
S- Ronny Garcia (1)

DSL home runs: None.

Both teams had nine hits in this game, but the Astros scored all the runs.

Yefri Carrillo tripled to lead off the game and scored on a single from Jose Alvarez. Carrillo scored again on a wild pitch in the 5th. Junior Marte singled in the 8th and scored when Rolando Espinosa grounded into a force out. Carrillo went 3-4 on the day, while Alvarez finished 2-4.

Valente Bellozo has bounced back from a rough debut to throw four scoreless in each of his last two appearances. He allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out five. Fabricio Reina allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out two in 2.2 innings. Flaer Gonzalez allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out one in 1.1 innings, and Ronny Garcia tightroped out of a bases-loaded jam to close it out. He allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out two.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Valente Bellozo, RHP, DSL Astros: 4 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K
Yefri Carrillo, OF, DSL Astros: 3-4, 3B, 2 R

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

W (5-4), 8 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K; no-hitter through 7.2 IP

Myles Straw, OF, Fresno

3-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 R, SB (1, 36 season) in AAA debut

Tanner Duncan's and Willy Collado's photos are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen: W 2-1 vs. Burlington

7 IP, 3 H, 10 K

Tanner Duncan: W (1-1), 3 IP, 3 K

Willy Collado: 3 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Carlos Sanabria: Save (7), IP, H, 2 K

Ruben Castro, C, Quad Cities

3-4, 2 R; scored both Quad Cities runs

Gabriel Valdez, RHP, Buies Creek

W (1-1), 7 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Gilberto Celestino, OF, Tri-City

2-3, RBI, R

Yordan Alvarez, LF/1B, and Josh Rojas, UTIL, Corpus Christi

Rojas, 3-3, solo HR (6, 7 season), 2 R

Alvarez: 2-4, 2 2-R HR (8) in first game since being activated from DL

Unfortunately, these stats will not count.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, June 2, 2018

Happy Dominican Summer League Opening Day!

Fresno 5, Albuquerque 2

W- Trent Thornton (4-3)
L- Sam Howard (3-4)
S- James Hoyt (4)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White 2 (10; solo in 1st, solo in 8th), Kyle Tucker (8, 2-run in 1st)

The Grizzlies got off to a quick start as they launched two homers in the opening frame.

Kyle Tucker opened things up with a two-run blast and Tyler White made it back-to-back with his first solo shot of the evening. Eduardo de Oleo led off the 7th with a double and scored on an Alejandro Garcia triple. White drove himself in with his second solo homer in the 8th inning. He and Jack Mayfield both finished 2-4.

Trent Thornton went six innings and allowed a run on four hits and struck out six. Reymin Guduan, Brendan McCurry, and James Hoyt all pitched an inning. Guduan recorded a strikeout in a 1-2-3 7th. McCurry allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out one in the 8th and Hoyt struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Rogelio Armenteros will start the series finale. He'll face Yency Almonte at 1:35 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 3, Tulsa 2

W- Kit Scheetz (1-0)
L- Dylan Baker (3-3)
S- Riley Ferrell (4)

CC home runs: Alex De Goti (3, 2-run in 9th)

The Hooks stole the win by stunning the Drillers with three runs in the top of the 9th.

Randy César extended his hitting streak to 25 games by leading off the 9th with a single. Ryne Birk followed with a single and Stephen Wrenn moved them both over with a sacrifice bunt. César scored Corpus Christi's first run of the night on a Jamie Ritchie groundout that put them down to their final out. Alex De Goti didn't care though because he whacked a home run that put the Hooks in front and it turned out to be the difference. De Goti's homer was the Hooks' lone extra-base hit on the night.

Alex Winkelman allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, walked two, and struck out four. Kit Scheetz came on for his Texas League debut and his first task was to get Winkleman out of a bases-loaded, one out jam, which he successfully did without incurring any further damage. Scheetz wound up striking out two over 3.2 perfect innings. Riley Ferrell struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Corpus and Tulsa will wrap up this series at 1:05. Ryan Hartman will take on Justin DeFratus.

