Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, June 14, 2018 

Quad Cities sweep!

New Orleans 4, Fresno 1

W- Odrisamer Despaigne (1-0)
L- Cy Sneed (6-3)
S- Javy Guerra (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies were kept in check in the Big Easy.

Nick Tanielu's RBI single in the 6th was Fresno's only scoring play. Tim Federowicz went 2-3 and scored on Tanielu's base hit.

Cy Sneed went 5.1 innings and allowed three runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on seven hits, walked one, and struck out six. Buddy Boshers and Andrew Thome both pitched 1.1 innings. Boshers allowed two hits, had an inherited runner charged to him (the run was unearned), and struck out three. Thome allowed a hit.

Mike Hauschild will face Zac Gallen in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00.

Corpus Christi 2, Midland 1

W- Yoanys Quiala (6-5)
L- Joel Seddon (4-4)
S- Riley Ferrell (6)

CC home runs: Josh Rojas (5, 6 season; 2-run in 8th)

Both teams had one scoring play. Fortunately for the Hooks, their scoring play yielded more runs.

Ryan Hartman went five innings and allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out six. Yoanys Quiala allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out for over three scoreless, and Riley Ferrell worked around a hit to close out the game, striking out one.

Josh Rojas launched a two-run home run in the 8th to put Corpus on the board and in the lead.

Corbin Martin will face Logan Shore in game three. First pitch is at 7:00.

Potomac 2, Buies Creek 0

W- Joan Baez (3-5)
L- Tyler Ivey (0-1, 1-4 season)
S- Jordan Mills (6)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros' bats went silent to start a new series.

The only three hits they got were singles from Luis Payano, J.J. Matijevic, and Jake Adams.

Tyler Ivey allowed two runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out four in five innings. Hector Perez followed with three scoreless, allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out four.

Carson LaRue will start game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 5, Clinton 2

W- César Rosado (3-2)
L- Ray Kerr (2-6)
S- Carlos Sanabria (6)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams had five hits, but the Banditos had more in the column that counts and they earned a huge series sweep to pull even with the LumberKings as the first half winds down in the Midwest League.

Quad Cities loaded the bases to start the 4th inning and got three runs out of it as Corey Julks scored on what should have been Colton Shaver grounding into a force out, but an error resulted in everyone reaching safely. Miguelangel Sierra followed with a two-run single. Bryan de la Cruz hit an RBI single in the 8th and an error allowed Julks to score another run on the play.

César Rosado allowed an unearned run on four hits and struck out nine in 7.2 innings of work. The nine strikeouts tie a career high for Rosado; he struck out nine on August 11, 2016 when he was in the Gulf Coast League.

Dean Deetz got the last out of the 8th and the first two outs in the 9th. He allowed a hit, had an inherited runner charged to him, walked two, and struck out three. Carlos Sanabria issued a walk but got a strikeout to end the game.

Quad Cities will wrap up the first half with a three-game series against Burlington. Patrick Sandoval will start the opener against Denny Brady; first pitch is at 6:35.

DSL Marlins 4, DSL Astros 3 in 11 innings

W- Luis Palacios (1-0)
L- Cristofer Mezquita (0-1)
S- Juan Borges (1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy's struggles continued with an extra-inning loss to the Marlins.

Heitor Tokar and Wender Oberto both threw four innings. Tokar allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and struck out two, while Oberto allowed four hits and fanned four. Jose Betances allowed two unearned runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on two hits and struck out one in two innings, and Cristofer Mezquita allowed a hit in the 11th.

Yefri Carrillo doubled to lead off the 1st and scored the first run of the day on a wild pitch. Carlos Hurtado hit a sac fly that turned into an inning-ending double play in the 3rd inning, and Carrillo added an RBI single to his ledger in the 10th.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yefri Carrillo, OF, DSL Astros: 2-5, 2B, RBI, R
Wender Oberto, RHP, DSL Astros: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 K

César Rosado, RHP, Quad Cities

W (3-2), 7.2 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 9 K (tied career high)

Hector Perez, RHP, Buies Creek

3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Josh Rojas, UTIL, Corpus Christi

Go-ahead 2-R HR (5, 6 season) in 8th inning

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 2-1 @ Midland

9 IP, 5 H, ER, 4 BB, 11 K

Ryan Hartman: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Yoanys Quiala: W (6-5), 3 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Riley Ferrell: Save (6), IP, H, K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Sweep!

