Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 8, 2017

Swept. Again.

Colorado Springs 12, Fresno 5

W- Tyler Cravy (3-0)
L- Reymin Guduan (2-3)
S- Stephen Kohlscheen (1)

Fresno home runs: D.J. Fisher (7, 3-run in 6th), Max Stassi (1, solo in 6th)

The Sky Sox battered the Grizzlies' bullpen in the late innings to take control.

Francis Martes went 3.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 5. Kevin Comer was the only Fresno pitcher to turn in a scoreless outing, striking out 1 in 1.1 innings. One of the batters he faced reached on an error.

Reymin Guduan threw a 1-2-3 6th but got the hook after the first two batters reached against him to start the 7th. Both of those runners scored on a 2-run single from Brett Phillips, which occurred after he left. Jordan Jankowski took ownership of the 7th and he managed to strike out the side, but he also allowed a couple of runs of his own in addition to allowing Guduan's runners to score. He also allowed 2 hits and walked 1. Tyson Perez allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in the 8th.

Max Stassi scored the game's first run on a Juan Centeno single in the 2nd inning. D.J. Fisher extended his hit streak to 13 games with a 3-run homer in the 6th, and Stassi followed by launching a solo blast. Stassi and Centeno both finished 2-4 on the evening; Centeno extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

First pitch in this game was pushed back 2 hours due to rain; the game was originally slated to start at 6:40 local time but the rain pushed it all the way back to 8:50.

Fresno will look to avoid the sweep later this morning. Casey Coleman takes on Hiram Burgos at 11:00 AM Mountain time.

San Antonio 5, Corpus Christi 3

W- Brad Wieck (2-1)
L- Andrew Thome (2-1, 2-2 season)
S- Eric Yardley (2)

CC home runs: Trent Woodward (1, 2-run in 8th)

Trent Woodward smacked a 2-run homer in the 8th to put Corpus in front 3-2.... but the Missions responded with a 3-run homer in the top of the 9th to regain the lead. The Hooks have now dropped six straight and are now under .500.

Corpus Christi's other scoring play came in the 3rd as Drew Ferguson hit an RBI single to put them on the board first. Woodward and Mott Hyde both finished 2-3 on the night.

Rogelio Armenteros allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 over 5 shutout innings. Carlos Hiraldo and Andrew Thome both pitched 2 innings: Hiraldo walked 3 and the one hit he allowed was a 2-run homer from Jose Rondon. Thome allowed the go-ahead 3-run homer to Alberth Martinez in the 9th; two of the runs were earned. He allowed two other hits and struck out 1.

Brock Dykxhoorn will take the mound as the Hooks look to avoid the sweep. He'll face Michael Kelly at 7:05.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros are back home and they'll start a 3-game series with Salem at 7:00 Eastern. Framber Valdez will face Dedgar Jimenez.

Bowling Green 2, Quad Cities 0

W- Ethan Clark (1-0)
L- Enoli Paredes (0-2)
S- Reimin Ramos (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos' bats went MIA and a decent pitching performance went to waste.

Enoli Paredes wasn't terrible, but he didn't get any run support. He went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Ronel Blanco allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over the final 2 innings.

The only Quad Cities hits were singles from Alex De Goti and Randy César.

Dustin Hunt gets the start in game 2 of this series. He'll take on J.D. Busfield at 6:35.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K

Trent Woodward, C, Corpus Christi

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

Juan Centeno's photo taken by Bryan Green

Max Stassi, C, and Juan Centeno C, Fresno

Stassi: 2-4, solo HR (1), 2 R

Centeno: 2-4, RBI

Centeno is currently on an 11-game hitting streak.

The @astros sign DPL prospect Ronel Blanco RHP with a Big arm.#International #Signing #Period pic.twitter.com/wEfqDNoZfc

— DPL (@DPLBaseball) July 3, 2016

Ronel Blanco's photo tweeted out by the DPL's (Dominican Prospect League) Twitter account

Enoli Paredes' photo taken by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, and Ronel Blanco, RHP, Quad Cities

Paredes: L (0-2), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Blanco: 2 IP, H, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Fresno 1, Las Vegas 0

W- César Valdez (9-1)
L- Robert Gsellman (1-3)
S- James Hoyt (27)

Fresno home runs: None.

