Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 20, 2017

Let's play two in Palm Beach!

Or not.

The GCL Astros and GCL Cardinals only got one inning in before rain suspended play. They'll continue this game on Friday.

Reno 11, Fresno 8

W- Louis Coleman (1-1)
L- Brendan McCurry (4-1)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White 2 (23; 2-run in 3rd, 2-run in 5th)

The Aces took control with a 6-run 8th.

Both teams scored 2 runs in the opening frame; Fresno's two came on a Tyler White RBI single and a double play that allowed Colin Walsh to score. Walsh ripped an RBI double in the 3rd and one batter later, White smacked a 2-run homer. White launched another 2-run homer in the 5th inning, and Tony Kemp smacked an RBI double in the 9th. Kemp finished 4-5 on the evening, while White went 3-5.

Kent Emanuel went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Dayan Diaz was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 in 2 innings. Brendan McCurry and Reymin Guduan both pitched an inning apiece. McCurry threw a 1-2-3 7th but was shelled in the 8th to the tune of 5 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 5 hits. Guduan took ownership of the 8th and allowed a run on 3 hits (3-run homer; 1 run charged to McCurry) and struck out 1.

Cy Sneed takes on Anthony Banda in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Springfield 7, Corpus Christi 2

W- Austin Gomber (9-7)
L- Akeem Bostick (4-6, 6-7 season)

CC home runs: Ryne Birk (5, 13 season; 2-run in 2nd)

The Hooks got on the board first, but it was all Cardinals afterwards.

Ryne Birk had an excellent series as he homered in all three games: he clubbed a grand slam on Friday, launched a solo shot on Saturday, and whacked a 2-run blast on Sunday. That, unfortunately, was Corpus Christi's only scoring play of the day. Birk and Kyle Tucker both finished 2-4.

Akeem Bostick went 2.1 innings and allowed 6 runs on 9 hits while striking out 2. Ryan Thompson was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 2.2 scoreless innings. Cionel Perez allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1 in 3 innings.

After a day off, Corpus welcomes Midland to Whataburger Field for 4 starting Tuesday. Yoanys Quiala faces Grant Holmes in the first game.

Down East 3, Buies Creek 0

W- Kyle Cody (2-0)
L- Carson LaRue (0-2, 12-6 season)
S- Jeff Springs (1)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros were swept out of Kinston to end a rough roadtrip in which they dropped 6 of 7.

Rodrigo Ayarza finished 2-3; Anthony Hermelyn had the only other Buies Creek hit. Carmen Benedetti reached base twice by drawing a couple of walks.

Carson LaRue met the minimum requirements for a quality start, allowing 9 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Erasmo Pinales allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over the final 2 innings.

Buies Creek has Monday off. They'll welcome Lynchburg to Campbell University for 3 games starting Tuesday.

Quad Cities 13, Wisconsin 3

W- Kit Scheetz (2-0, 2-3 season)
L- Victor Diaz (2-5)
S- Cristian Javier (1)

QC home runs: Troy Sieber (7, solo in 1st), Josh Rojas (10, 3-run in 3rd), Chuckie Robinson (14, grand slam in 4th)

The Banditos cruised to a Sunday win to take the lead in this series.

Kit Scheetz allowed 4 hits and struck out 6 over 5 shutout frames. The Timber Rattlers spoiled the shutout with a 3-run homer off Cristian Javier in the 8th. In 4 innings, Javier allowed one other hit, walked 3, and struck out 3.

Troy Sieber kicked things off with a solo shot in the 1st inning. Sieber drew a two-out walk in the 3rd and Daz Cameron joined him on the bases after getting plunked. Josh Rojas was next, and he smacked a 3-run homer.

Quad Cities scored 4 in the 4th off an RBI single from Ronnie Dawson and a bases-clearing double from Daz. Chuckie Robinson drove in 4 more in the 5th with a grand slam, and Sieber, who drove in the Banditos' first run, drove in their last run with a single in the 8th. The three home run hitters (Sieber, Robinson, and Rojas) all finished with 2 hits on the day; Sieber and Robinson both scored 3 runs.

Quad Cities and Wisconsin will conclude their series at 12:05. Yohan Ramirez takes on Carlos Herrera.

Tri-City 13, Brooklyn 10

W- Hunter Martin (2-0)
L- Tony Dibrell (0-1)
S- Luis Ramirez (2)

TC home runs: Adrian Tovalin (5, 9 season; 2-run in 1st), J.J. Matijevic (5, solo in 4th)

The ValleyCats came out on top in a crazy back-and-forth affair on Sunday.

Gabriel Bracamonte was the only player in the Tri-City lineup to go hitless and not score a run, but he still chipped in with a sac fly in a 5-run 2nd. Adrian Tovalin whacked a 2-run homer in the 1st to put the ValleyCats on the board and lashed a 2-run double in the 2nd inning.

Alex House went 2 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits and struck out 1. Parker Mushinski was the first man out of the bullpen and went 2.1 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3. Hunter Martin was next, and he allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 4 in 3.2 innings. Luis Ramirez struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th for the save.

Adam Bleday faces Nicolas Debora in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Bristol 6, Greeneville 3

W- Domingo Robles (3-7)
L- Johsson Arias (1-3, 1-4 season)
S- Drew Fischer (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Pirates scored twice in the 6th and the 8th to edge the Appy Astros.

