Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 28, 2017

Fresno 7, Albuquerque 0

W- David Martinez (2-6)
L- Ryan Carpenter (2-4)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (6, solo in 5th), D.J. Fisher (11, 2-run in 6th), Max Stassi (3, 2-run in 7th), Preston Tucker (8, 2-run in 8th)

There was no scoring in the first four innings, but the Grizzlies changed that in a hurry when they homered in each of the next four frames. On the mound, three pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout.

David Martinez started it off with 7 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 4, and striking out 8. Kevin Comer and Tyson Perez both threw an inning to complete the shutout. Comer walked 1 and struck out 1 in the 8th, and Perez worked around a couple of hits in the 9th to finish off the game.

A.J. Reed broke a 0-0 tie in the 5th with a solo home run. D.J. Fisher smacked a 2-run homer in the 6th, and Max Stassi and Preston Tucker followed suit in the 7th and the 8th, respectively. Fisher finished 2-4 and also hit a double. Reed scored twice.

The Grizzlies and Isotopes will continue their series at 4:05 Pacific as David Paulino takes on Barry Enright.

Tulsa 3, Corpus Christi 1

W- Walker Buehler (1-0)
L- Dean Deetz (4-2)
S- Shea Spitzbarth (1)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (3, 4 season; solo in 5th)

Well, I ended up watching a loss in my first minor league baseball game. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, though.

Corpus was foiled in their bid to sweep the series, but they ended up taking 2 of 3 from Springfield and the Drillers on this homestand. This was a night dominated by the pitchers; both staffs combined to strike out 28 while the Drillers issued the only two walks of the evening.

The Hooks were held in check by Tulsa's pitchers and yet... they still weren't totally out of it. Unfortunately, they squandered a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 8th. Drew Ferguson just missed getting a game-tying 2-run double; the ball was just foul down the left-field line. He eventually got plunked to load 'em up. Alejandro Garcia singled in the 9th to bring the tying run up to the plate, but again, nothing came of that.

Jack Mayfield launched a solo homer in the 5th for the only Corpus run. Ferguson's double to lead off the 6th was their only other extra-base hit.

Dean Deetz went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 9. Sean Stutzman and Riley Ferrell combined to throw 4 scoreless out of the bullpen; Stutzman allowed 3 hits and fanned 4 over 2.2 innings, while Ferrell threw 1.1 perfect innings, striking out 2.

The Hooks have Memorial Day off. They'll begin a 3-game series in Springfield on Tuesday.

Buies Creek 4, Frederick 0

W- Hector Perez (3-2, 4-3 season)
L- Reid Love (1-1)

BC home runs: None.

After issuing 9 walks in his first three Carolina League appearances (9.2 IP), Hector Perez has issued just one in his next three, spanning 17.2 innings. On Sunday, he and Carlos Sierra combined on a 2-hit shutout. With this win, the Astros organization also went 2-0 against the Orioles on Sunday.

Perez allowed just one hit and struck out 9 in 6.2 innings. Sierra finished it off by allowing a hit and striking out 1 over the final 2.1 innings. The 9 strikeouts tie a career-high for Perez; he also struck out 9 for Quad Cities on August 13 last year.

Anibal Sierra opened the scoring with a 2-run single in the 5th inning. Pat Porter, who scored one of those runs, added an RBI single in the 6th, and Ryne Birk ripped an RBI double in the 7th for Buies Creek's final run. Birk finished 3-5 on the evening, while Porter and Jake Rogers had two hits apiece.

Franklin Perez will start the series finale and he'll face Cristian Alvarado. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Beloit 7, Quad Cities 5

W- Ty Damron (3-4)
L- Salvador Montaño (0-1)
S- Sam Sheehan (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos fought back to try and erase a 7-2 deficit but couldn't complete the task. The Snappers got to Quad Cities' pitching staff for 3 homers on Sunday.

Cionel Perez went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 7. Salvador Montaño allowed a walk and one hit in the 6th, but that one hit was a 2-run homer to Miguel Mercedes that put Beloit in front. Gabriel Valdez pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2.

Daz Cameron singled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, advanced to 3rd on an Alex De Goti single, and scored the first run of the game on a single from Marcos Almonte. De Goti moved to 3rd on a double play and then stole home. Unfortunately, Quad Cities was held off the scoreboard until the 7th, when Chuckie Robinson ripped a 2-run double. Osvaldo Duarte hit an RBI single in the 8th. Almonte and Robinson finished with 2 hits apiece.

Forrest Whitley will start the finale and he'll take on Matt Milburn at 5:15.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers

W 7-0 vs. Albuquerque

9 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 9 K

David Martinez: W (2-6), 7 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 8 K

 Kevin Comer: IP, BB, K

Tyson Perez: IP, 2 H

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno

2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (11)

Buies Creek Astros pitchers

W 4-0 @ Frederick

9 IP, 2 H, 10 K

Hector Perez: W (3-2, 4-3 season), 6.2 IP, H, 9 K (tied career-high)

Carlos Sierra: 2.1 IP, H, K

Perez has 22 strikeouts and 1 walk in his last 17.2 innings pitched.

