Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, June 26, 2017

Happy Gulf Coast League Opening Day!

Also, the Astros' A clubs blasted their counterparts from the Brewers.

Fresno 7, Albuquerque 6 in 10 innings

W- Brian Holmes (2-2)
L- Shane Carle (1-4)

Fresno home runs: Max Stassi (8, 2-run in 5th), Colin Moran (17, solo in 8th)

The Grizzlies couldn't hold a 6-2 lead, but fortunately, they were able to rectify this by literally walking off with the win in the first extra frame.

David Martinez allowed a run on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 in 6 innings. Ashur Tolliver was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and got 2 outs in the 7th, allowing a run on a bases-loaded walk and a double. Overall, Tolliver issued 3 walks. Aaron West got him out of his predicament without further incident. He threw 1.1 innings, walking 1 and striking out 2. Jordan Jankowski only got one out in the 9th; he had 3 inherited runners charged to him, walked 1, and allowed 2 hits. Dayan Diaz got the final two outs of the 9th, but not before the Isotopes tied the game off of him with a sac fly, a wild pitch, and a 2-run single. The game-tying 2-run single was the one hit that Diaz allowed; he also walked 1 and struck out 1. Brian Holmes struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 10th.

Albuquerque scored a run in the 5th and the 7th; each time, Fresno responded with 2 runs in the bottom half. Max Stassi put them on the board with a 2-run blast in the 5th, while Tyler White hit an RBI single and Tony Kemp scored on an error that allowed Preston Tucker to reach in the 7th. Colin Moran led off the bottom of the 8th with a homer and Kemp added a sac fly later in the inning. The Grizzlies won via shrimp in the bottom of the 10th as Tyler White drew a bases-loaded walk.

White (2 RBI), Moran (solo HR), Stassi (2-R HR, 4 R), and Alejandro Garcia (2B) all finished with 3 hits on the evening.

It's Tuesday, and it's a Fresno home game, so you know what that means: Taco Tuesday!!!

Charlie Morton will make his second rehab appearance as he continues to work his way back from a lat strain. He'll take on Matt Flemer at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi is off until Thursday


The Texas League All-Star Game will take place tonight in Frisco. The Hooks' contingent consists of Josh James, Rogelio Armenteros, Garrett Stubbs, Jon Singleton, Drew Ferguson, J.D. Davis, and Jack Mayfield. Kyle Smith was also named a Texas League All-Star; he has since been promoted to Fresno.

The Hooks return to action on Thursday and they'll start off the 2nd half with a tour of Arkansas.

Buies Creek 8, Carolina 1

W- Jorge Alcala (2-3, 4-3 season)
L- Marcos Diplan (4-4)
S- Hector Perez (1)

BC home runs: Anibal Sierra (3, solo in 3rd)

Jorge Alcala and Hector Perez made quick work of the Mudcats on Monday. The Carolina Stros really blew it open with 4 in the 6th.

Alcala has had some issues with walks lately, but he turned in a nice outing. According to Patrick Obley of the Fayetteville Observer, Alcala hit 100 on a few occasions before settling into the mid-90s. He allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Hector Perez went 4 innings and allowed a run on an infield single, one other hit, walked 3, and struck out 5. Perez faced a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 7th, but emerged with the Mudcats only getting one run against him.

Anibal Sierra opened the scoring with a solo blast in the 3rd inning. Later in the frame, Jake Rogers ripped an RBI double and Yordan Alvarez added a sac fly. Buies Creek got three straight singles to open the 6th, and Alex De Goti scored on an error that also allowed Myles Straw to reach; Straw was credited with an RBI on the play. The bases remained loaded for Ryne Birk, who promptly cleared them with a triple. Birk drove in the last run of the evening with a groundout in the 7th inning.

Sierra finished 3-3 with the homer and scored twice. Straw went 3-5 with a double and scored twice as well. Birk (3B, 4 RBI), Rogers (2B, RBI), and Jones (2 R) all had 2 hits on the night.

Matt Bower faces Jordan Yamamoto in game 2 of the series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Wisconsin 2

W- Abdiel Saldaña (3-1)
L- Jordan Desguin (4-4)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos scored in four of the first five innings and cruised to a win.

