Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 21, 2018

Reno 4, Fresno 2

W- Jake Buchanan (3-3)
L- Mike Hauschild (2-4)
S- Silvino Bracho (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies scored twice in the opening inning, but unfortunately, that was all the offensive output they could muster up on Monday.

A.J. Reed hit an RBI single to open the scoring and one batter later, Kyle Tucker scored when Nick Tanielu grounded into a force out. Drew Ferguson finished 3-4 and scored the game's first run, while Jon Kemmer went 2-4.

Mike Hauschild went seven innings and allowed four runs on nine hits, walked two, and struck out three. Reymin Guduan allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out three over two scoreless innings.

Rogelio Armenteros will take on Kris Medlen in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Frisco 7, Corpus Christi 3

W- Wes Benjamin (3-3)
L- Alex Winkelman (1-2)

CC home runs: None.

The latest iteration of the Lone Star Series in the Texas League went to Frisco.

Jamie Ritchie drove in all three Corpus Christi runs in this game; he ripped an RBI double in the 5th and added a two-run triple to his ledger in the 9th. Stephen Wrenn went 2-3 with a double, a stolen base (13), and scored twice.

Alex Winkelman and Framber Valdez both pitched four innings. Winkelman allowed five runs on seven hits (three-run homer), walked two, and struck out six. Framber allowed two runs on a double, one other hit, walked two, and struck out five.

The Hooks are back home and they'll begin a three-game series with Springfield at 7:05. Ryan Hartman is scheduled to get the start for Corpus.

Buies Creek 4, Winston-Salem 1

W- Abdiel Saldaña (5-0)
L- Bernardo Flores (3-3)
S- Jorge Alcala (2)

BC home runs: None.

It was a two-man game at the plate and on the mound for the Carolina Stros. Troy Sieber and Kristian Trompiz were responsible for the offensive production, while Abdiel Saldaña and Jorge Alcala were locked in on the mound.

Abraham Toro (2B, 2 R), Sieber, and Trompiz all finished with two hits on the evening. Sieber hit RBI singles in the 1st and the 5th, while Trompiz had a two-run single in the 3rd. Everyone in the Buies Creek lineup recorded a hit.

Abdiel Saldaña allowed a run on two hits and struck out four in five innings. Jorge Alcala finished it off by allowing a hit, walking one, and striking out seven over the last four innings.

Hector Perez will start game two for Buies Creek and he'll go up against Jimmy Lambert at 7:00 Eastern.

Wisconsin 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Nelson Hernandez (6-2)
L- Yohan Ramirez (3-3)
S- Rodrigo Benoit (4)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams scored in one inning, but the Timber Rattlers scored more in the inning in which they scored.

Quad Cities' lone scoring play came in the 5th when Jake Meyers ripped an RBI double. Meyers and Jonathan Arauz both had two hits out of the top of the order and both of them had a double. Arauz snapped a string of four straight hitless games, so he's looking to get himself back on track.

Yohan Ramirez went five innings and allowed two runs, both coming on solo home runs, six hits, and struck out three in five innings. Cristian Javier mowed down the Rattlers over the last four innings as he allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out nine.

Game two of this series features Leovanny Rodriguez on the mound as he'll be making his first start of 2018. He'll face Dylan File at 11:00 AM.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 4-1 @ Winston-Salem

9 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 11 K

Abdiel Saldaña: W (5-0), 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 K

Jorge Alcala: Save (2), 4 IP, H, BB, 7 K

Troy Sieber, 1B, and Kristian Trompiz, IF, Buies Creek

They both went 2-4 with 2 RBI.

Jamie Ritchie, C, and Stephen Wrenn, OF, Corpus Christi

Ritchie: 2-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI; drove in all three runs for CC

Wrenn: 2-3, 2B, 2 R, SB (13)

Cristian Javier, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, 3 H, BB, 9 K

Reymin Guduan, LHP, Fresno

2 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 4, 2018

Everyone won, it was a good day.

Fresno 11, Sacramento 2

W- Kent Emanuel (3-1)
L- Jose Flores (0-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

After being held for the first four innings, the Grizzlies roared to life and scored the last eleven runs of the night to bury the RiverCats.

Kent Emanuel turned in a solid outing as he allowed two runs on eight hits, walked two, and struck out six in 6.2 innings of work. Buddy Boshers allowed a hit and struck out three in 1.1 innings, and James Hoyt threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out one.

Fresno loaded the bases with two outs in the 5th and came through with three runs. Drew Ferguson got them on the board, but getting plunked with the bases loaded probably wasn't how he envisioned driving in a run. Kyle Tucker followed with a two-run single to put the Grizz in front for good. Garrett Stubbs scored on an error following a Jack Mayfield single in the 6th inning. Tyler White smacked a two-run ground-rule double to spark a four-run 7th. A.J. Reed followed with... an RBI triple. Yes, that's exactly what happened. Reed ended up scoring on a J.D. Davis single. Fresno loaded the bases again in the 8th and got three runs out of it. Tony Kemp scored on an error that allowed White to reach and Reed and Davis finished it off by drawing bases-loaded walks.

