Happy Birthday - 7/2

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

RHP Troy Scribner (24)
Scribner was born July 2, 1991 in Washington Depot, Connecticut, and was signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent in June 2013. He attended Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Scribner is currently playing for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks.

Troy Scribner - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (21)
Dykxhoorn was born July 2, 1994 in Goderich, Ontario, Canada, and was drafted by the Astros in the 6th round in 2014 out of Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Arizona. Dykxhoorn is playing for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Salt Lake 3, Fresno 2

W- Steven Hensley (1-0)
L- Kevin Chapman (1-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

Once again, Fresno got some runs late, only to see Salt Lake walk off with a win. Joe Sclafani's error allowed Alfredo Marte to score the winning run in the 9th.

They were kept off the scoreboard until the top of the 9th, when L.J. Hoes ripped an RBI double to make it a 1-run game, one of his 5 hits on the night. After Jon Singleton was intentionally walked to load the bases and Matt Duffy became a strikeout victim, Preston Tucker tied the game at 2 with an RBI single. Unfortunately, Hoes was thrown out at home trying to score the go-ahead run.

Dan Straily went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Richard Rodriguez was the first man out; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 3 innings of relief. Kevin Chapman was saddled with the loss; the walk-off run was unearned. He allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings.

In tonight's game, Alex White takes the mound. First pitch is at 5:35 Pacific.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks are in Frisco, where they'll play 4 games. In game 1, Mark Appel will take on Jake Thompson at 7:05.

Lancaster 5, Rancho Cucamonga 3

W- Troy Scribner (1-0)
L- Scott Barlow (1-1)
S- Chris Cotton (2)

Lancaster home runs: Chase McDonald (4, 2-run in 6th)

The JetHawks only scored in 1 inning, but that was enough for them to get the win. All 5 of their runs came in the 6th inning, and their lead held up despite allowing 2 runs in the 8th.

Troy Scribner was awesome in his 5 innings; he allowed a run on a wild pitch/strikeout, walked 1, and struck out 9. The only hit he allowed was a single to Tyler Ogle to lead off the 2nd. Evan Grills tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 3, and striking out 1. Chris Cotton closed it out, striking out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Brian Holberton kicked things off in that big 6th inning with a single. Jack Mayfield followed by reaching on an error on a force out attempt, and they both advanced a base on a Brett Phillips sac bunt. Chan-Jong Moon tied the game with an RBI single. After J.D. Davis struck out for the 2nd out, A.J. Reed put Lancaster ahead with a 2-run double. Chase McDonald delivered the haymaker in the form of a 2-run home run, his 4th of the campaign. Moon finished 2-4.

The JetHawks return to The Hangar tonight as they welcome the Modesto Nuts for a 4-game set. Blaine Sims will take on Harrison Musgrave at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 6, Peoria 2

W- Joe Musgrove (3-0)
L- Austin Gomber (1-2)

QC home runs: Jake Nottingham (3, 2-run in 2nd), Ryan Bottger (1, solo in 4th), Jorge Martinez (2, 2-run in 5th)

The Banditos busted out the heavy artillery in this matinee as 5 of their 6 runs came off of the three home runs you see above. Alex Hernandez hit a double in the 6th for the only non-home run RBI. Kristian Trompiz finished 2-4 with a run scored; he's now on a 5-game hitting streak, and it's also the 3rd consecutive game in which he's recorded 2 hits. Mott Hyde went 0-2, but he drew 2 walks and scored 2 runs.

Joe Musgrove turned in another fine performance on the mound; he threw 5.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9, which tied a career-high he set last July 16 against Aberdeen. The two relievers, Keegan Yuhl and Ryan Thompson, finished it off with 3.1 perfect frames. Yuhl struck out 1 in 1.1, and The Closer fanned 2 in 2.

Quad Cities looks for the sweep as Austin Chrismon takes on Daniel Poncedeleon at 7.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Chan-Jong Moon, IF, Lancaster

2-4, game-tying RBI single in 6th, R

2.

Chase McDonald, 1B/DH, Lancaster

1-4, 2-R HR (4)

1. 

View image | gettyimages.com

L.J. Hoes, OF, Fresno
5-5, RBI 2B in 9th, R

Three Stars: Pitchers

3. 

Richard Rodriguez, RHP, Fresno

3 IP, H, BB, 2 K

2. 

Joe Musgrove, RHP, Quad Cities

W (3-0), 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 earned), BB, 9 K

1. 

Troy Scribner, RHP, Lancaster

W (1-0), 5 IP, H, ER, BB, 9 K

Honorable Mentions

- Keegan Yuhl and Ryan Thompson shut it down for Quad Cities.
- Kristian Trompiz is holding his own as the youngest regular in the River Bandits lineup.
- It's been a slow start for A.J. Reed, but he's got a hit in 6 of his last 7 games. Given his track record, expect him to really turn it on soon.
- After getting bombarded in his late-season cameo in Lancaster last season, Chris Cotton has absolutely shackled the California League so far.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, April 12, 2015

Las Vegas 8, Fresno 7

W- Hansel Robles (1-0)
L- Kevin Chapman (0-1)
S- Cody Satterwhite (1)

Fresno home runs: Matt Duffy (1, 2-run in 1st)

The Grizzlies rallied to make it a 1-run game and had the bases loaded with one out in the 9th, but... no cigar. And so, they had to settle for the split.