Both teams scored a run in the 1st; Greeneville's came on a Frankeny Fernandez sac fly. Fernandez hit an RBI single in the 6th and Wilson Amador scored another run on the relay throw. Fernandez went 2-4, while Amador went 2-3 with a stolen base (19) and scored 2 of the Appy Astros' 3 runs.

Jheyson Caraballo allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 4 innings. Johsson Arias went 1.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Cole Watts pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 5.

Hansel Paulino starts game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Quad Cities River Bandits: W 13-3 @ Wisconsin

Kit Scheetz: W (2-0, 2-3 season), 5 IP, 4 H, 6 K

Chuckie Robinson: 2-4, 2B, Grand Slam (14), 3 R

Troy Sieber: 2-3, solo HR (7), 2 RBI, 3 R

Josh Rojas: 2-5, 3-R HR (10)

Daz Cameron: 3-RBI 2B in 4th

Erasmo Pinales, RHP, Buies Creek

2 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Ryne Birk, 2B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2-R HR (5, 13 season)

Home run in all three games of series @ Springfield

Tyler White, IF, and Tony Kemp, 2B, Fresno

White: 3-5, 2 HR (23), 5 RBI

Kemp: 4-5, 2B, RBI, 3 R

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Tri-City ValleyCats offense: W 13-10 vs. Brooklyn

Bryan de la Cruz: 2-5, 4 RBI, R

J.J. Matijevic: 2-3, solo HR (5), 3 R

Adrian Tovalin: 2-5, 2B, 2-R HR (5, 9 season), 4 RBI

Kyle Davis: 2-2, 2 R, 3 BB

Wilson Amador's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Frankeny Fernandez, OF, and Wilson Amador, OF, Greeneville

Fernandez: 2-4, 2 RBI

Amador: 2-3, 2 R, SB (19)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Let's finish up one game and play another in the Gulf Coast League.

Fresno 6, New Orleans 4

W- Brendan McCurry (4-0)
L- Brandon Cunniff (2-3)
S- Jordan Jankowski (9)

Fresno home runs: Tony Kemp (8, solo in 1st), Jack Mayfield (3, 17 season; 2-run in 8th)

The Grizzlies scored in fewer innings but made sure that they put up a crooked number in each of them.

Kent Emanuel went 4.2 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits (2 solo homers) and struck out 4. The bullpen followed with 4.1 scoreless to close it out. Kevin Comer was first and he issued a walk and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. Reymin Guduan worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 7th. Brendan McCurry struck out 1 in a scoreless 8th, and Jordan Jankowski worked around a hit to close out the game, striking out 2 in the 9th.

Tony Kemp opened the scoring by leading off the bottom of the 1st with a homer. Max Stassi, Preston Tucker, and A.J. Reed all followed with singles to load the bases and they got two more runs out of that. J.D. Davis hit a sac fly and Reid Brignac added an RBI single. Brignac's RBI single would be the Grizzlies' last scoring play until the 8th; in the meantime, New Orleans scored a run in each of the next four innings to take the lead.

Reed walked with two outs in the 8th and Jon Kemmer came on to run for him. Kemmer advanced on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on a Davis double. One batter later, Jack Mayfield whacked a 2-run homer to put Fresno back in front. No one in the lineup had a multi-hit game, but Davis and Mayfield drove in 2 apiece.

Dean Deetz faces William Cuevas in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 11, San Antonio 3

W- Framber Valdez (4-2, 6-5 season)
L- Eric Lauer (2-2)

CC home runs: Tyler Wolfe (2, grand slam in 2nd)

The Hooks battered the Missions to avoid a sweep.

They turned a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 2nd inning into 5 runs, which swung the momentum their way. Arturo Michelena put Corpus on the board with an RBI single and Tyler Wolfe sent everyone home with a grand slam. Jon Singleton ripped an RBI double in the 3rd and Kyle Tucker added an RBI single in the 4th.

Dex McCall scored the first run of the 8th on an error that saw Jason Martin reach safely. Little Tuck followed with a 2-run double, and Martin scored the Hooks' final run of the evening on a Drew Ferguson groundout. Wolfe finished 3-4. Michelena (RBI, 2 R), McCall (2 R), and Tucker (2B, 3 RBI) all went 2-4.

Framber Valdez allowed 2 runs on 8 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 7 in 6.2 innings of work. Ryan Thompson threw the last 2.1 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits and fanning 1.

Midland is rolling into Whataburger Field to start a 4-game series. Cy Sneed takes on Joel Seddon in game 1, which starts at 7:05.

Winston-Salem 5, Buies Creek 0

W- Dane Dunning (4-5)
L- Matt Bower (4-5)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros' 6-game winning streak came to an end as the Dash silenced their bats.

On the bright side, Will Harris looked not bad in his rehab appearance as he struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 1st inning. Okay, he threw more balls than strikes, but he didn't allow anyone to reach base. Matt Bower went 4.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 8 hits (3-run homer) and struck out 3. Kevin Hill allowed a hit and struck out 5 in 3.2 innings of work.

Stephen Wrenn and Anibal Sierra both went 2-3 at the plate.

Buies Creek will head down east to Kinston to start a 4-game weekend series with the Wood Ducks. Forrest Whitley will go up against Richelson Peña in game 1, which begins at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities and Clinton was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader will begin at 5:00.