Ferguson was the only player in the Fresno lineup without a hit, but he still contributed by scoring a couple of runs to go along with his bases-loaded hit by pitch. Tony Kemp went 3-4 with two stolen bases and three runs; he now has 12 stolen bases this season. Tucker, Davis, Stubbs, and Mayfield all had two hits on the night.

David Paulino faces Tyler Beede in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Midland 3

W- Kevin Hill (1-1)
L- Joel Seddon (2-2)
S- Alex Winkelman (1)

CC home runs: None.

After the Hounds made it a one-run game with a couple of runs in the 6th, the Hooks got a little breathing room by responding with two of their own in the 7th.

No Corpus pitcher threw more than three innings in this game. Cionel Perez went the furthest. He allowed a run on four hits and walked two in 2.2 innings. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out three in 2.1 scoreless. Brendan Feldmann and Alex Winkelman threw two innings apiece; Feldmann allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits (solo homer) and walked one, while Winkelman walked two and struck out three to earn the save.

Myles Straw singled to lead off the game and scored on an error that allowed Yordan Alvarez to reach. Alvarez came home on a Ryne Birk single and Taylor Jones, who drew a walk, scored when Nick Tanielu grounded into a force out but managed to beat a double play attempt. Carmen Benedetti tripled to lead off the 5th and scored on an Alvarez single. Benedetti singled with one out in the 7th and Jones brought him in with a single. Birk drove in the final run of the evening with a sac fly. Benedetti finished 3-4 on the night, while Alex De Goti went 2-4 with a double out of the #9 spot in the order.

Josh James will start the first of a four-game series in San Antonio at 7:05. He'll face Jerry Keel.

Buies Creek 10, Winston-Salem 6

W- Jorge Alcala (1-3)
L- Tanner Banks (0-2)
S- Kit Scheetz (1)

BC home runs: Aníbal Sierra (3, 2-run in 8th)

The Carolina Stros got out to a fast start and a late homer and a fine relief effort secured the win.

Alfredo Angarita doubled to lead off the 3rd and scored the first run of the evening on an error that allowed Aníbal Sierra to reach and advance to second base. Ronnie Dawson drew a walk and they both advanced a base on a Chas McCormick sac bunt. Abraham Toro followed with an RBI single and Troy Sieber added another run on a sac fly. Toro stole second and scored on Osvaldo Duarte's triple. Duarte came home on Kristian Trompiz's single. McCormick tripled to start the 5th and scored when Sieber hit into a fielder's choice. Duarte followed with a single and Trompiz walked to load the bases for Carlos Canelón, who hit a sac fly. Trompiz stole second and Duarte scored on the errant throw down. The Dash got closer thanks to a four-run 7th that cut Buies Creek's lead to two, but Aníbal Sierra provided some breathing room with a two-run blast in the 8th.

McCormick (3B, R), Sieber (2 RBI, R), Duarte (3B, RBI, 2 R), and Sierra (2B, 2-R HR, 2 R) all finished with two hits on the night.

Abdiel Saldaña went 4.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out five. Jorge Alcala allowed a run, which was an inherited runner that was charged to him, on two hits and walked one in 1.1 innings; his night ended early because he got tossed after hitting Joel Booker with a pitch to start the 7th inning. Jesús Balaguer came on in Alcala's stead but failed to record an out. He allowed three runs on two hits and walked two. Kit Scheetz came in and restored order by throwing three scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out three.

Brandon Bielak will look to rebound from his toughest outing of the year. He'll face Bernardo Flores at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Lansing 7

W- Luis Garcia (1-1)
L- Colton Laws (0-2)
S- Tanner Duncan (3)

QC home runs: Jonathan Arauz (3, solo in 1st), Mike Papierski (1, solo in 1st)

The Banditos got out to a fast start but had to hang on to get the win in Michigan's capital city.

Jonathan Arauz and Mike Papierski opened the scoring by smacking back-to-back solo homers in the 1st inning. Bryan de la Cruz struck out for the second out of the inning, but Jake Adams kept the line moving with a single and Adrian Tovalin ripped an RBI double to bring him in. Marcos Almonte followed with an RBI single. Arauz walked with two outs in the 2nd and scored on a single from de la Cruz, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Tovalin drew a leadoff walk in the 3rd, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Colton Shaver single. Shaver rumbled home on a Corey Julks double, and Arauz brought Julks home with an RBI single.

Shaver went 3-4 on Friday night, while Arauz (solo HR, 2 RBI, 2 R), Papierski (solo HR), de la Cruz (RBI single), and Tovalin all had two hits.

Cristian Javier went four innings and allowed three runs on six hits (two solo homers), walked one, and struck out five. Cole Watts came on for the 5th but failed to record an out; he allowed two unearned runs on two hits and walked one. Luis Garcia took ownership of the 5th and went on to throw 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits (solo homer), walking two, and striking out four. Tanner Duncan got the last four outs of the game, striking out two to earn the save.