Fresno 2, El Paso 1

W- Josh James (1-2)
L- Dillon Overton (1-2)
S- James Hoyt (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

Fresno came out on top in an afternoon edition of Taco Tuesday to take their series with the Chihuahuas.

Drew Ferguson scored both of the Tacos' runs and Jack Mayfield brought him in both times. Mayfield ripped a double in the 4th and added a sac fly to his ledger in the 6th.

Josh James turned in a nice outing and earned his first win of the year. He allowed a run on 6 hits, walked one, and struck out nine in seven innings of work. Kent Emanuel allowed a hit in a scoreless 8th. Buddy Boshers got the first two outs of the 9th and James Hoyt finished it off by striking out Dusty Coleman.

Fresno will end May and begin June with a five-game set in Albuquerque. Brock Dykxhoorn will get the start in the opener and he'll face former Astro Brett Oberholtzer at 6:35 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 11, Springfield 4

W- Yoanys Quiala (5-4)
L- Yeison Medina (0-2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks broke a 4-4 tie in emphatic fashion with a six-run 6th inning.

Ryan Hartman threw four innings and the four runs he allowed came on a pair of two-run homers. Hartman allowed two other hits, walked one, and struck out six during his stint on the mound. Yoanys Quiala picked him up and brought the Hooks home with five scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out six.

Taylor Jones opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. Stephen Wrenn led off the 2nd with a double and came home on a Jamie Ritchie single. Ritchie advanced station-to-station and then scored on a wild pitch. Jones plated the third run of the 2nd inning by hitting a sac fly to score Aníbal Sierra. That sac fly would be Corpus Christi's last scoring play until they busted this game open in the 6th; in the meantime, the Cardinals got their two two-run homers.

Wrenn kick-started the big inning by leading it off with a single. He then stole second and scored on another Ritchie single. Alex De Goti walked and Sierra singled to load the bases for Myles Straw, who walked Ritchie in. Josh Rojas was next and he brought everyone home with a triple. Jones got plunked, but Randy César kept things moving with an RBI single that extended his hitting streak to 21 games. Ritchie drove in the final run of the evening with yet another RBI single in the 8th. All three of his hits were RBI singles. De Goti was the only man in the Corpus lineup to go hitless, but he did score a run in the 6th. Straw and Wrenn both finished 2-4 with two runs scored.

Corbin Martin gets the start in game two of this series. He'll take on Jake Woodford at 6:30.

Buies Creek 11, Down East 6

W- Carson LaRue (3-2)
L- Edgar Arredondo (5-2)

BC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (6, 2-run in 1st), J.J. Matijevic (4, 7 season; 2-run in 8th)

The Carolina Stros turned a 5-2 deficit into a 7-5 lead with five runs in the 6th as part of a 9-1 run to close this game out.

Carson LaRue allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits (solo and three-run homers), walked one, and struck out two. Gabriel Valdez was the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen and the one run that he allowed in his three innings of work came on a solo homer hit by Charles Leblanc in the 8th. Valdez allowed one other hit, walked two, and struck out two. Jesús Balaguer worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out two.

Ronnie Dawson got the scoring started when he whacked a two-run homer in the 1st. This was Buies Creek's only scoring play until they went off in the 6th.

Carlos Canelón and Alfredo Angarita led off the 6th with singles and they both advanced a base on Dawson's groundout. Abraham Toro ripped a two-run double to bring them in and he eventually scored on an error that allowed Osvaldo Duarte to reach. Duarte moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a Chas McCormick single. McCormick came in with the fifth and final run of the inning on a Luis Payano RBI single.

Toro singled to lead off the 8th and one batter later, J.J. Matijevic swatted a home run. Duarte followed with a double and he would score on wild pitch. Duarte drove in the final run of the night with an RBI single in the 9th. He, Toro, McCormick, and Canelón all finished with two hits in the game.

Brett Adcock will face Jonathan Hernandez in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Clinton 2

W- Patrick Sandoval (4-1)
L- Raymond Kerr (1-4)
S- César Rosado (1)

QC home runs: Colton Shaver (6, solo in 5th), Miguelangel Sierra (3, 2-run in 6th)

The Banditos pounded out 13 hits but only had four runs to show for it. No matter, they still came out on top.