Tri-City was off

The ValleyCats will begin a 3-game series with Staten Island at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 6, Princeton 4

W- Johsson Arias (1-2, 1-3 season)
L- Ryan Askew (2-2)
S- Tim Hardy (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros took the series as they took control with 3 runs in the 5th and 2 more in the 6th. They also had to withstand a late rally from the Rays but were able to secure the win.

Leovanny Rodriguez went 4 innings and the two runs he allowed came on a homer hit by Devin Davis in the 4th; one of the runs was unearned. He allowed 6 other hits and struck out 2. Johsson Arias allowed a hit and struck out 2 in 2 scoreless innings of relief, and Tim Hardy went 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on a single and a sac fly in the 9th. He also walked 2 and struck out 1.

Joan Mauricio singled to lead off the 5th and scored Greeneville's first run on an error that allowed Cody Bohanek to reach. Gilberto Celestino tied the game with an RBI single and Colton Shaver put the Appy Astros in front with a sac fly. Patrick Mathis ripped a double to start the 6th and scored on an error following a Ruben Castro sacrifice bunt. Castro scored on a Wilson Amador single. Mathis doubled again to start off the 8th and scored Greeneville's final run on a Mauricio groundout. Celestino, Amador, and Mathis all finished with 3 hits on the night. Amador also stole his 10th base of the season.

Bryan Abreu will start the first game of a 3-game series in Bristol at 7:00 Eastern.

From July 21: GCL Astros 8, GCL Cardinals 5

W- Jairo Solis (1-0, 2-1 season)
L- Junior Gonzalez (1-1)
S- Brendan Feldmann (1)

GCL home runs: Nathan Perry (1, solo in 6th)

It was all GCLstros after play resumed. This game originally started on July 21 but was suspended due to rain.

Nathan Perry drove in the first run after play resumed with a sac fly that saw Jonathan Matute score from 2B. Perry struck again in the 6th when he launched his first homer as a pro. Carlos Machado tripled in the 7th and scored on a Hector Martinez single. Perry capped it off with a 2-run single. He and Martinez both finished with 3 hits on the day. Juan Piñeda had a couple of RBI doubles before play stopped. Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (RBI, 2 R), Orlando Marquez, and Matute (2B, R) had 2 hits apiece.

Jairo Solis originally started this game and he came back on after play resumed. He went 7.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (2 earned, all of which came on July 21) on 9 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Brendan Feldmann struck out 1 in 1.1 innings to get the save.

GCL Astros 8, GCL Cardinals 6

W- Carlos Pimentel (1-0)
L- Jim Voyles (0-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros came out on top in the regularly scheduled game, as well. A 6-run 3rd inning did the trick, but they also had to weather a rally from the Cardinals, who scored in each of the last four innings of this contest.

Carlos Diaz tripled to start this game and scored on a single from Sanchez-Galan. Wander Franco, who was recently suspended from Quad Cities and appears to be serving his penance in Palm Beach, drove in the first run of that big 3rd inning with a double. Hector Martinez ripped an RBI double of his own, and then Carlos Machado scored on a passed ball. Martinez would up scoring on an error that allowed Angel Tejeda to reach. Tejeda scored on a wild pitch, and Sanchez-Galan capped off the inning with an RBI single. Franco ripped another RBI double in the 5th. Sanchez-Galan went 3-4 in this game.

Javier Navas, Carlos Pimentel, and Devin Raftery appeared on the mound for the Palm Beach Stros and they all allowed 2 runs in their time on the mound. Navas allowed 2 hits and walked 4 in 3.1 innings. Pimentel went 2.2 innings, allowing 3 hits (solo homer), walking 2, and striking out 4, and Raftery allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in the 7th.

The DSL teams were also in action, but their games were halted due to rain. The Blue team was all over the Dodgers 1 10-0 in the 3rd inning, while the Orange team and the Indians are tied at 2 heading into the 6th.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Tyler Wolfe, IF, and Kyle Tucker, OF, Corpus Christi

Wolfe: 3-4, 2B, Grand Slam (2), 3 R

Tucker: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Kevin Hill, RHP, Buies Creek

3.2 IP, H, 5 K

My number one fan right here. Love you mom. pic.twitter.com/psBskDdlTp

— Nate (@natejack6) July 7, 2017

Nathan Perry, C, GCL Astros

3-3, solo HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 R; game started on July 21

Fresno Grizzlies bullpen

4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Kevin Comer: 1.1 IP, BB, K

Reymin Guduan: IP, H, BB

Brendan McCurry: W (4-0), IP, K

Jordan Jankowski: Save (9), IP, H, 2 K

Jack Mayfield, IF, Fresno

Go-ahead 2-R HR (3, 17 season) in 8th

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Johsson Arias, RHP, Greeneville

W (1-2, 1-3 season), 2 IP, H, 2 K

Gilberto Celestino's and Wilson Amador's photos taken by Bryan Green.

Patrick Mathis's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Greeneville Astros outfielders

9-11, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, SB

Gilberto Celestino: 3-4, RBI

Wilson Amador: 3-3, RBI, R, SB (10)

Patrick Mathis: 3-4, 2 2B, 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 22, 2016

Fresno 4, Albuquerque 3

W- Josh Fields (1-0)
L- Miguel Castro (2-2)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (11, solo in 6th), Max Stassi (6, walk-off solo in 9th)

The Grizzlies walked off with a win to begin a new series.

