Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Astros' upper-level clubs got the better of their Royals counterparts on Wednesday.

Let's play two in Fayetteville!

Round Rock 3, Omaha 0

W- Kent Emanuel (5-1)
L- Eric Skoglund (1-3)
S- Felipe Paulino (6)

RR home runs: Josh Rojas (20, 2-run in 5th)

All of the runs in this game belonged to the Express.

Meanwhile, three pitchers combined to keep the Storm Chasers off the scoreboard. Kent Emanuel allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out five over seven shutout innings. Ralph Garza Jr. and Felipe Paulino finished things off with one scoreless inning apiece. Garza allowed a hit and fanned one in the 8th while Paulino worked around a couple of walks to get the save, striking out one.

Jack Mayfield scored the first run of the night on a Kyle Tucker groundout in the 4th and Josh Rojas smacked a two-run homer in the 5th inning. Mayfield and Nick Tanielu both finished 2-4; Mayfield also stole a base, his fifth on the year. Carlos Correa went 1-2 with a couple of walks and scored on Rojas' home run.

Carson LaRue takes on Arnaldo Hernandez in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 3, Northwest Arkansas 1

W- J.B. Bukauskas (2-4)
L- Emilio Ogando (1-2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks got a couple in the 8th to take the lead and added an insurance run in the 9th as they came out on top in Northwest Arkansas.

Tyler Ivey allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, a hit, walked two, and struck out five in 2.1 innings of work. Carlos Sanabria was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he issued a walk while striking out four in 1.2 innings. J.B. Bukauskas took it home as he allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out seven over the last five innings.

Seth Beer got plunked with one out in the 8th and Lorenzo Quintana joined him on the bases following a double. Colton Shaver was intentionally walked to load the bases for Chuckie Robinson, who... struck out for the second out. It all fell to Osvaldo Duarte and he came through with a two-run single to put the Hooks on the board and in the lead. Beer capped off the scoring with an RBI single in the 9th. Duarte finished 2-3 on the night.

Bryan Abreu takes the mound for game two. He'll take on Conner Greene at 7:05.

Game 1: Fayetteville 4, Lynchburg 3 (8 innings)

W- Cody Deason (6-5)
L- Yapson Gomez (0-4)

Fayetteville home runs: Jake Adams (14, 2-run in 1st)

The Woodpeckers tied it with one in the 7th and scored another in the 8th to walk off with the win in game one.

Forrest Whitley got the start and he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 3.1 innings. Cody Deason got the last 4.2 innings and he allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked two, and struck out one.

Jake Adams whacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the 1st. Jeremy Peña kept the game alive by ripping a two-out double in the 7th and he came around to score the tying run on a single from Jonathan Arauz. Corey Julks started the 8th in scoring position and he scored the winning run on Michael Papierski's infield single. Papierski went 3-4 in game one. Peña (2B, R), Arauz (RBI, SB), and Julks (2B, 2 R) all finished with two hits.

Game 2: Fayetteville 3, Lynchburg 0

W- Jojanse Torres (8-0)
L- Brock Hartson (0-1)

Fayetteville home runs: Jake Adams (15, 2-run in 1st)

Extra innings not needed. Only one pitcher needed.

Jojanse Torres allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out eight as he threw a complete game, albeit a seven-inning complete game, for the first time in his career.

All three Fayetteville runs in game two came in the 1st. Corey Julks hit an infield single and an error on the play allowed Jonathan Arauz to score. Jake Adams followed by whacking a two-run home run.

The Woodpeckers are looking for the sweep and Brett Conine will take on Justin Garza at 7:00 Eastern.

Peoria 9, Quad Cities 5

W- Tony Locey (1-1)
L- Matt Ruppenthal (3-4)

QC home runs: Austin Dennis (3, solo in 3rd)

The Chiefs went off for seven in the 7th.

Abdiel Saldaña started off by allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out three over four scoreless. Unfortunately, Peoria teed off on Matt Ruppenthal and Luis de Paula. Layne Henderson restored some order as he allowed a hit and struck out two in a scoreless 9th, but the damage was done.

The Banditos opened the scoring in the 3rd as Austin Dennis went deep. Freúdis Nova followed with a double and he ended up scoring on an errant pickoff attempt. Trey Dawson scored on a wild pitch in the 7th and then he and Jonathan Lacroix drew bases-loaded walks in the 8th. Dawson and Dennis had two hits apiece.

Brett Daniels gets the start in game two of this series. He'll go against Michael Brettell at 6:35.

Brooklyn 9, Tri-City 2

W- Mitch Ragan (1-2)
L- Kyle Serrano (0-2)

TC home runs: None.

The Cyclones led 5-0 after the 1st and Tri-City never really threatened here.

Kyle Serrano and Michael Horrell got roughed up as Brooklyn got six runs off the two of them in the first two innings. Manny Ramirez and Blair Henley managed to throw three innings apiece afterward. Manny allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out five, while Henley allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked one, and fanned five.

Joe Perez was involved in both of the ValleyCats scoring plays; he drove in a run with a groundout in the 2nd and scored on a wild pitch in the 5th.

Tri-City and Brooklyn will conclude this series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Marlins 16, GCL Astros 6

W- Leudy Martinez (3-0)
L- Diosmerky Taveras (1-2)

GCL home runs: Yimmi Cortabarria (2, 3-run in 2nd)

The Palm Beach 'Stros scored six runs in the first two innings. Unfortunately, they were kept off the board for the remainder of this game.

Yimmi Cortabarria hit an RBI single in the 1st and launched a three-run homer in the 2nd. Before he went deep, Dexter Jordan grounded into a force out that scored Tyler Krabbe and he later scored himself on a wild pitch that Sean Mendoza struck out on. Cortabarria and Yefri Carrillo both finished with two hits on the day.

Tough day at the office for the pitching staff.

The Astros will take on the Nationals at noon Eastern.

DSL Astros 5, DSL Rays1 0

W- Reimy Beltre (3-0)
L- José Gonzalez (1-4)

DSL home runs: Miguel Palma (4, solo in 2nd)

After getting rocked by the Royals 1 the last couple of days, the Dominican 'Stros got back on track by blanking the Rays 1.

Jaime Melendez and Reimy Beltre started things off with four scoreless innings apiece. Melendez allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out three, while Beltre allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out five. Edinson Batista struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th to complete the shutout.

