Astros Farm Report: 7-29

Bringing you the latest news from down on the farm ...

In case you missed these, here are my recent interviews from Tri-City
RHP Franny Cobos and LHP Juan Pablo Lopez
RHP Peyton Battenfield
IF AJ Lee

And stay tuned for more interviews (coming soon-ish) from my trip to Beloit as I visit with a couple Quad Cities players ...

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Here are the latest roster moves. An ongoing list of all of the 2019 season transactions and roster moves can be found here.

7-28: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-28: RHP Kyle Serrano assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities (Serrano had been on a rehab assignment at TC already)
7-28: LHP Yeremi Ceballos assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
7-27: OF/2B Austin Dennis assigned to Round Rock from Quad Cities
7-27: RHP Brady Rodgers (Round Rock) sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-27: 1B/2B Michael Wielansky (Quad Cities) activated from the IL
7-26: 1B Zach Biermann assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-26: OF Jonathan Lacroix (Quad Cities) released (12th round 2017)
7-26: RHP Jairo Lopez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-26: OF Jordan Brewer (2019 3rd round) assigned to Tri-City
7-25: 2B/OF Tony Kemp designated for assignment
7-25: RHP Andre Scrubb assigned to Corpus Christi
7-25: 1B Tyler White traded to the Dodgers in exchange for RHP Andre Scrubb
7-25: OF James Nix (2019 35th round) assigned to the GCL
7-25: RHP Daniel Pacheco (DSL) placed on the 60-day IL
7-25: LHP Bryan Martinez (2019 33rd round) assigned to the DSL
7-25: 1B Victor Mascai (GCL) placed on the 60-day IL
7-24: RHP R.J. Freure (Quad Cities) placed on the temporary inactive list (playing for Team Canada in the Pan Am games)
7-24: RHP Abdiel Saldana (Fayetteville) sent to Quad Cities on a rehab assignment
7-24: RHP Devin Conn assigned to Quad Cities from Fayetteville
7-24: RHP Jherson Pereira assigned to the GCL from Quad Cities
7-23: RHP Ronel Blanco (Round Rock) sent to Tri-City on a rehab assignment
7-23: RHP Forrest Whitley sent to Fayetteville on a rehab assignment
7-23: RHP Cy Sneed recalled to Houston from Round Rock
7-23: RHP Felipe Paulino (Round Rock) activated from the IL
7-23: RHP Tanner Duncan (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
7-22: RHP Rogelio Armenteros optioned to Round Rock
7-22: 1B/OF Scott Schreiber (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL
7-22: RHP Devin Conn assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-22: RHP Jherson Pereira assigned to Quad Cities from the GCL
7-21: RHP Peyton Plumlee (31st round) assigned to Tri-City
7-21: RHP Garrett Gayle assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-21: RHP Riley Cabral assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-21: RHP Tyler Ivey assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
7-20: 1B Tyler White designated for assignment
7-20: RHP Riley Ferrell (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
7-20: 2B Alfredo Angarita (Corpus Christi) assigned to the GCL Astros  (assumed rehab assignment)
7-20: RHP Danny Cody assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-20: RHP Jose Urquidy recalled to Houston from Round Rock
7-20: RHP Alfredi Jimenez assigned to the GCL
7-19: LHP Parker Mushinski (Fayetteville) sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-19: 2B Aledmys Diaz sent to Corpus Christi on a rehab assignment
7-17: RHP Abdiel Saldana (Fayetteville) sent to Tri-City on a rehab assignment
7-16: RHP Franny Cobos assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
7-16: RHP Carson LaRue assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-16: RHP Colin McKee assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-16: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) activated from the IL
7-16: RHP Rogelio Armenteros recalled to Houston from Round Rock
7-16: LHP Framber Valdez optioned to Round Rock
7-16: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
7-16: RHP Tyler Ivey activated from the IL and assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
7-16: 1B Ronaldo Urdaneta (Tri-City) placed on the 60-day IL
7-16: 3B Yeuris Ramirez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-16: RHP Christian Mejias assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-15: RHP Felipe Paulino (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
7-15: RHP Justin Ferrell (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
7-15: SS Carlos Correa sent to Round Rock on a rehab assignment
7-15: RHP Riley Ferrell assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-15: 2B Aledmys Diaz sent to Round Rock on a rehab assignment
7-14: C Tyler Krabbe (19th round 2019) assigned to the GCL
7-13: RHP Luis de Paula assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-13: OF Juan Ramirez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-13: RHP Hansel Paulino (Quad Cities) released
7-13: RHP Edgardo Sandoval assigned to Tri-City (had been reported earlier to have retired)
7-12: RHP Cy Sneed optioned to Round Rock
7-12: RHP Forrest Whitley starting a rehab assignment with the GCL
7-11: LHP Framber Valdez recalled to Houston
7-11: RHP Carson LaRue assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
7-11: RHP Brandon Bailey (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
7-10: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Fayetteville from Round Rock
7-10: RHP Brad Peacock sent to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment
7-10: RHP Cody Deason assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-10: RHP Lupe Chavez assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-10: LHP Yeremi Ceballos assigned to Tri-City from Fayetteville
7-10: OF Luis Guerrero assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-10: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Tri-City from Fayetteville
7-10: OF Andres Santana (Tri-City) released
7-10: SS Javier Bermudez (GCL) released
7-10: RHP Misael Tamarez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
7-9: RHP Colin McKee assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
7-9: RHP Joe Smith assigned to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment (activated 7-12)
7-9: IF Dexter Jordan (16th round 2019) assigned to the GCL
7-9: OF Roilan Machandy (Cuban 18-year old) officially signed and assigned to the DSL Astros on 7-10
7-8: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) activated from the IL (assigned to Corpus 7-8 and then assigned to Round Rock 7-9)
7-8: 1B A.J. Reed (Round Rock) claimed off waivers by the White Sox
7-8: RHP Jose Urquidy optioned to Round Rock
7-8: RHP Leovanny Rodriguez assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
7-8: OF Jacob Meyers (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
7-8: RHP Jacob Billingsley (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL retroactive to 7-7
7-8: C Ruben Castro (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL
7-7: RHP Erasmo Pinales (Corpus Christi) activated from the IL
7-7: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
7-6: RHP Leovanny Rodriguez assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
7-5: RHP Ralph Garza (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
7-5: RHP Colin McKee assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-5: RHP Chad Donato assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
7-5: RHP Leovanny Rodriguez assigned to Round Rock from Fayetteville
7-5: OF Ross Adolph assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-5: IF Michael Wielansky (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day IL
7-5: RHP Abdiel Saldana sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-5: SS Grae Kessinger assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-5: RHP Franny Cobos assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-5: RHP Kyle Serrano sent to Tri-City on a rehab assignment
7-4: RHP Brady Rodgers placed on the 7-day IL
7-4: RHP Carson LaRue assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-4: LHP Brett Adcock (Corpus Christi) activated from the IL
7-4: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Corpus Christi from Tri-City
7-4: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to Quad Cities from Corpus Christi
7-4: RHP Alex Palmer (20th round 2019) assigned to the GCL
7-3: RHP Justin Ferrell assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-3: OF James Nix signed (35th round 2019)
7-3: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to Corpus Christi from Quad Cities
7-3: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-3: C Alex Holderbach (Quad Cities) activated from the IL
7-3: RHP Hansel Paulino assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-3: RHP Christian Mejias assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
7-3: 1B Ronaldo Urdaneta assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-2: RHP Tyler Ivey (Corpus Christi) sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-2: RHP Jose Urquidy called up to Houston from Round Rock
7-2: 1B A.J. Reed (Round Rock) designated for assignment
7-2: OF Jacob Meyers (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL
7-2: RHP Blair Henley assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-2: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-2: SS Dauri Laurenzo signed (Dominican Republic)
7-2: C Fernando Caldera (Venezuela) signed
7-2: OF Everett Cooper (Bahamas) signed
7-2: OF Denfry de la Cruz (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: IF Luis Encarnacion (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: RHP Elvis Garcia (Venezuela) signed
7-2: OF Richi Gonzalez (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: IF Danyuri Guzman (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: RHP Eurys Martich (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: OF Christopher Morales (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: IF Josue Payano (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: OF Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: C Juan Santander (Venezuela) signed
7-1: LHP Reymin Guduan optioned to Round Rock from Houston
7-1: OF Jordan Brewer (3rd round pick) signed
7-1: RHP Kevin Holcomb (13th round 2019) assigned to the GCL Astros
7-1: LHP Julio Robaina assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
7-1: 2B Bryan Arias (28th round 2019) assigned to Tri-City