Parker Mushinski will take on Yennsy Diaz in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Kevin Hill, RHP, and Alex Winkelman, LHP, Corpus Christi

Hill: W (1-1), 2.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Winkelman: Save (1), 2 IP, 2 BB, 3 K

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Corpus Christi

3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R

Aníbal Sierra's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Troy Sieber, 1B, and Aníbal Sierra, SS, Buies Creek

Sieber: 2-3, 2 RBI, R
Sierra: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (3)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Kit Scheetz, LHP, Buies Creek

Save (1), 3 IP, H, 3 K

Tony Kemp, 2B/OF, and J.D. Davis, 3B/1B/LF, Fresno

Kemp: 3-4, 3 R, 2 SB (12)
Davis: 2-4, 2 RBI

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Fresno

W (3-1), 6.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Colton Shaver's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Jonathan Arauz, IF, and Colton Shaver, 1B, Quad Cities

Arauz: 2-4, solo HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R

Shaver: 3-4, 2B, RBI, R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for May 1, 2018

As the calendar turns to May, how did the farm fare?

Salt Lake 13, Fresno 9

W- Jake Jewell (1-1)
L- Cy Sneed (2-1)
S- Taylor Cole (1)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (7, solo in 4th), Jon Kemmer (5, solo in 5th), J.D. Davis (3, 2-run in 9th)

The Grizzlies scored six times in the 5th to take a 7-3 lead, but the Bees battered Fresno's pitchers and finished this game on a 10-2 run behind a cycle from Mike Hermosillo.

Cy Sneed and Jacob Dorris both got roughed up and let's leave it at that. Reymin Guduan had a perfect outing, however, as he struck out three of the four Salt Lake hitters he faced.

Tyler White smacked a home run in the 4th to put Fresno on the board. Jon Kemmer led off the 5th with a homer to give them the lead and kickstarted the big inning. Jack Mayfield followed with a double and Tony Kemp singled and stole second. However, the rally was in danger of ending before it even started because Drew Ferguson and Kyle Tucker struck out, but White kept the inning alive with a two-run single. A.J. Reed worked a walk to get on base and they both scored on a J.D. Davis double. Davis eventually scored on a Tim Federowicz double. Davis whacked a two-run homer in the 9th.

Davis finished 4-5 on the evening. White (solo HR, 3 RBI, 3 R) and Mayfield (2B, R) had three hits apiece, and Federowicz finished 2-5.

Rogelio Armenteros faces Ivan Pineyro in game 3. First pitch is at 6:35 Mountain.

Midland 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- Jarret Martin (1-0)
L- Alex Winkelman (1-1)
S- Nolan Blackwood (2)

CC home runs: None.

All of the scoring in this game was done in the 8th inning. Unfortunately, the Hounds scored more runs in their half.

Corpus got their two runs on RBI singles from Yordan Alvarez and Carmen Benedetti. Alvarez went 2-4 on the evening.

Brock Dykxhoorn allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out 5 over 5.2 shutout innings. The wheels fell off for Alex Winkelman in the 8th as Midland got all three of their runs off of him, all of which were unearned. Winkelman allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out three.

Corpus is back at it tomorrow morning. Yoanys Quiala will face his countryman, Norge Ruiz, at 11:00 AM.

Down East 8, Buies Creek 7

W- Jacob Shortslef (2-1)
L- Jesús Balaguer (2-1)

BC home runs: Troy Sieber (2, solo in 4th), Ronnie Dawson (3, 3-run in 5th)

The Carolina Stros fought back from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game, only to see the Wood Ducks regain the lead with a pair of runs. They tied it once more with a couple of runs in the top of the 9th... only to walk off with the loss.

Hector Perez only recorded one out. I think I'll just leave it at that. Fortunately, Kit Scheetz picked him up by bailing him out of a bases-loaded situation in the opening inning and he wound up throwing 3.2 scoreless, allowing two hits and striking out four. Gabriel Valdez went 3.1 innings in his season debut and allowed two runs on a double and a fielder's choice, one other hit, walked five, and struck out two. Jesús Balaguer only allowed one hit in his 1.1 innings, but that one hit was a walk-off solo homer to Alex Kowalczyk in the 9th inning. All four outs that Balaguer recorded came via strikeout.

Ronnie Dawson put Buies Creek on the board with an RBI single in the 3rd. Troy Sieber smacked a solo home run in the 4th, his second blast of the year. Dawson struck again in the 5th when he launched a three-run shot that tied the game at 5. With two outs to work with, Buies Creek managed to tie the game once again in the 9th on a sac fly from Osvaldo Duarte and an RBI single from Chuckie Robinson.

Five Carolina Stros, including Dawson and Sieber, finished with two hits on the evening. Chas McCormick, Kristian Trompiz, and Luis Payano were the other three.

Carson LaRue goes up against Edgar Arredondo later this morning. Game 2 from Kinston will kick off at 11:00 AM.

Quad Cities 15, Great Lakes 2

W- César Rosado (2-1)
L- Max Gamboa (0-2)
S- Patrick Sandoval (1)

QC home runs: Jake Adams (3, grand slam in 1st), Jonathan Arauz (2, grand slam in 1st), Corey Julks (2, 3-run in 4th)

The Banditos laid waste to the Loons on the strength of two grand slams in the first inning. Everything after that was academic.