Teoscar Hernandez led off the bottom of the 2nd inning with a walk. He advanced to 3rd on a Jon Singleton single and scored the first run of the evening on a passed ball. Tyler White led off the 6th with a home run, and then Teoscar followed with a single. Just like the 2nd inning, he moved over to 3rd on a Singleton single and scored on a Jon Kemmer single. The Isotopes tied the game at 3 with a run in the 7th inning, and that's where it stood heading into the bottom of the 9th. It didn't last very long, since Max Stassi led off the inning by whacking a home run to end the game.

Mike Hauschild went 6.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 10. Kevin Chapman was the first man out of the bullpen, and in an inning (final out of 7th, 2 outs in 8th), he walked 1 and struck out 1. Jordan Jankowski allowed a hit and recorded the final out of the 8th inning. Josh Fields walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

Brad Peacock will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Harrison Musgrave at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 3

W- Edison Frias (4-1)
L- Jose Monegro (0-1)
S- Albert Minnis (1)

CC home runs: Nick Tanielu (5, 9 season; solo in 7th), Danry Vásquez (2, solo in 8th)

Corpus held off a Roughriders rally in the top of the 9th to escape with a victory.

Edison Frias turned in another solid performance on the mound, allowing just one run on 5 hits, walking 1, and striking out 5 in 7 innings of work. Aaron West threw a scoreless 8th, but Frisco got to him for 2 runs (both unearned) on a couple of singles in the 9th inning. He struck out 1 in 1.2 innings. Albert Minnis got a groundout for the final out of the game.

J.D. Davis drove in the first run of the game with a groundout in the 1st inning and scored on an error following a Danry Vásquez double in the 6th inning. Nick Tanielu led off the bottom of the 7th with a home run, and Danry struck again in the 8th with a solo home run. He and D.J. Fisher both finished 2-4 on the evening.

In game 3 of this series, Keegan Yuhl will take on Richelson Peña. First pitch is at 7:05.

High Desert 9, Lancaster 8

W- David Ledbetter (4-7)
L- Alex Winkelman (0-2, 5-4 season)
S- Nick Gardewine (2)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks nearly came back from a 6-0 deficit, but... no cigar.

Johnny Sewald put Lancaster on the board with an RBI triple in the 3rd and scored on a Tony Nuñez groundout. Marc Wik added an RBI single in the 4th. Sewald led off the 5th with a double, and Nuñez brought him home with a single. Nuñez wound up scoring himself on a passed ball later in the inning. Jamie Ritchie scored in the 6th inning on a force out, and in the 7th, he drove in a run with a groundout. Later in the 7th, Wik added another RBI single to his ledger. Sadly, Lancaster's comeback bid ended there.

Sewald finished a home run shy of the cycle. Wik and Keach Ballard had 2 hits apiece for the Hawks.

Alex Winkelman went 2.2 innings and allowed 6 runs on 3 hits (3-run homer) and walked 6. Kevin McCanna tagged in for 3.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1. Dean Deetz pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4.

Akeem Bostick will take on Jeffrey Springs in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 6:05 Pacific.

Dayton 3, Quad Cities 2

W- Jesus Reyes (5-2)
L- Ralph Garza Jr. (3-4)
S- Sarkis Ohanian (8)

QC home runs: None.

A solo homer in the top of the 9th put Dayton ahead and thwarted the Banditos' bid to sweep the series.

Elieser Hernandez threw 6.1 absolutely filthy innings for the River Bandits. He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out a career-high 14. Zac Person was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen, and in 1.1 scoreless innings, he walked 1 and struck out 3. Ralph Garza Jr. pitched the final 1.1 innings, and the one run he allowed came in the form of a solo homer hit by James Vasquez in the top of the 9th. He allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 2.

Quad Cities' two runs came in the bottom of the 7th. Connor Goedert ripped an RBI double, and Pat Porter scored when Bobby Wernes grounded into a double play. Goedert's double was their only extra-base hit of the evening.

Tonight, Quad Cities will welcome the Bowling Green Hot Rods to Modern Woodmen Park. Jose Luis Hernandez will start the opener, and he'll face Roel Ramirez at 6:00. Ramirez is another Texas kid in the Minors; he is a native of Laredo.

Staten Island 13, Tri-City 7

W- Chad Taylor (1-0)
L- Agapito Barrios (0-1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats couldn't withstand the Baby Bombers' offensive onslaught.

Chuckie Robinson opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 1st inning. In the 5th, an error allowed Alex De Goti and Tyler Wolfe to score, and Carmen Benedetti grounded into a force out that scored Ryne Birk. In the 7th, Benedetti added a sac fly and Birk scored on an errant pickoff throw. De Goti, who finished 2-4 and scored 4 runs, scored Tri-City's final run of the evening on an error that allowed Benedetti to reach. He was the only player in the ValleyCats lineup with a multi-hit game.