Miguel Palma smacked a two-run home run in the 2nd to open the scoring. Jesús Liranzo singled to lead off the 5th, advanced to third on Palma's double, and scored on an errant pickoff throw. Carlos Hurtado had an RBI single in the 6th and Andrés Monzón smacked an RBI triple in the 9th. Palma finished 2-3 on the afternoon.

Both of these teams will play again at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

DSL Astros pitchers: W 5-0 @ DSL Rays 1
Jaime Melendez: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Reimy Beltre: W (3-0), 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K
Edinson Batista: IP, K

Miguel Palma, C, DSL Astros: 2-3, 2B, 2-R HR (4), 2 R

Tyler Ivey's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 3-1 @ Northwest Arkansas

9 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 4 BB, 16 K

Tyler Ivey: 2.1 IP, H, unearned run, 2 BB, 5 K

Carlos Sanabria: 1.2 IP, BB, 4 K

J.B. Bukauskas: W (2-4), 5 IP, H, BB, 7 K

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL

2-3, go-ahead 2-RBI single in 8th

Felipe Paulino's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 3-0 vs. Omaha

9 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Kent Emanuel: W (5-1), 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: IP, H, K

Felipe Paulino: Save (6), IP, 2 BB, K

Jake Adams, 1B, Fayetteville

2 two-run home runs (15); one in each game of doubleheader

Jojanse Torres, RHP, Fayetteville

W (8-0), CG (7 IP), H, BB, 8 K in game two of doubleheader

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, GCL Astros

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

Austin Dennis, UTIL, Quad Cities

2-4, solo HR (3)

Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, Quad Cities

4 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Manny Ramirez, RHP, Tri-City

3 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 15, 2019

Memphis 8, Round Rock 6

W- Ryan Helsley (2-3)
L- José Urquidy (5-4)
S- Hunter Cervenka (2)

RR home runs: Nick Tanielu (11, 2-run in 2nd)

The difference in this game was a three-run 5th inning by the Redbirds that put them back in front.

Not the greatest night at the office for José Urquidy as he allowed four home runs in five innings. The Redbirds were a grand slam away from hitting for the home run cycle off of him. Ralph Garza Jr. and Dean Deetz picked Urquidy up with four scoreless innings of relief. Garza allowed a hit, walked three, and struck out one in three innings, while Deetz walked one and struck out two in the 9th.

Nick Tanielu whacked a two-run homer in the 2nd to put the Express on the board. The E-Train scored four in the 3rd thanks to an RBI single from Taylor Jones, an RBI ground-rule double from Drew Ferguson, and a two-run double from Kyle Tucker. Jones and Derek Fisher had two hits apiece.

Aledmys Díaz and Carlos Correa both began their rehab assignments. Aledmys got the start at second base and went 1-4 with a run scored. Correa started at shortstop and finished 0-3 with a strikeout.

Game two of this series starts at 7:05.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks are back home and they'll start a three-game series with Northwest Arkansas at 6:15. Chad Donato will take on Jackson Kowar.

Potomac 3, Fayetteville 0

W- Tim Cate (2-2)
L- Austin Hansen (6-3)
S- Frankie Bartow (3)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers got blanked as they dropped this series to the P-Nats.

All they got on offense were singles from Jake Adams, Jacob Meyers, and Corey Julks. Meyers and Julks also stole a base.

Austin Hansen didn't pitch terribly but he didn't get any run support. He allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out four in five innings of work. Nivaldo Rodríguez tagged in for three innings and he allowed two runs on two hits, walked three, and struck out three. Joey Gonzalez got three groundouts in a 1-2-3 9th.

Fayetteville has Tuesday off as they get set to embark on a roadtrip. Their first stop is Lynchburg for three against the Hillcats starting Wednesday.

Quad Cities 4, South Bend 3 (10 innings)

W- Layne Henderson (2-3)
L- Eugenio Palma (2-2)
S- Riley Cabral (6)

QC home runs: Ramiro Rodríguez (3, solo in 8th)

The Banditos tied this game in the 8th and scored two in the 10th to take the lead and held off a Cubs rally to take the game and the series.

Felipe Tejada had a fine afternoon as he allowed two runs on four hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out seven in seven innings of work. Layne Henderson allowed a run on a sac fly in the 10th and walked two in 2.2 innings and Riley Cabral got a groundout to end the game.

Carlos Machado put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI single in the 7th inning and Ramiro Rodríguez tied the game when he smacked a solo homer in the 8th. Austin Dennis started the 10th in scoring position; he moved to third on a single from Alex McKenna and scored the go-ahead run on Oscar Campos' base hit. McKenna ended up scoring a crucial insurance run on an error. McKenna, Campos, and David Hensley all went 2-5 on the day.

The River Bandits will have Tuesday off. They'll begin a nine-game homestand that begins with three against the Dayton Dragons on Wednesday.

Connecticut 14, Tri-City 10

W- Kory Behenna (2-1)
L- Derek West (0-1)

TC home runs: Zach Biermann (3, 3-run in 1st), Nathan Perry (5, 3-run in 3rd), Juan Paulino (1, solo in 4th), Korey Lee (2, solo in 9th)

The ValleyCats hit four homers... and lost. Lancaster came to Connecticut apparently as both teams combined to score 18 runs in the first three innings. Unfortunately, 12 of those runs belonged to the Tigers.

Zach Biermann whacked a three-run homer in the 1st to open the scoring. After the Tigers hit back with a touchdown in the 2nd inning, Nathan Perry launched another three-run shot in the top of the 3rd to cut the deficit to one. Unfortunately, Connecticut responded with five runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Juan Paulino led off the 4th with a homer. E.P. Reese hit an RBI single in the 8th and they had the bases loaded with one out in the 9th following a Korey Lee solo blast, but all they got out of that situation was a sac fly from Bryan Arias. Biermann finished 3-4 on the night. Luis Guerrero went 2-5 and scored twice.

Kyle Serrano pitched 1.1 innings and had an inherited runner charged to him. He also allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out three. Derek West and Miguel Figueroa bore the brunt of the Tigers' assault. Peyton Battenfield restored some order as he allowed a run on two hits, walked three, and struck out two in three innings. Cole McDonald allowed a run on a groundout, a triple, walked one, and struck out three in the final two innings.

Tri-City will also have Tuesday off. They'll have a quick pit stop at home in the form of a three-game series against Lowell starting Wednesday before they hit the road again.