Cionel Perez went 4.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 7. Abdiel Saldaña was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and threw 3.2 hitless innings, walking 2 and striking out 6. Salvador Montaño struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Wander Franco got things started with a 2-run double in the 2nd inning. Quad Cities got 2 in the 3rd on an RBI single from Daz Cameron and a Troy Sieber RBI double. Ray Henderson hit a sac fly in the 4th and Sieber added an RBI single to his ledger in the 5th inning. The Banditos scored the last 2 runs of the game in the 7th: Chuckie Robinson came home on a balk and Marcos Almonte had an RBI single. Sieber finished 3-4 on the evening, while Almonte was 2-5 with a run scored and a stolen base (9).

Gabriel Valdez gets the start in game 2 of this series. He'll take on Victor Diaz at 12:05.

Tri-City 8, Vermont 5

W- Ben Smith (1-0)
L- Jose Mora (0-1)
S- Robert Corniel (1)

TC home runs: Connor MacDonald (1, 2-run in 1st), Jake Adams (2, solo in 6th)

Tri-City scored in fewer innings. No matter. They managed to avoid getting swept at home.

Jake Adams opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st. Abraham Toro-Hernandez followed with an RBI single, and Connor MacDonald whacked a 2-run shot. The Lake Monsters managed to tie the game with 2 runs in the 5th, but the deadlock didn't last too long as the ValleyCats hit back for 4 in the 6th.

Adams led off the bottom of the 6th with a homer. Carlos Canelon hit a sac fly, then Andy Piñeda hit an RBI single and wound up scoring on a wild pitch. MacDonald (2-4) and Adams (1-2) both homered and drove in 2 runs.

Patrick Sandoval went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Parker Mushinski took ownership of the 5th, walking 2 and striking out 2. Ben Smith struck out the side in order in the 6th inning. Hunter Martin allowed 2 hits, had an inherited runner charged to him, and walked 1 in the 7th; he only got 1 out. Robert Corniel pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 4.

Tri-City has Tuesday off; they'll start a new series in Connecticut with a doubleheader on Wednesday.

Greeneville 4, Bristol 2

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (1-0)
L- Hunter Stratton (0-1)
S- Felipe Tejada (1)

Greeneville home runs: Joan Mauricio (1, 2-run in 4th)

Both teams scored 2 runs in an inning. The Appy Astros did it twice to top the Pirates on Monday.

The bottom third of the order drove in all 4 Greeneville runs. In the 2nd, Ruben Castro hit an RBI single and Wilson Amador grounded into a force out that scored Joan Mauricio. Mauricio whacked a 2-run homer in the 4th. Gilberto Celestino finished 3-3 with a walk and scored on Castro's single.

Noel Pinto allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in his first two innings as a professional baseball player. Bristol got their 2 runs on a homer off Leovanny Rodriguez in the 5th. Rodriguez went 5 innings, allowing 3 other hits and fanning 5. Felipe Tejada allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 2 over the final 2 innings to earn the save.

The Appy Astros will look to sweep the series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 10, GCL Cardinals 4

W- Juan Corniel (1-0)
L- Winston Nicacio (0-1)
S- Francisco Villegas (1)

GCL home runs: Vicente Sanchez (1, 2-run in 4th)

The GCL Astros won their first game in their new digs.

Juan Piñeda scored the first run of the day on an error following a Jose Benjamin single in the 1st inning. Vicente Sanchez smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th and Bernardo Heras added another run by scoring on a wild pitch.

Enmanuel Valdez doubled to lead off the 5th and scored on a Carlos Machado triple. Machado came home on a sac fly from Hector Martinez. In the 7th, Piñeda hit an RBI single and Valdez drew a bases-loaded walk. Piñeda finished 3-6 and capped off the afternoon with a 2-run single in the 8th. Sanchez (2-R HR, 3 R), Benjamin, and Heras all finished with 2-hit games.

Maikel Sepulveda went 1.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (both on a 2-run homer) 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Juan Corniel allowed a run on a solo homer, 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Francisco Villegas allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 3 innings of work.

DSL Astros Blue 7, DSL Red Sox 1

W- Nivaldo Rodriguez (2-0)
L- Rafael Gomez (0-1)
S- Fredis Guerrero (1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team busted this one open with 5 runs in the 8th.

Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. The Red Sox spoiled the shutout when Rafael Rincones homered off Fredis Guerrero in the 9th. That was the only hit that Guerrero allowed in his 4 innings, and he also struck out 3.

Team Blue got 2 runs in the 3rd on RBI singles from Anthony Rodriguez and Nerio Rodriguez. Ronaldo Urdaneta hit an RBI single in the 8th, and Rhandall Sanchez landed the knockout blow with a bases-clearing double. Sanchez scored the Blue team's last run on a single from Luis Coronel. Sanchez (2B, 3 RBI, R) and Yorbin Ceuta (2 R) both finished with 2 hits on the day.

DSL Dodgers2 8, DSL Astros Orange 4

W- Jose Martinez (1-1)
L- Jose Alberto Rivera (1-1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Dodgers 2 got 3 runs in the 8th to create some separation between them and Team Orange.

Luis Barajas put the Orange team on the board with a sac fly in the 2nd inning. Jose Carrillo hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and Renaigel Martis scored on an error following a Fildex Perfecto groundout in the 5th. In the 7th, Martis ripped a double, advanced to 3rd on the ensuing error, and stole home. He and Freudis Nova both finished 2-3.

Christian Mejias allowed 2 unearned runs, 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 in 4 innings. Jose Alberto Rivera was the first man out of the bullpen and went 1.1 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him), a hit, walking 2, and striking out 3. Ronny Garcia went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 2. Fredy Medina struck out 2 in 1.2 innings.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Renaigel Martis, OF, DSL Astros Orange: 2-3, 2 2B, 2 R, stole home (4th SB of season)

Follow the Buies Creek Astros on Twitter!

Buies Creek Astros: W 8-1 vs. Carolina

Jorge Alcala: W (2-3, 4-3 season), 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Hector Perez: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Ryne Birk: 2-5, 3B, 4 RBI, R

Anibal Sierra: 3-3, solo HR (3), 2 R

Myles Straw: 3-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R

Troy Sieber, 1B, Quad Cities

3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Photos from MiLB.com

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen

4.2 IP, 2 BB, 7 K

Abdiel Saldaña: W (1-1), 3.2 IP, 2 BB, 6 K

Salvador Montaño: IP, K

Connor MacDonald, 1B, Tri-City

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

Juan Piñeda's photo taken by Bryan Green

Vicente Sanchez, OF, and Juan Piñeda, 2B, GCL Astros

Sanchez: 2-5, 2B, 2-R HR (1), 3 R

Piñeda: 3-6, 3 RBI, R, SB (1)

David Martinez, RHP, Fresno

6 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 7 K

Colin Moran, 3B, Max Stassi, C, and Tyler White, IF, Fresno

Moran: 3-5, solo HR (17)

Stassi: 3-4, 2-R HR (8), 4 R

White: 3-5, 2 RBI; walk-off RBI BB in 10th

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, August 22, 2016

Let's play two in Troy!

Albuquerque 7, Fresno 1

W- Kyle Freeland (5-2)
L- Keegan Yuhl (0-3, 8-6 season)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (12, solo in 9th)

The Grizzlies have chosen a most inopportune time to go on a cold streak; with this loss, they have dropped 9 of their last 11 games.

Tyler White spoiled the shutout with a solo home run in the 9th inning. D.J. Fisher finished 2-4 with a double.

Keegan Yuhl went 5.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 12 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 3. Aaron West allowed a hit and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings, and Chris Cotton allowed 2 runs on 3 hits in the 8th.

Fresno will look to avoid the sweep tonight as Brady Rodgers gets the start. He'll face German Marquez at 6:35 Mountain.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks are back home, and they'll start a 4-game series with Midland tonight at 7:05. Kent Emanuel will face Heath Fillmyer.

Lancaster was off

The JetHawks will start a 3-game series at The Hangar with High Desert at 6:35 Pacific.

Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 1

W- Brady Anderson (3-0)
L- Franklin Perez (3-3)
S- Andrew Vasquez (1)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams had 6 hits, but a couple of Quad Cities errors led to two Cedar Rapids runs.