Agapito Barrios went 3.2 innings and allowed 5 runs on 5 hits (3-run homer) and struck out 4. Carlos Sierra allowed a run on 3 hits in 1.1 innings. Austin Nicely was next, and in 2.1 innings, he allowed 5 runs (3 inherited runners charged to him) on 6 hits (solo homer) and walked 1. Howie Brey recorded the final 2 outs of the 8th, but not before he allowed 2 runs of his own, a 3-run homer, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Tri-City will look to avoid the sweep at 6:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 2, Bristol 1

W- Tyler Britton (3-1)
L- Robbie Coursel (0-1)
S- Salvador Montaño (2)

Greeneville home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (9, solo in 1st)

The Appy Astros were solid on the mound, and Miguelangel Sierra continued his power binge.

Sierra led off the 1st inning with his 9th home run of the season. The Pirates tied the game at 1 in the 5th, but Greeneville quickly regained the lead in the 6th as Marcos Almonte tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Almonte finished 2-4 and also hit a double.

Three pitchers threw 3 innings for Greeneville. Nathan Thompson started it off, and he allowed a hit and struck out 2. Tyler Britton was next, and he allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and fanned 6. Salvador Montaño's 3 frames were perfect, and he capped off the win by striking out 4.

Abdiel Saldaña will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 6, GCL Marlins 3

W- Juan Robles (1-0)
L- Edward Cabrera (0-4)
S- Leovanny Rodriguez (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros doubled up the Marlins in a game that had quite a bit of significance for a first-round pick.

Forrest Whitley made his professional debut, and he allowed a run on a single, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the 1st inning. No GCL pitcher went more than 2 innings in this game. Yeyfry Del Rosario and Yhoan Acosta followed Whitley with an inning of their own; Del Rosario allowed a run on an error, a triple, and walked 1 in the 2nd, and Acosta walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 3rd. Juan Robles allowed a hit and fanned 1 in 2 innings. Gabriel Valdez and Hansel Paulino each pitched an inning. Valdez allowed a run on a sac fly and a double in the 6th, while Paulino worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 7th. Leovanny Rodriguez pitched the final 2 innings, walking 1 and striking out 3.

Carlos Machado drove in the Kissimmee Stros' first run of the day with a groundout in the 1st. He added an RBI triple to his ledger in the 3rd and scored on a Brody Westmoreland sac fly. Machado and Westmoreland were responsible for the offensive production; they both recorded 3 RBI. Machado grounded into a force out that scored Cristopher Luciano, and Westmoreland hit an RBI single in the 4th. Westmoreland added another RBI single to his ledger in the 6th inning. Wilson Amador finished a home run shy of the cycle, while Andy Piñeda went 2-5 with a double and 2 runs scored.

DSL Astros Blue 5, DSL Marlins 3

W- Johsson Arias (1-0)
L- Yeremin Lara (0-2)
S- Juan Cuevas (2)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team scored 3 in the 6th to take the lead. They wreaked havoc on the bases, going 9-10 on their stolen base attempts.

Alfredo Angarita and Nicolás Miranda successfully executed a double steal in the 1st and an error allowed the two of them to score. Angarita hit an RBI single in the 6th. Nestor Tejada laid down a sac bunt that allowed Ozziel Sanchez-Galan to score the go-ahead run, and Miranda added an RBI single. Angarita finished 2-5 with 3 stolen bases (13), while Miranda had 2 hits and 2 stolen bases (5).

Jheyson Caraballo allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 6 in 4 innings. Robert Corniel allowed an unearned run, walked 2, and struck out 1 in the 5th. Johsson Arias walked 5 and struck out 5 over 3.2 scoreless innings, and Juan Cuevas got the final out of the game.

DSL Rangers2 7, DSL Astros Orange 6 in 10 innings

W- Yerry Rodriguez (2-1)
L- Bernardo Heras (0-1)

Orange home runs: Vicente Mota (3, solo in 6th)

The Rangers tied the game in the 8th and walked off with the win.

Both teams scored 2 in the 2nd; the Orange team's 2 runs came on a pair of RBI doubles from Vicente Mota and Yeuris Ramirez. In the 3rd, Kendy Moya scored on a wild pitch and Gilberto Celestino scored on an error. Celestino, who finished a homer shy of the cycle, tripled in the 5th and scored on the ensuing error. Mota whacked a solo homer in the 6th.

Humberto Castellanos went 2.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jose Antonio Hernandez, Luis Castro, Cristofer Melendez, and Yohan Ramirez all pitched 1.2 innings. Hernandez was first, and he allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and fanned 2. Castro had 2 inherited runners charged to him; he also allowed a hit and walked 3. Melendez allowed an unearned run, a hit, walked 3, and struck out 1, and Ramirez allowed a hit and struck out 1. Bernardo Heras allowed the winning run on a sac fly and walked 1.

Friday's Stars

Alfredo Angarita, IF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-5, RBI, 3 SB (13)
Gilberto Celestino, OF, DSL Astros Orange: 3-5, 2B, 3B, 2 R
Vicente Mota, C/1B, DSL Astros Orange: 2-4, 2B, solo HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R

Elieser Hernandez, RHP, Quad Cities

6.1 IP, 3 H (solo HR), 2 ER, BB, 14 K (career-high)

Edison Frias, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (4-1), 7 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 5 K

Johnny Sewald, OF, Lancaster

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

  

All photos from MiLB.com

Nathan Thompson, LHP, Tyler Britton, RHP, and Salvador Montaño, LHP, Greeneville

Thompson (above left): 3 IP, H, 2 K

Britton (above right): W (3-1), 3 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 6 K

Montaño (bottom): Save (2), 3 IP, 4 K

Alex De Goti, SS, Tri-City

2-4, 4 R

Photo by Bryan Green

Brody Westmoreland, 3B, GCL Astros

2-3, 3 RBI

Photo by Bryan Green

Wilson Amador, OF, GCL Astros

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

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, July 15, 2016

Let's play two in Greeneville!