GCL Astros 7, GCL Nationals 3

W- Julio Robaina (1-2)
L- Pedro Gonzalez (0-2)

GCL home runs: Yimmi Cortabarria (1, solo in 4th)

The Palm Beach 'Stros took control with three runs in the bottom of the 6th.

Alex Palmer struck out two over two perfect innings. Julio Robaina was the first man out of the GCL squad's bullpen and he allowed two runs on five hits, walked one, and struck out five in four innings. Jervic Chavez went two innings and allowed two hits, one of which was a solo homer, and struck out two. Daniel Bello allowed a hit and struck out two in the 9th.

Yimmi Cortabarria hit an RBI single in the 2nd to put the Palm Beach 'Stros on the board. José Álvarez ripped an RBI double in the 3rd and Cortabarria whacked a solo homer in the 4th. Cortabarria hit another RBI single in the 6th, Yorbin Ceuta followed with a sac fly, and Colin Barber scored on a wild pitch. Barber scored the last run of the day on another wild pitch. Cortabarria finished 3-4 on the afternoon and all of his hits resulted in runs. Barber went 2-3, and Álvarez reached base in all three of his plate appearances; in addition to the double, he scored twice and drew three walks.

The Palm Beach 'Stros will face the Mets at noon Eastern.

DSL Red Sox1 6, DSL Astros 2

W- Gabriel Jackson (1-3)
L- Daniel Pacheco (1-2)
S- Isaac Pinales (2)

DSL home runs: None.

Both teams had two innings in which they scored a run... but the Red Sox had a four-run 3rd inning on their ledger.

Cristian Gonzalez tripled to lead off the 1st and scored the first run of the day on an Andrés Monzón groundout. Monzón scored when Carlos Hurtado grounded into a double play in the 4th inning.

Daniel Pacheco pitched three innings and allowed five runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out one. Fabricio Reina was the first man out of the Dominican 'Stros bullpen and he allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out five over four scoreless. Cristofer Mezquita got the last two innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out two.

These two teams will take on each other at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fabricio Reina, RHP, DSL Astros: 4 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

Felipe Tejada, RHP, Quad Cities

7 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, GCL Astros

3-4, solo HR (1), 3 RBI

Austin Hansen, RHP, Fayetteville

L (6-3), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Zach Biermann, 1B, and Nathan Perry, C, Tri-City

Biermann: 3-4, 3-R HR (3), 2 R

Perry: 1-3, 3-R HR (5), 2 R, 2 BB

Round Rock Express bullpen

4 IP, H, 4 BB, 3 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: 3 IP, H, 3 BB, K

Dean Deetz: IP, BB, 2 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 7, 2019

Round Rock 11, Oklahoma City 2

W- Brandon Bielak (6-3)
L- Dennis Santana (2-7)

RR home runs: Taylor Jones (16, 3-run in 4th)

The E-Train went off with eight in the 4th as they avoided the sweep in Oklahoma.

Brandon Bielak turned in six solid innings of one-run ball. He allowed four hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked one, and struck out eight. Colin McKee, Felipe Paulino, and Kent Emanuel all threw one inning to close it out. McKee allowed a solo homer and struck out one in the 7th, Paulino got two fly ball outs and a pop out in a 1-2-3 8th, and Emanuel finished things off by getting three groundouts in a 1-2-3 9th.

Alex De Goti opened the scoring with a two-run single in the 3rd inning. The real fun started one inning later.

Taylor Jones led off the 4th with an infield single. Drew Ferguson flew out, but Chas McCormick singled and Nick Tanielu walked to load the bases for Garrett Stubbs... who popped out in foul territory. It all fell to Jamie Ritchie, who came through with a two-run single and then an error on the play allowed Tanielu to score. Ritchie advanced to third on the play and he scored on a Josh Rojas single. Rojas stole second and then Alex De Goti joined him on the bases by drawing a walk. Jack Mayfield brought Rojas home with a double and in his second plate appearance of the inning, Jones clubbed a three-run home run. Rojas walked to lead off the 8th; he advanced on a balk and scored the final run of the day on a double from Jones.

Rojas finished 2-5 with a stolen base and scored three times. Ritchie also had two hits on the afternoon and Jones finished a triple shy of the cycle, driving in four.

The start of this week is the Triple-A All-Star break. The 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday in El Paso and pits the best of the Pacific Coast League against their counterparts from the International League. Kyle Tucker will represent the Express on the PCL team.

Corpus Christi 6, Midland 2

W- Riley Ferrell (1-0)
L- John Gorman (4-5)

CC home runs: Lorenzo Quintana 2 (10; solo in 8th, walk-off grand slam in 9th), Ronnie Dawson (14, solo in 8th)

The Hooks scored all six of their runs in the final two innings to stun the Hounds in walk-off fashion and taking the series in the process.

Brandon Bailey started things off by allowing three hits, walking two, and striking out four in three innings. Carlos Sanabria was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he threw two innings, walking one and striking out one. Bryan Abreu pitched three innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out two. And finally, Riley Ferrell worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Corpus tied the game in the 8th on a pair of solo homers from Lorenzo Quintana and Ronnie Dawson and won it in the 9th when Quintana launched a walk-off grand slam. Dawson and Quintana finished with two hits on the evening, along with Bryan de la Cruz, Granden Goetzman, and Stephen Wrenn.

The Hooks will make a return trip to Frisco on Monday for another edition of the Lone Star Series in the Texas League. Cristian Javier will start the opener and he'll take on Ronald Herrera at 7:05.

Potomac 4, Fayetteville 3

W- Jhonatan Germán (1-1)
L- Humberto Castellanos (3-2)

Fayetteville home runs: Ross Adolph (7, solo in 7th)

The Nationals scored in more innings than the Woodpeckers. They also walked off with the victory.

Chandler Taylor opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Jonathan Arauz added a sac fly in the 3rd and Ross Adolph connected on his first Carolina League home run in the 7th. Taylor finished 2-4 on the night.

Luis Garcia went five innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out seven. Humberto Castellanos allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, one of which was the walk-off solo homer. He also struck out three.

Shawn Dubin starts game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 2

W- Kai-wei Teng (3-0)
L- José Bravo (3-3)
S- Moisés Gomez (6)

QC home runs: None.

Cedar Rapids took control of this game by scoring twice in the 6th inning.