The only scoring play in this game belonged to the Tacos. Meanwhile, César Valdez, Jordan Jankowski, and James Hoyt joined forces to throw a two-hit shutout.

Valdez allowed those two hits and struck out 7 over 7 innings. Jankowski issued a walk and got a strikeout in a scoreless 8th inning, and Hoyt worked around a walk and struck out two to record his 27th save of the season.

Tyler White's RBI single in the 5th inning drove in the game's only run. Max Stassi, who scored that run, also drew two walks.

Edison Frias will make his AAA debut tonight. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

San Antonio 6, Corpus Christi 2 in 10 innings

W- Jason Jester (2-1)
L- Aaron West (5-2)

CC home runs: Ramon Laureano (1, 11 season; solo in 7th)

A walk-off grand slam in the first extra frame sunk the Hooks.

Ramon Laureano put Corpus on the board in the 7th inning with his first Texas League home run. D.J. Fisher got plunked to lead off the 8th. He proceeded to steal 2nd (22), advanced to 3rd on the errant throw down to 2nd, and scored the tying run on a J.D. Davis single. Davis (2B, RBI) and Laureano (2B, solo HR) both finished with 2 hits in the game.

In his Texas League debut, Trent Thornton went 6 innings, and the two runs he allowed came on a home run hit by Nick Schulz in the 4th inning. Thornton allowed three other hits, walked one, and struck out 5. Ryan Thompson threw 1.1 perfect innings, striking out one. Chris Cotton allowed a hit and struck out one as he recorded the final two outs of the 8th inning. Aaron West pitched a scoreless 9th, but River Stevens tagged him for the game-winning grand slam in the 10th inning. In 1.1 innings, West allowed two other hits, issued an intentional walk, and struck out one.

Francis Martes will start game 3 of this series. He'll face Tim Berry at 7:05.

Lancaster 12, Lake Elsinore 4

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (7-3)
L- Zech Lemond (3-4)

Lancaster home runs: Trent Woodward (4, 5 season; 3-run in 3rd), Johnny Sewald (4, 5 season; solo in 7th)

The JetHawks left the Storm in the dust with a pair of 5-run innings.

Their first 5-run inning was the 3rd. Osvaldo Duarte scored the first run of the evening when Drew Ferguson hit into a fielder's choice. Ferguson advanced to 2nd on a Bobby Boyd infield single and scored on a single from Bryan Muñiz. One batter later, Trent Woodward launched a three-run home run. Duarte tripled to lead off the 4th inning, and Ferguson brought him in with a sacrifice fly.

The other 5-run inning was the 6th. Marc Wik led it off with a double, and Duarte joined him on the bases by drawing a one-out walk. Johnny Sewald followed with an RBI single; an error on the play allowed Duarte to score and Sewald to advance to 3rd base. Ferguson followed by adding an RBI single to his ledger. Boyd drew a walk, and the two of them advanced a base thanks to a wild pitch. Muñiz and Woodward followed with RBI singles, and Sewald capped off the evening with a solo home run in the 7th inning.

Sewald (solo HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Muñiz (2 RBI, R) had three hits apiece in this game. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Brooks Marlow. Sewald, Ferguson, and Boyd scored two runs each. Duarte scored 3 runs.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 5.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Scott Weathersby was the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen, and in 2 innings, he allowed 2 hits and struck out 2. Kevin Comer retired all four Lake Elsinore hitters he faced, striking out two of them.

The JetHawks and Storm will wrap up their series tonight at 6:00 Pacific. Josh James will take on Brett Kennedy.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will begin a 3-game series with Peoria tonight at 7:00. Yoanys Quiala will face Jake Woodford.

Tri-City 6, Vermont 5

W- Kevin Hill (1-2)
L- Dalton Sawyer (0-1)
S- Nick Hernandez (4)

TC home runs: Rodrigo Ayarza (1, 2-run in 3rd), Taylor Jones (6, 2-run in 6th)

The ValleyCats successfully erased a 5-0 deficit to earn the sweep.

Jake Rogers doubled to lead off the 3rd inning, and two batters later, Rodrigo Ayarza clubbed a two-run home run to put Tri-City on the board. Rogers walked to lead off the 5th inning and scored a Tyler Wolfe double. Ayarza laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by the pitcher, then promptly thrown away, which allowed Wolfe to score. Ronnie Dawson drew a two-out walk in the 6th, and one batter later, Taylor Jones put the ValleyCats in front with a two-run home run. Dawson did not have a hit, but he drew three walks and stole his 9th base of the season.