Bobby Wernes went 3-4 with a double and scored the Banditos' lone run on a single from Arturo Michelena in the 6th inning.

Franklin Perez went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Sebastian Kessay was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen, and he took ownership of the 4th after Perez failed to record an out in the inning. Inheriting a bases-loaded, no out situation, he allowed one of Perez's runners to score on a sac fly.

Kessay also pitched in the 5th inning, allowing a run of his own on a wild pitch. He walked 2 and struck out 4 in the 2 innings. In his Quad Cities debut, Carlos Sierra allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 5 in the final 3 innings.

Matt Bower will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Eduardo Del Rosario at 6:35.

Game 1: Hudson Valley 1, Tri-City 0

W- Spencer Moran (4-1)
L- Edgardo Sandoval (1-3, 1-4 season)
S- Jayson McKinley (6)

The ValleyCats' bats went quiet in the first game of the doubleheader; they only managed to scrounge up 5 singles.

Erasmo Pinales allowed 3 hits and struck out 2 over 2 innings, and Edgardo Sandoval went 5 innings, allowing the only run of the game on 8 hits and striking out 1.

Did game 2 have a better result in store for the ValleyCats?

Game 2: Hudson Valley 3, Tri-City 1

W- Brock Burke (2-3)
L- Makay Nelson (2-1, 2-3 season)
S- Brandon Lawson (2)

TC home runs: None.

Unfortunately, it was more of the same in game 2 as Tri-City suffered the doubleheader sweep.

Tyler Wolfe went 2-3; he led off the 7th with a double and scored the ValleyCats' only run of the day on a passed ball. Alex De Goti finished 2-2.

Makay Nelson went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs, both of which scored on a home run. He allowed one other hit, walked 3, and struck out 4. Angelo Serrano pitched the final 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6.

The ValleyCats are in Auburn tonight to begin a 3-game series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Burlington 7, Greeneville 3

W- Alex Close (2-0)
L- Diogenes Almengo (1-2)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros had more hits in this game, but the Royals' crooked-numbered innings gave them the win.

Wilson Amador, who was making his Greeneville debut, doubled to lead off the game and scored the first run of the evening on a single from Stijn van der Meer. Vicente Sanchez hit a two-out double in the 5th and wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Sanchez finished 3-4 and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 9th. Van der Meer went 2-4 on the night.

Diogenes Almengo went 2.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 1. Reggie Johnson allowed 2 runs, both of which scored on a home run, one other hit, and walked 2 in 2.1 innings. Patrick Sandoval allowed a hit and fanned 5 over 3 scoreless.

Forrest Whitley will start the series finale, and he'll go up against David McKay at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros Blue 7, DSL Athletics 2

W- Jheyson Caraballo (3-0)
L- Enmanuel Sullivan (1-4)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team broke a 1-1 tie in emphatic fashion with 4 runs in the 5th and 2 more in the 6th for good measure.

Carlos Canelon drew a bases-loaded walk in the 1st inning to bring in the first run of the day. Nicolás Miranda broke the tie in the 5th inning with a 2-run single. Canelon followed with an RBI groundout, and Angel Tejeda added an RBI single. Enmanuel Valdez hit a sac fly in the 6th, and Anibal Sierra followed by driving in the Blue team's final run of the day with a single. Sierra and Tejeda both went 2-4.

Jheyson Caraballo allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 5 innings. Yonatan Quintin was the first reliever to appear for the Blue team, and in 2.1 innings, he had an inherited runner charged to him after Yeremi Ceballos threw a wild pitch in the 8th. Quintin allowed a hit and struck out 1. Ceballos got the final two outs of the 8th and walked 2. Angel Matos walked 1 in a scoreless 9th.

The Orange team was also in action against the Mets 2; their game was suspended in the 6th in a 4-4 tie. Miguel Matos allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4 innings.

Monday's Stars

Jheyson Caraballo, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: W (3-0), 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Bobby Wernes, IF, Quad Cities

3-4, 2B, R

Carlos Sierra, RHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, H, 3 BB, 5 K; Midwest League debut

Photo from MiLB.com

Patrick Sandoval, LHP, Greeneville

3 IP, H, 5 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Vicente Sanchez, OF, Greeneville

3-4, 2B, RBI, R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, June 27, 2016

Let's play 2 in the Gulf Coast League!