Matt Duffy's 2-run blast in the 1st opened up the scoring. In the 6th, Preston Tucker hit an RBI single, and Matt Dominguez ripped a 2-run double. Fresno got plenty of traffic in the 9th as Joe Sclafani singled and advanced to 3rd on a Jon Singleton double. One batter later, Duffy brought them both home with a 2-run single. Tucker drew a walk, and then Max Stassi was hit by a pitch (on his head... again) to load the bases. Unfortunately, Alex Presley grounded into the game-ending double play. Sclafani finished 2-3 and scored 3 runs. Singleton was 2-5 with that double and scored twice. Duffy and Presley also went 2-5.

Luis Cruz went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (all on home runs) on 4 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 1, and struck out 5. Darin Downs allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 6th. Kevin Chapman was charged with the loss; he got 2 outs in the 7th, but allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jason Stoffel came on and faced a bases-loaded situation in the 7th; he allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Chapman to score. Stoffel walked 2 and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. Jordan Jankowski allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the 9th inning.

In the second leg of their season-opening homestand, the Grizzlies are hosting Salt Lake for 4 games. In game 1, Brady Rodgers will face Zach Stewart at 6:35 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Tulsa 0

W- Lance McCullers (1-0)
L- Jeremy Kehrt (0-1)

CC home runs: Telvin Nash (2, solo in 3rd)

4 games, 4 wins for the Hooks. 4 pitchers collaborated on the first Hooks shutout of the year.

Conrad Gregor and Teoscar Hernandez led off the 2nd with a single and a walk, respectively. Gregor came around to score the game's first run on a Leo Heras single. One batter later, Teoscar scored on a Brandon Meredith single. Telvin Nash homered for the 2nd straight game; this one was a solo shot in the 3rd. Meredith, who finished 2-4, brought home the final run of the afternoon with an RBI double in the 6th inning. Leo Heras and Tony Kemp also finished 2-4. Carlos Correa went 0-5, but he stole his first base of the season.

Lance McCullers was solid in his AA debut, and he brought the heat too; he was clocked as high as 99 with his fastball. He allowed 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 7 over 5 shutout innings. Travis Ballew tagged in for 2 innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 3. Dan Minor, in his season debut, worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 8th, and Tyson Perez finished it off with a 1-2-3 9th inning.

In the middle game of this series, Mike Hauschild will face Matt Shelton at 7:05.

Lancaster 2, San Jose 1

W- Frederick Tiburcio (1-0)
L- Mason McVay (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks got the split to begin the year; both of their wins came in walk-off fashion via RBI singles. Both teams traded sacrifice flies in the 2nd inning; the JetHawks got theirs courtesy of Jose Fernandez. Jobduan Morales delivered the game-winner in the bottom of the 9th after he had gone 0-3, striking out in all 3 of his trips to the plate. Chan-Jong Moon went 2-4 with a double, and Chase McDonald finished 2-3 with a run scored and a walk.

Troy Scribner has put up some gaudy numbers since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He had an outstanding 2015 debut as he allowed just 1 run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 over 6 innings. Tyler Brunnemann was the first man out; he allowed a hit and walked 2 over 2.1 scoreless. Those 2 walks came in the top of the 9th, which brought about Frederick Tiburcio's entrance. He immediately gave up a single to Austin Slater, which loaded the bases. However, Tiburcio extricated himself from that pickle by striking out Tyler Horan and Brian Ragira to end the threat. And, when Morales came through, he got the win.

Lancaster will now host Stockton for 3 games. In the opener, Adrian Houser will take on Lou Trivino at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Clinton 2

W- Austin Chrismon (1-0)
L- Patrick Peterson (0-1)

QC home runs: Jake Nottingham (1, solo in 5th)

The Banditos won their first game in front of their home crowd as they broke out for 5 runs in the 5th.

Jake Nottingham started it all off in that inning with a home run. Bobby Boyd, D.J. Fisher, and Nick Tanielu followed with RBI singles, and Tanielu wound up scoring on an error. Nottingham led off the 6th with a double, and after making his way around the bases, he'd score on a sac fly from Boyd. Alfredo Gonzalez scored on a balk in the 8th. Nottingham wound up finishing a triple shy of the cycle, and Boyd went 2-3 with his first stolen base of the season.

Austin Chrismon was excellent in his 6 innings; after giving up singles to the first 2 batters of the game, which Clinton got a sac fly out of, he went on a roll, retiring 18 of the final 19 batters he faced. Those 2 singles were the only hits he allowed in 6 innings, and that run was unearned. Chrismon walked 1 and struck out 3. Eric Peterson, whose twin brother, Patrick, was the starting pitcher for Clinton in this game, was the first man out of the bullpen, and he allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1 in 2 innings. Ryan Thompson worked around a hit to finish off the game, striking out 2 in the 9th.