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL

C Ruben Castro - activated 5-25
RHP Nick Hernandez - activated 5-8
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna - activated 4-29
RHP Hansel Paulino - activated 6-14
RHP Erasmo Pinales - activated 5-20
RHP Abdiel Saldana - activated 7-5
RHP Kyle Serrano - activated 6-26
RHP Jairo Solis

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension) - suspension ended 6-26, but will remain on the restricted list for the time being due to visa issues
1B/OF J.J. Matijevic (50-game suspension) - activated 6-21

2019 STANDINGS

Up and down arrows denote an increase or decrease in win percentage over the last week.

AAA ROUND ROCK (Pacific Coast League/American Southern Division)

🠉 2nd 62-44 .585 4.5GB W3

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

3rd 50-55 .476 4.5GB L2 (Overall)
🠉 3rd 17-19 .472 3.0GB L2 (Second Half)

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

4th 51-56 .477 22.0GB W3 (Overall)
🠉 T2nd 20-18 .526 3.5GB W3 (Second Half)

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)
1st half Division Winner

1st 62-39 .614 -.-GB L2 (Overall)
🠋 5th 19-16 .543 5.0GB L2 (Second Half)

SHORT SEASON A TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League/Stedler Division)
🠉 3rd 16-25 .390 10.0GB L2

ROOKIE LEVEL GULF COAST LEAGUE (East Division)
🠉 3rd 13-15 .464 4.5GB W1

ROOKIE LEVEL DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Northwest Division)
🠋 3rd 25-22 .532 3.0GB L1

WATCH THIS SPACE

I plan to use "this space" to feature players who are currently flying below the radar, but who deserve a closer look.