Ryan Hartman went 2 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits (solo and two-run homers), walked one, and struck out three. The ValleyCats bullpen was able to pick him up and kept the Lake Monsters off the scoreboard for the final 7 innings. Carlos Sierra was the first man out, and in three innings, he issued a walk and struck out three. Kevin Hill allowed two hits over 2.1 scoreless innings to get the victory. Juan Carlos Santos recorded the final two outs of the 8th inning via the strikeout, and Nick Hernandez worked around a hit to earn the save, striking out two in the 9th.

The ValleyCats are currently in Connecticut, where they'll begin a three-game series tonight at 7:05 Eastern. Austin Nicely will take on Locke St. John.

Princeton 7, Greeneville 4

W- Ethan Clark (4-1)
L- Patrick Sandoval (1-1)
S- Sam Long (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros fell behind 4-0 after the first half-inning of play, and that early deficit proved to be too much for them to overcome.

Miguelangel Sierra scored Greeneville's first run of the evening on a wild pitch in the 3rd. Greeneville scored three runs in the 6th on an RBI single from Frankeny Fernandez. Jonathan Arauz followed that up by hitting into a force out that allowed Connor MacDonald to score, and an RBI double from Abraham Toro. MacDonald and Toro had two hits apiece in the game.

Patrick Sandoval pitched 4 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, one of which was a three-run home run, walked 1, and struck out 6. Diogenes Almengo tagged in for 3.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and striking out 1. Reggie Johnson allowed a hit and walked 1 in 1.1 innings.

Greeneville and Princeton will conclude their series at 7:00 Eastern. Tyler Britton will start for the Appy Astros.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Mets 3

W- Bryan Abreu (1-1, 1-2 season)
L- Yeudy Colon (2-2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros climbed above .500 with this walk-off win.

In his second appearance, Forrest Whitley struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings. Carson LaRue allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over 2 scoreless; LaRue was making his pro debut. Jorge Guzman came out for the 5th inning but failed to record an out; he allowed a double, had two inherited runners charged to him and walked 2. Bryan Abreu pitched the final 5 innings and allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5.

Wander Franco opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the 1st inning. Joan Mauricio added a sac fly in the 2nd inning. The Mets tied the game with those two runs in the 5th, but Brody Westmoreland broke the tie with an RBI triple in the 8th. The Mets were able to respond in the top of the 9th, but Wilson Amador delivered the game-winner in the bottom of the 9th, an RBI single that scored Edgar Lorenzo. Amador finished 3-5 and also scored two runs.

DSL Astros Blue 2, DSL Dodgers2 1

W- Yulian Frontado (2-1)
L- Confesor Inoa (1-2)
S- Edwin Fidel (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team's two runs in the 2nd inning proved to be enough for them to get the win.

César Cortez hit a two-out single in the 2nd, advanced to 3rd base on a Norberto Castellanos single, and scored the first run of the day on an errant pickoff throw. Castellanos, who advanced to 3rd on the bad throw, scored on a Ronny Rafael single.

Yulian Frontado allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Edwin Fidel pitched the final 4 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and fanned 3.

DSL Rays2 4, DSL Astros Orange 1

W- Marlon Constante (3-2)
L- Jose Bravo (1-1)
S- Enyerbeth Lugo (4)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team's bats went silent in this loss.

Jose Carrillo tripled in the 6th and scored on Anthony Rodriguez's groundout.

Jose Bravo went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits and struck out 3. Maikel Sepulveda allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 1 over the final 3 innings.

Tuesday's Stars

Yulian Frontado, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Tri-City

1-4, go-ahead 2-R HR (6) in 6th

Johnny Sewald, OF, Lancaster

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

Trent Woodward, C, Lancaster

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

From top: César Valdez, Jordan Jankowski, and James Hoyt, RHPs, Fresno

Valdez: W (9-1), 7 IP, 2 H, 7 K

Jankowski: IP, BB, K

Hoyt: Save (27), IP, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 16, 2016

Corpus Christi with the....

Las Vegas 7, Fresno 5 in 11 innings

W- Paul Sewald (1-0)

L- James Hoyt (0-1)

S- Jeff Walters (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies rallied from a 5-1 deficit to force extras.... only to see the 51s come out on top in the end.