César Rosado was the beneficiary of the generous run support and he did his part as well with five shutout innings. He allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out four. Great Lakes' one scoring play was a two-run homer in the 6th off Patrick Sandoval, who allowed two other hits while striking out seven over the last four innings.

Tyler Ivey takes on Wills Montgomerie in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from the Quad Cities River Bandits' Wikipedia page

Quad Cities River Bandits: W 15-2 @ Great Lakes

15 R, 13 H

Jonathan Arauz: 4-5, grand slam (2), 2 R

Jake Adams: 2-5, grand slam (3)

Corey Julks: 2-4, 3-R HR (2), 3 R

César Rosado: W (2-1), 5 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Patrick Sandoval: Save (1), 4 IP, 3 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 7 K

Tyler White, IF, and J.D. Davis, 3B/1B/LF, Fresno

White: 3-3, solo HR (7), 3 RBI, 3 R

Davis: 4-5, 2 2B, 2-R HR (3), 2 R

Reymin Guduan, LHP, Fresno, and Brock Dykxhoorn, RHP, Corpus Christi

Guduan: 1.1 IP, 3 K

Dykxhoorn: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, and Troy Sieber, 1B, Buies Creek

Dawson: 2-4, 3-R HR (3), 4 RBI

Sieber: 2-4, 2B, solo HR (2), 2 R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Kit Scheetz, LHP, Buies Creek

3.2 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Beyond the Top 30: First Base

As the old year fades away and the new season approaches, it's time to start looking at those players of interest who are beyond the Top 30. These players may not ever make a Top 30 list (or they may), but a combination of projections, actual results, incremental improvements and intangibles keep them in the mix as interesting players to watch. I am not including any players in these posts who have already made their major league debuts since, presumably, anyone reading my blog is already very familiar with those players.

Note: Many of the 2018 player rankings haven't been released yet so I will be using the MLB Pipeline postseason list, the Baseball Prospectus Top 10+ list and Baseball America's Top 10 list to denote those players who are currently considered Top 30 type players in the Astros system. Once FanGraphs weighs in, Baseball America publishes their Top 30 and MLB Pipeline posts their 2018 pre-season list, I will post a consensus top prospect list.

[UPDATES TO FINAL 2018 PRE-SEASON RANKINGS SHOWN IN RED.

BA= BASEBALL AMERICA, BP = BASEBALL PROSPECTUS,

FG=FANGRAPHS, MLB = MLB PIPELINE]

FIRST BASEMEN IN THE TOP 30

Yordan Alvarez - May 2017

Photo Courtesy of Rich Guill

Yordan Alvarez (L/L) - BA #3, FG #4, BP #4, MLB #4

OK, technically Alvarez spent more time in left field than at first base in 2017, but since there are a TON of outfield prospects in the Astros system and Alvarez is the only one from the current lists who spent time at first base, I'm calling him a first baseman (at least for now). Alvarez, a 20-year old Cuban who came to the Houston system in an August 2016 trade with the Dodgers for RHP Josh Fields, was ranked as the third best prospect in the Astros system by Baseball America last week (Baseball Prospectus and MLB postseason rankings have him at number 4). The reason that he is ranked so highly is because of his bat. He provides average defense at first base with an average arm and below average speed, so it was his 2017 offensive line of .304/.379/.481 in 90 games split between Quad Cities and Buies Creek that set him apart. Alvarez hits with authority to all fields and his power (17 doubles, three triples and 12 home runs) should continue to develop with more experience. His bat control and strike zone discipline have worked very well for him so far in his professional career.

FIRST BASEMEN BEYOND THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Troy Sieber - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Jake Adams (R/R)
Adams, drafted by the Astros in the 6th round in 2017 out of the University of Iowa, did not have a very auspicious freshman professional season (.170/.280/.388). But as a unanimous Big 10 Player of the Year and semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, he has earned the opportunity to show the Astros what he can do in the new season. The bad news? He only collected 28 hits in 48 games for short season A Tri-City in 2017. The good news? 16 of those 28 hits were for extra bases (six doubles and 10 home runs). As a matter of fact, his first professional home run was a monster 425-foot shot in his first professional at-bat. There was more good news in that Adams cut waaayyyy down on his strikeouts later in the season (a total of 24 walks to 68 strikeouts in 48 games). Adams just turned 22 in December.
Keys: Work on his plate discipline and long swing, putting more balls into play and cutting his strikeouts down to a manageable level. Also, he reportedly will need to work on his footwork at first base.

Roman Garcia (R/R)
Garcia, drafted 13 rounds lower than Adams in the 19th round out of the University of San Diego had the kind of solid first season one would have liked to see from Adams. Granted Garcia's season was with the lower level Rookie League Greeneville team, but Garcia was able to show more plate discipline and keep the strikeouts reasonably within check while putting up a .277/.342/.457 line (eight doubles, one triple and seven home runs) in his 48 games. He also finished the season very strongly with a .337/.356/.530 line in 23 games in August, plus an excellent postseason. Garcia was a solid defender at first in his inaugural season. Garcia turned 22 this past November.
Key: Keep strikeouts in check (48 strikeouts to 14 walks in 48 games in 2017) while putting the ball in play at the higher levels.