Miguelangel Sierra put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI single in the 4th. Colton Shaver led off the 5th with a home run to tie the game, and Sierra whacked a two-run home run in the 6th to put the Banditos in front. Jake Adams went 4-4 with a couple of doubles. Sierra, Shaver, and Jake Meyers all finished 2-4.

Patrick Sandoval went five innings and allowed two unearned runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out six. César Rosado finished with four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.

Tyler Ivey was originally scheduled to start tonight's contest, but he was just promoted to Buies Creek. Whoever gets the start in his stead will go against Oliver Jaskie at 6:30.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Josh James, RHP, Fresno

W (1-2), 7 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 9 K

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 4-2 @ Clinton

9 IP, 6 H, 2 unearned runs, 2 BB, 7 K

Patrick Sandoval: W (4-1), 5 IP, 4 H, 2 unearned runs, 2 BB, 6 K

César Rosado: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, K

Photo by Bryan Green

Miguelangel Sierra, SS, Quad Cities

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

Yoanys Quiala, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (5-4), 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K

Jamie Ritchie, C, Corpus Christi

3-5, 3 RBI singles, 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Let's play two in Winston-Salem!

Reno 5, Fresno 2

W- Taylor Clarke (5-5)
L- Josh James (0-2)
S- Jimmie Sherfy (8)

Fresno home runs: Kyle Tucker (5, 2-run in 8th)

The Grizzlies were held in check, but they were also left to rue some missed opportunities as they finished 0-9 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday afternoon.

Kyle Tucker's two-run blast in the 8th represented Fresno's only scoring play in this game. Tyler White went 2-3.

Josh James threw 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out three. Kent Emanuel was the first man out of the Grizzlies bullpen and allowed three runs on four hits and walked two in 1.1 innings. Andrew Thome tagged in for two scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out two. Buddy Boshers retired all four Reno hitters he faced, striking out two of them.

Fresno and Reno will wrap up their series at 7:05 Pacific. The Grizzlies have not announced a starter; whoever he is, he'll face Troy Scribner.

Corpus Christi 4, Springfield 2

W- Yoanys Quiala (4-4)
L- Conner Greene (4-3)
S- Riley Ferrell (2)

CC home runs: None.

Four Hooks pitchers combined to hold the Cardinals to three hits as they came away with a series win in Missouri.

The one hit that Yoanys Quiala allowed in his five innings was a solo homer to Tommy Edman. Quiala also walked one and struck out five. Sean Stutzman issued two walks over two scoreless innings. The Ferrells both pitched an inning; the Oklahoma Ferrell, Justin, allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in the 8th, while the Texas Ferrell, Riley, closed it out by striking out two in a 1-2-3 9th.

Corpus got two in the 1st on a sac fly from Josh Rojas and an RBI groundout from Randy César. Stephen Wrenn hit an RBI single in the 2nd, and Lorenzo Quintana scored on an error as Aníbal Sierra stole second base in the 7th inning. Sierra got a bit greedy and was thrown out at third. César went 2-4 and extended his hitting streak to 16 games. Rojas was the only man in the lineup to go hitless, but he did drive in the first run of the evening.

Brock Dykxhoorn will face Jake Woodford, a former high school teammate of Kyle Tucker's, in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Game 1: Winston-Salem 3, Buies Creek 1

W- Tanner Banks (2-2)
L- Carson LaRue (2-2)

BC home runs: None.

The Dash scored in more innings than the Carolina Stros in game one.

Carson LaRue went 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on five hits (solo homer) and struck out four. Robert Corniel walked two in the 6th but was able to get the last two outs of the frame without any further incident. He struck out one.

Abraham Toro scored Buies Creek's only run of game one on a sac fly from Chas McCormick in the 4th inning.

Game 2: Buies Creek 10, Winston-Salem 4

W- Gabriel Valdez (1-1)
L- Danny Dopico (0-3)

BC home runs: J.J. Matijevic 2 (3, 6 season; solo in 2nd, solo in 5th), Abraham Toro (7, 2-run in 1st), Ronnie Dawson (4, 3-run in 3rd)

Buies Creek stormed out to an 8-0 lead after three innings and cruised to a split in the twinbill. They were the home team in this game because it was originally scheduled to take place in Buies Creek.