Carlos Machado grounded into a force out in the 3rd and an error on the play allowed César Salazar to score. Freúdis Nova drove in a run with a groundout in the 8th. Oscar Campos finished 2-4.

José Bravo allowed three runs on five hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out six in 5.2 innings of work. Hunter Martin and Devin Conn pitched 1.2 innings apiece; Martin had an inherited runner charged to him and allowed a hit, and walked three. Conn allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, walked three, and struck out two.

Felipe Tejada will get the start as the Banditos look to avoid the sweep. He'll face Austin Schulfer at 6:35.

Brooklyn 6, Tri-City 2

W- Dan Goggin (1-0)
L- Jayson Schroeder (0-4)
S- Matt Mullenbach (1)

TC home runs: None.

It all unraveled on the ValleyCats when the Cyclones scored four in the 6th.

Blair Henley allowed two hits and struck out three over three scoreless innings in his New York-Penn League debut. Jayson Schroeder was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and he allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits, walked three, and struck out one in 2.2 innings. Shea Barry inherited two runners from Schroeder and he stranded them both. Barry went 2.1 innings and allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out three. Garrett Gayle allowed two runs on two hits, walked two, and struck out one in the 9th.

A.J. Lee singled in the 1st, advanced to second on a balk, moved to third on Nathan Perry's groundout, and scored the first run of the night on another balk. Luis Santana ripped a double in the 2nd and scored on a triple from Bryan Arias. A.J. Lee finished 2-3 and stole a base, his ninth of the season.

Angel Macuare will start game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 6, GCL Cardinals 3

W- Jairo Lopez (1-0)
L- Luis Ortiz (0-3)
S- Christian Mejías (1)

GCL home runs: Adonis Giron (1, solo in 4th)

After an 0-6 start, the Palm Beach 'Stros have clawed their way to .500.

They fell behind 3-0 after the first half-inning but got right back into it with two runs in the bottom of the 1st. Yimmi Cortabarria hit an RBI single and he scored when Yeuris Ramírez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Adonis Giron led off the 4th with a homer to tie the game at 3 and Cortabarria put the GCL squad in front by ripping an RBI double. In the 5th, Rolando Espinosa hit an RBI single and he scored when Gerry Castillo grounded into a force out. Giron and Cortabarria both finished 2-4 on the day.

Jairo Lopez shook off that tough 1st to go five innings. He allowed three runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out five. The bullpen closed it out with four scoreless. Kevin Dickey allowed a hit, walked three, and struck out two in 2.2 innings and Christian Mejías walked one and struck out two in 1.1 innings.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Lorenzo Quintana, C, Corpus Christi

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

Josh Rojas, UTIL, and Taylor Jones, 1B/OF, Round Rock

Rojas: 2-5, RBI, 3 R, SB (24)

Jones: 3-4, 2B, 3-R HR (16), 4 RBI, 2 R

Brandon Bielak, RHP, Round Rock

W (6-3), 6 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 8 K

Blair Henley not pictured.

This is Shea Barry's mugshot on MiLB.com.

Blair Henley, RHP, and Shea Barry, RHP, Tri-City

Henley: 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Barry: 2.1 IP, H, BB, 3 K; stranded two inherited runners

Luis Garcia, RHP, Fayetteville

5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Adonis Giron not pictured.

This is Yimmi Cortabarria's mugshot on MiLB.com.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, and Adonis Giron, OF, GCL Astros
Cortabarria: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Giron: 2-4, solo HR (1)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Rain, rain, go away...

Fresno 9, Iowa 1

W- Cy Sneed (9-5)
L- Casey Coleman (2-2)
S- Kent Emanuel (1)

Fresno home runs: Garrett Stubbs (3, 3-run in 2nd), D.J. Fisher (9, 2-run in 2nd), Jack Mayfield (10, 2-run in 4th)

A couple of big innings allowed the Grizzlies to cruise to a victory.

Cy Sneed also turned in a nice outing, which definitely helped. Sneed allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four over six shutout innings. The I-Cubs spoiled the shutout with a run off of Kent Emanuel in the 9th. Emanuel pitched the final three innings and allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out four.

Jack Mayfield walked to lead off the 2nd. He moved to third on a Yordan Alvarez single and scored the game's first run on a Myles Straw single. One batter later, Garrett Stubbs smacked a homer and the rout was on. Tony Nuñez walked, stole second... and got greedy and was thrown out at third. Jake Marisnick drew a walk and then D.J. Fisher whacked a two-run homer to extend Fresno's lead to 6-0. Fisher singled to start the 4th and scored on a Tyler White double. Two batters later, Mayfield launched a two-run homer. Fisher went 3-5 and finished a triple shy of the cycle. A.J. Reed went 2-4.

The Grizzlies will look to sweep the series on Thursday. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

San Antonio 1, Corpus Christi 0

W- Chris Paddack (3-1)
L- Framber Valdez (3-4)
S- Miguel Diaz (3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks got shut out and swept out of San Antonio.

Framber Valdez wasn't awful, but he ran up a high pitch count and also allowed the only run of the game. In 4.2 innings, he allowed six hits, walked two, and struck out nine. Justin Ferrell was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and did not allow a hit in his 2.1 innings; he issued a walk and fanned four. Erasmo Pinales worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out two.

Taylor Jones' double was the Hooks' only extra-base hit on the evening. Alex De Goti, Chas McCormick, and Stephen Wrenn all singled. McCormick now has a 10-game hitting streak.

Corpus will head home to start a four-game series with Midland at 7:05. Ryan Hartman is listed as the Hooks' probable starter for game one.

The doubleheader between Buies Creek and Potomac was postponed

Due to inclement weather. They'll try to play the doubleheader today, with game one starting at 4:00 Eastern. Also, the twinbill will constitute the entire series as this was supposed to be the final series between both clubs. One game has been canceled.

Quad Cities 6, Burlington 5 in 10 innings

W- Luis Garcia (2-2)
L- Anfernee Benítez (3-1)
S- Willy Collado (4)

QC home runs: None.

The only crooked numbers in this game came in the first extra frame. The Banditos broke a 3-3 tie with three in the top of the 10th and then the Bees made things really interesting with a home run that cut the lead to one run. Fortunately, Quad Cities was able to escape with the W.