Colton Shaver (R/R)
I find Shaver, the Astros 2017 39th round draft pick out of Brigham Young, to be very intriguing. With a .215/.332/.423 batting line and 25 walks to 63 strikeouts in his first 49 professional games (between Greeneville and Tri-City), Shaver certainly has his work cut out for him when it comes to plate discipline, but he has legitimate power. Shaver peaked in July (16 games in Greeneville and five games in Tri-City), hitting .275/.420/.609 with two doubles and seven of his 10 home runs. Shaver also collected the first and second walk-off grand slams in Tri-City history in 2017. With a bat that big, you have to root for the 39th round pick! Shaver really tailed off at the end of the season as first year players sometimes do. I'll be interested to see what he can do in his sophomore season.
Key: Work on plate discipline and strikeout rate without sacrificing a ton of power.

Troy Sieber (L/R)
I am a big fan of Sieber for all of his intangibles. He is smart, a very hard worker, a good clubhouse guy and a leader on the field. He started the season at Extended Spring Training taking additional instruction, but it only took two games at short season A Tri-City to convince the Astros that he was ready for full season A Quad Cities where he spent the remaining 54 games of his season. For the season, he compiled a .289/.403/.457 batting line with 37 walks to 49 strikeouts. His power (12 doubles and seven home runs) is developing and he shows the aptitude to hit to all fields. Sieber ended the season extremely well, hitting .343/.478/.514 in 20 games in August and .333/.478/.389 in five postseason games. Sieber is a very physical player who will use his body to keep the ball in front of him, if necessary, as he works to finetune his defensive game. The 2016 24th round draft pick out of St. Leo College (FL), will be 23 in June.
Keys: Sieber is working to drive the ball more. He will need to keep making adjustments, both offensively and defensively, as he climbs the ladder and faces more polished competition at the higher levels.

Final Notes:

• I went back and forth about 20 times as to whether or not to include Hooks 1B Dex McCall on this list. Ultimately, I decided that I needed to see more consistency from him. At 24 later this month, going into his fifth professional season, I need to see more consistency for average, power and in his on-base skills in 2018. At this point in his development, he needs to prove that he can be a major league first baseman and I don't believe that he has yet done that. I hope for him to prove me wrong in 2018! [McCall was released prior to the 2018 season.]
• I will also keep an eye on Angel Tejeda who hit .304/.398/.411 in 45 games between the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League. It was, however, Tejeda's third professional season and his first promotion to the U.S. Since he will be 20 later this month, any enthusiasm I have for him is somewhat tempered.

Previous Posts:
Shortstop
Second Base

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, August 21, 2017

Fresno 16, Reno 2

W- Cy Sneed (1-0, 10-5 season)
L- Anthony Banda (7-7)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed 2 (28; 2-run in 3rd, 3-run in 9th), Tyler White (24, solo in 9th)

The Grizzlies got on the board in this series by demolishing the Aces.

Cy Sneed shook off a 2-run homer in the 1st to got 7 innings. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 during his time on the mound. Dean Deetz walked 1 and struck out 5 over the last 2 innings.

Fresno will look to draw even with Reno in the standings as they conclude this series at 7:05 Pacific. Mike Hauschild takes on Eric Jokisch.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks will start a 4-game series with Midland tonight at 7:05. Yoanys Quiala takes on Grant Holmes.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros are back at Campbell, where they'll start a 3-game series against Lynchburg at 7:00 Eastern. Elieser Hernandez will face Dominic DeMasi.

Quad Cities 8, Wisconsin 7

W- Yohan Ramirez (4-5)
L- Carlos Herrera (2-2)
S- Jesús Balaguer (1, 4 season)

QC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (7, 13 season; solo in 3rd), Daz Cameron (14, 2-run in 4th)

The Banditos hung on in order to get a road series win even though they nearly squandered an 8-1 lead in the finale.

Yohan Ramirez went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 3, and struck out 3. Lucas Williams was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Jesús Balaguer pitched the last 2.2 innings to get the save, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4.

Ronnie Dawson put Quad Cities on the board and in the lead with a 2-run single in the 2nd. They got 2 more in the inning on a Chuckie Robinson RBI single and an RBI double from Troy Sieber. Abraham Toro-Hernandez launched a solo homer in the 3rd, and then in the 4th, Sieber added an RBI single to his ledger and scored on Daz Cameron's 2-run blast. Sieber (2B, RBI, R) and Robinson (2B, RBI, 2 R, SB) both finished with 2 hits on the day. Dawson stole 2 bases (17), while Robinson's stolen base gives him 7 on the year.

Quad Cities' final tour of Wisconsin in 2017 concludes with a 3-game series in Beloit that begins at 7:00. Carlos Sanabria will start game 1 and he'll go up against Matt Milburn.

Tri-City 10, Brooklyn 6

W- Ben Smith (6-2)
L- Joe Napolitano (0-2)

TC home runs: Colton Shaver 2 (4, 10 season; solo in 2nd, walk-off grand slam in 9th), Mike Papierski (3, solo in 4th), J.J. Matijevic (6, 2-run in 7th)

Colton Shaver has two career grand slams, and they're both walk-offs. He clubbed one to beat Staten Island in his first game as a ValleyCat back on July 27, and on Monday, he completed a Tri-City comeback by launching another one.