Tony Kemp tripled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, and he scored Fresno's first run on a Danny Worth sac fly. This would be the only Grizzlies run for a while... in the meantime, Vegas jumped out to a 5-1 lead. That would be the scoreline heading into the bottom of the 9th.

Colin Moran led off the inning with a walk, and he made it to 3rd, thanks to an error that allowed Roberto Peña to reach and advance to 2nd. Andrew Aplin and Tony Kemp then followed with RBI singles to draw Fresno closer. Worth walked to load the bases, but A.J. Reed was the 2nd casualty of the inning when he went down on strikes. However, Matt Duffy came through with a 2-run single to tie the game at 5. Sadly, the offense looked as though they ran out of gas in extras, as they went down in order in both the 10th and the 11th.

Tony Kemp was the only man in the Fresno lineup with a multi-hit game, going 3-6 with the triple, the RBI single, and scoring twice. 

Tough night for Fresno's pitchers as they issued 14 walks in this one. Asher Wojciechowski went 3.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 6, and struck out 3. In what's become a familiar sight in the early going, Edwar Cabrera was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen, and all he did was strike out 3 over 2.2 innings. Jordan Jankowski allowed an unearned run, a hit, walked 3, and all 4 outs he recorded came by way of the strikeout. Juan Minaya allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless. James Hoyt didn't allow a hit, but the 51s' 2 go-ahead runs were charged to him. He walked 4 (1 intentionally) and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. César Valdez came on in a bases-loaded situation and got the final 2 outs of the 11th, but not before he allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Hoyt to score. Valdez allowed a hit and walked 1.

The series continues this afternoon as Brady Rodgers takes on Sean Gilmartin. First pitch is at 1:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 5, Tulsa 4

W- David Schmidt (1-0)

L- Ralston Cash (0-1)

S- Brendan McCurry (1)

CC home runs: Chase McDonald (3, solo in 7th)

The Corpus Christi Hooks became the first team in the organization to sweep an opponent in 2016 thanks to a comeback win in the series finale.

They were behind the 8-ball early after Francis Martes got taken deep for a 3-run homer by Alex Verdugo. Fortunately, Martes was able to limit the damage to just that homer. In 4 innings, he allowed 3 other hits, walked 4, and struck out 8. David Schmidt allowed a run on 3 hits in 2 innings, while Reymin Guduan struck out 2 over 2 perfect frames. Brendan McCurry worked around a hit to close it out. 

Alex Bregman put the Hooks on the board with an RBI double in the 5th. After Tulsa got 1 in the bottom of the 5th to push their lead to 4-1, Corpus tied the game with 3 in the 6th thanks to a couple of RBI singles from Bregman and Trent Woodward, and an RBI groundout from Teoscar Hernandez. In the 7th, Chase McDonald came through with what turned out to be the game-winning hit, a solo shot. Woodward (2B, RBI, 2 R) and McDonald both posted 3-hit games, while Bregman has recorded a hit in every game he's played this season. 

The Hooks are in Springfield today, where they'll start a 3-game set with the Cardinals. Brian Holmes takes the mound in game 1; he'll take on Corey Baker at 4:10.

Lancaster 3, High Desert 2

W- Kevin Comer (1-1)

L- David Ledbetter (1-1)

S- Angel Heredia (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

In the California League incarnation of the Astros-Rangers rivalry, the JetHawks have taken the first 2 games of this series by flummoxing the Mavericks' bats. 

High Desert managed to chip away at Lancaster's 3-0 lead, but Kevin Comer and Angel Heredia stood firm to secure the win. Akeem Bostick allowed 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3 over 4.2 scoreless. Comer allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 over 2.1 innings, and Heredia allowed a run on a double, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings.

Marc Wik opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd, and Ramon Laureano struck in the 3rd with a 2-run single. The two of them, along with Drew Ferguson, had 2 hits apiece; Wik's other hit was a double, while Laureano also stole a base (2). This was Ferguson's 3rd 2-hit game in a row.

In game 3 of this series, Josh James will take on Cole Wiper. First pitch is at 2:05 Pacific.

Kane County 5, Quad Cities 4

W- Justin Donatella (2-0)

L- Sebastian Kessay (0-2)

S- Cameron Gann (2)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits mounted a furious comeback.... that fell just short.