Osvaldo Duarte tripled to lead off the bottom of the 1st and scored the first run of game two on a double from Ronnie Dawson. One batter later, Abraham Toro launched a home run. Alfredo Angarita added a two-run single. J.J. Matijevic smacked his first solo homer of the game in the 2nd inning. Dawson tacked on three more in the 3rd with his homer, and Matijevic capped off the onslaught in the 5th with his second solo home run.

Gabriel Valdez went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits (solo homer),walked two, and struck out three. Tanner Duncan allowed a two-run homer to Joel Booker in the 7th, which was the only scoring play he allowed in his two innings. Duncan allowed four other hits, walked one, and struck out three.

Brett Adcock will face Dylan Cease in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Wisconsin 4

W- Juan Robles (1-0)
L- Cody Beckman (1-2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos trailed 4-1 through five innings, but fortunately, their bats came alive and they blew the Timber Rattlers away.

Jake Meyers drew a two-out walk in the 3rd inning and scored Quad Cities' first run when Jonathan Arauz ripped a triple. They cut the deficit to one with a couple of runs in the 6th inning. Corey Julks led off by drawing a walk and scored on a Miguelangel Sierra double. Sierra advanced to third on a wild pitch that was also ball four to Jake Adams. Adams got caught stealing, but Sierra took advantage and scored while everyone else was preoccupied with Adams.

Quad Cities loaded the bases with one out in the 7th and they wound up scoring four runs. Julks put them in the lead with a two-run single and Adams ripped a two-run double. Meyers capped off the evening with an RBI triple in the 8th inning.

Patrick Sandoval went 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on five hits (three-run homer), walked two, and struck out four. Juan Robles tagged in to throw 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out three. Carlos Sanabria worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out two.

César Rosado will face Alec Bettinger in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:35.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

J.J. Matijevic, LF, Ronnie Dawson, OF, and Abraham Toro, 3B, Buies Creek

*Stats from game two of doubleheader*

Matijevic: 3-4, 2 solo HR (3, 6 season)

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

Toro: 2-4, 2-R HR (7)

Yoanys Quiala, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, H (solo HR), ER, BB, 5 K

Randy César, 3B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2B, RBI; 16-game hitting streak

Jonathan Arauz, IF, Quad Cities

3-5, 3B, RBI, R

Juan Robles, RHP, Quad Cities

W (1-0), 3.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 14, 2018

The Rockets are in the Western Conference Finals, but most of you may not care about that (that's a shame).

For those of you who aren't inclined to watching hoops, never fear. Minor league recaps are coming right up!

Fresno 4, Salt Lake 3

W- Reymin Guduan (3-1)
L- Jake Jewell (1-2)
S- James Hoyt (2)

Fresno home runs: Tim Federowicz (4, 2-run in 6th)

Fresno and Salt Lake both scored in two innings. The Grizzlies scored more in their two scoring innings and as a result, they came away with the victory on Monday.

Tim Federowicz put the Grizzlies on the board with a two-run home run in the 6th and Jon Kemmer put them in the lead with a two-run triple in the 8th. Federowicz and J.D. Davis scored all four of Fresno's runs in this game; they, along with Tony Kemp, all finished 2-4 on the evening. Kemp now has a 20-game hitting streak.

Mike Hauschild went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out two. Matt Ramsey struck out five in two perfect innings out of the bullpen. Reymin Guduan and James Hoyt both threw an inning; Guduan allowed a hit and struck out two in a scoreless 8th, while Hoyt withstood a solo home run from Jose Briceño to close out the game, striking out one in the 9th.

Rogelio Armenteros will take on Osmer Morales in an afternoon edition of Taco Tuesday in Fresno. First pitch is at 11:05 AM Pacific.

Corpus Christi 2, San Antonio 1

W- Yoanys Quiala (3-3)
L- Miguel Diaz (1-2)
S- Riley Ferrell (2)

CC home runs: Taylor Jones (7, 2-run in 4th)

Both teams had one scoring play apiece in this game and it came in the form of a home run. The Hooks' home run resulted in more runs, though.

Taylor Jones smacked a two-run home run in the 4th inning which was Corpus Christi's only scoring play. Jones played 105 games between both Class A levels in 2017 and hit seven home runs. He's matched that total in 32 games with Corpus Christi.