Game 2 of this series features Brock Dykxhoorn on the mound for the River Bandits. He'll face Lukas Schiraldi at 7:00.


Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Bobby Boyd, OF, Quad Cities

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

2. 

Jake Nottingham, C, Quad Cities

3-4 (triple shy of the cycle), HR (1)

1. 

Matt Duffy, 3B, Fresno

2-5, 2-R HR (1), 4 RBI

Three Stars: Pitchers

Ooh, tough decision. Once again, I find myself unable to rank 3 outstanding mound performances. So, once again, the #1 star for pitchers will go to all three Three Stars candidates: Austin Chrismon, Troy Scribner, and Lance McCullers.

Austin Chrismon, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-0); 6 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 3 K

Troy Scribner, RHP, Lancaster

6 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 8 K

Lance McCullers, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0); 5 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Honorable Mentions


- Frederick Tiburcio getting himself, and Tyler Brunnemann, out of a hazardous situation by getting the final 2 outs of the 9th via strikeout.
- Joe Sclafani has done nothing but perform since entering the organization, and he's continuing to make the most of his opportunities.
- Jobduan Morales was having a rough afternoon, but he pulled himself together and delivered the game-winning hit.
- Chase McDonald played all 4 games in the San Jose series and recorded 2 hits in 3 of them.
- Travis Ballew, Dan Minor, and Tyson Perez helped finish off Tulsa by keeping them off the scoreboard.
- Jon Singleton played in all 4 games of the Vegas series and got a hit in all of them. His struggles in Houston last year were well-documented, but we haven't heard the last of him. He can still be a contributor to the Astros.

An Interview with Astros RHP Troy Scribner

When I saw RHP Troy Scribner at Tri-City at the end of July, I knew that I had lucked out in getting the opportunity to talk with him. The way he was pitching for the 'Cats to that point (0.77 ERA/0.788 WHIP and 12BB:57K in 47IP) told me that he wouldn't be there much longer. Indeed, after just one more start for Tri-City and he was promoted to Quad Cities.

If you've read my other interviews from my Tri-City trip, you will have noted that everyone I spoke with raved about what Scribner did there. Manager Ed Romero was no different in his praise, "Scribner has been outstanding. He's got good control and good command. He's got the good curveball and changeup. And he can throw for strikes. He's got good poise on the mound. He's very polished." Romero repeated, "He's been outstanding."

I had met Scribner very briefly earlier this season when he was called upon to help out the Corpus Christi pitching staff back in April. After seeing how quiet and reserved he was at the AA club, I was a little bit surprised by his very outgoing demeanor in Tri-City. He is a very confident young man with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

Scribner was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2013 after graduating from Sacred Heart. When I asked if he had been injured or if there were other factors involved in his not having been drafted, he bristled at the question somewhat and left me with the impression of someone who has something to prove and will use the fact that he wasn't drafted as motivation to succeed.

Troy Scribner - April 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

It turns out that he was very successful at Sacred Heart and ended up being just another senior sign with no leverage. Of his college experience he told me, "It was really great. I loved college. The baseball part of college was really successful (2.59 ERA and 1.000 WHIP, 17BB:90K in 83.1IP his senior year). I had a really good career there and I pitched a ton, pitched really well and had a great time for four years. Got to graduate and go to school. Did everything I planned on doing."

I asked Scribner what he had been told about that assignment to Corpus in April, "They told me they had some sore arms so I was just going to go and help to give some of the guys some rest because there were some injuries up there." He assumed that the assignment was temporary, "You don't usually have a guy go from rookie ball straight to Corpus Christi so I knew it wasn't going to be permanent." When I mentioned that he definitely held his own at the AA level, he responded, "I had to. Get the opportunity so I had to take advantage of it."

He also benefited from working with Corpus Christi interim Pitching Coach Doug Brocail. According to Scribner, "I had a lot of fun there and he's a phenomenal coach. He made some really drastic changes in my game so I owe him a lot."

Scribner attributes some of his 2014 success to being given the opportunity to start this season, "When I came in [this season], they were wanting me to start. That's not something I've had set in stone since I've been here. I got the chance to start, have a role throughout the whole summer. Every start I just take it upon myself to do the best that I can. It's been successful as of late. I've been hitting my spots and being consistent so it's been pretty good so far."

Of his pitch repertoire, Scribner told me, "I have a fastball, a curveball and a changeup. Upper 80's 4-seam fastball. Curveball is [around] 70-75 and change up is [around] 80. Everything works off my fastball. If I don't have that, then none of my other pitches are going to be doing anything. I guess my fastball is my best pitch. Other than that, my changeup has developed into something I can use really, really effectively for strikes, for swing and misses, for weak contact. So that one's been the big difference here." When I told him that fellow Tri-City pitcher Derick Velazquez was very complimentary of his curveball, Scribner responded, "The curveball's good when it's there, but this year, it hasn't been there every game. [Recently], I found it again. I lost it for a couple starts and then I got it back. That's still something I'm trying to get to be more consistent every start. Still working on it."