Shaver also opened the scoring with a solo shot in the 2nd inning. Mike Papierski launched a solo homer of his own in the 4th. Kyle Davis hit an RBI single in the 6th and J.J. Matijevic whacked a 2-run homer in the 7th.

Bryan De La Cruz ripped a one-out double in the bottom of the 9th and Matijevic joined him on the bases after getting a free pass to first base. Gabriel Bracamonte went down on strikes for the 2nd out, but De La Cruz scored the tying run on an error that allowed Adrian Tovalin to reach; Tovalin was credited with an RBI on the play.

With Papierski at the plate, Matijevic stole 3rd and Tovalin took 2nd on defensive indifference. Papierski eventually drew a walk to load the bases for Shaver, who decided that extra innings would not be required to determine the winner of this game. De La Cruz (2B, R, SB) also finished with 2 hits on the night alongside Shaver.

Adam Bleday and Juan Robles both pitched 4 innings. Bleday allowed 4 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2, while Robles allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Ben Smith worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Tri-City will head to Connecticut to start a new series. The first order of business for both teams, however, is completing a game from June 30 that was suspended due to rain. The ValleyCats were leading 1-0 heading into the 5th inning.

Corbin Martin will start the regularly scheduled game, which will be a 7-inning contest.

Greeneville 16, Bristol 0

W- Hansel Paulino (4-1)
L- Hunter Stratton (0-2)

Greeneville home runs: Brody Westmoreland (7, 3-run in 8th), Patrick Mathis (3, 2-run in 8th)

The Appy Astros administered a severe beatdown on Monday night.

Meanwhile, on the mound, Hansel Paulino, Gerardo Bojorquez, and Dariel Aquino kept Bristol off the scoreboard. Paulino allowed 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5 in his 5 innings of work. Bojorquez followed with 3 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 3, and Aquino worked around a hit in the 9th to complete the shutout.

Chad Donato takes the hill for the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Marlins 4, GCL Astros 0

W- Karl Craigie (3-0)
L- Javier Navas (1-2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros got held off the scoreboard on Monday.

Alfredo Angarita went 2-3 with a double.

Javier Navas went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Austin Kerns struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 3rd inning. Angel Heredia followed with 2 scoreless; he walked 1 and struck out 1. Tanner Duncan, Brendan Feldmann, and Carlos Pimentel all pitched an inning; Duncan allowed an unearned run on a groundout and a double in the 6th. Feldmann allowed a hit and struck out 1 in the 7th, and Pimentel worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

DSL Astros Blue 3, DSL Royals 2

W- Antonio Pujols (4-2)
L- Angel Zerpa (3-4)
S- Diosmerky Taveras (1)

Blue home runs: None.

Samir Caraballo and Kendy Moya both had 2 hits apiece in this game. Yorbin Ceuta opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd inning and Ronaldo Urdaneta followed by hitting a sac fly. Nerio Rodriguez's sac fly in the bottom of the 7th put Team Blue back in front after the Royals had tied it in the top half.

Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Angel Matos struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 5th. Antonio Pujols followed with 3 innings, allowing a run on 6 hits and striking out 3. Diosmerky Taveras got three groundball outs in the 9th to get the save.

DSL Astros Orange 2, DSL Pirates 1

W- Hecduar Barcenas (1-1)
L- Luis Arrieta (2-1)
S- Wender Oberto (1)

Orange home runs: None.

Deury Carrasco went 2-4 and opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 6th. He also stole a base (30) and scored on an RBI double from Marco van der Wijst in the 9th. Van Der Wijst finished 3-4, while Renaigel Martis also had 3 hits on the day.

Fredy Medina allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless. Hecduar Barcenas walked 1 and struck out 3 in 2 scoreless innings of relief, and Wender Oberto threw the last 3 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 4, and striking out 6.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fredy Medina, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Jose Antonio Hernandez, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, H, ER, 3 K

Marco van der Wijst, IF, DSL Astros Orange: 3-4, 2B, RBI
Deury Carrasco, IF, DSL Astros Orange: 2-4, RBI, R, SB (30)

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Greeneville Astros: W 16-0 vs. Bristol

Offense: 16 R, 13 H

Pitching: 9 IP, 9 H, BB, 8 K

Patrick Mathis: 4-4, 2-R HR (3), 3 R

Brody Westmoreland: 3-R HR (7)

Joan Mauricio: 2-3, 3 RBI, R

Gilberto Celestino: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Hansel Paulino: W (4-1), 5 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K

Gerardo Bojorquez: 3 IP, H, 3 K

Dariel Aquino: IP, H

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Fresno Grizzlies: W 16-2 @ Reno

Offense: 16 R, 18 H

Pitching: 9 IP, 4 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K

Cy Sneed: W (1-0, 10-5 season), 7 IP, 4 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 6 K