All 4 Quad Cities runs came in the bottom of the 8th. Tony Nuñez started the rally by drawing a 1-out walk, and he then advanced to 2nd on a Johnny Sewald single. One batter later, Daz Cameron put the Banditos on the board with an RBI double. Osvaldo Duarte followed with a 2-run single, and Anthony Hermelyn ripped an RBI double. Daz finished 2-4, as did Brooks Marlow. 

Sebastian Kessay pitched 2+ innings and allowed 5 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Ryan Deemes put out the fire and went on to throw 4 scoreless, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 3. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed a hit and fanned 3 over 3 scoreless.

Quad Cities will look to avoid the sweep as Kevin McCanna gets the start. He'll take on former Astros farmhand Junior Garcia at 1:15.

Three Four Stars

3.

 

Photos from MiLB.com

Ryan Deemes, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Ralph Garza Jr., RHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, H, 3 K

2.

Trent Woodward, C/1B, Corpus Christi

3-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R

1.

Chase McDonald, 1B, Corpus Christi

3-4, go-ahead solo HR (3) in 7th

Honorable Mentions

Tony Kemp, UTIL, Fresno: 3-6, 3B, RBI, 2 R

- It's not impossible to keep Tony Kemp off the bases, but it's highly improbable, because he'll find a way to get there.

Edwar Cabrera, LHP, Fresno: 2.2 IP, 3 K

- Cabrera has allowed just 1 hit in his first 4 outings (6.1 IP).

Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

- So far, he's making AA look effortless. 

Reymin Guduan, LHP, Corpus Christi: 2 IP, 2 K

- 4 scoreless appearances to open the season.

Ramon Laureano, OF, Lancaster: 2-3, 2 RBI, SB (2), BB

Daz Cameron, OF, Quad Cities: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R

- Daz is off to a rather slow start, but that's usually the case with younger players in full-season ball for the first time and in colder weather. Definitely an encouraging outing, and hopefully it gives him some momentum on offense going forward.

Getting to Know Astros Catcher Trent Woodward

Trent Woodward caught only five games in his first season after being drafted in the 20th round in 2014 out of California State University Fresno, filling in at first base and left field on a Greeneville Astros team with too many catchers, including highly ranked catching prospect Jacob Nottingham. But he was praised by Josh Bonifay, his Manager at the time, for his leadership and his work ethic as he filled in wherever needed.

Trent Woodward - August 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Fast forward one season and Woodward became the Astros go-to guy behind the plate. If they needed a catcher to fill in, they felt very comfortable sending Woodward. Because of that, the second year draft pick started his season with a couple of games at AA Corpus Christi and ended it with AAA Fresno, spending time with Tri-City and Quad Cities in between.

By my unofficial count, Woodward caught 43 pitchers in game situations in 2015 and that doesn't even count the extra pitchers who he warmed up or caught bullpens for! I talked to Woodward recently and asked him how a catcher can possibly prepare to catch that many pitchers. He said, "A lot of it's just a process. I think you just have to enjoy it too. I love going up and talking to people and getting to know them and seeing what they like and what they like throwing in what counts, what their best pitch is, what they want.

But at the same time, all that preparation is good, but you have to be able to make in-game adjustments. Just being confident and instilling confidence in your pitcher and knowing maybe his changeup isn't working today; we have to use something else. Just being able to make in-game adjustments on the fly is extremely important. Simply communicating."

Woodward continued, "If you ask guys, they know what they want, what they want to do in (a given) situation. At the end of the day, I'm putting it down, but they're going to throw what they want, so you just have to be able to trust them and (be) prepared for any situation because you've done your homework."

Woodward felt right at home following his call-up to Fresno in late August. Having gone to college there, he still has many friends in the area and lived with a former Fresno State teammate's family. Friends, familiar faces and homecooked meals made the transition easier.

But going straight from Quad Cities to Fresno was a little overwhelming for Woodward at first. "I was in the bullpen warming up Joe Thatcher who has pitched seven years in the big leagues and, sure enough, the phone rings and they say, 'You're catching next inning.' And my heart started pounding. I started having a little mini heart attack because 24 hours before I was catching a game in Low A and now I'm catching a guy who's pitched seven years and I'm trying to stay composed and get my mind right. Dan Straily pulled me aside and (said), 'Don't get nervous and don't mess up!' And he kind of pushes me out of the dugout. And I'm (thinking), 'Oh, this is awesome, great, not like I'm any more nervous now.'"