Potomac 8, Buies Creek 2


W- Wil Crowe (7-0)
L- Hector Perez (1-2)

BC home runs: None.

Walks kill.

Luis Payano's two-run double in the 4th was Buies Creek's only scoring play.

Four Buies Creek pitchers issued 15 walks in nine innings. That might have had something to do with how this game shaped out. I will decline to elaborate further. Jesús Balaguer was the only pitcher who did not allow a run; he walked one and struck out two in the 9th.

Gabriel Valdez will take on Joan Baez (not the singer) in the series finale. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 10, Beloit 9 in 10 innings

W- Humberto Castellanos (1-0)
L- Josh Reagan (0-3)

QC home runs: Jake Adams (8, 2-run in 7th)

The Snappers tied the game in the 9th and took the lead in the 10th.... only to watch the Banditos walk off with the victory.

Leovanny Rodriguez has been excellent since he joined the Quad Cities roster, but he got roughed up for the first time this season as he allowed seven runs on ten hits (solo and three-run homers), walked three, and struck out two. Willy Collado restored order in his season debut as he allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in four innings. Humberto Castellanos allowed the leadoff runner to score on a single and struck out one in the 10th.

Jake Meyers doubled to lead off the bottom of the 1st. He proceeded to steal third and scored the Banditos' first run on the errant throw down. Miguelangel Sierra and Mike Papierski hit RBI singles in the 3rd and the 4th, respectively. Meyers led off the 7th with a single. He then stole second and scored on a Jonathan Arauz single. Bryan de la Cruz and Sierra went down to put the rally in jeopardy, but Jake Adams delivered another blow with a two-run home run. De La Cruz put Quad Cities in front with a two-run single in the 8th.

Roman Garcia led off the 10th in scoring position. Papierski grounded out, but Adrian Tovalin drew a walk. Corey Julks was summoned to pinch-hit and he sent everyone home happy by ripping a two-run double to win it for Quad Cities. Meyers and Arauz both finished with three hits on the evening and Papierski went 2-4.

César Rosado will start the series finale. He'll face Xavier Altamirano at 1:15.

DSL Royals1 3, DSL Astros 1

W- Daury Cabrera (1-0)
L- Wender Oberto (0-1)
S- Cruz Noriega (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy could only rue their missed opportunities as they went 0-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

Heitor Tokar had an impressive pro debut as he allowed just one man to reach via a walk and struck out one in his four innings of work. The Royals got to Wender Oberto, though. Oberto allowed three runs on five hits, walked four, and struck out one in two innings. Ronny Garcia struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th, and Flaer Gonzalez allowed a hit and struck out three over two scoreless innings.

Enmanuel Morillo led off the 5th with a single. He then advanced to second on a balk, to third on an errant pickoff throw, and then scored the DSL team's first run of the season on a wild pitch. Carlos Hurtado's double in the 8th was their only extra-base hit of the day.

Sunday is a league-wide off day in the Dominican. The Academy will travel to the Royals complex to play them again on Monday.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

4.2 IP, 3 K

Kit Scheetz: W (1-0), 3.2 IP, 2 K; Texas League debut

Riley Ferrell: Save (4), IP, K

Alex De Goti, IF, Corpus Christi

Go-ahead 2-R HR (3) in 9th

Tyler White, IF, Fresno

2-4, 2 solo HR (10)

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

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

The @astros signed two Brazilians today! RHP Heitor Tokar and 3B Victor Coutinho, best hitter in 🇧🇷 #astros @BenBadler @JesseSanchezMLB pic.twitter.com/z2Wbgvv5KH

— Baseball Brazil (@baseball_brazil) July 2, 2017

Photo from Baseball Brazil

Parabéns pela sua debute!