Dean Deetz: 2 IP, BB, 5 K

A.J. Reed: 3-5, 2 HR (28), 6 RBI

Tyler White: 2-3, solo HR (24), 3 RBI, 2 R

Garrett Stubbs: 3-4, 3 RBI, R

Jack Mayfield: 3-5, 2 2B, 5 R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Colton Shaver, 1B, Tri-City

2-5, 2 HR (4, 10 season), 5 RBI; walk-off grand slam in 9th

Chuckie Robinson, C, and Troy Sieber, 1B, Quad Cities

Robinson: 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (7)

Sieber: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 10, 2017

Fresno 8, El Paso 4

W- Mike Hauschild (6-2)
L- Chad Huffman (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (22, solo in 1st), A.J. Reed (25, solo in 1st)

The Grizzlies avoided the sweep and snapped a 6-game losing streak by doubling up the Chihuahuas.

Preston Tucker and A.J. Reed smacked back-to-back solo shots in the 1st inning. Fresno got 2 more in the 2nd on a pair of RBI singles from Drew Ferguson and Tony Kemp. In the 7th, Garrett Stubbs ripped a 2-run double and Max Stassi added a 2-run single later in the frame.

Reed went 3-5 on the evening; Jack Mayfield also finished with 3 hits. Stubbs (2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Stassi (2 RBI, R), Ferguson (RBI, SB), Tucker (solo HR, 2 R), and Kemp (RBI) all had 2-hit nights.

The Grizzlies are in Albuquerque tonight to start a 4-game set. Rogelio Armenteros will be on the mound for game 1 and he'll face Ryan Carpenter at 7:05 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 1, Tulsa 0

W- Riley Ferrell (1-2)
L- Karch Kowalczyk (5-6)

CC home runs: Carlos Canelon (1, solo in 8th)

There was one scoring play in this game and it belonged to the Hooks.

Franklin Perez dueled Mitchell White to a draw; both of them allowed 2 hits over 5 shutout innings for their respective clubs. Perez walked 1 and struck out 6. Kevin Hill was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 2.2 innings. Riley Ferrell retired all 4 Tulsa hitters he faced, striking out 2.

Carlos Canelon was the hero in his Corpus debut as his solo homer in the 8th was the difference.

The Hooks welcome Springfield to Whataburger Field this weekend. Akeem Bostick will take on Ryan Helsley in game 1. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 7, Salem 6, in 10 innings

W- Sean Stutzman (1-1, 2-2 season)
L- Daniel McGrath (2-8)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros took the series despite blowing a 5-1 lead. All three games in this series were decided by one run.

Cionel Perez and Justin Ferrell pitched 4 innings apiece. Cionel got the start and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3, while Ferrell allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 4. Sean Stutzman allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless.

Yordan Alvarez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. He hit another RBI single in the 3rd inning, and an error on the play allowed him to advance to 2nd while Jake Rogers took 3rd. Rogers scored on a Taylor Jones groundout and Alvarez eventually came home on a wild pitch. Rogers ripped an RBI double in the 4th. Alvarez hit his third RBI single of the evening in the 6th and his fourth and final hit of the evening was an RBI double in the first extra frame that turned out to be the game-winner.

Stephen Wrenn also finished with 4 hits on the night; he doubled, stole a base, and scored 4 runs. Carmen Benedetti (2 2B) and Taylor Jones (RBI groundout) had 2 hits apiece.

Brett Adcock will start the first of a 3-game series against Down East. He'll go up against Steven Bruce at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 7, Cedar Rapids 6

W- Jesús Balaguer (3-0, 4-1 season)
L- Tyler Watson (0-2)
S- Salvador Montaño (5)

QC home runs: Troy Sieber (5, solo in 5th), Abraham Toro-Hernandez (5, 11 season; solo in 5th)

The Banditos staved off a late rally from the Kernels to win the first game of the series.

Ronnie Dawson opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd. Luis Payano hit a 2-run single in the 4th, Troy Sieber and Abraham Toro-Hernandez launched back-to-back solo shots in the 5th, and in the 7th, Sieber scored on an error that allowed Dawson to reach and Josh Rojas scored on another error on the same ball that Dawson put in play. Sieber went 3-5 and scored 3 runs, while Daz Cameron went 2-4 with 2 stolen bases (26) and scored twice.

Carlos Sanabria allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 5, and struck out 6. Devon Carr was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 2. Jesús Balaguer and Salvador Montaño threw an inning apiece: Balaguer allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the 8th, and Montaño worked around a walk to get the save.

Yohan Ramirez will take the mound in game 2. He'll face Clark Beeker at 6:35.

Tri-City 8, Lowell 5

W- Carlos Hiraldo (1-4)
L- Yorvin Pantoja (0-5)
S- Colin McKee (4)

TC home runs: Colton Shaver (2, 8 season; solo in 9th)

The ValleyCats scored in fewer innings, but they put up a crooked number in all of them.

J.B. Bukauskas went 3 innings in his Tri-City debut and allowed a run on a wild pitch, a single, walked 2, and struck out 3. Diogenes Almengo pitched the 4th and allowed 2 hits, one of which was a solo homer, and struck out 1. Carlos Hiraldo allowed 3 runs (1 inherited) on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6 in 2.2 innings, and Colin McKee allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 5 in 2.1 innings.