Yoanys Quiala has had a rather bumpy road after throwing five innings of one-run ball in his first start of the season, but he turned in his best outing on Monday as he allowed just four hits and struck out six over seven shutout innings. Riley Ferrell finished it off, although Kyle Overstreet spoiled the shutout with a two-out solo home run in the 9th. Ferrell allowed one other hit and struck out two in his two innings of work.

Alex Winkelman will get the start in game 2 of this series. He'll face Logan Allen at 7:05.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros will begin a three-game series against the Winston-Salem Dash at 7:00 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 1

W- Brusdar Graterol (1-0)
L- Tyler Ivey (1-3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos were shackled by Brusdar Graterol, who held them to just two hits and a walk and also struck out ten times against him in 5.2 innings.

Tyler Ivey went five innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, walked two, and struck out five. Peter Solomon allowed a run on three hits and struck out six in three innings of work.

Quad Cities spoiled the shutout in the 9th on a pop-fly RBI single from Mike Papierski, even though he got thrown out at second to end the game in a bid for a double.

Yohan Ramirez will face Edwar Colina in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:35.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yoanys Quiala, RHP, Corpus Christi

7 IP, 4 H, 6 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi

1-3, 2-R HR (7)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Peter Solomon, RHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, 3 H, ER, 6 K

Matt Ramsey's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Matt Ramsey, RHP, Fresno, and Reymin Guduan, LHP, Fresno

Ramsey: 2 IP, 5 K

Guduan: W (3-1), IP, H, 2 K

Tim Federowicz's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Tim Federowicz, C, J.D. Davis, 3B/1B/LF, and Jon Kemmer, OF, Fresno

Federowicz: 2-4, 2-R HR (4), 2 R

Davis: 2-4, 2 R

Kemmer: Go-ahead 2-R 3B in 8th

The Astros Cuban Contingent

The Cubans are Coming! The Cubans are Coming!

Everyone knows the impact that 1B Yuli Gurriel had for the Astros in 2017, his first full season in the major leagues. And more and more people are starting to get familiar with a few other highly-ranked Astros prospects in OF/1B Yordan Alvarez, LHP Cionel Perez and RHP Rogelio Armenteros. But what many may not realize is just how aggressive the Astros have gotten in signing Cuban players over the last few years. The numbers went from ZERO Cuban players in the system prior to the September 2014 signing of Armenteros (scouted by former Astros scout Alex Jacobs) to 14 players currently. Oz Ocampo, former Astros Director of International and current Special Assistant to the General Manager for Baseball Operations, and Astros Senior Scouting Advisor Charlie Gonzalez (with the Astros since November 2014) kicked things into high gear following that first Cuban signing. Let's take a look at The Cuban Contingent.

Cionel Pérez and Yoanys Quiala - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

AAA FRESNO

RHP Rogelio Armenteros - 2018 Stats thru 4/21: 5.65 ERA and 1.674 WHIP in three starts (14.1 IP)
Armenteros was ranked higher by Baseball Prospectus (#5) than the other outlets (#11 from FanGraphs and #12 from MLB Pipeline and Baseball America) primarily because BP placed a higher value on Armenteros deception, ability to throw five pitches for strikes and ability to locate to either side of the plate. And, although, Forrest Whitley is considered a much more elite prospect, Armenteros was WTHB's 2017 Pitcher of the Year due to his sheer dominance and present results. At the time I wrote:

There were a number of very good pitching performances in the Astros minor league system in 2017, but no one was quite as dominant as Rogelio Armenteros. Armenteros split his season between Corpus Christi and Fresno and compiled a 10-4 record with a 2.04 ERA, a 1.043 WHIP and 38 walks to 146 strikeouts in 123.2 innings. His stats were almost identical at the two levels with the main difference being an astonishing 8-1 record in his 10 starts at the higher level.

In any event, his plus change up, plus control/command and overall pitchability have most pundits agreeing that Armenteros has very little left to prove in the minors and should be able to contribute as a back of the rotation starter in Houston whenever he is needed. Armenteros was signed by the Astros in September 2014 and he will be 24 in June.