What does he feel that he needs to do to get to the next level in his development as a pitcher? "Just fine-tuning all my pitches. Every game, there's been a couple of at-bats where I lose a guy, get one or two walks a game, so I'm just trying to eliminate those from my game. That's more of a focus thing. It's not getting my pitches physically better; it's just mentally focusing the whole way instead of kind of having a lapse every once in a while. [I'm just working on] honing all my skills and my talent and my pitches to where I can get success at the next level. That's the plan."

When I asked him if there was a pitcher he had seen in the organization who had a pitch he would like to steal, he didn't pick a specific pitcher, but he does know what he would like to add to his arsenal, "I don't know who throws it in the Astros organization, but I've been working on a cutter. That's something that can complement my game pretty well so I've been working on that. But it's still a long way away."

Which Astros hitter would he least like to face in the batter's box? "I heard Singleton hits pretty well. It looks like he's got a vicious swing. I know he just got called up this year and he's brand new, but he's pretty mean-looking at the plate. I'd probably be pretty scared to face him."

There are several players he enjoyed watching during his time with the ValleyCats. "There's a bunch of guys that I love watching play. I love watching Jamie [Ritchie] catch. Jamie's a really good catcher. He's fun to watch. He's very smooth. And Alex Hernandez, the infielder, he's great to watch. He makes everything look good. He's got good hands. I love watching him play. When A. J. [Reed] was here, I loved watching him hit. He could mash, but he's gone now. [Reed was promoted to Quad Cities shortly before Scribner was.] He's a good hitter."

Who on the team makes him laugh? It turns out that there are several funny guys in the bullpen, "Thompson. Ryan Thompson. He's hilarious. Jordan Mills is funny. Chris Munnelly. We've got a great team this year. It's a really, really good group of guys and they all are really good at making you laugh so a bunch of guys are really funny."

When I asked Scribner to tell me something that most people might not know about him, the baby-faced pitcher responded, "I don't have any facial hair and I'm 23 years old. That's something that not everybody knows." "That's kind of impressive, isn't it?," he joked. Pardon Scribner if he doesn't participate in growing a playoff beard anytime soon.

Personally, I loved the answer I got from Scribner when I asked him what he would do if he couldn't play baseball, "Probably be a rock star, play the drums in a band, travel the world and play music. That would be awesome." When pressed about his drum-playing abilities, he admitted, "I [played] a little bit when I was in high school. That was just to mess around. I was never any good at it. I would love to. It's a ton of fun to play music."

Since Scribner has gotten around the organization a little bit this season, I wanted to know what he thought about the Astros farm system. He replied, "We've got an incredible amount of talent at all levels from the GCL to what I've seen in Corpus. Everybody's really, really talented. A lot of competition. Especially for the pitchers. There are a lot of hard throwers and I've never been a hard thrower so I've got to step up my game to compete with these guys. It's a tough organization to play in the minors for because there's so many players, but it's exciting to see what the future holds for this organization."

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

The impression that Scribner left me with is someone who will likely defy the odds, whether it's a NDFA getting to the major leagues or an aspiring drummer making it with a rock band. And I wouldn't bet against him.

Thank you for your time, Troy, and keep dreaming big!

Happy Birthday - 7/2

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Troy Scribner (23)
Scribner signed with the Astros as a non-drafted free agent in 2013 out of Sacred Heart. In four starts for Tri-City this season, he is 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA and a 0.667 WHIP.

RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (20)
Drafted by the Astros in the 6th round in 2014 out of Central Arizona College, Dykxhoorn only recently started his professional career with the Greeneville Astros. In 3 appearances (4.0 innings), he has a 9.00 ERA and a 2.250 WHIP.

Astros Broadcaster Steve Sparks (49) (50)
[UPDATE: Baseball-Reference is WRONG! Sparky is actually 50 today. I'm sensing an impending Miguel Tejada, lying about his age scandal any moment now!]
Steve Sparks never pitched for the Astros, but he has become an honorary Astro as he first provided analysis for the Astros on FSN before becoming a radio announcer  for the team. When he did pitch, he was a knuckleballer ... according to baseball, only one of seven true knuckleballers in the 21st century. His career was temporarily sidetracked when he hurt his shoulder trying to tear a phonebook in half.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 25, 2014

Nashville 5, Oklahoma City 3

W- Mike Fiers (4-0)
L- Jake Buchanan (1-2)

OKC home runs: Kiké Hernandez (1, solo in 4th; 2 season)

The RedHawks offense was mowed down by Mike Fiers, who struck out 10 of them. Kiké Hernandez went 2-4 with a solo homer (1) in the 4th and scored 2 of the 3 OKC runs. They got a pair of RBI groundouts from Robbie Grossman and Ronald Torreyes in the bottom of the 9th. Gregorio Petit went 2-5, and Andy Simunic finished 3-4.

Jake Buchanan went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (all on a homer from Hunter Morris) on 6 hits and struck out 2. 5 relievers pitched an inning each: Darin Downs (5th) gave up a run on 2 hits and struck out the side. Chia-Jen Lo (6th) worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless inning. Ditto for Jason Stoffel (7th), who struck out 1. Kevin Chapman (8th) allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1, and Josh Zeid struck out the side in order in the 9th.