Ryne Birk, 2B, and Pat Porter, 1B/OF, Buies Creek

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

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

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen

4 IP, 3 H, 6 K

Sean Stutzman: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 K

Riley Ferrell: 1.1 IP, 2 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, Quad Cities

2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Sacramento 5, Fresno 4

W- Matt Reynolds (2-0)
L- Brian Holmes (0-2)
S- Ryan Webb (1)

Fresno home runs: Reid Brignac (3, 2-run in 5th)

The Tacos/Grizzlies just can't seem to start series off on the right track in the early going. With this loss, they fall to 0-7 in series openers.

Brian Holmes went 3.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Kevin Comer was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen; in 1.2 innings, he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3. Holmes left the bases loaded and Sacramento got a sac fly off of Comer. Tyson Perez and Dayan Diaz both threw 2 scoreless innings; Perez was perfect, getting 4 groundouts and 2 flyball outs, while Diaz allowed a hit and struck out 3.

Andrew Aplin went 2-2 with a couple of walks; he put the Tacos on the board with a 2-run single in the 2nd. Reid Brignac whacked a 2-run homer in the 5th. Tyler White finished 3-4 and scored twice, while D.J. Fisher went 2-5 with a double.

Casey Coleman makes his system debut tonight at 6:35 Pacific. He'll face Michael Roth. Coleman was recently acquired from New Britain of the independent Atlantic League. He pitched three seasons with the Cubs and last appeared in the Majors in 2014 with the Royals.

Midland 6, Corpus Christi 1

W- Brandon Mann (2-2)
L- Rogelio Armenteros (1-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks offense was MIA as they dropped the first of four in Midland.

Bryan Muñiz went 2-4 and spoiled the shutout with an RBI single in the 9th. Garrett Stubbs hit a double to extend his hitting streak to 6 games.

Rogelio Armenteros went 3.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Eric Peterson was the first man out and threw 1.1 innings; he got Armenteros out of a bases-loaded jam to end the 4th but allowed 3 runs of his own in the 5th. He allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Josh James pitched the final 3 innings, allowing a run on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3.

Brock Dykxhoorn will get the start in game 2 of this series. He'll face James Naile at 11:00 AM.

Buies Creek 4, Carolina 3 in 12 innings

W- Ryan Deemes (2-0)
L- Quintin Torres-Costa (3-1)
S- Nick Hernandez (4)

BC home runs: Kyle Tucker (4, solo in 12th)

The Carolina Stros scored 2 in the top of the 8th to break a 1-1 tie. The Mudcats got 2 of their own in the bottom of the 9th to restore the deadlock, and that's where it stood until Kyle Tucker got a hold of a Quintin Torres-Costa offering with 2 outs in the 12th, sending one out to put Buies Creek back in front.

Little Tuck opened the scoring way back in the 1st with a sac fly. Osvaldo Duarte tripled to lead off the 8th and trotted home on a triple from Arturo Michelena, who scored on Dex McCall's RBI single.

The one run that Matt Bower allowed in his 5 innings of work came on a home run hit by Isan Diaz, who has really become a thorn in the Astros' side this season. Bower also allowed 4 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Carlos Sierra struck out 2 over 3 perfect frames. Ryan Deemes went 3.1 innings and allowed a game-tying 2-run homer to Lucas Erceg with one out in the 9th. He also allowed 3 other hits, walked 2, and fanned 3. Nick Hernandez got the final two outs of the 12th, one via strikeout, to get the save.

Buies Creek looks for the sweep later this morning as Yoanys Quiala takes the mound. He'll take on Conor Harber at 11:00 AM Eastern.

Quad Cities 9, Fort Wayne 5

W- Ryan Hartman (3-0)
L- Evan Miller (0-1)

QC home runs: Jake Rogers (5, solo in 2nd), Rodrigo Ayarza (4, solo in 2nd)

The Banditos finally got a chance to get back on the diamond after two days of rainouts in Clinton. They broke a 2-2 tie in the 6th, briefly lost the lead in the 7th, and then seized control with a pair of 3-run innings.

Quad Cities got on the board thanks to back-to-back solo homers from Jake Rogers and Rodrigo Ayarza in the 2nd inning. Ayarza added a sac fly to his ledger in the 6th inning. Fort Wayne scored 3 in the top of the 7th to take a 5-3 lead, but the River Bandits wouldn't be down for long.

Carmen Benedetti walked to lead off the bottom of the 7th inning. Ronnie Dawson joined him on the bases by drawing a walk, and Stephen Wrenn looked to move the two of them over with a sac bunt but he ended up reaching anyway. Alex De Goti went down on strikes for the first out, but Randy César kept the line moving by walking Benedetti home. Rogers followed with a 2-run single that put the Banditos back in front. Benedetti singled to lead off the 8th and came around to score on Wrenn's RBI single. Wrenn, who advanced to 2nd as Dawson was getting thrown out at 3rd, came around to score on an error that allowed De Goti to reach. César capped off the evening by ripping an RBI double.