New Orleans 9, Fresno 5

W- Jarred Cosart (3-3)
L- Tommy Shirley (7-6)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (8, solo in 2nd)

Yes, that is the same Jarred Cosart that once pitched for the Astros back in the day. Fresno tried to claw back from a 6-1 deficit and got to within two runs, but the Zephyrs scored 3 after stretch time to put this game out of reach.

Tommy Shirley threw 5 innings and allowed 6 runs on 6 hits (2 solos and a 2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 2. Jordan Jankowski was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen, and he struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 6th inning. Brendan McCurry got two outs in the 7th, but the Zephyrs scored 3 runs on 4 hits against him. McCurry left the bases loaded for Kevin Chapman, who was able to prevent New Orleans from inflicting more damage. In 1.1 innings, Chapman allowed a hit and struck out 2.

Tyler White put the Grizz on the board with a solo homer to lead off the 2nd inning. Max Stassi hit an RBI single in the 6th inning. Preston Tucker drove in the Grizzlies' final two runs with an RBI single in the 7th and an RBI double in the 9th. Tucker and White both finished 2-5, while Alex Bregman and Tony Kemp both went 2-4.

Mike Hauschild will start game 3 of this series. He'll face Justin Nicolino at 6:00.

Frisco 6, Corpus Christi 1

W- Victor Payano (6-6)
L- Evan Grills (3-3, 6-4 season)

CC home runs: Roberto Peña (7, solo in 7th)

The Hooks outhit the Roughriders 10-8, but they only had one run to show for it.

Roberto Peña finished 2-4 and his solo home run in the 7th was Corpus Christi's only scoring play. Chase McDonald, Nolan Fontana, and Nick Tanielu also had 2 hits in the game.

Evan Grills went 5 innings and allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 2. Kyle Smith followed with 4 scoreless innings out of the bullpen; he allowed 2 hits and fanned 3.

In the series finale, Edison Frias will face Reed Garrett. First pitch is at 7:05.

Lancaster 13, San Jose 8

W- Dean Deetz (5-5)
L- Matt Cain (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: Ramon Laureano 2 (10; 2-run in 1st, solo in 6th), Marc Wik (1, solo in 5th)

The JetHawks swept the Giants out of The Hangar in a game where they teed off on a rehabbing Matt Cain and scored in all but one inning.

Ramon Laureano had an unforgettable game on his 22nd birthday; he hit two home runs, one of which came off a Major League pitcher. His 2-run homer put the JetHawks on the board in the 1st inning and tied the game at 2. Bobby Boyd added an RBI single in the 2nd. Lancaster put up 3 in the 3rd and the 4th. Their 3 in the 3rd came on a pair of RBI singles from Trent Woodward and Jamie Ritchie, and Keach Ballard grounded into a force out that allowed Jason Martin to score. Woodward and Ritchie added an RBI single and a 2-run double to their ledgers in the 4th inning, respectively. Marc Wik smacked a solo homer in the 5th, and Laureano launched a solo shot, his second home run of the evening, in the 6th. Boyd whacked an RBI triple in the 7th and scored the JetHawks' final run on a wild pitch.

Laureano finished 4-5 with 4 runs scored; he hit 2 doubles to go along with his 2 homers. Ritchie went 3-5 with 2 doubles. Wik finished 3-4 with the solo homer and scored another run. Woodward finished 2-5 and scored twice. Martin went 0-2, but he walked twice, scored twice, and stole a base (12).

Dean Deetz allowed 7 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 1, and struck out 6 in 5 innings. Andrew Thome was the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen; he went 2 innings and allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 1. Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, and walked 1 in the 8th, and Kevin Comer allowed a hit and struck out 2 in a scoreless 9th.

Tonight, the JetHawks will begin a 4-game series in Rancho Cucamonga. Akeem Bostick will start game 1, and he'll go up against Andrew Sopko at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, Fort Wayne 1

W- Franklin Perez (2-2)
L- Jerry Keel (5-9)
S- Albert Abreu (3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos only had 3 hits in this game, but they won in the column that matters most. Also, a couple of rising stars in the system delivered strong performances on the mound to help the Bandits take the series.

Myles Straw had 2 of those hits. He reached on an error and made it to 2nd to begin the game, moved over to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt, and scored the game's first run on a Hector Roa groundout. Kristian Trompiz, who had the other hit, drove in the other Quad Cities run with a sac fly in the 3rd inning.

Franklin Perez allowed a run on a groundout, 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7 in 5 innings. Albert Abreu shut it down by allowing a hit and fanning 5 over the final 4 innings.

The River Bandits will now begin a 3-game series in Lake County, in the Cleveland area. The first two games will be played today, with game 1 starting at 5:00 Eastern. Jose Luis Hernandez and Elieser Hernandez will take on Jared Robinson and TBA.