The series continues at 7:05 with Ross Seaton and Nick Tropeano taking on Brad Mills.

Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 4

W- Troy Scribner (1-0)
L- Jerad Eickhoff (1-2)
S- Jorge De Leon (1)

CC home runs: None.

With Jayne in attendance, the Hooks jumped out tot a 6-1 lead, although it got a little close for comfort at the end righ there. I don't know the exact record of all Astros affiliates when she's in attendance, but I'm pretty sure she's the good-luck charm.

The Hooks went all relievers in this one, although the guy that started has done so in the past. Jordan Jankowski got the start as the starting pitchers got an extra day of rest. He went 3 innings and gave up a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. The first man out of the bullpen was Troy Scribner, fresh from Kissimmee. Clearly not fazed from the effects of going straight to the Texas League from extended spring training, Scribner tossed 2 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 1 in the process. The organization's top facial hair prospect, Michael Dimock, was next, and he threw 2 scoreless. He allowed a hit and struck out 1. Pat Urckfitz allowed 2 unearned runs on 2 hits and struck out 1 as he got 2 outs in the 8th, 1 via strikeout. Jorge De Leon did allow an unearned run in the 9th, but was able to get the 4-out save, allowing a hit and striking out 1.

The Hooks got the scoring started in the 1st as Andrew Aplin scored on an error that allowed Preston Tucker to reach. After Frisco tied it with 1 in the top of the 2nd, the Hooks responded with a Tyler Heineman RBI single and a 2-run double from Nolan Fontana. Jio Mier chipped in with a 2-run double of his own in the 6th inning. Preston Tucker and Chris Epps had 2 hits apiece, while Leo Heras was 1-2 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Brady Rodgers will take the mound in game 2 of this series; he'll be opposed by Luke Jackson. First pitch is at 7:10.

Lancaster 6, Rancho Cucamonga 3

W- Kyle Smith (4-0)
L- Geoff Brown (0-1)
S- Lance McCullers (2)

Lancaster home runs: Carlos Perdomo (1, solo in 5th)

The JetHawks were held in check by Clayton Kershaw for 5 innings. Let's see... the reigning Cy Young winner against a Class A Advanced lineup... that's to be expected, right?

Well, someone forgot to tell Carlos Perdomo that. On his 24th birthday, he had both of the JetHawks' hits off Kershaw, including a home run to lead off the 5th (1) that put them on the board, down 2-1. Perdomo was the only player on either side to have a multi-hit game; both teams only had 5 apiece.

After Kershaw exited, they got themselves going and finished on a 6-1 run. Rio Ruiz tied it with a double in the 6th and wound up scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Ruiz wasn't done yet; he drew a bases-loaded walk in the 7th, and Brandon Meredith provided some separation with a 2-run single. In the process, they rocked Julio Urias, the 17-year-old phenom from Mexico who was rated by Baseball America as the Dodgers' #3 prospect.

Kyle Smith fought hard against Kershaw. The result was a very solid outing for him, and he got the W to boot. In 5 innings, Smith gave up 2 runs (both on solo homers), one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 5. Lance McCullers had a bit of a scare, as he slipped on the mound and was favoring his elbow (initially leg) a little in the 9th.

Grounder to McCullers and he slips on the mound and is pain. Looks to be holding his right leg. #JetHawks
— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) April 26, 2014

McCullers said he's fine. Landed on his right elbow and was scared for a second. #JetHawks #Astros
— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) April 26, 2014

At the time of this incident, there was 2 outs in the 9th. He shook it off and got that last out. McCullers went 4 innings and gave up a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3.

Game 3 of this series has Chris Devenski and Josh Hader taking on TBA; the JetHawks game notes has Lindsey Caughel as the starter. First pitch is at 7:05.

Peoria 8, Quad Cities 4

W- Jimmy Reed (1-1)
L- Kent Emanuel (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits were victimized by the multi-run homer in this one; namely the 3-run home run and the grand slam. Peoria only scored in 2 innings, but they put up 4 in both of them.

Brian Holberton went 2-4 and put QC on the board first in the 1st with a 2-run double. James Ramsay hit an RBI single in the top of the 6th, and Conrad Gregor went 3-5 with an RBI double in the 7th. Chan-Jong Moon was 1-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 steals (6).

Kent Emanuel went 4 innings and gave up 4 unearned runs on 5 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 3. Chris Cotton allowed a grand slam and struck out 2 in the 5th. Jandel Gustave allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 in 2 scoreless, and Tyler Brunnemann struck out the side in order in the 8th.

In the middle game of this series, Michael Feliz and Evan Grills will face Silfredo Garcia at 1:00.