Rogers finished a triple shy of the cycle, while César (2B, 2 RBI, R) and Wrenn (RBI, 2 R) had 2 hits apiece.

Enoli Paredes had a bit of a rough start to his evening but he managed to right the ship. He went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs in the 1st on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 8. Paredes did not allow a hit after the 2nd inning. Ryan Hartman tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 2 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 4. Erasmo Pinales struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Carson LaRue gets the start in game 2. He'll face Logan Allen at 6:35.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Andrew Aplin, OF, Fresno

2-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Tyler White, IF, Fresno

3-4, 2 R

Currently on 5-game hitting streak

Tyson Perez, RHP, and Dayan Diaz, RHP, Fresno

Perez: 2 IP

Diaz: 2 IP, H, 3 K

Photo by Rich Guill

Jake Rogers, C, Quad Cities

3-5, solo HR (5), 3 RBI; finished triple shy of cycle

Randy César, 3B, Quad Cities

2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Photo by Bryan Green

Enoli Paredes, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Photo by Rich Guill

Kyle Tucker, OF, Buies Creek

1-4, go-ahead solo HR (4) in 12th, 2 RBI

Matt Bower, LHP, and Carlos Sierra, RHP, Buies Creek

Bower: 5 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Sierra: 3 IP, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 24, 2017

Salt Lake 12, Fresno 9

W- Troy Scribner (2-0)
L- Keegan Yuhl (1-3)

Fresno home runs: Colin Moran (3, solo in 4th), Tyler White (1, 2-run in 9th)

The Grizzlies made things pretty interesting after getting demolished in the early going. They weren't able to erase a 9-0 deficit, though.

Colin Moran's solo homer in the 4th finally put Fresno on the board after the Bees scored the first 9 runs of the night. A.J. Reed added a 2-run single in the 5th inning. Moran hit a 2-run single in the 8th, and Reid Brignac drove in another run with a groundout. In the 9th, Reed hit and RBI single and came home when Tyler White clubbed a 2-run home run. Reed (3 RBI, 2 R), Moran (solo HR, 3 RBI, 2 R), and Preston Tucker all had two-hit games. Reed is looking to recover from a 1-18 slump and he's doing that pretty well; he's recorded a hit in 3 of his last 4 games.

Keegan Yuhl struggled in his 4 innings, and I'll leave it at that. Tyson Perez and Ryan Thompson both threw 2 innings with radically different results. Perez's two frames were scoreless; he allowed 3 hits and struck out 1. On the other hand, Thompson allowed 3 runs in the 8th after turning in a scoreless 7th. He allowed 6 hits and struck out 2. Andrew Aplin retired the side in order in the 9th.

Fresno and Salt Lake will wrap up their series with an early Taco Tuesday as Edison Frias takes on Alex Blackford at 11:05 AM Pacific.

Midland 9, Corpus Christi 0

W- Corey Walter (2-0)
L- Kyle Smith (0-1)
S- Brandon Mann (1)

CC home runs: None.

Sometimes you're the hammer... sometimes you're the nail. The Hooks, unfortunately, were the latter on Monday.

On offense, Corpus only got a pair of singles from Jack Mayfield and Jamie Ritchie.

Kyle Smith went 4.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 5. Eric Peterson was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and went 2.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits (grand slam; 2 runs were charged to Smith), walking 1, and striking out 2. The three runs that Jacob Dorris allowed in his 1.1 innings of work all came on a home run hit by J.P. Sportman in the 8th inning. He allowed 4 other hits and struck out 3. Michael Freeman got the final two outs of the 9th, walking 1 and striking out 1.

Dean Deetz will face James Naile in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek was off

The Astros will wrap up their 14-game road trip with 3 games in Winston-Salem. Alex Winkleman will start game 1, and he'll face Max Beatty at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 14, Peoria 4

W- Ryan Hartman (2-0)
L- Bryan Dobzanski (0-2)

QC home runs: Ray Henderson-Lozano 2 (2, solo in 2nd, 2-run in 3rd), Jake Rogers (3, 2-run in 1st)

The Banditos took game 1 from the Chiefs with a show of power and a 6-run 3rd inning that featured a Little League home run.

Jake Rogers opened the scoring with a 2-run homer in the 1st inning. Ray Henderson-Lozano launched a solo homer, his first of the evening, in the 2nd.

Alex De Goti drew a 1-out walk that kickstarted Quad Cities' big 3rd inning. He advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, stole 3rd when Rogers walked, and scored on a Stephen Wrenn infield single. Rodrigo Ayarza followed with an RBI single and an errant relay throw allowed him and Wrenn to score. Taylor Jones singled, which prompted Peoria to make a pitching change. Daz Cameron flew out for the second out of the inning, but Henderson capped off the scoring in the 3rd by smacking his second homer of the game to put the Banditos up 9-1.