TC took control with 4 in the 4th. Adrian Tovalin put them on the board and in the lead with a 2-run single and scored on a Gabriel Bracamonte triple. Bracamonte wound up scoring on a passed ball that was also ball 4 to Kyle Davis. Davis walked again to lead off the 6th and scored on Andy Piñeda's triple. Piñeda came home on a sac fly from Bryan De La Cruz. The ValleyCats got some insurance in the final inning as they held on to a one-run lead: J.J. Matijevic singled to lead off the 9th and scored on an errant pickoff throw and another errant throw in an attempt to throw him out on the basepaths. Colton Shaver capped off the evening with a solo homer. He (solo HR, 2 R, SB) and Tovalin (2 RBI, R) both finished with 2 hits on the night.

The ValleyCats will kick off a 3-game series in Williamsport at 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 5, Elizabethton 2

W- Hansel Paulino (2-1)
L- Brusdar Graterol (1-1)
S- Juan Corniel (1)

Greeneville home runs: Roman Garcia (4, solo in 5th)

The Appy Astros came out on top to start a big series as they try to make up some ground on the Twins while simultaneously trying to hold off Johnson City, who is right on their tails.

Almost all of the scoring in this game was done in the very first inning. Greeneville put up 4 to start the game.Cody Bohanek walked to start things off. He then stole 2nd (2), advanced to 3rd on the errant throw down, and scored the first run on a Gilberto Celestino double. Roman Garcia got plunked, and then Brody Westmoreland ripped an RBI double. Garcia scored on a Jose Benjamin groundout and Frankeny Fernandez hit an RBI single to score Westmoreland. Garcia went 2-3 and launched a homer to start the 5th, which was Greeneville's only hit after the 3rd inning.

Hansel Paulino shook off a 2-run homer in the 1st to throw 5 innings. He allowed 2 other hits and struck out 8. Cole Watts went 3.1 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. He left the bases loaded for Juan Corniel, who got the last two outs of the game without any further incident.

Humberto Castellanos faces Ryley Widell in game 2. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros Blue 8, DSL Braves 7 in 10 innings

W- Luis Garcia (1-0)
L- Jhonny Diaz (2-5)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team saw the Braves tie this game in the 9th and take the lead in the 10th, but they managed to pull themselves together and walked off with the victory.

Wilyer Abreu went 2-5 and drove in 3 runs; he won it with a 2-run single. Nerio Rodriguez and Yorbin Ceuta both scored twice; Nerio tied the game with an RBI double in the 10th. Abreu, Ceuta, and Luis Coronel both finished with 2 hits on the day.

Manny Ramirez allowed 2 runs, a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3 innings. Angel Macuare was the first man out of the Blue team bullpen and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 in 2 innings. Flaer Gonzalez went 4 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4, and Luis Garcia allowed a couple of unearned runs, a hit, and struck out the side in the 10th.

DSL Astros Orange 10, DSL Indians/Brewers 3

W- Asael Uribe (2-2)
L- Wilmer Mejia (0-3)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team's bats came alive as they scored all 10 of their runs in a three-inning span.

Sean Mendoza went 3-4 with a double, drove in 2, and scored twice. Deury Carrasco and Jose Alvarez both finished 1-3 with a couple of walks and a couple of runs scored.

Asael Uribe allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3 over 5 shutout innings. Carlos Perdomo went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, and Ronny Garcia walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Asael Uribe, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: W (2-2), 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K
Sean Mendoza, UTIL, DSL Astros Orange: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Wilyer Abreu, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-5, 3 RBI; walk-off 2-run single in 10th

Hansel Paulino's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Cole Watts' and Juan Corniel's photos are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Greeneville Astros pitchers: W 5-2 @ Elizabethton

9 IP, 7 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 17 K

Hansel Paulino: W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 8 K

Cole Watts: 3.1 IP, 4 H, BB, 9 K

Juan Corniel: Save (1), 0.2 IP; stranded bases loaded to end game

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Colton Shaver, 1B, Tri-City

2-2, solo HR (2, 8 season), 2 R

Colin McKee, RHP, Tri-City

Save (4), 2.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

Troy Sieber, 1B, Quad Cities

3-5, solo HR (5), 3 R

Yordan Alvarez's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yordan Alvarez, 1B/LF, and Stephen Wrenn, OF, Buies Creek

Alvarez: 4-5, 2B, 4 RBI, SB (4, 6 season); Go-ahead RBI double in 10th

Wrenn: 4-6, 2B, 4 R, SB (8, 16 season)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Carlos Canelon, C, Corpus Christi

Solo HR (1) in 8th accounted for game's only run

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 1-0 vs. Tulsa

9 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 9 K

Franklin Perez: 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K

Kevin Hill: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, K

Riley Ferrell: W (1-2), 1.1 IP, 2 K

Preston Tucker, RF, A.J. Reed, 1B, and Garrett Stubbs, C, Fresno

Tucker: 2-5, solo HR (22), 2 R

Reed: 3-5, solo HR (25), 2 R

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