Jairo Lopez

Photo from MiLB

RHP Jairo Lopez, an 18 year old from Venezuela, is in his second professional season and was recently promoted to short season A Tri-City after compiling a 2-1 record with a 1.09 ERA and a 0.892 WHIP in six appearances in the GCL (7 BB:25 K in 24.2 IP). In his first appearance with Tri-City he allowed three hits, two walks and a run in four innings and he currently has a 1.26 ERA and a 0.942 WHIP. Lopez originally signed with the Astros for $300,000 as a 16 year old in July 2017 and, according to Baseball America, was cited for having the "repertoire, delivery and pitchability" of a starter with good fastball velo and command, and a promising curveball. Lopez will be 19 in November. Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Tyler Heineman - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Drafted by the Astros in the 8th round in 2012 out of UCLA, C Tyler Heineman played in the Astros system for five seasons prior to his April 2017 trade to the Brewers. Heineman left the Brewers organization via minor league free agency after the 2018 season, signing with the Diamondbacks organization in November of 2018. Heineman was subsequently traded to the Marlins in June and is currently playing with their AAA team in New Orleans. Through 54 games (between AAA Reno and AAA New Orleans) this season, the switch-hitting catcher has compiled a .311/370/.525 batting line with nine doubles, three triples and eight home runs (12 BB:26 K) and has a 37% caught stealing rate. On a personal note, I am a long time fan of Heineman and I truly hope that this is the year that he finally gets that elusive opportunity to play on the big stage.

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee - June 2019

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros MiLB Transactions/Roster Moves

This will be the first Transaction post of the new season and the last Transaction post recapping all of the off-season moves.

First of all, I'm officially retiring the 2016-2017 Off-Season Transaction List. I cannot guarantee that it is complete because, for whatever reason, MiLB.com simply didn't update a lot of the releases that happened over the winter. There are still quite a number of players who are showing active on player pages who have actually been released.

With that said, here are the most recent roster moves/transactions ...

4-6: RHP Enrique Chavez placed on the Low A Quad Cities 7-day DL
4-5: RHP David Martinez signed as an MiLB free agent and assigned to AAA Fresno
4-4: SS Jonathan Arauz - suspended for 50 games for testing positive for a methamphetamine
4-4: C Tyler Heineman - traded to the Brewers for a PTBNL or cash
3-30: RHP Bryan Solano signed (19-year old Costa Rican player)
Unknown Date: IF/OF Marc Wik - reportedly retired during the offseason (no official info available)

David Martinez first signed with the Astros in March 2005 out of Venezuela and made his major league debut for the Astros in August of 2013. Martinez pitched a grand total of 18 and a third innings for the Astros at the major league level before leaving to free agency in November 2014. He spent 2015 in the Rangers system and split the 2016 season between the Minnesota and Detroit systems, but never made it back to the big leagues before being released by Detroit in March. In 12 minor league seasons, he has a 3.99 ERA and a 1.338 WHIP. He is coming off a successful winter league season in Venezuela, having compiled a 2.77 ERA and a 1.154 WHIP in limited action (13 innings in 10 games).

David Martinez - May 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I would personally like to take a moment to wish Tyler Heineman a very fond farewell. Heineman is one of the most genuine down-to-earth people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. There is no ego, no pretension in Tyler and he always gave me honest answers to any questions I asked. I don't think it ever occurred to him to shade the truth. That is a rare quality in individuals in any walk of life and it always made for an entertaining discourse. Tyler will be missed and I wish him nothing but the best as he enters this new chapter in his baseball life.

Tyler Heineman - September 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Dustin did an excellent job of fleshing out the Astros minor league opening day rosters, including coaching staffs, venue information and a little bit of player trivia. If you didn't check them out previously, please do so.

Fresno Grizzlies
Corpus Christi Hooks
Buies Creek Astros
Quad Cities River Bandits

A couple opening day roster moves of note ... 1B Jon Singleton has been assigned to the AA Corpus team so that he can get regular at bats while A.J. Reed and Tyler White man that position at the AAA level. Also, RHP Derick Velazquez, the 7th round pick from 2014, is back in action for the Quad Cities team after sitting out two seasons and reportedly undergoing three separate surgeries. I was really high on Velazquez when I talked with him back in 2014 and I hope to get the opportunity to catch him in person this season.

And one final note ... Congratulations to former Astro RHP Mike Hauschild who made his major league debut for the Rangers last night. Hauschild becomes the latest member of the WTHB Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Mike!

Mike Hauschild - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 24, 2016

Fresno 6, Albuquerque 2

W- Brady Rodgers (9-3)
L- Chris Rusin (0-1)
S- James Hoyt (26)

Fresno home runs: None.

Brady Rodgers turned in another outstanding start for the Grizzlies as they took the lead in their series with the 'Topes.

Rodgers allowed 3 hits and struck out 4 over 7 shutout innings. Brendan McCurry threw a scoreless 8th, but Albuquerque spoiled the shutout by scoring 2 runs in the 9th off of him. In 1.2 innings, McCurry also allowed 4 hits and issued a walk. James Hoyt came in with the bases loaded but was able to record the final out.