Tacoma 6, Fresno 2

W- Steve Johnson (3-0)
L- Kevin Chapman (2-3)
S- Casey Coleman (4)

Fresno home runs: Colin Moran (5, solo in 2nd)

The Rainiers broke a 2-2 tie with 3 runs in the top of the 8th and scored another run in the top of the 9th for good measure.

Brad Peacock pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, issued an intentional walk, and struck out 3. Jordan Jankowski was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen; in 2 innings, he walked 1, hit a batter, and struck out 2. Kevin Chapman pitched 2.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and struck out 2, and Reymin Guduan allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings.

Colin Moran's solo home run in the 2nd inning put Fresno on the board. Andrew Aplin scored the Grizzlies' other run in the 3rd inning when Preston Tucker grounded into a double play. Jon Kemmer reached in all 4 of his plate appearances, going 3-3 with a walk, and Tyler White finished 2-4 with a triple.

César Valdez will start the series finale, which will see the Grizzlies assume their Tacos alter ego. He'll face Zach Lee at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi was off

The Texas League All-Star Game is tonight in Springfield, Missouri. The Hooks will be back in action on Thursday when they start a 3-game series with Springfield.

Lancaster 10, High Desert 3

W- Rogelio Armenteros (4-1, 4-3 season)
L- Cole Wiper (6-3)
S- Jacob Dorris (3)

Lancaster home runs: Ramon Laureano (6, solo in 1st)

A pair of 3-run innings allowed the JetHawks to leave the Mavericks in the dust.

Ramon Laureano's solo home run in the 1st inning put Lancaster on the board first. The JetHawks scored 2 more in the 2nd inning on a sac fly from Brooks Marlow and an RBI bunt single from Bobby Boyd. Aaron Mizell tripled to lead off the 4th, and Marlow brought him home with a single.

The first 3-run inning for Lancaster was the 6th: Marlow led off the 6th with a double. He advanced to 3rd base on a passed ball and scored on an error that allowed Bobby Boyd to reach base. Boyd advanced to 2nd, while Ballard, who drew a walk following Marlow's advance on the passed ball, made it to 3rd. Garrett Stubbs and Laureano followed with sacrifice flies. The JetHawks also scored 3 in the 7th inning thanks to a 2-run single from Ballard, and Marlow scored Lancaster's final run of the evening when Bobby Boyd grounded into a force out.

Mizell, Marlow, and Ballard all had 2 hits from the bottom of the order; they combined to go 6-10 with a double, a triple, 4 RBI, 4 walks, and 5 runs scored. Mizell, Marlow, and Drew Ferguson scored 2 runs apiece. Bryan Muñiz also had a 2-hit night; one of his hits was a double.

Rogelio Armenteros went 5.2 innings and allowed 2 unearned runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Jacob Dorris pitched the final 3.1 innings, and the only run he allowed came on a solo home run hit by David Lyon in the 8th, which was also the only hit he allowed in his outing. Dorris walked 2 and struck out 2.

Akeem Bostick will start game 2 of this series. He will go up against Ariel Jurado at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 5, Cedar Rapids 4

W- Albert Abreu (2-6)
L- Dereck Rodriguez (1-9)
S- Franklin Perez (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos withstood a late uprising from the Kernels to take the first game of this series.

Although Dex McCall was thrown out at 3rd base trying to stretch it into a triple in the 1st, he opened up the scoring with a 2-run double. Arturo Michelena hit an RBI single in the 5th, and Connor Goedert ripped an RBI double in the 6th. Hector Roa came through with an RBI double in the 8th which allowed Quad Cities to withstand one last rally attempt in the 9th from Cedar Rapids.

The Quad Cities players in the lineup who had hits all had multi-hit games, with Roa's 3-4 effort leading the way. McCall (2B, 2 RBI), Michelena (2B, RBI, R), Osvaldo Duarte (3B, R), and Goedert (2B, RBI) each had 2 hits.

Albert Abreu allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6 over 5 shutout innings. Franklin Perez pitched the final 4 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5.

In game 2 of this series, Elieser Hernandez will take on Sam Clay. First pitch is at 7:00.