Heitor Tokar (right), RHP, DSL Astros

4 IP, BB, K

Jake Meyers' and Corey Julks' photos are their mugshots on MiLB.com.
Jake Meyers, OF, Jonathan Arauz, IF, and Corey Julks, OF, Quad Cities
Meyers: 3-5, 2B, 3 R, 2 SB (11)
Arauz: 3-4, RBI, 2 R
Julks: Walk-off 2-R 2B in 10th

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Willy Collado, RHP, Quad Cities
4 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 27, 2018

El Paso 2, Fresno 0

W- Eric Yardley (2-0)
L- Trent Thornton (3-3)
S- Luis Castillo (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies were held in check on Sunday.

Trent Thornton turned in a solid outing, but unfortunately for him, he did not receive any kind of run support. Thornton went six innings and allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out eight. Buddy Boshers struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th, and Matt Ramsey allowed two hits and struck out one over two scoreless innings.

Cody Bohanek went 2-4 out of the #9 spot in the order. Fresno drew six walks and only struck out twice on offense, but they couldn't get much of anything going.

Rogelio Armenteros will take on Jesse Scholtens in game four of this series. First pitch is at 4:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 3

W- Alex Winkelman (2-2)
L- Mitchell White (0-2)
S- Erasmo Pinales (2)

CC home runs: Taylor Jones (8, solo in 1st), Randy César (6, solo in 6th)

Both teams had innings in which they scored either one run or two runs. Corpus had two pairs of these innings while Tulsa had just one.

The one run that Alex Winkelman allowed in his five innings came on a solo homer hit by D.J. Peters in the 1st. He allowed one other hit, walked four and struck out seven. Chris Nunn allowed two hits and struck out four over two scoreless innings. Ralph Garza Jr. was next out of the bullpen and in 1.1 innings, he had an unearned run charged to him and struck out two. It got a little challenging in the 9th as Erasmo Pinales allowed a run of his own on three hits, along with one of Garza's runs, but he was able to get the last two outs of the game, one via strikeout.

Both teams got a run in the 1st inning via the home run; Taylor Jones demolished a Mitchell White offering to put Corpus Christi on the board. Ryne Birk walked to lead off the 2nd. He then stole second and scored on a Stephen Wrenn double. Jamie Ritchie joined Wrenn on the bases by drawing a walk, and then they proceeded to advance a base by stealing them. Aníbal Sierra brought Wrenn in with a groundout. Randy César extended his hitting streak to 20 games by launching a solo home run in the 6th inning. The Hooks got a couple of runs in the 7th on a pair of RBI singles from Alex De Goti and Myles Straw. Jones, Ritchie, and De Goti all finished with two hits on the evening. César is the second player in the system to have a 20-game hitting streak; Tony Kemp had a 20-game hitting streak from April 23 to May 14.

The Hooks have today off. They'll begin a three-game series in Springfield tomorrow evening.

Buies Creek 1, Lynchburg 0

W- Brandon Bielak (4-3)
L- Justin Garza (2-2)
S- Hector Perez (1)

BC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game and it belonged to Buies Creek.

J.J. Matijevic singled to lead off the 2nd and scored the only run of the day on a double from Chas McCormick, which was the only extra-base hit from either side.

Brandon Bielak allowed two hits and struck out six over five shutout frames and Hector Perez completed the shutout by not allowing a hit over the final four innings. Perez walked two and struck out three during his stint on the mound.

Carson LaRue will start the series finale. He'll face Sam Hentges at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Peoria 3

W- Parker Mushinski (2-0)
L- Alvaro Seijas (1-3)

QC home runs: Mike Papierski (2, 2-run in 1st), Colton Shaver (5, 2-run in 8th)

The Banditos got out to a fast start and had to withstand a bit of a run from the Chiefs, but a three-run 8th inning gave them the breathing room they needed.

Corey Julks opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and on the ensuing error, Bryan de la Cruz was able to score another run. It took a little while, but Julks managed to come home when Mike Papierski smacked a home run. Roman Garcia added an RBI single in the 3rd inning. Papierski led off the 8th with a single and one batter later, Colton Shaver launched a homer. After Garcia went down for the first out of the inning, Jonathan Lacroix walked. He moved to third on a Jake Meyers double and scored the final run of the night on a single from de la Cruz.