Jon Kemmer got things started with a 2-run triple in the 1st inning, and one batter later, Tyler Heineman brought him in with a single. Jon Singleton smacked an RBI double in the 5th, and in the 8th, Andrew Aplin hit an RBI single, and Tony Kemp drove in Fresno's final run of the game with a sac fly.

Heineman finished 4-4; this was his third career 4-hit game. A.J. Reed and Chan-Jong Moon had 2 hits apiece, and they both scored a run. Tyler White drew a couple of walks, scored twice, and stole a base.

Joe Musgrove will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Frisco 7, Corpus Christi 6

W- Jose Valdespina (4-1)
L- Kyle Smith (3-6)
S- John Fasola (4)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (16, solo in 7th)

Well... this one got pretty heated. As for the series, the Hooks had to settle for the split as they were unable to hold a 5-1 lead in the finale.

If you thought that the animosity between the Astros and Rangers was limited to the Major League clubs, you are sorely mistaken.

Danry Vásquez was hit by a pitch to begin the 2nd inning, then immediately charged after Frisco starter Yohander Mendez, who stood his ground..... and then had a sudden change of heart and resorted to throwing his glove at Danry (wtf??????), and it all degenerated from there.

When the dust settled, Vásquez and Mendez, the primary belligerents, were tossed, along with Ramon Laureano, who got into it with Frisco pitching coach Brian Shouse. Roberto Peña also voiced his, um.... displeasure at the Roughriders' actions as he was being pulled away from the fracas.

Here's video from Ian Steele of KIII and Annie Sabo of KRIS, the NBC affiliate in Corpus Christi.

RAW VIDEO: Fight between Corpus Christi Hooks and Frisco Roughriders. pic.twitter.com/mhuUtR67nJ

— Ian Steele (@IanSteeleKIII) July 24, 2016

EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE: Vasquez storms mound, bench clearing brawl follows. More at 9 and 10. #KRIS6 pic.twitter.com/TXP7g1vfdj

— Annie Sabo (@annie_sabo) July 25, 2016

Nolan Fontana took Danry's spot in the lineup; Vásquez was the DH for this game. D.J. Fisher replaced Laureano and proceeded to draw a walk. Fontana would score the Hooks' first run on a passed ball. In the 4th, Mott Hyde ripped a 2-run triple and scored on a bloop single from Peña. Conrad Gregor added an RBI single in the 5th, and J.D. Davis whacked a solo homer in the 7th inning. Gregor finished 2-4 and was the only player in the Corpus lineup to have a multi-hit game.

Kent Emanuel went 5.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 2. Kyle Smith pitched the final 3.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 4.

The Hooks are in San Antonio tonight to begin a 4-game series. Cy Sneed will take on Kyle Lloyd at 7:05.

Lancaster and High Desert was postponed

Due to safety concerns stemming from the Sand Fire, an active wildfire in Los Angeles County. Info on a makeup game will be disclosed later.

If conditions permit, Lancaster will travel to Lake Elsinore to begin a 4-game series. Jose Luis Hernandez will take on Enyel De Los Santos at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 6, Bowling Green 5 in 14 innings

W- Zac Person (3-1)
L- Elias Torres (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos needed two comebacks in order to walk off with the win.

Their first comeback involved erasing a 3-0 deficit, and they did so by scoring 3 in the 6th to tie, and one more in the 7th to take the lead. Pat Porter hit a 2-run single in the 6th to put Quad Cities on the board, and one batter later, Randy César hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3. Kyle Tucker put the River Bandits in front with a single in the 7th inning.

However, the Hot Rods tied the game with a solo home run in the 9th inning and took the lead with another solo home run in the top of the 14th. But, Quad Cities had another response left in them.

Kristian Trompiz and Kyle Tucker both walked to lead off the bottom of the 14th, and Trompiz scored the tying run on a Dex McCall single. A wild pitch allowed Tucker and McCall to advance a base, and with first base open, Pat Porter drew a walk. César was next, and he sent the remaining fans home happy with an infield single that scored Tucker.

César and Porter drove in 2 runs apiece. Myles Straw (2B, 2 R), Trompiz (2 R), and McCall (RBI, R, 3 BB) all had 3 hits in this game. Everyone in the Quad Cities lineup recorded a hit.

In his Midwest League debut, Hector Perez went 4 innings, and the 3 runs he allowed all scored on a home run hit by Kevin Padlo in the 3rd inning. He allowed two other hits, walked two, and struck out 3. David Schmidt was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen, and in 3.2 scoreless innings, he allowed a hit and issued a walk. Adam Whitt was next; he went 2.1 innings and allowed a solo home run to David Olmedo-Barrera in the 9th inning, which was the only run that scored off of him. He allowed one other hit, issued an intentional walk, and struck out 4. Ralph Garza Jr. and Zac Person pitched 2 innings apiece; Garza allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3, and the one hit that Person allowed was a solo home run to Michael Russell in the 14th inning. He struck out 1.

The Banditos will look for the sweep today as Albert Abreu takes the mound. He'll face Eduar Lopez at 1:00.