Carmen Benedetti was the only player in the Quad Cities lineup to go hitless in this game, but he drew a bases-loaded walk in the 5th. The River Bandits finished off the onslaught with 4 more runs in the 6th: Daz hit an RBI single, Wrenn scored on a wild pitch, and Ronnie Dawson hit a 2-run single. Rogers (2B, 2-R HR, 3 R), Wrenn (RBI, 2 R), Ayarza (RBI, 2 R), and Henderson (2 HR) all finished with two hits on the night.

None of the three Quad Cities hurlers in this game had spectacular nights, but they did their job by not allowing the Chiefs to score more runs than their offense did. Hector Perez went 4.1 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Ryan Hartman tagged in for 3.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walking 2, and fanning 3. Lucas Williams allowed a solo homer to Tommy Edman in the 9th, which was the only hit he allowed in the frame. He struck out 1.

Dustin Hunt will go against Jordan Hicks in an early start. First pitch is at 11:00 AM.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ray Henderson-Lozano, C, Quad Cities

2-5, 2 HR (2), 3 RBI; was in the lineup at 2B

Jake Rogers, C, Quad Cities

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

Has a hit in 10 of his last 11 games

Colin Moran, IF, Fresno

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

HR in 2nd straight game

A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

2-4, 3 RBI, 2 R

Last 4 games: 6-15; 1-18 in previous 6

Tyson Perez, RHP, Fresno

2 IP, 3 H, K

Hector Perez, RHP, Quad Cities

4.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 BB, 4 K

Getting to Know Astros/Grizzlies RHP Tyson Perez

Following his promotion to Corpus Christi last season on May 30, 2014, RHP Tyson Perez has arguably been the most consistent reliever in the Astros system. In 51 appearances since that 2014 promotion, Perez has compiled a 1.98 ERA and a 0.880 WHIP with 16 saves in 63.2 innings of work. Perez started his 2015 season with Corpus Christi, but was promoted to Fresno after only three appearances. In 2015, he has a 1.80 ERA and a 0.680 WHIP in 21 appearances to date.

Tyson Perez - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I asked Perez what clicked for him that has caused him to excel so consistently since that 2014 promotion. He said, "I think it was all about confidence. When I went to Corpus, you had [former Manager Keith] Bodie there and [Pitching Coach] Doug Brocail. Broc helped me so much. He basically told me every day, 'Why don't you believe that you're good? Because your stuff's so good.' And then it just took me a little while to actually believe and get the confidence that I used to have. I think I kind of lost it there for a little bit. And you can't play this game without confidence. Confidence is the main thing that you need. So working with (Brocail) every day, I literally took it day by day and did everything I could do for that day and when tomorrow came, I'd worry about tomorrow. I think that helps a lot and that's how you've got to play this game. This game is tough. You play a lot of games and a lot of days and you've just got to take it day by day and get the best you can out of that day."

Perez's pitch repertoire consists of fastball, cutter, and curveball, but as he told me, "You're always working on stuff in this game. You're learning every day. I've been working on a little bit of a changeup, kind of a split change ... some other look for lefties. I throw the cutter a lot to lefties in and I throw the curveball off that, but to have something to use kind of going down and away from them will be a lot of help, especially when you get up to these levels. These hitters are so good. In the big leagues, they have just as much scouting report on us as we have on them. So you've got to be able to throw all your pitches wherever you want and execute."

When I asked Fresno Pitching Coach Ace Adams what Perez needed to work on, he told me, "He doesn't need to work on a lot. He's been outstanding for us. If we didn't have him, we'd be really hurting. Right now, all he needs is getting more confidence and believe that he can pitch in the big leagues. That's all he needs to work on right now. He's done a great job. Without him, I don't know where we would be. When he came here, our bullpen was in disarray and he's really done an unbelievable job. He's been a great, great addition."

Perez is more of a pitch-to-contact guy than a strikeout guy as evidenced by the game I watched him pitch in recently in which he retired the side on seven pitches, including a strikeout. "In my mind, I try to get he guy out on three pitches or less. If he's still there after three pitches, then I have to strike him out. You can't get in those 2-1 counts, 3-1 counts, 3-2 counts because that's where these guys hurt you. I'm not up there throwing 96, 97. I've got to work with what I've got and I've got to get them out as fast as I can and if everything goes together, then I should be able to get them out," said Perez.

When I spoke with Doug Brocail last season about Perez, I mentioned the somewhat goofy persona that Perez sometimes hides behind. Brocail assured me that there was a bullpen leader behind that persona and that, when it was time to work, Perez was all business. Of this assessment, Perez said, "You've got to have fun in this game, especially when you're with a group of guys you're with so much every day and everyone's fun and everyone's a good guy, but when it's time to take care of business, everyone's out there taking care of business."

Perez is originally from nearby Hanford, California, having grown up around ranching and rodeos (see this October 2012 interview for more about that) and was drafted out of Fresno City College in 2011 so Fresno is more or less home to him. Perez said, "My parents are about an hour away. I get to see them a lot. They try to come to every game so they've been here almost every time so that's really great to see them."

I know that Perez is enjoying the time spent on his home turf, but I don't think he would mind getting a little homesick by spending some time in, say, Houston. It is my sincerest hope that he will get that opportunity sooner rather than later.