Leovanny Rodriguez allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out six over five shutout frames. César Rosado was the first man out of the bullpen and went three innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking two, and striking out two. The two runs that Luis Garcia allowed in his 1.2 innings came off the homer in the 10th. As the homer occurred in an extra inning, the man on second was charged as an unearned run. Garcia allowed two other hits, walked one, and struck out three. Willy Collado was greeted by an infield single from Torii Hunter, but he buckled down and got that elusive final out with a strikeout.

Quad Cities scored the first three runs of this game: Jonathan Lacroix scored the first run when Scott Schreiber grounded into a force out in the 3rd and then Marty Costes and Chandler Taylor had RBI base hits in the 5th and the 6th, respectively. Schrieber started the 10th in scoring position; he advanced to third on a Seth Beer single and scored the go-ahead run on a single from David Hensley. Beer and Hensley scored when Alfredo Angarita flared a ball down the right field line and kept it just fair. Beer and Hensley both finished 2-5 on the night; Mike Papierski also finished with two hits out of the #8 spot in the order.

Jairo Solís will get the start in game two. He'll take on Oliver Ortega at 6:30.

Tri-City and Auburn was postponed

Due to rain. The series will conclude with a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 AM Eastern. Jayne is satisfied with this development as it has allowed her to catch up on sleep.

DSL Rays1 8, DSL Astros 5

W- Daniel Santana (2-1)
L- Fabricio Reina (3-4)
S- Shuruendy Valeriano (3)

DSL home runs: Victor Mascai (5, 2-run in 4th), Yimmi Cortabarria (2, solo in 8th)

The Rays put up crooked numbers in all of the innings in which they scored to top the Astros in DSL play.

Jherson Pereira allowed two runs on five hits and struck out one in three innings of work. Valente Bellozo worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 4th, striking out one. Fabricio Reina and Franny Cobos both pitched two innings; Reina allowed six runs (five earned, three inherited runners charged to him) on four hits and walked two, while Cobos allowed three hits.

Victor Mascai and Yimmi Cortabarria both finished 2-4 and they were both responsible for the offensive production in this game. Mascai put the Astros on the board when he launched two-run homer in the 4th inning. Cortabarria hit an RBI single in the 6th, Mascai drew a bases-loaded walk in the 7th, and Cortabarria struck again in the 8th with a homer to begin the inning. Abraham Castillo and Javier Bermúdez also finished with two hits on the day.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

The @astros signed two Brazilians today! RHP Heitor Tokar and 3B Victor Coutinho, best hitter in 🇧🇷 #astros @BenBadler @JesseSanchezMLB pic.twitter.com/z2Wbgvv5KH

— Baseball Brazil (@baseball_brazil) July 2, 2017

Photographer unknown, picture provided by Baseball Brazil

Victor Mascai (left), OF/1B, and Yimmi Cortabarria (not pictured), OF, DSL Astros 

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

Cortabarria: 2-4, solo HR (2), 2 RBI

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno
3-5, 2B, 2-R HR (9), 2 R

Cy Sneed, RHP, Fresno
W (9-5), 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: L 1-0 @ San Antonio
8 IP, 7 H, ER, 3 BB, 15 K
Framber Valdez: L (3-4), 4.2 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Justin Ferrell: 2.1 IP, BB, 4 K
Erasmo Pinales: IP, H, 2 K

Leovanny Rodriguez, RHP, Quad Cities
5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K

David Hensley, IF, Quad Cities
2-5, go-ahead RBI single in 10th, 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Let's play two in Myrtle Beach!

El Paso 9, Fresno 5

W- Kyle McGrath (3-2)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (2-1, 4-1 season)

Fresno home runs: Kyle Tucker (12, solo in 1st), Nick Tanielu (2, 6 season; 3-run in 2nd)

The Grizzlies got out to a quick 4-0 lead as Kyle Tucker and Nick Tanielu both homered for the second consecutive evening, but the Chihuahuas bit back ferociously and mauled them with a six-run 3rd and a three-run 4th to take control.

Tucker's solo shot opened the scoring. One inning later, Tanielu whacked a three-run homer. Tim Federowicz ripped an RBI double in the 5th, one of two doubles that he recorded on the night. Federowicz was the only man in the Fresno lineup to record a multi-hit game.

No Fresno pitcher threw three innings in this one. Brock Dykxhoorn went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out two. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed three runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 2.2 innings. Buddy Boshers allowed three hits and fanned five in two scoreless innings of work, and Reymin Guduan worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out two.

What will Cy Sneed have up his sleeve after the best start of his professional career? He'll get the start in game four of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Texas League All-Star Game

The 82nd Texas League All-Star Game ended in a 2-2 tie. No, seriously. Nine innings was not enough to determine a winner, so they went to a home run derby. Again, I'm not joking.

Randy César went 0-2 with a strikeout, but fortunately for him, this exhibition game does not snap his 41-game hitting streak. Josh Rojas and Alex De Goti both came on in the 6th inning; Rojas took over in left field for Josh Naylor and De Goti took César's place at third. Rojas went 0-2 with a strikeout and De Goti lined out to third and drew a walk. Taylor Jones got the start at first base and went 2-4 with a double in the game. He also hit the winning home run in the sudden-death home run derby...

Taylor Jones wins it for the South Division!! @cchooks pic.twitter.com/kvp9OSzZxz

— Midland RockHounds (@RockHounds) June 27, 2018

...and was named MVP of the game.

Taylor Jones is your Texas League All-Star Game MVP!!!

Jones won the game for the South in a Sudden Death Home Run Derby Showdown! pic.twitter.com/OO33Z2d6Hh

— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) June 27, 2018

The Hooks pitchers all got an inning of work in this game. Ryan Hartman was the second pitcher to appear for the South Division and he worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 2nd, striking out two. Corbin Martin threw a 1-2-3 4th inning. Framber Valdez came on for Martin in the 5th and allowed a hit and fanned two in a scoreless outing. Cionel Perez struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th.

The Corpus Christi Hooks will spend Wednesday on the road as they get set to start their tour of Arkansas. They will play three against the Arkansas Travelers beginning on Thursday.

Game 1: Buies Creek 4, Myrtle Beach 2

W- Brett Adcock (4-3)
L- Tyson Miller (6-6)
S- Jesús Balaguer (1)

BC home runs: None.

Buies Creek only scored in one inning, but it was enough for them to get the victory in game one of this twinbill.