Tri-City 6, Vermont 5

W- Juan Carlos Santos (1-0, 1-1 season)
L- Marc Berube (0-1)

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

The ValleyCats scored 5 of their 6 runs in the final 3 innings, culminating in a 2-run bottom of the 9th that allowed them to walk off with the victory.

Taylor Jones put Tri-City on the board with a solo blast in the 4th inning that also tied the game at 1. Brauly Mejia hit a one-out double in the 7th, advanced to 3rd on a balk, and scored when Stephen Wrenn grounded into a force out. Tyler Wolfe hit a 2-run single in the 8th that tied the game at 4. Vermont scored a run in the top of the 9th to break the tie, and so the ValleyCats had one last opportunity to tie or win.

Alex De Goti and Ryne Birk drew walks to lead off the bottom of the 9th, Wrenn laid down a sacrifice bunt, but an error allowed him to reach and loaded the bases for Carmen Benedetti, who delivered the game-winning 2-run single. He finished 3-5 and was the only player in the TC lineup with a multi-hit game. De Goti and Birk drew 2 walks apiece.

Framber Valdez allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 in 5 innings of work. Edgardo Sandoval tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (solo homer) and struck out 2. Sean Stutzman got 2 outs in the 9th and allowed a run on a sac fly and a double. Juan Carlos Santos got a flyball out to end the 9th.

Enrique Chavez will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Brandon Bailey at 7:00 Eastern. It's Nickelodeon Night at The Joe. SpongeBob will be taking center stage for tonight's promotion.

Bristol 6, Greeneville 2

W- Matt Eckelman (4-0)
L- Ben Smith (0-2, 0-3 season)
S- Adam Oller (2)

Greeneville home runs: Connor MacDonald (3, solo in 8th)

The Appy Astros dropped this series as they couldn't recover from an early deficit.

Connor MacDonald finished 3-4 with a couple of doubles and scored both of Greeneville's runs; Troy Sieber drove him in with a single in the 4th inning, and he clubbed a solo home run in the 8th. Ruben Castro finished 2-3.

In his Appalachian League debut, Jorge Alcala struck out 1 in a scoreless 1st inning. Ben Smith came on to pitch 4 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Luis Ramirez and Devon Carr pitched 2 innings apiece; Ramirez allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, while Carr allowed 2 runs on 3 hits.

Carlos Sanabria will get the start tonight as Greeneville begins a 3-game series with Princeton. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Sunday's Stars

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Fresno

W (9-3), 7 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Tyler Heineman, C, Fresno

4-4, RBI; 4 hits ties career high

Photo from MiLB.com

David Schmidt, RHP, Quad Cities

3.2 IP, H, BB

Dexture McCall, 1B, Quad Cities

3-4, RBI, R, 3 BB

Randy César, 3B, Quad Cities

2-6, 2 RBI; walk-off RBI single in 14th

Carmen Benedetti, 1B/OF, Tri-City

3-5, 2 RBI, R; walk-off 2-run single in 9th

Photo by Bryan Green

Connor MacDonald, 1B, Greeneville

3-4, 2 2B, solo HR (3), 2 R; scored both Greeneville runs

Happy Birthday - 6/19

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

C Tyler Heineman (24)
Heineman was born June 19, 1991 in Pacific Palisades, California, and was drafted by Houston in the 8th round in 2012 out of the University of California in Los Angeles, California. He is currently playing with the AAA Fresno Grizzlies.

Tyler Heineman

LHP Cristhopher Santamaria (19)
Santamaria was born June 19, 1996 in David, Chiriqui, Panama, and signed with Houston prior to the 2013 season. He ended the 2014 season with the Gulf Coast League Astros and is likely awaiting his assignment to a short season club.

LHP Sebastian Kessay (22)
Kessay was born June 19, 1993 in Pinetop, Arizona, and was drafted by the Astros in the 22nd round in 2013 out of Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, Arizona. He has not pitched yet during the 2015 season.

Getting to Know Astros/Grizzlies C Tyler Heineman

I've always enjoyed talking with C Tyler Heineman on my various minor league trips, not only because he's smart and has a dry, quirky sense of humor, but also because of his honesty. He cuts to the chase and will give you his honest assessment on a wide variety of topics. It's refreshing since some ballplayers are very caught up with their images. With Heineman, what you see is what you get.

I had hoped to speak with Heineman when I was in Corpus Christi in early May, but I ran out of time so I was thrilled to hear that he had received a well-deserved promotion to Fresno just before I arrived later in the month. With the AA Hooks team, Heineman had a .318/.383/.400 slashline to go with a 54% caught stealing rate in 22 games. Since his promotion to the AAA Grizzlies team, he has boasted a .394/.412/.455 batting line over 9 games, but hasn't really had his arm tested too much yet; he has only had one baserunner attempt to steal on him so far. He is hitting .337/.387/.408 as a left-handed batter and .350/.409/.450 from the right.