Three Stars: Pitchers

3. Corpus FNGs

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Troy Scribner, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0), 2 IP, H, 2 BB, K

Michael Dimock, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, H, K

2. Striking out the side in order

Photo courtesy of John Whinery (greenevilleastrosphotos)

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP, Quad Cities

IP, 3 K

Josh Zeid, RHP, Oklahoma City

IP, 3 K

1.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Kyle Smith, RHP, Lancaster

W (4-0), 5 IP, 3 H (2 solo HRs), 2 ER, BB, 5 K

Lance McCullers, RHP, Lancaster

Save (2), 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Brian Holberton, C, Quad Cities
2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

2.

Enrique Hernandez, 2B/OF, Oklahoma City

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

1.

Carlos Perdomo, SS, Lancaster

2-4, solo HR (1)

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

Apparently, there are a number of roster moves coming down today. I will update this post as I find out more information. Here is what I know right now.

Corpus Christi
3B Matt Duffy assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
LHP Sergio Escalona placed on the restricted list (suspended for 50 games for violating MLB's Drug program)
1B Zach Johnson released
IF Raoul Torrez assigned from Oklahoma City to Corpus Christi
SS Jio Mier placed on the 7-day DL

Lancaster
RHP Jordan Jankowski assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
OF Dan Gulbransen assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster

Quad Cities
RHP Juri Perez released
RHP Patrick Christensen assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities
2B Tony Kemp assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities
RHP Zach Morton assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities

Tri-City
3B/1B Tyler White assigned from Greeneville to Tri-City
RHP Tyler Brunnemann assigned from Greeneville to Tri-City
RHP Troy Scribner assigned from Greeneville to Tri-City

Greeneville
LHP Kevin Ferguson assigned from GCL to Greeneville

Roster Moves

Aside from spot starters Bobby Doran, Brady Rodgers and David Rollins returning to their respective clubs after having very successful spot starts, there are two additional roster moves to report.

Greeneville
RHP Troy Scribner was promoted to Greeneville from the GCL and it is easy to see why. In eight appearances, he has a 1.26 ERA and a 0.663 WHIP. He has only walked three in 28.2 innings while striking out 42!!!

DSL Astros
LHP Starlyng Sanchez was assigned to the DSL club. I know nothing about him other than the fact that he will be 19 next week.

[UPDATED TO ADD] It was reported this morning that the Astros traded closer Jose Veras to the Detroit Tigers for OF prospect Danry Vasquez and a PTBNL. The 19-year old Vasquez was ranked in the top five of Detroit prospects by most pundits going in to the 2013 season. According to Brian McTaggart, Vasquez will report to Quad Cities.

[ALSO ADDED] The Astros transaction page shows that they have signed RHP Justin Hess out of Georgia Southern as a NDFA. He has been assigned to the GCL Astros.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Saturday's Games

Greeneville Astros 11, Johnson City Cardinals 10 (10)
This game was the opposite of a pitchers' duel and Greeneville took advantage of four opposing errors, seven hits and nine walks to come out on top. They have now won nine games in a row. The Astros used five pitchers in their game Saturday and no one worked longer than two and two-thirds. Starter Enderson Franco pitched one and two-thirds and after a 1-2-3 first, gave up a hit and walked four in the second to be charged with four runs. The win went to Tyler Brunnemann (2-0) after taking the hill for the final two innings. Brunnemann hit two batters and threw a wild pitch, but didn't give up any hits and struck out two. Brian Holberton (1X3 2R HR RBI 2BB) and Juan Santana (2X5 R HR 3RBI 2SO) both homered in the game while Tyler White (1X3 2R 2RBI 2BB) collected a couple RBIs, including the go ahead run in the 10th. Tanner Mathis (1X5 2R BB) stole second twice on Saturday.

GCL Yankees1 2, GCL Astros 1

The Astros only allowed three hits to their opponents outside of the first inning but still lost this one at home. Troy Scribner (3-1) went six innings in his start before picking up his first loss. Scribner was charged with two runs (1ER) on five hits and struck out ten. Brett Booth went two-for-four at the plate with a double, a strikeout, stole a base and scored the Astros' only run in the fourth.

Hudson Valley Renegades 7, Tri-City Valley Cats 5
Tri-City was in control of this game until the seventh inning when they allowed five runs to score, four of which were unearned. Randall Fant took the mound to start and threw five innings, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out one. Zach Morton entered in the seventh and finished the game, becoming the owner of the five runs (1ER) that upset the Valley Cats on Saturday after two errors, three hits, a HBP and a passed ball all occurred in the seventh. Morton (1-1) would retire the last seven batters of the game in order. Michael Martinez went three-for-four in the game and put the Tri-City on the board in the first with a two-out, two-run homer, finishing with three RBI. James Ramsay went two-for-three, scored a run, walked and collected an RBI.  

Quad Cities River Bandits 3, Lake County Captains 5
Chris Devenski had a rough outing from the get go on Saturday. Before leaving the first inning, Lake County had already connected for two home runs and a couple doubles, good for four scores. Devenski (0-2) pitched four innings and left with five runs on nine hits, a walk and seven strikeouts along the way. Quad Cities hit a pair of homers of their own on Saturday: Teoscar Hernandez (1X4 R HR RBI) put the River Bandits on the board in the sixth with a solo shot and Luis Alvarez (3X4 R HR RBI SO) followed suit in the seventh. Rio Ruiz didn't hit any homeruns but did finish two-for-four with an RBI.