Tri-City 8, Lowell 3

W- Hector Perez (1-0)
L- Daniel Gonzalez (1-1)

TC home runs: Daz Cameron (1, 2-run in 4th), Carmen Benedetti (1, solo in 9th)

The Spinners entered this series unbeaten. In the end, however, Tri-City wound up taking 2 of 3. This game was tied at 3 after the 3rd inning, but the ValleyCats finished this game on a 5-0 run.

Randy César hit a single with 1 out in the 2nd, and he advanced to 3rd base on the play, thanks to an error. He scored Tri-City's first run on a Ryne Birk groundout. The ValleyCats took the lead in the 3rd on an RBI single from Carmen Benedetti and an RBI double from César, but the lead was short-lived as Lowell scored 2 in the bottom of the 3rd to tie the game.

The deadlock was also short-lived, because Daz Cameron clubbed a 2-run homer in the 4th inning to give the ValleyCats the lead for good. Birk hit an RBI single in the 5th, and Daz struck again in the 6th by adding an RBI triple to his ledger. Carmen Benedetti hit his first pro home run to lead off the 9th inning.

Daz finished 4-5 and was a double shy of the cycle. The 4th-inning homer was his first as a pro. César went 3-5, while Benedetti, Birk, and Alex DeGoti finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Enrique Chavez pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5. Hector Perez tagged in to throw 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit, walking 2, and striking out 4.

The ValleyCats are back home tonight, where they will begin a 3-game series with Williamsport. Brett Adcock will get the start, and he'll face Ranger Suarez. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Bristol 8, Greeneville 3

W- Matt Eckelman (1-0)
L- Bryan Abreu (0-1)

Greeneville home runs: Vicente Sanchez (1, solo in 8th)

A 5-run 2nd inning for Bristol doomed the Appy Astros.

Vicente Sanchez put Greeneville on the board with a solo home run in the 8th inning. Spencer Johnson smacked an RBI double in the 9th and came around to score on a single from Bryan De La Cruz. Sanchez had a good night as he hit a double to go along with his homer, and he also had an outfield assist.

Bryan Abreu went 1.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned). The one hit that he allowed was a 2-run double, and he walked 3 and struck out 3. Devin Raftery was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen; he allowed a run on a balk in the 3rd. He also allowed a double, walked 2, and struck out 1. Abdiel Saldaña was the only Appy Astros pitcher to have a scoreless appearance; he allowed 2 hits and fanned 4 over 3 innings. Angelo Serrano allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and walked 2 in the 8th inning.

Carlos Sanabria will get the start as Greeneville looks to avoid the sweep. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Game 1: GCL Astros 4, GCL Marlins 0

W- Cristian Javier (1-0)
L- Edward Cabrera (0-1)
S- Dariel Aquino (1)

GCL home runs: None.

Cristian Javier issued quite a few walks, but he kept the Marlins off the scoreboard to win his U.S. debut. He allowed 2 hits, walked 5, and struck out 6 over 5 shutout innings. Dariel Aquino completed the shutout, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3.

Jonathan Matute led off the 4th with a ground-rule double, and Edgar Lorenzo joined him on the bases with a single. The two of them scored the first runs of the game on a Troy Sieber single. Matute doubled again to lead off the 6th inning and came around to score on a single from Brody Westmoreland. Sieber walked to lead off the 7th and eventually scored the final run of game 1 when Andy Piñeda grounded into a force out. Matute finished 2-3 with 2 runs scored, while Andy Piñeda stole 2 bases, giving him 3 on the season.

Game 2: GCL Marlins 10, GCL Astros 3

W- Geral Silva (1-0)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (0-1, 1-1 season)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros had to settle for the split in the twinbill as the Marlins jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

Their 3 runs in this game all came in the 6th inning as Randy Vásquez smacked a 2-run triple and later scored on a wild pitch. Vásquez's triple was their only extra-base hit in game 2.

Leovanny Rodriguez went 1.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 1. Luis Vásquez was the first man out; he went 1.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits and walked 3. Junior Garcia allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2 in 2 innings, and Cris Santamaria worked around 2 walks to throw a scoreless 6th, striking out 1.