Tyler Heineman - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Historically, Heineman has always been a strong offensive performer, but his numbers at Corpus Christi in 2014 were somewhat lackluster. I asked him about why he seemed to have struggled in 2014 and about his 2015 turnaround at the plate. Heineman said, "I was just getting used to splitting time I think. Last year was my first year splitting time and trying to do that in AA is a tough thing to do. In Tri-City and Lancaster, I basically played five, six times a week and had one off day. That was a bit of an adjustment. With [2014 Hooks Manager Keith] Bodie last year, I was trying to focus on defense and pitch calling and working on my ability to handle a game behind the plate. Some of the time I chose to go into his office to talk about pitch calling and managing a game as opposed to hitting in the cage so I think that had a little of a carryover effect. This year, I just tried to stay within what I'd normally try to do as opposed to try(ing) to be something I'm not and just go up there and compete."

Does he feel that extra worked helped him behind the dish? "Absolutely, the information (Bodie) gave me for defense was invaluable and he really cared about getting me better with putting the right fingers down and managing a staff, managing a game. I really appreciated that and I think it helped me a lot. Going to the big league camp last year for the first time, being with Murph [Catching Coach Jeff Murphy], who's here now, and doing early work every single morning before camp started really helped me kind of hone my skills defensively and just make sure my blocking was consistent, my throwing was consistent, my receiving was consistent," said Heineman.

Switch-Pitcher Pat Venditte - May 2015

Photos by Jayne Hansen

While I was in Fresno, Heineman got his his first AAA hit, an experience that he is likely to remember for a long time as he got it off switch-pitcher Pat Venditte who has since been promoted to the A's and whose unusual career spawned this much-mocked headline. When asked about the experience, Heineman told me, "I was a little nervous going up there to the plate. I was asking Robbie [Grossman] who is also a switch hitter about what to do. He (told me that Venditte would have to) declare so I walked up there left-handed and he put his glove on his right hand to throw left-handed so I'm going to switch over to the right side and it got me a little rattled but it was definitely nice to get that first hit out of the way. They made the rule [that Venditte was required to declare] because of him. It's called the Venditte Rule or whatever."

While at Corpus Christi, Heineman shared catching duties with Roberto Pena who is widely regarded as one of the best (if not the best) defensive catchers in the minor leagues. Of their friendly rivalry, Heineman said, "Every time that we caught, we tried to be better than the other guy, but in a friendly kind of way. If I throw someone out, I'll ask for the time I threw him out on, what the clock was. And whatever it was, say it was a 1.94, the next game if Pena throws a guy out, it will be a 1.91 or something. We'll bicker back and forth at each other. It's just friendly kind of competition that helps us both grow as players. And I think he's outstanding behind the plate and I think he's going to be a big leaguer for a while. I love playing with him and I'm glad that he's going to be able to play every day down there."

My final question to Heineman ... has it hit you since the promotion to AAA just how close you are to the majors? "I think it hits you a little bit. For me, it was spring training. Going to the big league camp and just realizing what you see on TV is really not that different from what you're used to playing at. It's just a more consistent level of baseball than AA and AAA. You kind of realize that you can play with them, you're able to stay up with them and be with them and it gives you the confidence that one day if you were called upon, you can do your job and don't have to be scared about it. Being in AAA, seeing a bunch of guys like Barry Zito and a lot of big leaguers ... it kind of hits you that, wow, you're extremely close. I try not to think about it as much as possible, just try to do the best I can and help the team win that I'm on now."

Heineman will help any team that he's a part of win. He will make any team that he's part of better whether it is at the plate or behind it.

Thank you for your time, Tyler, and best of luck as the season continues to unfold.

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

Other recent interviews:
1B Jon Singleton
LHP Bryan Radziewski
1B A.J. Reed
RHP Joe Musgrove
3B J.D. Davis
LHP Albert Minnis
SS Carlos Correa
RHP Tyson Perez

You can find more on virtually every player in the Astros minor league system in the 2015 Houston Farm System Handbook available on Amazon for download to your kindle, iPad, laptop, desktop or smart phone.

Tweet of the Day

Met a sweetheart today! She's really into social media so I thought I would give her a shout out @juliaa_mariee pic.twitter.com/0jOnyh36JY

— Tyler Heineman (@theineman13) May 20, 2015

Tweets of the Day

Happy Mother's Day to this beautiful women I call Mom. Thank you for all you've done for me! @andriamcdermott pic.twitter.com/PL7Uv0L8hN

— Thomas Lindauer (@ThomasL_19) May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day to ALL of the mothers out there!! Glad my mom got to be in the same city two years in a row on Mother's Day!!

— brandon meredith (@bmeezytrain) May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there!

— Aaron West (@Snacks_31) May 10, 2015

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!❤️🌹 To all the mothers an single mother's in the world! Today is all about you! Enjoy it!😁 #thanksmom #MothersDay

— Vince Velasquez (@vjvelasquezrhp) May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!! Blessed to be able to get the start on this great day!