Perez - May 2015

Thank you for your time, Tyson, 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

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.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 20, 2015 and Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Fresno 8, Las Vegas 4

W- Tommy Shirley (2-0)
L- Matt Bowman (0-3)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (3, solo in 4th), Preston Tucker (5, 2-run in 4th)

The heart of the Grizzlies order struck terror into the extraterrestrials (OK, the humans playing for the team with the extraterrestrial mascot) as Jon Singleton, Matt Duffy, and Preston Tucker all went 3-5 with 2 runs scored.

Tucker put Fresno on the board first in the 1st with a 2-run single, and he made his way around the bases on a wild pitch and a Matt Dominguez infield single and scored on a single from Alex Presley. Singleton smacked a solo shot with 2 outs in the 4th. One batter later, Duffy doubled, and then it was Tucker's turn to go deep. L.J. Hoes drove in the final Grizzlies runs with a 2-run double in the 8th. Presley and Hoes had 2 hits apiece; everyone had a hit except for Joe Sclafani.

Tommy Shirley went 5.2 innings, and the only 2 hits he surrendered came off the bat of Dilson Herrera, who took him deep in the 5th. He walked 2 and struck out 4. Darin Downs faced one batter and retired him to end the 6th inning. Josh Fields allowed a hit and walked 2 over 2 scoreless, and James Hoyt was able to close it out, although he had to weather a storm to do so. He allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 9th.

Tulsa 2, Corpus Christi 1

W- Chris Anderson (3-0)
L- Travis Ballew (0-1)
S- Chris Reed (1)

CC home runs: Carlos Correa (2, solo in 6th)

Mr. Correa broke the monotony of a scoreless tie with his 2nd blast of the season, but that was the only run that the Hooks could put up on the scoreboard. Carlos had 2 of the 3 Corpus hits; the other was a single hit by Tyler White, who was making his 2015 debut. Tony Kemp also did this in the 6th inning:


Aaron West was solid, although a high pitch count forced an early exit. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 5 over 4.2 scoreless innings. Travis Ballew was the first man out, and he threw a scoreless 6th, However, the Drillers took the lead off of him as Paul Honecker hit a 2-run homer with 2 outs in the top of the 7th. He allowed one other hit and struck out 2. Jandel Gustave struck out 1 over 2 perfect frames.

Rancho Cucamonga 13, Lancaster 8

W- Victor Araujo (1-1)
L- Edison Frias (2-1)

Lancaster home runs: Chase McDonald (3, 2-run in 2nd)

The JetHawks found themselves behind the 8-ball early as Edison Frias got rocked for 6 runs in the 1st inning. Despite the rough start, the JetHawks picked themselves up off the canvas and fired back and very nearly erased a 7-run deficit. Sadly, they were buried by a 6-run 6th inning from Rancho.

Frias only got 2 outs; he allowed 5 hits (2 2-run homers) and walked 1. Tyler Brunnemann got the JetHawks out of the inning, but not before allowing a run of his own. He threw 1.1 innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 1. Brian Holmes tagged in for 3 innings; he allowed 6 runs (3 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Ambiorix De Leon technically had a scoreless outing, but he did allow the 2 runners he inherited from Holmes to score. De Leon allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and fanned 2 over 3 innings.

Chase McDonald continued his outstanding start to the season as he went 3-5 with a 2-run homer (3) in the 2nd, an RBI single in the 3rd, and scored 2 runs. Brett Phillips remained on fire as he finished 2-3, ripping a 2-run triple in the 3rd. The other JetHawks run in the 3rd inning came on a Jose Fernandez single. A.J. Reed drew a walk in the 7th. He would advance to 2nd on a McDonald single, took 3rd on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball. Brian Holberton scored on a wild pitch in the 8th. J.D. Davis was 2-5 with a run scored.

Kane County 8, Quad Cities 6

W- Nick Baker (1-0)
L- Chris Lee (0-1)
S- Luis Ramirez (1)

QC home runs: D.J. Fisher (4, solo in 5th)

The Bandits were thwarted in their bid for a sweep as the Cougars doubled them up from the 5th to the 8th innings, outscoring them 6-3.

Quad Cities got on the board first with 3 in the 1st inning, as Nick Tanielu and Mott Hyde hit RBI singles, and Jake Nottingham added an RBI groundout. D.J. Fisher is putting his power on display as he led off the 5th with his 4th homer of the year. The other run in the 5th inning came on a Ryan Bottger groundout. Bobby Boyd grounded into a force out that scored Alfredo Gonzalez in the 8th.

Kevin Comer went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Chris Lee tagged in for 3.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits and striking out 4. Albert Minnis worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Monday's Three Stars: Position Players

Fresno sweep!

Jon Singleton, 1B

3-5, solo HR (3), 2 R

Matt Duffy, 3B

3-5, 2 2B, 2 R

Preston Tucker, OF

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

Monday's Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Tommy Shirley, LHP, Fresno

W (2-0), 5.2 IP, 2 H (solo HR), ER, 2 BB, 4 K

2. 