The GCL club is back in Kissimmee, and their contest with the Cardinals is getting underway.

DSL Red Sox1 9, DSL Astros Blue 7

W- Alejandro Rodriguez (1-0)
L- Juan Corniel (0-2)
S- Juan Florentino (5)

Blue home runs: None.

All 3 of the Blue team's losses have come at the hands of the Red Sox 1, and they were swept in a series for the first time this season.

Ronny Jimenez opened the scoring with a 2-run double in the 1st inning. He advanced to 3rd on the throw from the outfield and scored on a Jose Benjamin sac fly. That would be the only scoring that Team Blue did until the 7th; in the meantime, the Sox went on a 9-0 run.

Ronny Rafael led off the 7th with a double, but he was erased at 3rd base when Alfredo Angarita hit into a fielder's choice. Nicolás Miranda drew a walk, and they both advanced on a wild pitch. Jimenez walked to load the bases, and another wild pitch allowed Angarita to score. Benjamin, who was at the plate at the time, smacked a 2-run double. He advanced to 3rd on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a wild pitch. Angarita finished 3-5 with a triple and 2 runs scored.

Juan Corniel went 3.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 4, and struck out 2. Yeremi Ceballos pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 2. Javier Navas pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2.

The Blue team is currently playing the Royals.

DSL Red Sox2 12, DSL Astros Orange 9

W- Jose Gonzalez (3-0)
L- Luis Castro (2-1)
S- Warlyn Guzman (1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team tried to rally from an 11-3 deficit, but that hole proved to be too much to overcome.

Felix Lucas put Team Orange on the board first with an RBI single in the 1st. Later in the inning, Jose Miguel Hernandez smacked a 2-run double. They would not score again until the 6th; in the meantime, the Red Sox 2 scored 11 unanswered runs.

The Orange team immediately loaded the bases with 2 singles and a walk. Bernardo Heras hit an RBI single, and an error on the play ended up clearing the bases. Heras moved to 2nd on the error, advanced to 3rd on a passed ball, and scored on a Ramiro Rodriguez groundout. In the 8th, Heras added an RBI double to his ledger, and Ronaldo Urdaneta scored on a passed ball. Heras finished 3-5, while Lucas finished 2-5. Renaigel Martis went 1-2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored.

Humberto Castellanos went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Luis Castro got shelled in his 1.1 innings, and I will leave it at that. Carlos Espinoza was the next man out, and he threw 1.2 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1. Willy Collado allowed 2 hits and struck out 4 over 2 scoreless innings.

The Orange team is currently taking on the Rangers 2.

Monday's Stars

Brooks Marlow, IF, Lancaster

2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Albert Abreu, RHP, Quad Cities

W (2-6), 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Hector Perez, RHP, Tri-City

W (1-0), 4.2 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Daz Cameron, OF, Tri-City

4-5, 3B, 2-R HR (1), 3 RBI, SB (5)

Photo by Bryan Green

Vicente Sanchez, OF, Greeneville

2-3, 2B, solo HR (1), OF assist

Meet the GCL Astros

The Gulf Coast League Astros had its roster updated on the MiLB website. Their season will kick off tomorrow in Lakeland as they'll be traveling to take on the Tigers.

The GCL Astros play their games at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, although the games actually take place on the back fields. They are in the GCL Northeast division, with the Braves, the Tigers, and the Yankees 2. Most GCL games will take place at noon Eastern, although there will be several early start times at 10 A.M.

The bulk of the roster is mainly DSL players making their U.S. debuts this season. This is the roster as it appears (as of this moment) on MiLB.com. What's after the hyphen is how the Astros acquired the player, and where he played in 2014.