— Haderade™ (@jhader17) May 10, 2015

Happy Mothers's Day Momma!! I love and miss you, can't wait until you can watch me play again! pic.twitter.com/5pK1zhlwBX

— Jack Mayfield (@jackmayfield8) May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful moms out there! I love my mom so much and wouldn't be the man I am today without her

— Tyler Heineman (@theineman13) May 10, 2015

Bonus Tweets of the Day

Today, I got the best news of my life, and I've never been more humbled. Go Astros

— Preston Tucker (@PrestonTucker25) May 7, 2015

CONGRATS TUCK!! #SECPower https://t.co/79dFHwcYzN

— Tony Kemp (@tonykemp6) May 7, 2015

So legit man. Congrats! https://t.co/a6NRRXwuxN

— Tyler Heineman (@theineman13) May 7, 2015

@PrestonTucker25 congrats on the well deserved promotion my man.

— brandon meredith (@bmeezytrain) May 7, 2015

The man @PrestonTucker25 reaction when he was told he would be a Big leaguer today. 😳 then 😃 followed by 😎 showtime

— Darin Downs (@DDowns99) May 7, 2015

Congrats to Tuck aka Taco aka BamBam on getting the call to the show! @PrestonTucker25

— Max Stassi (@MaxStassi10) May 7, 2015

Congrats to my roomie @PrestonTucker25 on getting the call today!!!

— Brady Rodgers (@Rodg_20) May 7, 2015

Congrats to @PrestonTucker25..you deserve every bit of this opportunity man. Go #Gators Go #Astros "YES...YES...YES!"

— Nolan Fontana (@nolanfontana) May 7, 2015

Tweets of the Day

When you have 25 minutes to kill you go to Petland! #boxer #teamdog? pic.twitter.com/Yagm3xnp89
— Aaron West (@Snacks_31) April 26, 2015

Just waiting for the bus at the pet store. @theineman13 is in heaven. pic.twitter.com/S7gIMPuZyy
— Mark Appel (@MAppel26) April 26, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, April 23, 2015

Quad Cities with the...

Salt Lake 1, Fresno 0

W- Tyler DeLoach (1-0)
L- Alex White (0-2)
S- Edgar Ibarra (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

Tough series for the Grizzlies, as all three of their losses have been by 1 run. 2 of those 3 defeats were walkoffs.

In this game, they only had 2 hits. One of them was a double from Nolan Fontana in the 9th, but he was stranded at 2nd to end the game. The other hit was an L.J. Hoes single.

Alex White was saddled with the loss as he allowed an unearned run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 5.2 innings. Darin Downs was the first man out of the bullpen; he allowed a hit and fanned 1 in 1.1 innings. Tyson Perez worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

The Grizzlies will look to avoid being swept at 5:35 Pacific. Luis Cruz will face Drew Rucinski.

Corpus Christi 8, Frisco 2

W- Angel Báez (1-0)
L- Jake Thompson (1-2)
S- Kyle Westwood (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks used a barrage of doubles to take game 1 of this series. They trailed 2-1 after the 2nd but finished the game on a 7-0 run, with much of that damage coming in the 3rd and the 4th innings.

Corpus struck out 11 times, but that didn't really matter much because their bats were hot in this one. Brandon Meredith led off the 2nd with a double, and it didn't take long for him to score the Hooks' first run as Tyler Heineman replaced him at 2nd while he was dashing home. They took the lead with, guess what... a pair of RBI doubles from Carlos Correa and Conrad Gregor in the 3rd. Those came after Colin Moran led off with you guessed it... a double. Tony Kemp drew a 1-out walk in the 4th, which set the stage for a 4-run inning. Kemp scored on yet another RBI double, this one from Moran. Meredith, who was the only player in the lineup to not strike out, hit an RBI single that brought Moran home. Advancing to 2nd was Carlos Correa, who had singled in front of Meredith. Heineman struck once again with.... an RBI double. Meredith was able to score, thanks to an error. And finally, Leo Heras drew a bases-loaded walk in the 9th inning. Moran (2 2B, RBI), Correa, Gregor, and Meredith all had 2 hits. Heineman finished 3-5.

Mark Appel went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer) and struck out 3. Angel Báez struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 5th and got the win. Kyle Westwood got a 4-inning save as he allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Josh Hader gets the start in game 2. He'll face Jose Leclerc at 7:05.

Modesto 11, Lancaster 5

W- Harrison Musgrave (2-1)
L- Blaine Sims (0-3)
S- Carlos Estevez (yes, that really is his name) (2)

Lancaster home runs: Jose Fernandez (1, solo in 2nd), J.D. Davis (2, 2-run in 5th), Chase McDonald (5, solo in 6th)

No shortage of fireworks in this one, as both teams combined to send 7 out of the park. Unfortunately, the JetHawks were also outgunned in the process, as they just couldn't find any answers for the Nuts' bats.

Jose Fernandez put Lancaster on the board first with a solo homer in the 2nd. J.D. Davis ripped a 2-run homer in the 5th, Chase McDonald led off the bottom of the 6th with his 5th blast of the year, and Davis added an RBI double to his ledger in the 7th inning. He finished a triple shy of the cycle. Brett Phillips (2 2B) and Chan-Jong Moon (2B) both scored a run and finished with 2 hits. McDonald extended his hitting streak to 12 games with that homer, and... he was at second base in this game. A man built like a defensive lineman playing 2nd base probably would've been a sight to see.