OF Alejandro Garcia (R/R) - 2018 Stats thru 4/21: .293/.341/.415 in 10 games

Garcia, one of the Astros Cuban signings in 2015, had an uneven season in 2017. After hitting only .202/.244/.325 in 42 games with AA Corpus, he was promoted to AAA Fresno on June 1st and managed a .269/.312/.356 line in his 50 games at that level, despite really fading down the stretch. He had an overall .235/.278/.341 line with 18 doubles, two triples and four home runs in 92 games as compared to his .291/.323/.365 line in 2016 in 94 games (26 games at High A, 51 games at AA and 17 games at AAA). One of the biggest differences between his 2016 and 2017 campaigns was his ability to hit against left-handed pitching. In 2016, Garcia hit .337/.352/.488 against lefties vs. .220/.281/.354 in 2017. Adding to his on-base woes, Garcia rarely walked in 2017 (nine walks to 45 strikeouts in his 92 games). It looks as though his 2017 season might have been a bit of a fluke down season for him (here's his FanGraphs page). Garcia will be 27 in June.

AA CORPUS CHRISTI

OF/1B Yordan Alvarez (L/L) -  2018 Stats thru 4/21: .275/.387/.471 in 13 games

Alvarez came to the Houston system in an August 2016 trade with the Dodgers for RHP Josh Fields and has been ranked either #3 or #4 in the Astros system by the various sites. The reason that he is ranked so highly is because of his bat. He provides average defense with an average arm and below average speed, so it was his 2017 offensive line of .304/.379/.481 in 90 games split between Quad Cities and Buies Creek that set him apart. Alvarez hits with authority to all fields and his power (17 doubles, three triples and 12 home runs) should continue to develop with more experience. His bat control and strike zone discipline have worked very well for him so far in his professional career. He will be 21 in June.

LHP Cionel Pérez - 2018 Stats thru 4/21: 4.50 ERA and 1.750 WHIP in 2 starts (8 IP)
Pérez signed with the Astros in December 2016 for a reduced payment of $2 million (down from $5.5 million) due to concerns over potential elbow issues. In his first season in the States, he appeared in 12 games with Low A Quad Cities and five games with High A Buies Creek, compiling a 3.90 ERA and 1.252 WHIP in 80.2 innings, before his promotion to Corpus Christi in mid-August. He had mixed results in four appearances at the higher level, but ended the season with a strong final appearance of the season. In a total of 93.2 innings, Pérez allowed 27 walks and struck out 83. Pérez features a low 90's fastball that can hit 96, a plus slider and advanced control and command. Improvement in his curveball and changeup will be needed for him to remain in a starting role, but his fastball/slider combo should ensure that, at minimum, he would be very effective in relief ... as long as that elbow continues to hold up. Pérez, who will turn 22 next week, is ranked #6 by MLB Pipeline and FanGraphs, #13 by Baseball America and appears in Baseball Prospectus's "Next 10."

RHP Yoanys Quiala - 2018 Stats thru 4/21: 4.73 ERA and 1.350 WHIP in 3 games/2 starts (13.1 IP)
Quiala's transition to AA Corpus Christi following his mid-June 2017 promotion from High A Buies Creek didn't always go smoothly, but he seemed to have pretty much tamed the beast by season's end. Cumulatively, Quiala had a very nice 2.55 ERA and a 1.180 WHIP in 108.2 innings. He walked 24 and struck out 92. Prior to his signing in June 2015, the Cuban native was said by Baseball America to feature a 90-95 fastball, touching 97 and a plus slider with late bite, to go along with a changeup and splitter. One thing I've noticed about the Cuban contingent is the extreme work ethic from most. After seeing Quiala in Quad Cities in 2016, I hardly recognized him when I saw him next in August 2017. He had transformed himself, easily losing 25 pounds or more, and adding a lot of muscle. I would not bet against the 2017 Carolina League All-Star as he keeps progressing through the system. Quiala turned 24 in January.

C Lorenzo Quintana (R/R) - 2018 Stats thru 4/21: .250/.308/.583 in 6 games
Quintana is defintely on the older side for this list, having turned 29 in March. He made his U.S. debut with Corpus Christi on April 7th after spending seven seasons in Cuba, the last of which was the 2014-2015 season so he will definitely have a little rust to shake off. He was signed by the Astros in October for a reported $200,000. Quintana hit .310/.377/.438 in 422 games in Cuba with 62 doubles, nine triples, 35 home runs, 204 RBI and 232 runs scored. Over those 422 games, Quintana walked 126 times while striking out 206 times, but in his last two seasons, he improved to a ratio of 58 walks to 52 strikeouts in 118 games. He has a lifetime 30% caught stealing rate and has been known to steal a base or two himself. In his 2013-2014 season, he stole 15 bases and was caught six times. Quintana is said to be a good contact hitter who uses all fields, but beyond that, I haven't seen much written about him.