Lancaster JetHawks 3, Bakersfield Blaze 6
Lancaster was down five runs before they scored one of their own Saturday and that momentum proved to be a little too much to hurdle. Brady Rogers (8-6) threw the first five innings and tallied five runs on seven hits and a walk through the third inning before retiring the final eight batters he faced. Rogers K-ed four. Five JetHawks had multi-hit games and Delino DeShields (3X5 R 2B) topped them all with three hits. DeShields also stole two bases. Matt Duffy (2X3 R HR 2RBI) hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, good for Lancaster's first score of the game. Chris Epps (2X4 R), Carlos Perdomo (2X4) and Ryan McCurdy (2X4 SO) were the other three players with two hits.   

Frisco RoughRiders 1, Corpus Christi Hooks 9
The Hooks scored first and scored often on Saturday, collecting all nine of their runs before finally allowing one to Frisco in the seventh. Nick Tropeano (4-7) pitched the first seven innings and conceded the only opposing run on four hits, walked one and struck out five during his shift. Max Stassi had just one hit in three at bats, a two-run shot in the fifth—his ninth homer of the year—and accumulated three RBI. Erik Castro (3X4 2R 2B 3RBI) hit three-for-four and hit three RBI of his own while Jonathan Meyer (2X5 2R RBI SO) and Rene Garcia (2X5 R SO) had two hits apiece.    

Oklahoma City RedHawks 8, Memphis Redbirds 1
Oklahoma City too, collected all of their runs before finally allowing one in the seventh. Jake Buchanan (2-2) was on the mound for the scoreless, first six innings of the game and would earn the win, allowing five hits, four walks while striking out five. The RedHawks hit twice as many times as their opponents in the game (14-7) and Robbie Grossman (5X5 2R 3B RBI) had more than a third of their hits, finishing five-for-five on Saturday. Marwin Gonzalez (2X5 2B RBI), Jimmy Paredes (2X5 R) and Carlos Perez (2X4 R 2RBI 2SO) combined, have just one more hit than Grossman on the day. Just because "5X5" is fun to look at, here's the box:

Player of the Day: Robbie "The Machine" Grossman had a tremendous game at the plate yesterday and deserves the honors today. Even though it was an eight run game with no homers, Grossman found a way to include some fireworks. Great game.

Pitcher of the Day: I am going against convention today and giving it to a couple of guys who lost on Saturday but still stuck it out. First, Troy Scribner did take a loss Saturday, but he also regained his composure after two runs scored in the first to strike out the last three batters of the inning—the first of his 10 Ks in the game. Second, there is Tri-City's Zach Morton who entered the game yesterday to scoring as well and left having retired the last seven in order. Both of these guys faced adversity Saturday and overcame it, maybe not on the scoreboard, but right out there on the mound.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Thursday's Games

Oklahoma City over New Orleans 2-1
Brad Peacock (6IP 3H 1R 1BB 7SO) pitched a beauty of a start for his fourth RedHawks win, with a solo home run the only blemish on his night, and he received three frames of perfect relief from Hector Ambriz, Jose Valdez and Josh Zeid. OKC got just enough offense with one run scoring in the third on a George Springer (2x4 RBI SB) single driving in Robbie Grossman (2x3 BB R SB) and the second and final run coming in as Che-Hsuan Lin singled, took third on an error and scored on a wild pitch.

Springfield over Corpus Christi 2-1
R.J. Alaniz (2H 3BB 4SO) pitched seven shutout innings, only to see his lead evaporate as Pat Urckfitz and Jorge de Leon gave up home runs in the eighth and ninth respectively. The Hooks only managed one run in the fourth as Rene Garcia (2x4 2B RBI) singled in Drew Muren. Erik Castro had the only other extra base hit, a double.

Lancaster over Inland Empire 10-5
Starter Luis Cruz (6H 1R 1BB 5SO) cruised through five and two-thirds innings before allowing his only run of the game. The bullpen, in the form of Cameron Lamb and T.J. Geith, scuffled a bit in the eighth, allowing three runs across in the frame before Travis Ballew came in to put out the fire. Ballew gave up one run of his own in the ninth. The 'Hawks scored early, powered in large part by a three-run home run from Telvin Nash (3x5 BB 4RBI 2R) in the first and played add-on through the game, culminating in a three runs scored with two outs in the ninth as the 'Hawks took advantage of a throwing error and two wild pitches from Inland Empire pitcher Michael Johnson. Delino DeShields was three-for-five and scored two runs. DeShields has been en fuego, hitting .480 over his last six games and stealing seven bases. In addition, he turned an unassisted double play in the ninth inning last night. Similarly, Nolan Fontana appears to be back on top of his game. He went two-for-three with a double, three walks, an RBI and scored two runs. Andrew Aplin and M.P. Cokinos were both one-for-five with a walk, two RBI and a run scored, and Aplin stole a base as well. Chris Epps was two-for-four with a double and a walk.