Tri-City 10, Connecticut 2

W- Austin Nicely (3-1)
L- Locke St. John (2-3)

TC home runs: Ryne Birk (3, solo in 1st)

Tri-City stormed out of the gate with a 3-0 lead, then exploded for 6 more in the middle innings to turn this game into a laugher.

Ryne Birk got things started with a solo home run in the 1st inning. Later in the inning, Ronnie Dawson smacked a 2-run double. Jake Rogers hit a 2-run single in the 5th, and then in the 6th, Birk added an RBI single to his ledger. He then stole 2nd (3), advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch, and scored on a Carmen Benedetti single. Randy César clubbed an RBI triple and scored on a Dawson groundout. César finished 4-4 and drove in the final run of the evening with an RBI single in the 8th. He and Benedetti, who went 3-4, scored 3 runs apiece. Rogers and Birk both went 2-5.

Kevin Hill and Austin Nicely pitched 4 innings apiece. Hill allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3, while Nicely allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 1. Juan Carlos Santos allowed a hit and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th inning.

The ValleyCats will look for the sweep as Ryan Hartman takes the mound. He'll take on Gregory Soto at 7:00 Eastern.

Game 1: Greeneville 3, Pulaski 1

W- Devin Raftery (1-0)
L- Will Jones (1-2)

Greeneville home runs: Luis Payano (3, 2-run in 6th)

Luis Payano's 2-run home run in the 6th broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Astros the victory in the first game of the twinbill. Vicente Sanchez scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch in the 3rd inning.

Carlos Hiraldo went 5 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Devin Raftery pitched the final 2 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3.

Game 2: Greeneville 5, Pulaski 2

W- Devon Carr (1-1)
L- Spencer Mahoney (1-1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

Once again, the 6th inning was extremely kind to Greeneville as they took control of game 2 with 4 runs in the bottom of the 6th.

Gabriel Bracamonte opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 1st inning. Tyler Wolfe led off the 6th with a single, and business began to pick up.

Troy Sieber brought Wolfe home with an RBI double to tie the game at 2, and then Vicente Sanchez came in to pinch-run for him. He'd score the go-ahead run when Abraham Toro grounded into a fielder's choice. An error on the play allowed Toro to advance to 2nd base, and Connor MacDonald drove him in with an RBI double. MacDonald scored the final run of game 2 on a Frankeny Fernandez single. Sieber and MacDonald both finished 2-3... they both hit an RBI double and scored a run.

Carlos Sanabria went 4.2 innings and had an inherited runner charged to him; the run was unearned. The only hit he allowed was a single in the 1st inning, and he walked 2 while striking out 5. Lucas Williams got the final out of the 5th, but not before he allowed a 2-run triple that gave the Yankees the lead. He also got the first 2 outs of the 6th, allowing 2 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3. Devon Carr allowed a hit, walked 1, and recorded the final 4 outs of the game, all via strikeout.

Tonight, Patrick Sandoval will get the start as Greeneville begins a 3-game series with Bluefield. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 7, GCL Nationals 3

W- César Rosado (2-0)
L- Matt Pirro (1-2)

GCL home runs: Wilson Amador (1, 2-run in 5th), L.P. Pelletier (1, solo in 9th)

The Kissimmeee Stros managed to get some insurance runs in the late innings to secure the win.

Wilson Amador finished 3-5 and put them on the board with an RBI double in the 3rd. He added a 2-run homer to his ledger in the 5th inning. Before Amador's blast, however, Juan Piñeda led off the inning with a triple and Andy Piñeda brought him in with a single. Juan Piñeda ripped a 2-run double in the 8th, and L.P. Pelletier whacked a solo homer, his first home run as a pro, in the 9th inning. Amador was a triple shy of the cycle, while Juan Piñeda was a home run shy. Oscar Campos finished 3-3, and Pelletier and Andy Piñeda both finished 2-5.

César Rosado allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 5 innings. Bryan Abreu tagged in for 3 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 2, and fanned 4. Dariel Aquino struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

DSL Royals 4, DSL Astros Blue 3 in 13 innings

W- Emmanuel Estevez (2-1)
L- Robert Corniel (0-1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team pulled ahead with a run in the top of the 13th, but the Royals walked off with the win in the bottom of the inning.

Angel Tejeda put them on the board with an RBI double in the 3rd. Ozziel Sanchez-Galan hit an RBI single in the 5th, and Nicolás Miranda smacked an RBI double in the 13th inning. Tejeda, Sanchez-Galan, and Nestor Tejada all had 2 hits on the day.

Jheyson Caraballo allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 3 in 6 innings. Johsson Arias allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 3 innings. Juan Cuevas was next, and he allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless innings. Robert Corniel allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and walked 1 in 1.2 innings.

DSL Phillies2 8, DSL Astros Orange 2

W- Jose Jimenez (1-0)
L- Miguel Matos (2-1)

Orange home runs: None.

Kendy Moya scored both of the Orange team's runs. He scored the first run of the game on an error that allowed Ramiro Rodriguez to reach in the 1st; Rodriguez was credited with an RBI. Moya scored again on a single from Enmanuel Valdez in the 3rd. Valdez finished 2-4.

Asael Uribe allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 3, and fanned 2 in 4.1 innings. The bullpen faltered badly in the late innings. I'll leave it at that.