All four of the Carolina Stros' runs in game one came in the 4th inning as Cody Bohanek opened the scoring with an RBI single. Bryan de la Cruz hit into a force out attempt that was botched, allowing Osvaldo Duarte to come home with another run. One batter later, Jake Adams ripped a two-run double. Corey Julks and Duarte finished with two hits apiece.

Brady Rodgers allowed four hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings. Brett Adcock's command and control completely deserted him; he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) and walked six in 1.2 innings. Jesús Balaguer pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed an RBI double that allowed one of Adcock's runners to score, walked two, and struck out two.

How would the Carolina Stros fare in the nightcap?

Game 2: Buies Creek 6, Myrtle Beach 0

W- Hector Perez (3-2)
L- Bryan Hudson (4-7)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros got the doubleheader sweep as Hector Perez pitched in every inning in a baseball game for the first time in his professional career in game two. Okay, it was a seven-inning game, but it still goes in the books as a complete game.

Perez allowed seven hits and struck out eight as he went the distance. All but one of the hits he gave up were singles.

Buies Creek scored three in the 1st and three more in the 4th. Abraham Toro scored the first run on a wild pitch and Bryan de la Cruz tacked on a two-run single. All three Buies Creek runs in the 4th came on another wild pitch and an error: De La Cruz, Carlos Canelón, and Jonathan Arauz all scored on some shambolic pitching and defense from the Pelicans. Jake Meyers, Cody Bohanek, and Duarte all finished with two hits in the second game.

Cristian Javier will face Alex Lange in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Wisconsin 5, Quad Cities 0

W- Christian Taugner (3-6)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (2-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got shackled once again on Tuesday.

David Hensley hit a double. Scott Schreiber, and Marty Costes had the other two Quad Cities hits.

Leovanny Rodriguez went six innings and allowed five runs on five hits (two-run homer), walked two, and struck out seven. Carlos Sanabria walked one and struck out three over 1.2 scoreless, and Brendan Feldmann allowed a hit and struck out two in 1.1 innings of work.

Quad Cities will look to avoid the sweep and get on the scoreboard in this series; they haven't scored in 24 innings. First pitch is at 6:35.

Staten Island 2, Tri-City 0

W- Nolan Martinez (1-0)
L- Hansel Paulino (0-1)
S- Reiver Sanmartin (1)

TC home runs: None.

Two runs were scored in this game. Unfortunately, they did not belong to the ValleyCats, and as a result, they were foiled in their bid to sweep the Baby Bombers. They had runners on second and third with one out in the 9th but couldn't get any of them across.

Jeremy Peña and Trey Dawson both finished 2-4 on the evening.

Jose Luis Hernandez allowed three hits and struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings. Hansel Paulino was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and went 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out three. Riley Cabral and Juan Pablo Lopez both threw scoreless innings; Cabral allowed a hit, issued a walk, and struck out the side in the 7th, while Lopez allowed a hit and fanned one in the 8th.

The ValleyCats have Wednesday off as they travel back upstate. They'll start a three-game set with Hudson Valley on Thursday.

GCL Marlins 8, GCL Astros 7

W- Julio Frias (1-1)
L- Elian Rodriguez (0-1)
S- Tanner Andrews (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros scored five in the 8th to cut the deficit to one run, but they couldn't get that tying run across.

Elian Rodriguez went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs (five earned, one inherited runner charged to him) on four hits, walked three, and struck out three. Jonathan Bermúdez made his pro debut as the first man out of the GCLstros bullpen and allowed an unearned run of his own on four hits in 1.2 innings. Manny Ramirez allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out five in four innings, and Freylin Garcia struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Patrick Mathis put the Palm Beach Stros on the board with an RBI double in the 1st and scored on a single from Yeuris Ramirez. All five of the GCLstros' runs in the 8th came with two outs in the inning. Nerio Rodriguez hit a two-run single and Yorbin Ceuta followed with an RBI base hit of his own. Sean Mendoza drew a bases-loaded walk and Freudis Nova legged out an infield single to score another run. Nerio and Mathis both finished with two hits on the afternoon.

DSL Astros 6, DSL Braves 5

W- Wender Oberto (1-1)
L- Jose Olague (1-1)
S- Flaer Gonzalez (2)

DSL home runs: Yimmi Cortabarria (1, solo in 2nd)

The Academy held the Braves to three hits but still had to hang on for the win.

Yimmi Cortabarria smacked a homer to lead off the 2nd inning. Marco van der Wijst scored on a wild pitch later on. Abraham Castillo hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and the Academy got two more in the 4th on a sac fly from Jeury Castillo and an error that allowed Yefri Carrillo to score. Carrillo scored again on a Carlos Hurtado groundout in the 6th. Cortabarria and van der Wijst finished with two hits apiece.

Heitor Tokar plunked two guys and struck out six over four scoreless innings. The two hit batters and a balk were pretty much the only things that went wrong for him on Tuesday. Jose Betances worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 5th. Wender Oberto tagged in for three innings and allowed three runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out two. Jeremy Molero got two outs in the 9th, one via strikeout, but he also issued a couple of walks, hit a couple of guys, and allowed two unearned runs on a wild pitch. One of the HBPs came with the bases loaded. Flaer Gonzalez got the last out of the game without incident.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, DSL Astros: 2-3, solo HR (1)

Nerio Rodriguez, C, GCL Astros: 2-3, 2 RBI, R
Manny Ramirez, RHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K

The @astros signed two Brazilians today! RHP Heitor Tokar and 3B Victor Coutinho, best hitter in 🇧🇷 #astros @BenBadler @JesseSanchezMLB pic.twitter.com/z2Wbgvv5KH

— Baseball Brazil (@baseball_brazil) July 2, 2017

Photographer unknown, picture provided to Baseball Brazil

Heitor Tokar, RHP, DSL Astros

4 IP, 6 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi
2-4, 2B, MVP of Texas League All-Star Game

Corbin Martin's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Texas League All-Star pitchers: Ryan Hartman, Corbin Martin, Framber Valdez, and Cionel Perez
Hartman: IP, H, 2 K
Martin: IP; 2 groundouts, 1 flyball out
Valdez: IP, H, 2 K
Perez: IP, K

Hector Perez, RHP, Buies Creek
CG, 7 H, 8 K in game two of doubleheader

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Buies Creek (on rehab)
3 IP, 4 H, 2 K in game one of doubleheader

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Buies Creek
2-3, 2B, R in game one of doubleheader
2-3, R in game two of doubleheader

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Buddy Boshers, LHP, Fresno
2 IP, 3 H, 5 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, June 18, 2018

Happy Gulf Coast League Opening Day!