Meyers went 3-5 and hit two doubles. Julks, de la Cruz, Papierski, Shaver, and Lacroix all finished with two hits.

Parker Mushinski went five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, walked two, and struck out three. The bullpen shut it down over the last four innings. Adam Bleday walked one and struck out four in three innings, and Carlos Sanabria worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Leovanny Rodriguez will start the series finale for Quad Cities. He'll face Zach Prendergast at 5:15.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 1-0 vs. Lynchburg

9 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K

Brandon Bielak: W (4-3), 5 IP, 2 H, 6 K

Hector Perez: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 BB, 3 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

L (3-3), 6 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Alex Winkelman, LHP, and Chris Nunn, LHP, Corpus Christi

Winkelman: W (2-2), 5 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Nunn: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi

2-4, solo HR (8)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Adam Bleday, LHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, BB, 4 K

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Mike Papierski, C, and Colton Shaver, 1B, Quad Cities

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

Shaver: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (5)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 30, 2018

It was a light slate on the final day of April as both A clubs were off.

Fresno 11, Salt Lake 4

W- Trent Thornton (2-1)
L- Osmer Morales (1-2)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (6, 2-run in 4th)

Fresno put this game away with five runs in the final two innings.

David Paulino made his season debut and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits, walked two, and struck out five in three innings of work. Trent Thornton tagged in for four innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out five. James Hoyt pitched the final two innings, allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out one in a scoreless outing.

A.J. Reed put the Grizzlies on the board in the 3rd when he got plunked with the bases loaded. J.D. Davis hustled to beat a double play, which allowed Kyle Tucker to score, and then Garrett Stubbs tied the game at 3 with an RBI single. The Grizzlies took the lead with three more runs in the 4th as Tucker ripped an RBI double and Tyler White followed with a two-run homer. They'd put this game away in the 8th when Drew Ferguson ripped a two-run double and came around to score on Reed's single, and Little Tuck capped off the evening with a two-run double in the 9th.

Tucker finished 3-5 on the night with two run-producing doubles and scored twice. Davis, Stubbs, and Jon Kemmer all had two hits; both of Kemmer's were doubles.

Cy Sneed takes on John Lamb in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:35 Mountain.

Frisco 2, Corpus Christi 1 in 12 innings

W- Brady Feigl (1-0)
L- Kevin Hill (0-1)
S- Ryne Slack (1)

CC home runs: Carmen Benedetti (2, solo in 7th)

The Hooks had their chances but all they could muster up in 12 innings was a single, solitary run. And so, Corpus Christi lost to Arlington's AA team for the first time this season.

Ryan Hartman went 5.1 innings and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer hit by Correlle Prime in the 5th. He allowed two other hits, walked one, and struck out seven. Erasmo Pinales was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two over 2.2 scoreless innings. Kevin Hill was next and he allowed the go-ahead run (as always, the runner on second in extra innings is charged as an unearned run) on a sac fly, a single, walked two, and struck out four in his 3.2 innings of work. Sean Stutzman got the final out of the 12th.

Carmen Benedetti whacked a solo home run in the 7th which tied the game at 1. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the Hooks' only scoring play. Myles Straw, Stephen Wrenn, and Randy César all finished 2-5.

Corpus begins a new month on the road as they'll play a couple of four-game series in Midland and then San Antonio. Why it isn't San Antonio first and then Midland, I'll never know, but whatever... the schedule is what it is. The Hooks will send TBA to the mound to face Ben Bracewell at 6:30.

Buies Creek was off

Hector Perez will start the first of a three-game series against Down East. He'll face Emerson Martinez at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos are in Midland, Michigan as they'll start a three-game set with the Great Lakes Loons. César Rosado will get the start; first pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: L 2-1 vs. Frisco

12 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), 2 R (1 ER), 5 BB, 13 K

Ryan Hartman: 5.1 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Erasmo Pinales: 2.2 IP, H, BB, 2 K

Kevin Hill: L (0-1), 3.2 IP, H, unearned run, 2 BB, 4 K

Sean Stutzman: 0.1 IP; flyball out to end 12th

Kyle Tucker, OF, Fresno

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

Fresno Grizzlies bullpen

6 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Trent Thornton: W (2-1), 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

James Hoyt: 2 IP, H, BB, K

2018 Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 23, 2018

Reno 3, Fresno 2

W- Jake Barrett (1-0)
L- Brendan McCurry (0-1)
S- Jimmie Sherfy (2)

Fresno home runs: Tim Federowicz (2, 2-run in 6th)

The Grizzlies bullpen faltered late.