Woodward continued, "So it was kind of fun. They razzed me a little bit, but then right after that first inning, they came up and gave me love and made me feel like a big part of the team. Once that first inning got out of the way, everything was smooth sailing. Hey it's just baseball. Slow the game down. And it was a lot easier to transition after that."

Woodward also credits teammate and fellow catcher Tyler Heineman with helping him. Of Heineman, he said, "He's got one of the biggest hearts. He was always looking out for me. Obviously, the jump from Low A to AAA was huge, and he helped with the transitioning, making sure I stayed calm, helped me communicate with the pitchers. I think he did a really good job of making the transition easier. (We) are similar type players so it was nice to pick his brain and see what he does as far as approach at the plate, how he catches, how the game is called differently between the levels. He helped tremendously. He took me under his wing."

Woodward caught a handful of games in the regular season, but never got into a postseason game as Fresno rode all the way to the National Championship with Heineman behind the plate. But he was still a valuable part of the team, warming up the bullpen pitchers and being ready just in case. Woodward was very grateful for the opportunity. "The fact that they needed a guy [when Max Stassi was recalled to Houston] and they thought about me means a lot. And when the (regular) season ended and they left me there, that they were confident enough that if something happened to Heineman, I'd be able to get the job done meant a lot as well."

During the offseason, Woodward was among a group of eight Astros farm hands invited to spend two weeks in the Dominican Republic, along with Alex Bregman, Jason Martin, Mott Hyde, Jamie Ritchie, Akeem Bostick, Brock Dykxhoorn and Thomas Eshelman (who was subsequently traded). They toured the area and worked out with the young Dominican Summer League Astros at the Astros facility there.

Woodward will carry with him a memory of a toddler he encountered in San Pedro, a young boy under two years old. He said, "It touched my heart because I have a nephew who's a year old and I can't imagine my nephew being in that situation ... dirty, no shoes, walking on rocks. It just kind of hit home because of my family background.

I handed him a piece of bubblegum. We go through a whole bunch of bubblegum during a game and I gave this kid a piece of bubblegum and it was amazing how he lit up. He was so ecstatic. I literally made his day. It's something that we take for granted. It's not something that we completely understand. A piece of bubblegum is no big deal to us, but it made his day. It was super powerful and moving."

Woodward was also moved by the poverty he saw, by seeing children the age of his younger brothers cleaning shoes for the equivalent of five cents. "I was sitting here taking it all in, but I try not to have a heavy heart seeing that side of a country. You understand more about the culture and the opportunity that baseball presents for young boys in the Dominican Republic and why they are so driven and why they have such strong work ethics, just because it's an opportunity for a better life," said Woodward.

At the Astros complex in Santo Domingo, Woodward enjoyed his time spent with the Dominican players, many of whom were only 16 to 18 years old, working out, hanging out, playing baseball and ping pong and just trying to relate and communicate. Woodward and the rest of the group took Spanish classes while they were there which helped them understand what it is like for the Latin players when they come to the States. "We (learned) how it is to be in an unfamiliar place, not speaking the language, But no matter what language you speak ... you were welcomed with warmth and a big smile," said Woodward.

That brought us to the topic of catcher/pitcher communications when the two don't share a native language. Woodward told me, " The Astros do a really good job of preparing the guys by helping them with English, but it's one thing that I do take pride in. I want to make sure that I can communicate because you really can't trust someone if you don't know them. So I have Rosetta Stone. I'm working on my Spanish to get better at it so I can communicate with them (and) build trust."

Woodward continued, "But there's baseball talk and there's off-the-field talk. You don't want to just be able to relate to someone on the field, but you want to relate to them off the field and find out what makes them happy, what makes them tick. The Astros do a great job, but that's something that I want to make sure that I can communicate and relate with them and connect with them on a personal level and not just on a professional level."

Woodward saw (and caught) a lot of talented players in 2015. During the course of our conversation, he singled out David Paulino's electric fastball, Chris Devenski's major league changeup and Dean Deetz's incredible slider off the top of his head. But he also noted that there are many pitchers in the organization who may not have plus-plus pitch repertoires. "They don't throw 95. They throw 90-93 and they have good command. They have good offspeed pitches so they can have success because pitching is all about keeping guys off balance. They don't have that filthy slider. They don't have that incredible changeup," said Woodward, citing RHP Keegan Yuhl as an example of a pitcher who has ridden his impeccable command to great success in his first two professional seasons.