Blaine Sims allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 3 in 5 innings. Randall Fant was the first man out, but he only got 1 out in the 6th and allowed 4 runs on 4 hits (solo and 2-run homers). Tyler Brunnemann was once again summoned to restore order, and he did so with 2.2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 5. Again, he was the only JetHawks pitcher that did not surrender any runs. Frederick Tiburcio allowed 3 runs on 2 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 9th inning.

In game 2 of this 4-game set, Adrian Houser will take on Grahamm Wiest. First pitch is at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 4, Peoria 3

W- Dan Mengden (1-1)
L- Tyler Bray (1-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos pulled off the sweep, and at 12-3, they are off to their best start since 2001. They trailed 3-0 after the 4th inning, but scored the game's final 4 runs.

Alfredo Gonzalez put the River Bandits on the board in the 5th with an RBI single. Mott Hyde doubled to lead off the 6th, advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch, and scored on a Jake Nottingham groundout. Quad Cities went ahead in the 7th on 2 wild pitches. Hyde drew a walk on one of those, which allowed Thomas Lindauer to score the tying run. Gonzalez scored the go-ahead run while Nottingham was up to bat. Gonzalez and Hyde had 2 hits apiece; Lindauer drew 2 walks and scored 2 runs.

Austin Chrismon went 5 innings and allowed 3 unearned runs on 5 hits and struck out 6. Dan Mengden and his magnificent mustache got the win as he threw 4 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 5.

The River Bandits will now return home, where they will finish out the month. They'll be welcoming the Burlington Bees to Modern Woodmen Park for the weekend. In the series opener, Josh James will take on Sean Newcomb. First pitch is at 7.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Colin Moran, 3B, Corpus Christi

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

2. 

Tyler Heineman, C, Corpus Christi

3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI

1.

@QCRiverBandits JD Davis pic.twitter.com/sCZpiilcfw
— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) August 8, 2014

J.D. Davis, 3B, Lancaster

3-4, 2B, HR (2), 3 RBI 

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Kyle Westwood, RHP, Corpus Christi

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

2. 

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP, Lancaster

2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K

1. 

Photo by Thomas B. Shea, Houston Chronicle

Article this picture was found on

Dan Mengden, RHP, Quad Cities

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

Honorable Mentions

- Again, I generally refrain from using this blog as a platform to advocate a prospect's promotion, but Carlos Correa is hell-bent on appearing in Houston at some point this season.
- 8-game hitting snapped? No problem for Brett Phillips, he'll start another one.
- Tough-luck loss for Alex White, who pitched very well for Fresno.
- Chase McDonald has recorded a hit in all but one of the games he's played this year. No Lancaster effect here; his power is for real.

Tweet of the Day

Tyler Heineman has played for the #Hooks AND #Astros tonight. Started as CC catcher; pinch-hit for Houston DH, Grossman #springtrainingfun
— Chris Blake (@ChrisCBlake) April 3, 2015

Tweets of the Day

It's very disrespectful when you go to dinner with someone and they do this the whole time... @theineman13 pic.twitter.com/Z9Dt2phTfT
— Max Stassi (@MaxStassi10) March 7, 2015

@MaxStassi10 says the dude who is taking a picture of me at dinner
— Tyler Heineman (@theineman13) March 7, 2015

Tweet of the Day

Fun day at the park today! Slightly scary as well 😁 pic.twitter.com/mlFYookp2E
— Tyler Heineman (@theineman13) February 26, 2015

Tweet of the Day

That itch for baseball season is growing stronger and stronger...
— Tyler Heineman (@theineman13) January 16, 2015

Arizona Fall League Recap

Salt River 6, Scottsdale 3

W- Jake Reed (1-0)
L- Alex Smith (0-1)
S- Enrique Burgos (1)

Salt River home runs by Astros players: None.

After Scottsdale scored their 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th, Salt River finished the game by scoring 5 unanswered.

Rio Ruiz was in the field for the first time this season; he went 0-5 with a strikeout. Andrew Aplin and Tyler Heineman appeared in the AFL for the first time this season; Aplin started in LF and went 1-5 with a run scored from the #8 spot in the order, and Heineman was behind the plate; he went 0-2 with 2 walks, a strikeout, and a run scored in the #9 spot.

Mark Appel got the start for Salt River and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 3 scoreless frames. The one hit was a double by the Mets' Brandon Nimmo.

Appel was 94-97 in the first. Command wasn't great. Nimmo smoked a changeup to RCF for a double.
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) October 9, 2014

Stay tuned for Mr. Wallee Wright's in-depth report.

Tweet of the Day

Heine get up. Heine: "damn it's time already, I was in the middle of a workout in my sleep, I need another min to do my other leg"
— brandon meredith (@bmeezytrain) August 20, 2014

Tyler Heineman Taken to the Extreme

OK, so I kind of got carried away. Last year, one of my favorite things to do was to "funkify" some of my photos by using the different effects available through BeFunky.com. I haven't had much time to do that this season, but wanted to get back into it. I particularly liked this photo of Corpus Christi C Tyler Heineman ...

... so I decided to play with it. And I just kept going. Enjoy!

Look for more funkified photos next week.

All photos are the copyrighted property of Jayne Hansen. All rights reserved.