Aaron West, RHP, Corpus Christi

4.2 IP, 3 H, 5 K

1. 

Jandel Gustave, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, K

Monday's Honorable Mentions

- Tony Kemp may have gone 0-4, but he probably pulled off the defensive play of the year in the Astros minors.
- Chase McDonald has probably been the best hitter in the Lancaster lineup in the early going.
- After a slow start, Brett Phillips has caught fire and has remained on fire for the JetHawks.

Games of April 21, 2015

Salt Lake 6, Fresno 5 in 11 innings

W- Frank Herrmann (1-0)
L- James Hoyt (0-1)

Fresno home runs: Domingo Santana (3, solo in 7th)

The Grizzlies scored 1 in the 9th to tie the game at 3 and took the lead with 2 in the top of the 11th.... only to walk off with the loss after the Bees stung them for 3 in the bottom of the inning.

Alex Presley went 3-5 and put Fresno on the board first with a 3rd-inning RBI single. Domingo's 3rd homer led off the 7th inning, and Joe Sclafani came through in the clutch with an RBI single in the top of the 9th. Domingo scored the go-ahead run on a Ronald Torreyes fielder's choice in the 11th, and Presley struck again with an RBI single. Domingo finished 4-5, while Jon Singleton went 2-6 with a double and triple.

Jake Buchanan had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 9 hits and striking out 3, Jordan Jankowski was the first man out; he allowed a hit, walked 2, and fanned 3. In his AAA debut, Tyson Perez tossed 2 perfect innings. James Hoyt couldn't close it out as Salt Lake got 3 off of him in the bottom of the 11th. 2 of those runs were earned; he allowed 4 hits and struck out 1.

Dan Straily will take on Nick Tropeano at 5:35 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 0

W- Kent Emanuel (1-0)
L- Julio Urias (1-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks staved off a sweep as they blanked the Drillers, which was an encouraging end to a pretty tough series that saw Tulsa rally in order to get the wins in the first 2 games. They got the win by knocking around the 18-year-old phenom, Julio Urias.

Tony Kemp went 2-5 and opened up the scoring with an RBI infield single in the 3rd. Jio Mier busted the game open in the 4th by clearing the bases with a triple, and one batter later, he came home on a Roberto Peña single. Telvin Nash coaxed a bases-loaded walk in the 5th. Conrad Gregor finished 2-4 and scored on Jio's triple.

Kent Emanuel started things off with 5 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Mitch Lambson allowed just 1 hit and fanned 3 over 3 scoreless, and Dan Minor finished things off, working around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th.

After a day off, the Hooks travel to Frisco as they close out the month on the road.

Lancaster 7, Rancho Cucamonga 6 in 11 innings

W- Gonzalo Sañudo (1-0)
L- Randy Fontanez (1-2)

Lancaster home runs: None.

Lancaster nipped the Quakes in extras, thanks to Chase McDonald's RBI single in the top of the 11th.

A.J. Reed got things started with an RBI single in the 1st. The JetHawks got a pair of sac flies from J.D. Davis and Reed in the 3rd. Jobduan Morales added an RBI single in the 6th, and later in the inning, Chan-Jong Moon hit into a fielder's choice that scored James Ramsay. Moon hit an RBI single in the 8th. He was back at it again in the 11th as he led off with a double. He'd score on McDonald's single. Moon, Brett Phillips, and Ronnie Mitchell all finished with 3 hits, while McDonald and Davis had 2 each.

Michael Feliz got the start; he went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned), a single, walked 3, and struck out 6. Zach Morton tagged in for 4 innings, allowing 2 unearned runs on 7 hits and striking out 3. Frederick Tiburcio allowed a game-tying 2-run home run to Brandon Trinkwon in the bottom of the 9th. He allowed 2 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 1, and Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless to get the win.

In the rubber game, Troy Scribner will take on Scott Barlow at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 4, Peoria 3

W- Eric Peterson (1-0)
L- Zach Loraine (0-2)
S- Jose Montero (3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos took the series opener as they scored a couple in the 8th to take the lead.

Alfredo Gonzalez went 2-4 with a stolen base (1) and put Quad Cities on the board first with a 2nd-inning RBI single. Jamie Ritchie drew a bases-loaded walk in the 4th to tie the game at 2, and he struck again in the 8th with an RBI triple that tied the game again. He scored the go-ahead run one batter later, when D.J. Fisher singled. Fisher, who also stole a base (3), and Kristian Trompiz also had 2 hits apiece.

Bryan Radziewski went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6. Eric Peterson was the first man out of the bullpen; he allowed an unearned run on 3 hits and struck out 3 over 2 innings, and Jose Montero got a 2-inning save, striking out 3.

In game 2 of this series, Joe Musgrove faces Austin Gomber at 11:00 A.M.

Tuesday's Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Jio Mier, IF, Corpus Christi

Bases-clearing 3B in 4th

2. 

Chan-Jong Moon, SS, Lancaster

3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 SB (5)

1.

Domingo Santana, OF, Fresno

4-5, 2B, solo HR (3), 2 R

Tuesday's Five Stars: Pitchers

Can I really rank these performances objectively?