Fresno 9, Round Rock 3

W- Josh James (2-2)
L- Richelson Peña (0-1)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (18, 2-run in 8th)

The Grizzlies broke this game open with a 5-1 run in the middle innings and tacked on three more in the 8th for good measure.

Josh James threw six innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits, walking two, and striking out five. Andrew Thome allowed a single and an unearned run on a sac fly in his two innings, and Chris Nunn allowed a solo homer to Drew Robinson in the 9th and struck out two.

J.D. Davis ripped an RBI double in the 1st to open the scoring. Fresno scored twice in the 4th on a wild pitch that allowed Tim Federowicz to come home and a sac fly from Derek Fisher. Myles Straw stole home in the 5th. Fisher scored on another wild pitch in the 6th and Jon Kemmer, who was at the plate at the time, followed with an RBI double. Straw added an RBI single to his ledger in the 8th and A.J. Reed launched a homer to bring in the last two Fresno runs of the night.

Straw went 3-5, stole two bases, and scored three runs. He now has 39 stolen bases this season. Everyone in the lineup had a hit; Kyle Tucker also finished 3-5. Davis, Federowicz, and Kemmer all had two hits.

Fresno will send out Brock Dykxhoorn as they look for a sweep. He'll face Austin Bibens-Dirkx at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 12, San Antonio 0

W- Alex Winkelman (3-2)
L- Colin Rea (0-3)
S- Akeem Bostick (2)

CC home runs: Yordan Alvarez (8, 3-run in 8th)

The Hooks clinched the first-half title in the Texas League South, and the playoff spot that comes with it, by dominating the Missions in all facets of the game.

Forrest Whitley allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out seven over four shutout innings to start. Alex Winkelman worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out one. He bridged the gap between Whitley and Akeem Bostick, who completed the shutout by allowing five hits, walking two, and striking out two over the final four innings.

Yoanys Quiala will face Cal Quantrill in game three of this series, which is also the first game of the second half. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek is off until Thursday

The Carolina League All-Star Game will take place tonight in Zebulon, North Carolina. Buies Creek will send Abraham Toro, Brandon Bielak, Brett Adcock, and Ronnie Dawson.

Quad Cities is off until Thursday

The Midwest League All-Star Game will also be played tonight in Lansing, Michigan. Quad Cities will be represented by Bryan de la Cruz, Peter Solomon, Parker Mushinski, Yohan Ramirez, and Patrick Sandoval.

Tri-City 6, Aberdeen 1

W- Bryan Abreu (1-0)
L- Gray Fenter (0-1)

TC home runs: Jose Carrillo (1, solo in 6th)

The ValleyCats opened up their first road series of the season on a winning note.

Michael Wielansky opened the scoring with a two-run single in the 1st inning and he then added a sac fly to his ledger in the 3rd. Oscar Campos doubled with one out in the 4th and ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Jose Carrillo smacked a solo homer in the 6th, the first home run of his professional career. Enmanuel Valdez walked to keep the 7th inning alive and scored the final run of the evening on a Luis Encarnación double.

The only run that the Ironbirds scored in this game came on a home run hit by J.C. Escarra off of Bryan Abreu in the 2nd inning. Abreu went five innings and allowed three other hits, walked one, and struck out four. Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed two hits and fanned three over three scoreless, and Ian Hardman worked around a hit to finish the game, striking out one.

The series continues at 7:05 Eastern.

GCL Mets 6, GCL Astros 3

W- Jorge Cespedes (1-0)
L- Angel Macuare (0-1)

GCL home runs: Patrick Mathis (1, 2-run in 5th)

The Palm Beach Stros stumbled out of the gate as they fell behind 3-0 after the 1st and with four errors, they probably had some first-game jitters.

Patrick Mathis started his rehab assignment by launching a two-run homer in the 5th inning. Freudis Nova had an RBI base hit in the 9th.

Angel Macuare allowed four runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out three in two innings. Julio Robaina and Jervic Chavez both threw three innings. Robaina allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out four over three scoreless innings in his pro debut. Chavez allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four.

The GCLstros will host the Cardinals at noon Eastern.

DSL Astros 3, DSL Dodgers Robinson 1

W- Ernesto Jaquez (1-0)
L- Andrew Budier (1-2)
S- Cristofer Mezquita (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy swept the Dodgers' Robinson team to record their first winning streak of 2018.

Yimmi Cortabarria finished 2-3 with a double and scored two of the Dominican Stros' three runs in this game; Enmanuel Morillo drove him in twice with base hits in the 2nd and the 8th. Yefri Carrillo doubled twice and scored the other run on a single from Carlos Hurtado in the 7th, which put them up 2-1. Jeury Castillo also finished 2-4 on the day.

Jose Antonio Hernandez went 3.2 innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out two. He left the bases loaded for Ernesto Jaquez, who got him out of the 4th without incident. Jaquez went on to walk three and strike out three over 4.1 scoreless innings. Cristofer Mezquita worked around a couple of walks to close out the game.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ernesto Jaquez, RHP, DSL Astros: W (1-0), 4.1 IP, 3 BB, 3 K
Yefri Carrillo, OF, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2 2B, R
Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, DSL Astros: 2-3, 2B, 2 R
Enmanuel Morillo, IF, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2 RBI
Julio Robaina, LHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Corpus Christi Hooks: W 12-0 @ San Antonio

Clinched playoff berth by winning the first half in the Texas League South

All players in the lineup had a hit and scored a run.

12 R, 16 H, E

9 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 10 K

Forrest Whitley: 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Alex Winkelman: W (3-2), IP, H, BB, K

Akeem Bostick: Save (2), 4 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Yordan Alvarez: 2-5, 3-R HR (8), 4 RBI

Chas McCormick: 2-5, 3B, 3 RBI, R

Jamie Ritchie: 3-5, 2 RBI, R

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

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Bryan Abreu, RHP, and Nivaldo Rodriguez (not pictured), RHP, Tri-City

Abreu: W (1-0), 5 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 4 K

Rodriguez: 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Josh James, RHP, Fresno

W (2-2), 6 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Myles Straw, OF, and Jon Kemmer, OF, Fresno

Straw: 3-5, RBI, 3 R, 2 SB (4, 39 season)

Kemmer: 2-4, 2B, RBI

2018 Dominican Summer League Astros Primer

The Dominican Summer League will begin its season today. This is the only foreign rookie league affiliated with Minor League Baseball since the Venezuelan Summer League ceased operations following the 2015 season.