After both teams combined to post ten zeroes on the scoreboard, Tim Federowicz put a crooked number up with a two-run homer in the 6th, which ended up being Fresno's only scoring play of the afternoon. Federowicz and A.J. Reed both finished with two hits in this game.

Trent Thornton dominated as he allowed just two hits and struck out nine over six shutout innings. At one point, he struck out eight consecutive batters, which tied a Pacific Coast League record. The nine strikeouts also ties a career high; he reached that mark twice with Lancaster during the 2016 season. The bullpen couldn't seal the deal for him, unfortunately. Matt Ramsey allowed two hits and recorded two outs in the 7th. Buddy Boshers got the last out of the inning with a strikeout. Brendan McCurry got knocked around in the 8th as the Aces scored all three of their runs against him. McCurry allowed three hits and issued a walk.

The Grizzlies are off today as they make their way home. They'll start a five-game series with Tacoma on Wednesday.

Corpus Christi 6, Midland 1

W- Framber Valdez (1-1)
L- Corey Walter (1-2)

CC home runs: None.

Corpus pulled away with some timely late-inning offense.

Framber Valdez rebounded from a tough outing last week by turning in a fine performance. He went 6 innings and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer hit by J.P. Sportman in the 3rd inning. Framber allowed one other hit and struck out 7. Erasmo Pinales allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out four over two scoreless, and Ralph Garza Jr. worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

The Twin Towers helped put Corpus Christi on the board and in the lead in the 4th inning. Yordan Alvarez drew a walk to start things off and he scored the Hooks' first run of the night on Taylor Jones' double. Jones ended up scoring the go-ahead run on an error that allowed Ryne Birk to reach. Myles Straw hit a sac fly in the 7th and the Hooks put it away in the 8th as Birk lashed a two-run triple and scored the final run of the night on a Jamie Ritchie single. Birk and Ritchie finished with two hits apiece.

Ryne Birk has come alive as of late after starting off the season 2-26 at the plate. He's extended his hitting streak to eight games and the last four have been multi-hit efforts.

Josh James will get the start in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros will start a three-game series with Down East tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 3, Kane County 1

W- Carlos Hiraldo (1-0)
L- Breckin Williams (1-1)
S- Carlos Sanabria (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos have their first winning streak of 2018 as they got a couple of runs in the 7th to break a 1-1 tie.

Luis Garcia went 4.1 innings in his first start, allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out 7. Carlos Hiraldo tagged in for 3.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Carlos Sanabria recorded a strikeout in a 1-2-3 9th to earn the save.

Bryan de la Cruz opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, although he was thrown out to end the inning attempting to stretch his base hit into a double. Jonathan Arauz drew a walk with one out in the 7th and scored the go-ahead run on an Adrian Tovalin triple. Tovalin wound up scoring on an error that allowed Roman Garcia to reach safely. Jake Adams went 2-4 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Game 2 of this series starts at noon. Quad Cities' starter is TBA.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Luis Garcia's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 3-1 @ Kane County

9 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 3 BB, 11 K

Luis Garcia: 4.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Carlos Hiraldo: W (1-0), 3.2 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 3 K

Carlos Sanabria: Save (1), IP, K

Ryne Birk, 2B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 6-1 vs. Midland

9 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 12 K

Framber Valdez: W (1-1), 6 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 7 K

Erasmo Pinales: 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: IP, H, K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

6 IP, 2 H, 9 K; eight consecutive strikeouts (tied PCL record)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tim Federowicz, C, Fresno

2-4, 2-R HR (2)