I knew in my heart of hearts, though, who Woodward's favorite pitcher to catch in 2015 was and I put him on the spot. Was it OF Andrew Aplin? Woodward laughed and responded, "Without a doubt!" And then he proceeded to tell me the story of Andrew Aplin's pitching debut in late August.

The game wasn't exactly a blow out, but the Grizzlies were losing and were in the midst of playing 16 straight games. Tony DeFrancesco had already used four pitchers in the game, so it fell to outfielder Andrew Aplin to help save his bullpen that night. "Aplin came in and is pitching and sure enough, the first batter he faces is Alex Gordon (of the Kansas City Royals). Alex Gordon was down on a rehab assignment. We weren't allowed to call anything but fastballs. I wanted to get creative and mix in a cutter or a changeup, but there's no way they were going to let that happen. We're pretty much pumping fastballs up there and sure enough, he gets Alex Gordon to fly out to centerfield, pop up to centerfield, and gets out of the inning 1,2,3," said Woodward.

Woodward continued, "But my favorite part is that at the end of the game, we got him (the ball for) his first out as a pitcher and Aplin got Alex Gordon to sign it. I thought that was a real cool thing. First professional out as a pitcher, he's a position player and it just so happened to be against the World Series champion for the season in Alex Gordon. I can't tell you much about his stuff, but he competed like no other. He had a lot of heart out there."

2015 was one big adventure for Woodward. He knows that a repeat of AAA to start the 2016 season probably isn't in the cards for him, but he also knows that sometimes you have to create your own opportunities. He may have been sent to Fresno in late 2015 as a warm body, an emergency backup, but he gave it everything he had. He wants the Astros to think of him again anytime they have a need.

Woodward knows that where he starts the 2016 season is out of his control. "We can't control a lot of things in this game, but I can control how my attitude is and how my effort level is ... being a good teammate and going out there and getting the job done and performing. I've just got to go out there, be ready for Spring Training and, wherever they place me, play my butt off and see where it goes."

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Thank you for your time, Trent, and best of luck in the new season.

Tweet of the Day

I'm going to invent teleportation. Or super fast jet packs. Who wants in? #BusRideThoughts

— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) August 16, 2015

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@jferre72 @Twoodward_3 @_drewferguson pic.twitter.com/soXLKwk4E4

— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) August 6, 2015

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@Twoodward_3 pic.twitter.com/d00GV7rqf9

— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) July 19, 2015

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You don't know what a long train is until you've been to Iowa.

— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) July 9, 2015

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How about a Homerun Derby with Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Joey Gallo, Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa and Joc Pederson. #23UnderClub

— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) June 19, 2015

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One day things are going to change. I don't want to look back and say I should of tried harder. Enjoy every second while you can!

— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) June 17, 2015

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I will never get too old for super hero movies. Avengers: Age of Ultron was awesome!!!

— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) May 2, 2015

Tweet of the Day

The Angels are about to pay Josh Hamilton $68 Million dollars to play against them. In the same division. For no prospects in return. Bold.
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) April 25, 2015

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I would take a tough day at the ball park over an easy day at work!!!
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) March 27, 2015

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As long as travel ball and year round throwing is going on, every year will be the "Year of Tommy John". Parents need to get educated.
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) March 26, 2015

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What I would do for good Wifi right about now...
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) March 19, 2015

Tweet of the Day

Wake up. Eat. Baseball. Eat. How I Met Your Mother. Spa. Sleep. Repeat. #SpringTrainingLife
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) March 12, 2015

Tweet of the Day

The more you think you know, the less you truly know. Be open minded and try to see other people's perspective. #KnowledgeIsPower
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) March 3, 2015

Tweet of the Day

Bae is riding Shotgun!!! #SafetyFirst #NewWood #ISwingTrinity pic.twitter.com/gxX7qU7Cec
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) February 21, 2015

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Feb. 12 and its 90 degrees!! Now this is baseball weather!
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) February 12, 2015

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5 baseball players at a driving range. Yeah... The golf community probably frowns upon us! Haha
— Trent Woodward (@Twoodward_3) February 8, 2015