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0), 5 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 K

Mitch Lambson, LHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, H, 3 K

Dan Minor, RHP, Corpus Christi

IP, H

Tyson Perez, RHP, Fresno

AAA debut: 2 IP

Jose Montero, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (3), 2 IP, 3 K

Tuesday's Honorable Mentions

- D.J. Fisher has opened up the Midwest League slate on a tear and is putting himself
- After a 2-20 start, Kristian Trompiz looks like he's getting himself going at the plate.
- Brett Phillips status: still en fuego.
- Bryan Radziewski and his big curveball have gotten out to a fine start in Quad Cities.

Happy Birthday - 12/27

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Tyson Perez (25)
Drafted in the 17th round in 2011 out of Fresno Community College, Perez started the season with High A Lancaster (5.87 ERA and 2.022 WHIP in 9 games), but was promoted to Corpus Christi in late May. Perez had a phenomenal season with the AA team, putting up a 2.09 ERA and a 1.009 WHIP in 30 games, and collecting 11 of his 12 saves for the season. Perez played in the Arizona Fall League in 2014 and made the "Fall-Star" team.

Catching Coach Jeff Murphy (44)
Murphy served as the Catching Coach for the AAA Oklahoma City team in his first season coaching in the Astros system in 2014.

These former Astros mark the day as well ~

1B Norm Larker (died March 12, 2007 at 76)
Drafted from the Dodgers in the 1961 expansion draft, Larker played in 147 games for the Colt .45's in 1962, hitting .263/.358/.374. Larker was an All-Star for the Dodgers in 1960 and won a World Series with that team in 1959.

OF Byron Browne (72)
Browne came to the Astros in a May 1968 trade with the Cubs and played in only 10 games for Houston that season, hitting .231/.412/.231, before being purchased by the Cardinals in February 1969.

CF Michael Bourn (32)
Originally drafted by the Phillies in the fourth round in 2003, Bourn came to Houston as part of the November 2007 trade that sent Brad Lidge to the Phillies. In 541 games played for the Astros from 2008 to 2011, Bourn hit .271/.337/.359 with 193 stolen bases. He won Gold Gloves in 2009 and 2010 for Houston and was an All-Star in 2010. In July 2011, he was traded to Atlanta where he earned another All-Star bid in 2012. He is currently with the Cleveland Indians.

SS Craig Reynolds (62)
A first round pick by the Pirates in 1971, Reynolds came to the Astros in a December 1978 trade with the Mariners. In 1170 games played for Houston from 1979 to 1989, he hit .252/.286/.345. Reynolds was an All-Star in 1978 for Seattle and in 1979 for Houston.

LHP Nate Bland (40)
Originally drafted by the Dodgers in the fourth round in 1993, Bland was drafted by Houston from the Mets in the December 2002 rule 5 draft. In 22 appearances for the Astros in 2003, he had a 5.75 ERA and a 1.672 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day

At Ike's eating the Mark Appel with Mark Appel!!! @MAppel26 @IkeShehadeh pic.twitter.com/lQiYWi3f4B
— Tyson Perez (@Timesonperez) October 20, 2014

Arizona Fall League Recap

Well, I enjoyed my 3 weeks off from recapping, but the next phase has begun: the Fall and Winter leagues. I will now be reprising my role as recapper-in-chief.

Scottsdale 7, Salt River 4

W- Julian Hilario (1-0)

L- Archie Bradley (0-1)

S- Nefi Ogando (1)

Salt River home runs by Astros players: None.

The Scorpions struck for a pair of 3-run innings, which were the only crooked-numbered innings in the game. 

Rio Ruiz was the DH for Salt River and hit 2nd. He went 0-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and a run scored. 

And on the pitching side, Mitch Lambson and Tyson Perez were the final 2 Rafters hurlers of the night. Both of them pitched 2 innings. Lambson allowed a run on a solo homer from Greg Bird in the 7th. He allowed one other hit and struck out 2, while Tyson gave up 2 hits and fanned 4 over 2 scoreless.

Salt River and Scottsdale will play again at Scottsdale Stadium at 6:35 Mountain. 

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 30, 2014

Oklahoma City 2, Omaha 1

W- Alex White (1-0)
L- Buddy Baumann (1-1)

OKC home runs: None.

The RedHawks avoided the sweep in dramatic fashion as they scored a pair in the 9th and executed the ol' walk-off squeeze play.

Mike Foltynewicz was just excellent in this one. He pitched 7.2 innings and allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 10. Both of his double-digit strikeout outings this season have come against the Storm Chasers. Josh Zeid only faced one batter; he struck out Paulo Orlando to end the 8th. Alex White worked around a 2-out infield single to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1 in the inning.