As the name implies, the league is located in the Dominican Republic and all 30 Major League teams have bases set up throughout the country. The rosters of these teams primarily consist of international signings from Latin America and the Caribbean, and for many of these players, it is their first foray into professional baseball. They have spent countless hours preparing for this day, and today, they will finally get the opportunity to showcase their skills. Although this is the lowest rung on the Minor League ladder, these kids are just like the guys in Corpus or Quad Cities: They're chasing their dreams of becoming Major League Baseball players.

For many of us, this is the first time that we have heard of guys like Heitor Tokar, Victor Mascai, Sebastian Grullon, or Yimmi Cortabarria. It may not be the last time, either. From here, Minute Maid Park seems like it's a universe away and many of these players may never advance past this league. Even Quad Cities feels like a world away, but again, for the vast majority of these kids, this is the route they have to take in order to make it to The Show, or even to the United States.

On the other hand, some of these kids may emerge to become top prospects, and we will be able to talk about them in the same vein as Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers, Forrest Whitley, and Cionel Perez. Some may even become stars in the majors, whether it is with the Astros or another organization. We are seeing some of these DSL graduates such as Jorge Alcala, Hector Perez, Jairo Solis, and Yordan Alvarez begin to make an impact in the system.

You just never know who might emerge from this level to become an impact player. You may not know their names yet, but you might end up remembering a few of them a few years from now. Oz Ocampo and his team are excellent at what they do, and that is infusing young talent into the Houston Astros organization.

We at What the Heck, Bobby? would like to wish the Dominican Summer League Astros best of luck on the upcoming season. We hope to see some of you guys in Houston down the road, as well.

The Astros will only operate one team in the Dominican Summer League this season; this last occurred in 2013. For the last four seasons, the Astros had a Blue team and an Orange team. Not anymore.

So, without further ado... the 2018 Dominican Summer League Astros. They will begin their season against the Royals 1 at 11:30 AM Atlantic time (the Dominican Republic is one hour ahead of Eastern time). Each team plays the other twice in a series, home and away. All games are played within the division; the divisions in the DSL do not interact with each other until the playoffs. Sunday is the designated off day.

Bold - player is making professional debut
Italics - player bats/throws left-handed
Asterisk - player is a switch-hitter

COACHING STAFF

Manager - Charlie Romero
Pitching Coach - Rick Aponte
Hitting Coach - Luis Mateo

The Orange team's coaching staff was retained as instructors. Alejandro Martinez, Gerardo Olivares, Omar Rosario, Carlos Lugo, Erik Acevedo, Selin Aquino, and former Astros farmhands Luis Reynoso and Starlyng Sanchez will all serve as coaches at the Academy this season.

PITCHERS

Valente Bellozo - signed in July 2017 out of Mexico for $20,000; born January 4, 2000
Jose Betances - signed in July 2017 out of the Dominican Republic for $285,000; October 17, 1999
Alex Blanco - signed in July 2017 out of the Dominican Republic for $10,000; October 3, 1997
Yeremi Ceballos - signed in April 2016 out of the Dominican Republic; December 21, 1998, currently on 60-day DL
Franny Cobos - signed in August 2017 out of Cuba for $125,000; February 1, 2001
Ronny Garcia - signed in July 2016 out of the Dominican Republic for $30,000; December 2, 1999
Flaer Gonzalez - signed in July 2017 out of the Dominican Republic for $20,000; September 27, 1996
Jose Antonio Hernandez - signed in May 2016 out of Venezuela; June 18, 1999
Ernesto Jaquez - signed in July 2017 out of the DR for $95,000; June 11, 1999
Alfredi Jimenez - signed in July 2017 out of the DR for $50,000; October 19, 1999
Jairo Lopez -  signed in July 2017 out of Venezuela for $300,000; November 21, 2000
Christian Mejias - signed in June 2016 out of Venezuela; May 19, 1999
Jeremy Molero - signed in August 2017 out of Venezuela; November 8, 1999
Wender Oberto - signed in November 2016 out of Venezuela; December 9, 1999
Jherson Pereira - signed in February 2018 out of Venezuela; January 27, 1997
Carlos Quintero - signed in December 2016 out of Venezuela; January 11, 2000; currently on 60-day DL
Fabricio Reina - signed in March 2017; February 26, 2000
Bryan Solano - signed in March 2017 out of Costa Rica; January 25, 1998
Diosmerky Taveras - signed in July 2017 out of the DR for $55,000; September 23, 1999
Heitor Tokar - signed in July 2017 out of Brazil for $300,000; October 25, 2000

CATCHERS

Jose Alvarez - signed in July 2016 out of Venezuela for $195,000; June 4, 2000
Luis Barajas - signed in January 2017 out of Mexico; July 13, 1999
Carlos Hurtado - signed in July 2017 out of Venezuela for $80,000; May 18, 2001
Jonarkys Lopez - signed in August 2017 out of Venezuela; August 13, 2001
Ricardo Toro - signed in July 2017 out of Venezuela for $95,000; February 24, 2001

INFIELDERS

Javier Bermudez* - signed in July 2017 out of Venezuela for $10,000; January 2, 1999
Rolando Espinosa - signed in August 2017 out of Cuba for $175,000; January 5, 2001
Sebastian Grullon - signed in July 2017 out of the DR; July 19, 2001
Junior Marte - signed in July 2017 out of the DR for $70,000; April 14, 2000
Jose Mendoza - signed in August 2017 out of Venezuela; June 19, 2001
Enmanuel Morillo - signed in July 2017 out of the DR for $90,000; December 6, 2000
Marco van der Wijst - signed in March 2017 out of the Netherlands for $17,500 when he was known as Oliver van der Wijst (he's Dutch and Dominican); February 23, 1998

OUTFIELDERS

Yefri Carrillo - signed in July 2017 out of Venezuela for $300,000; January 13, 2001
Abraham Castillo - signed in July 2017 out of Venezuela for $150,000; December 5, 2000
Yimmi Cortabarria - signed in July 2017 out of Venezuela for $300,000; January 10, 2001
Victor Mascai - signed in July 2017 out of Brazil for $100,000, also known as Victor Coutinho; February 10, 2001