Friday's Stars

Photo from MiLB.com

Ryne Birk, 2B, Tri-City

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

Photo from MiLB.com

Carmen Benedetti, 1B/OF, Tri-City

3-4, RBI, 3 R

Photo by Bryan Green

Randy César, 3B, Tri-City

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

Enjoy the game kid #LoveMyJob #astros ⚾️

A photo posted by Louis-philippe Pelletier (@lp_pelletier24) on Jul 11, 2016 at 4:47pm PDT

Photo from his Instagram account

L.P. Pelletier, 2B, GCL Astros

2-5, solo HR (1); first pro HR

Photo by Bryan Green

Wilson Amador, OF, GCL Astros

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

Photo by Bryan Green

Juan Piñeda, 2B, GCL Astros

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

Ramon Laureano, OF, Lancaster

4-5, 2 2B, 2 HR (10), 3 RBI, 4 R on his birthday

Jamie Ritchie, C, Lancaster

3-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI

Franklin Perez, RHP, Quad Cities

W (2-2), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Albert Abreu, RHP, Quad Cities

Save (3), 4 IP, H, 5 K

Photo by Bryan Green

Luis Payano, OF, Greeneville

Go-ahead 2-R HR (3) in game 1 of doubleheader

Happy Birthday - 12/14

Happy Birthday to ~

SS Wilson Amador (18)
Amador signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in July 2013. In his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League in 2014, he hit .245/.349/.302.

C Carlos Canelon (20)
An international free agent out of Venezuela, Canelon also played his first season in the DSL, hitting .181/.300/.202 in 32 games. He caught 38% of would-be base stealers.

3B Connor Goedert (21)
Drafted in the 15th round in 2014, Goedert split his time between Greeneville and the GCL, hitting .157/.245/.201 in 38 games.

RHP John Gatlin (24)
Gatlin was signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent in 2014. At Ole Miss, Gatlin was an infielder by trade, but was converted to pitcher (something he hadn't done since junior college). In 13 games for the Gulf Coast League Astros, Gatlin had a 1.29 ERA and a 1.663 WHIP.

Two former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

2B Craig Biggio (49)
A first round pick by Houston in 1987, Biggio played his entire career for the Astros from 1988 to 2007. He played in 2850 games and had 3060 hits, 668 doubles, 55 triples, 291 home runs, 1175 RBI, 414 stolen bases, and 285 HBP. His lifetime batting line was .281/.363/.433. He won five Silver Slugger awards, four Gold Glove awards and appeared in seven All-Star games. He is in his third year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, having missed induction by only TWO VOTES the last go around. If he doesn't make the cut in 2015, there may very well be a few torches and pitchforks outside some BBWAA voters' homes.

RHP Rodrigo Rosario (37)
Signed as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1996, Rosario pitched in two starts in 2003 with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 1.000. He suffered a major injury in his second major league start and never pitched again professionally.

Also, a Happy Birthday to friend of the blog, Lee Street, the one attorney I know who would defend me pro bono (or at least provide me with an alibi) if I ever happened to be accused (unjustly, of course) of leaving a flaming bag of dog poo on the doorstep of a certain baseball commissioner.

Happy Birthday - 12/14

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Jack Armstrong (24)
Originally from Florida, Armstrong was drafted in the third round in 2011 out of Vanderbilt. He signed late and did not play in 2011 and then had Tommy John surgery prior to the 2012 season. He has yet to make his professional debut.

SS Wilson Amador (17)
Amador signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in July 2013. He is expected to start his professional career in 2014 with the Dominican Summer League team. Here is the story of his signing.

Former Astros celebrating birthdays today ~

2B Craig Biggio (48)
A first round pick by Houston in 1987, Biggio played his entire career for the Astros from 1988 to 2007. He played in 2850 games and had 3060 hits, 668 doubles, 55 triples, 291 home runs, 1175 RBI, 414 stolen bases, and 285 HBP. His lifetime batting line was .281/.363/.433. He won five Silver Slugger awards, four Gold Glove awards and appeared in seven All-Star games. He is in his second year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame. If he has fewer votes this year because of the 10 player vote limit, there may very well be a few torches and pitchforks outside some BBWAA voters' homes.

RHP Rodrigo Rosario (36)
Signed as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1996, Rosario pitched in two starts in 2003 with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 1.000. He suffered a major injury in his second major league start and never pitched again professionally.

Also, a Happy Birthday to friend of the blog, Lee Street, the one attorney I know who would defend me pro bono (or at least provide me with an alibi) if I ever happened to be accused (unjustly of course) of leaving a flaming bag of dog poo on the doorstep of a certain baseball commissioner.

Roster Moves/Transactions

Oklahoma City
RHP Jorge de Leon assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City

Corpus Christi
RHP Jonas Dufek assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
According to Jason Schwartz, RHP Brady Rodgers is also being assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi for what is anticipated to be a spot start.

Lancaster
RHP Michael Dimock activated from the DL

Greeneville
SS Thomas Lindauer tweeted that he is being assigned from Tri-City to Greeneville

GCL
SS Jose Fernandez assigned from Tri-City to the GCL
OF Trevor Crowe to the GCL for a rehab assignment

International Free Agent Signing
SS Wilson Amador from the Dominican Republic