Well, it took them the entire game, but better late than never. The RedHawks had a chance to take control earlier, but they left the bases loaded in the 7th and the 8th. 4 batters appeared in the 9th, and all 4 of them reached. Kiké Hernandez kicked off the rally by walking, and then he advanced to 2nd on a Gregorio Petit single. Hernandez would score the tying run as Matt Duffy reached on an error. Petit moved up to 3rd on the play. One batter later, Carlos Perez laid down an exquisite bunt and Petit made an "unreal" slide home for the winning run. The bunt was scored as a sacrifice and Perez received credit for the only OKC RBI. He was also the owner of the lone RedHawks extra-base hit when he doubled with 1 out in the 6th.

Memphis is in town for 4. In game 1, Jake Buchanan will face Zach Petrick. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 7, Northwest Arkansas 2

W- Mike Hauschild (1-0, 3-1 season)
L- J.C. Sulbaran (2-4)

CC home runs: Telvin Nash (3, solo in 6th)

The Hooks took the opener as they were able to get themselves out of the offensive rut that they were in during the last 2 games of the Arkansas series. The Naturals briefly tied the game at 2 after they scored a pair in the top of the 3rd, but Corpus ran off 5 unanswered to get the W.

Leo Heras put Corpus on the board first in the 2nd with an RBI triple. He would score on a Tyler Heineman groundout. Nolan Fontana led off the bottom of the 3rd with a ground-rule double and scored on a Jonathan Meyer fielder's choice to put the Hooks up for good. Telvin Nash finished a triple shy of the cycle (in 3 at-bats); he swatted a solo homer (3) in the 6th and scored twice. He was plunked in his final plate appearance of the evening, in the 8th inning. Before he was hit, Heineman led off the inning with a double and scored when Delino DeShields laid down a sac bunt and an error was committed on the play. Meyer brought Nash home with a pop-fly RBI single, and DeShields scored the final run of the night on another error that allowed Preston Tucker to reach, and loaded the bases. Tucker, who finished 2-5 with a double, was credited with an RBI on the play.

Mike Hauschild finally got his 1st win at the AA level after 2 really good starts and a decent one. He pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. In his AA debut, Tyson Perez fired 3 scoreless and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Pat Urckfitz struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to wrap it up.

In the middle game of this series, Luis Cruz and Jordan Jankowski will take on Sam Selman at 7:10.

Lancaster 9, Rancho Cucamonga 1

W- Josh Hader (5-0)
L- Geoff Brown (1-3)

Lancaster home runs: Roberto Peña (3, 2-run in 2nd)

Rancho got on the board in the 6th to make it a 2-1 game, but the JetHawks took off in the 7th with a touchdown to run away with the opener and their 7th straight victory. Also, Josh Hader continued his fine season.

Hader went 7.2 and the only ding on his line was a solo homer to James Baldwin, which constituted the entire Rancho offense. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. J.D. Osborne retired all 4 Quakes hitters he faced, striking out 3 of them.

Before the JetHawks' assault in the 7th, their 2 runs came in the form of a Roberto Peña (3) 2-run homer in the 2nd. A couple of triples from Ruben Sosa and Jordan Scott signaled the beginning of the end for the Quakes. Tony Kemp then ripped an RBI double. Teoscar Hernandez walked, and then Carlos Correa hit a 2-run single. Rio Ruiz continued the assault with an RBI double, and after Peña went down for the 2nd out, Conrad Gregor drew a walk. Dan Gulbransen capped it off with a 2-run triple. Rio finished 3-4, while Correa was 2-5 with a steal (13). Sosa also had a double to go along with his triple, which served as the catalyst for the big inning, and Peña also ripped a double to go along with his blast.

Game 2 of the series has Mark Appel making his return to the Lancaster rotation. He'll take on the young phenom, Julio Urias, at 6:00 Pacific.

Quad Cities 7, Beloit 3

W- Edison Frias (2-3)
L- Lou Trivino (3-4)

QC home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (7, grand slam in 1st)

The River Bandits swept the Snappers out of the Quad Cities as they raced out to a 7-0 lead after 4 innings, powered by Mitchell's slam in the 1st.

Chase McDonald opened the scoring in the 1st with an RBI single. Later on in the inning, Mitchell homered for the 4th straight game. The grand slam (7) extended his hitting streak and his RBI streak to 5 games. The last time he hit a grand slam was in Little League. Tyler White went 2-3 with a couple of doubles; one of them brought home Brian Holberton in the 3rd. Chan-Jong Moon added an RBI double in the 4th. Holberton and Jon Kemmer also had 2-hit nights.

Edison Frias went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and struck out 7. Chris Cotton allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 2. Tyler Brunnemann finished it off by retiring all 5 Snappers he faced, striking out 3 of them.

QC will now begin a 3-game series in Wisconsin; Evan Grills will start the opener against Zach Quintana at 6:35.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Roberto Peña, C, Lancaster

2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (3)

2.

Ronnie Mitchell, RF, Quad Cities

1-2, Grand Slam (7); 4th straight game with a home run

1.

Telvin Nash, 1B, Corpus Christi

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

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Tyson Perez, RHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K; AA debut

2.

Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Oklahoma City

7.2 IP, 6 H, ER, 10 K

1.

Josh Hader, LHP, Lancaster

W (5-0), 7.2 IP, 4 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 9 K