Italics - player bats/throws left-handed
Asterisk - player is a switch-hitter

Coaching Staff

Manager - Marty Malloy
Hitting Coach - Vinny Lopez
Pitching Coach - Hector Mercado

Pitchers

Gerald Benzant - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Junior Garcia - Signing date unknown, making professional debut; not to be confused with another Junior Garcia, who played in the GCL and Tri-City in 2014
Carlos Hiraldo - International free agent, 2013; DSL Blue
Dylan James - undrafted free agent (West Texas A&M), 2014; making professional debut
Lachlan Madden - International free agent, 2014; DSL Blue
Adonis Peña - Signing date unknown; DSL Orange
Carlos Pizzolato - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange
Moreno Polanco - Signing date unknown; DSL Blue
Luis Ramirez - International free agent, 2014; DSL Blue
Abdiel Saldaña - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Carlos Sanabria - Signing date unknown; DSL Orange/Blue
Edgardo Sandoval - Signing date unknown; DSL Orange
Starlyn Taveras - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange

Catchers

Ihan Bernal -  International free agent, 2014; DSL Orange/Blue
Jake Bowey - International free agent, 2013; GCL/DSL Blue
Christian Correa - undrafted free agent, Nicholls State, 2015; making professional debut
Jorge Martinez - 25th round, 2015 draft, Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy; making professional debut

Infielders

Jared Cruz - acquired as PTBNL on 9/5/14 from Braves to complete trade for Andrew Robinson, which occurred 7/3/14; GCL Braves
Wander Franco - International free agent, 2013; DSL Blue
Connor MacDonald - International free agent, 2012; however, he did not debut until 2014.
Jonathan Matute - International free agent, 2013; DSL Blue
Joan Mauricio - International free agent, 2013; GCL/DSL Blue

Outfielders

Bryan De La Cruz - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Frankeny Fernandez - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Edgar Lorenzo - International free agent, 2013; DSL Orange/Blue
Nestor Muriel - 6th round, 2015 draft, Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy; making professional debut
Vicente Sanchez - International free agent, 2014; DSL Orange
Nestor Tejada - International free agent, 2013; GCL/DSL Blue
Kyle Tucker - 1st round (5th overall), 2015 draft, Plant High School (Tampa); making professional debut

Happy Birthday - 10/4

Happy Birthday to ~

OF Vincente Sanchez (18)
Signed by the Astros out of the Dominican Republic prior to the 2014 season, Sanchez had a great season before, presumably, being shut down by injury (he only appeared in one game after July 8th). In 32 games for the Dominican Summer League Astros, he hit .281/.390/.479 with three doubles, three triples, five home runs, 30 RBI, seven stolen bases (seven caught stealing) and walked 22 times (to 23 strikeouts).

Several former Astros celebrating birthdays today:

OF Billy Hatcher (54)
Billy Hatcher came to Houston via a trade with the Chicago Cubs for Jerry Mumphrey.  He played for the Astros from 1986 to 1988 and part of 1989, hitting .266 during that time.  His best year offensively for the Astros was 1987 when he hit .296 for the season.  Billy is best remembered by Houston fans for postponing the inevitable.  In Game 6 of the NLCS in 1986, he hit a home run in the 14th inning against the Mets to re-tie the game which the Astros eventually lost in the 16th inning to lose the series.  In 1989, he was traded to Pittsburgh for Glen Wilson and later played for the Reds, the Red Sox, the Phillies and the Rangers.  He is currently the First Base Coach for the Reds.

RHP Don Bradey (80)
Bradey's entire major league career consisted of two and a third innings pitched in three games for the Colt 45's in 1964 with a 19.29 ERA and a 3.857 WHIP. Ouch. In 15 minor league seasons, he was 127-118 with a 3.85 ERA and a 1.410 WHIP.

RHP Joe Boever (54)
Boever came to Houston as a free agent in January of 1992. In 81 games in relief for the Astros that season, he was 2-6 with a 2.51 ERA and 1.329 WHIP and led the league in appearances.

2B Mark McLemore (50)
Originally drafted by the Angels in the ninth round in 1982, McLemore signed as a free agent with the Astros in March 1991. In 21 games for the Astros, he hit .148/.221/.164. Of 19 seasons spent in the major leagues, McLemore spent 18 of them in the American League hitting .260/.351/.343.

OF Chris James (52)
James signed as a free agent with Houston in January of 1993 and appeared in 65 games for the Astros before being traded to the Rangers in September of that year. He hit .256/.333/.488 during his time as an Astro.

MGR Jimy Williams (71)
Williams managed the Astros in 2002, 2003 and part of 2004 and compiled a 215-197 record with Houston. He was preceded by Larry Dierker and followed by Phil Garner.