Kane County over Quad Cities 7-4
Starter Juan Minaya (3IP 4H 3R 4BB 2SO) took the loss, but neither Mitch Lambson (3IP 3H 2R 0BB 2SO) nor Jamaine Cotton (2IP 4H 2R 0BB 2SO HR) had very effective outings either. The Bandits put up one in the second on a Jobduan Morales bases loaded walk and one more in the second as Jesse Wierzbicki (3x4 RBI R SB) singled in Teoscar Hernandez (2x5 2B 2RBI R). The final two runs came in the ninth on a Hernandez two-run double.

Lowell over Tri-City 4-2
I can't give you much of an eyewitness account of this one as travel delays kept me from getting to the game until the bottom of the fifth. Starter Kevin Comer (3.1 6H 3R 2BB 5SO) was long gone by the time I got there, replaced by Charles Basford (1.2IP 2H). I did, however, get to see Evan Grills pitch two and two-thirds innings (3H 1R). The lefty worked quickly and got one ground ball out after another with great defense behind him. Richard Rodriquez pitched a perfect final one and a third. The 'Cats weren't able to string together enough hits to overcome. James Ramsay was two-for-four with a run; Chan Moon was two-for-three with a stolen base; and Ernesto Genoves was one-for-three with an RBI sac fly. I hope to bring Mark Appel and the 'Cats better luck in tonight's game.

Greeneville over Bristol 2-1
Sebastian Kessay (1H 2SO) pitched the first inning for the Astros and was followed by five terrific innings from lefty Christopher Lee (2H 0R 0BB 7SO). Krishawn Holley allowed the only run (unearned) in the seventh. Tyler Brunneman (1IP 1H) and J.D. Osbourne (1IP 2SO) rounded things out. The Astros made the most of only four hits, scoring in the fourth on a Bobby Borchering home run and in the seventh on an RBI single from Darwin Rivera scoring Tanner Mathis. Jack Mayfield was one-for-three with a double and a walk.

GCL Astros over GCL Yankees 3-1 in 9 innings (Completion of 7/3 suspended game)
Joe Bircher got his second rehab start (pitching on 7/3 before the game was suspended), allowing one unearned run on one hit while striking out three in two and a third innings. Ambiorix de Leon (5.2IP 2H 1BB 6SO) picked up when the game resumed and earned his first win of the season. Erick Gonzalez pitched the ninth to earn his second save. The Astros got on board in the first with an RBI double from Tyler White, added one in the third on a Jean Batista (2x4 R) RBI single in his first rehab appearance, and scored the final run in the sixth on a Yonathan Mejia (2x3) RBI single. Jason Martin was one-for-three with a double, walk and run scored.

GCL Astros over GCL Yankees 5-1 in 7 innings
Another strong starting performance as Agapito Barrios went five innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight before giving way to two perfect innings from Troy Scribner who K'd five of the six batters he faced. The Astros scored two in the first on Yonathan Mejia (2x4 2B 2RBI) and Tyler White RBI singles. Mejia drove in another run on a double in the fourth with the other two runs in that frame coming across courtesy of a fielding error and a balk. Jacob Nottingham was one-for-three with a double and a walk.

DSL Mariners at DSL Astros - Suspended after three innings
The game was suspended with the Astros up 4-0.

Player of the Day: Nolan Fontana appears to be back to being Nolan Fontana (which is a very good thing). In addition to an excellent night at the plate on Thursday, he is hitting .333/.490/.487 with six doubles, 10 RBI and 11 walks in his last 10 games.

Pitchers of the Day: I'm going to do something different today because there were so many outstanding pitching outings so I'm going to recognize several pitchers today ~

Brad Peacock - 6IP 3H 1R 1BB 7SO HR (Peacock is 4-2 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.113 WHIP in 9 outings for OKC)
R.J. Alaniz - 7IP 2H 0R 3BB 4SO
Luis Cruz - 5.2IP 6H 1R 1BB 5SO (Cruz is 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA and a 0.992 WHIP over his last 9 appearances at Lancaster)
Chris Lee - 5IP 2H 0R 0BB 7SO
Agapito Barrios - 5IP 3H 1R 0BB 8SO
Troy Scribner - 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 5SO
Ambiorix de Leon - 5.2IP 2H 0R 1BB 6SO

These pitchers combined for 36 and a third innings with a 0.74 ERA and a 0.661 WHIP. That was an impressive night of pitching!!!

Happy Birthday - 7/2

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Troy Scribner (22)
Scribner recently signed with the Astros as a non-drafted free agent out of Sacred Heart. In three appearances (one start) for the GCL Astros this season, he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.720 WHIP.

Astros Broadcaster Steve Sparks (48)
Steve Sparks never pitched for the Astros, but he has become an honorary Astro as he first provided analysis for the Astros on FSN before becoming a radio announcer  for the team. When he did pitch, he was a knuckleballer ... according to baseball, only one of seven true knuckleballers in the 21st century. His career was temporarily sidetracked when he hurt his shoulder trying to tear a phonebook in half.