HIGH A BUIES CREEK

RHP Jesús Balaguer - 2018 Stats thru 4/21: 4.05 ERA and 1.200 WHIP in 3 bullpen appearance (6.2 IP)

Signed in April 2017, Balaguer was reported to have a 95-mph fastball at the time of his signing, I know virtually nothing else about Balaguer except that his results in his first season in the States were enough to pique my interest. He breezed through three games with rookie level Greeneville and five games with short season A Tri-City before he was finally challenged in his 10 appearances at Low A Quad Cities. For the season, he compiled a 2.73 ERA and a 1.061 WHIP, walking 15 and striking out 53(!) in 33 innings. Batters hit .175/.271/.263 against him; he converted four of his five save opportunities; he stranded 13 of 14 inherited runners; and he provided five innings of scoreless relief in three appearances in the postseason. Balaguer will be 25 in August.

RHP Carlos Sierra - 2018 Stats thru 4/21: 4.00 ERA and 1.222 WHIP in 4 bullpen appearances (9 IP)

Sierra had a successful season in 2017, compiling a 3-2 record with two saves, a 2.83 ERA and a 1.099 WHIP in 29 appearances between Low A Quad Cities (4 games) and High A Buies Creek (25 games). He walked 24 while striking out 60 in 57.1 innings of work and held batters to a .186/.273/.290 line. However, he allowed 17 of 24 inherited runners to score. He will be 24 in October.

SS Anibal Sierra - 2018 Stats thru 4/21: .277/.358/.489 in 15 games
Sierra was known more for his offensive abilities than his defensive prowess when he signed in July 2016 and that still appears to be the case. In 2017 he hit .201/.271/.290 in 113 games, the vast majority of those games with High A Buies Creek. He is said by Baseball America to be a true shortstop with a good internal clock, soft hands and a solid arm; however, he did collect 23 errors at the position in 2017, suggesting that his bat isn't the only aspect of his game that may need improvement.. Sierra turned 24 in February.

UNASSIGNED (EXTENDED SPRING TRAINING OR DOMINICAN COMPLEX)

RHP Franny Cobos
Cobos just turned 17 in February and I know virtually nothing about him except that he is a converted position player who features a 91 mph fastball and he signed last August for a reported $125,000.

IF Rolando Espinosa
I know even less about Espinosa, including his birthdate, but he should be nearing 17 (if he's not already there). Espinosa also signed in August 2017 for a reported $175,000.

Elian Rodríguez
Rodríguez did appear on one of the top prospect lists, at #29 out of #30 in Baseball America's Prospect Handbook. But others have backed away from him due to the poor control that resulted in a 7.46 ERA, 2.211 WHIP and 30 walks to 19 strikeouts in 25.1 innings in his first season with the Dominican Summer League. He's a hard thrower with a fastball that tops out at 97 and a hard slider. He also has a good pitcher's build and plus athleticism, but MLB Pipeline noted that he is "more power than polish" as they dropped him off their top list for Astros prospects going in to the 2018 season. Signed in June 2017 for $2,000,000, Rodríguez turned 21 earlier this year.

LHP Julio Robaina
Robaina, who turned 17 in March, features a low 90's fastball, a slider and a curveball that projects to be a plus pitch. He signed in September 2017 for a reported $220,000.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, April 7, 2018

Fresno 15, Reno 8

W- Andrew Thome (1-0)
L- Kris Medlen (0-1)
S- Brendan McCurry (1)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (1, solo in 4th), Jack Mayfield (1, grand slam in 5th)

Well, it took almost four hours, but the Grizzlies entered the win column for the first time this season. After the Aces scored twice in the bottom of the 8th to cut Fresno's lead to 10-8, the Grizz responded with 5 in the top of the 9th to re-establish a little more breathing room.

Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit and scored a run. Six out of the nine hitters in the lineup drove in a run. Super Jack Mayfield hit a grand slam in the 5th that stretched the Grizzlies' lead to 9-3.

Francis Martes allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 5, and struck out 6 in 3.2 innings. Andrew Thome was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and got the final out of the 4th by striking out Yasmany Tomás. Thome also came on for the 5th inning; he walked Marcus Littlewood to start the inning and Littlewood came around to score on a double, which was the only hit that Thome allowed in his outing. Cy Sneed was next, and in 2.2 innings, he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Brendan McCurry earned a 4-out save, striking out two.

Rogelio Armenteros gets the start in game 4. He'll go up against Albert Suarez at 1:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 8, Northwest Arkansas 2

W- Yoanys Quiala (1-0)
L- Scott Blewett (0-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks won their first series of 2018 by dominating the Naturals in the finale.

Arturo Michelena drew a one-out walk in the 3rd and moved to third base on a Myles Straw single. They both scored on a Carmen Benedetti single. Benedetti, who moved to second on the throw from the outfield, scored on Yordan Alvarez's single. Benedetti drew a bases-loaded walk in the 4th and Stephen Wrenn hit an RBI single in the 5th. Alvarez hit an RBI single in the 6th and an error on the play allowed Benedetti to score. Lorenzo Quintana scored the final run of the night on an error that allowed Michelena to reach in the 9th.

Wrenn went 3-5 on the evening and also stole his first base of the season. Straw (2 BB, R, 2 SB), Benedetti (3 RBI, 2 R), Alvarez (2 RBI singles), Taylor Jones (2B, R), and Alex De Goti (R) all finished with two hits.

Yoanys Quiala allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5 in 5 innings. Erasmo Pinales threw 3.2 innings and the one hit he allowed was a solo homer to Anderson Miller. Pinales also issued a walk and struck out 4. Kevin Hill walked the first man he faced after coming on for Pinales, but he was able to record the final out without incident.

Corpus Christi's season-opening tour of Arkansas continues in Little Rock as they start a three-game series with the Travelers at 2:10. Akeem Bostick will go up against Johendi Jiminian.

Buies Creek and Salem was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled for tomorrow, with game 1 beginning at 2:05 Eastern. Carson LaRue will start the first game.

Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 3 in 10 innings

W- Ryan Mason (1-0)
L- Peter Solomon (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

Correction: Friday's game, which was postponed due to the cold snap, will actually be made up as part of a doubleheader on April 28.

The River Bandits walked off with a loss... thanks to that dumb-ass new rule where every extra inning begins with a man on second base. Pardon my language.

Tyler Ivey pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 9. Cole Watts allowed a hit but was able to record the final out of the 5th inning. Peter Solomon was next, and he allowed 2 unearned runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5.

Quad Cities loaded the bases in the 3rd inning and managed to get a couple of runs as Jake Meyers scored on a wild pitch and Corey Julks scored on an error. Jonathan Arauz hit an infield single in the 9th and an error on the play allowed Gabriel Bracamonte to score the tying run. Arauz and Jake Adams finished with two hits apiece on the evening. None of the Banditos' runs in this game were batted in.

Yohan Ramirez will start the series finale. He'll face Blayne Enlow at 2:05.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Fresno Grizzlies

W 15-8 @ Reno

15 R, 18 H

All players in lineup recorded at least one hit and scored at least one run.

"Super" Jack Mayfield: 3-4, 2B, grand slam (1), 5 RBI

Tyler White: 3-5, 2 RBI, 2 R

Jon Kemmer: 2-5, solo HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R

.@_TylerIvey pic.twitter.com/r1nqXq3bNO

— QCBanditPhotog (@QCBanditPhotog) April 8, 2018

Photos by Rich Guill

Tyler Ivey, RHP, Quad Cities

4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 9 K

Carmen Benedetti, OF, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3 RBI, 2 R

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers

W 8-2 @ Northwest Arkansas

9 IP, 4 H (solo HR), 2 ER, 5 BB, 9 K

Yoanys Quiala: W (1-0), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Erasmo Pinales: 3.2 IP, H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 4 K

Kevin Hill: 0.1 IP, BB

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Let's... finish up a game and play another in Connecticut!

Reno 3, Fresno 1

W- Jared Miller (3-2)
L- Reymin Guduan (5-6)
S- Silvino Bracho (6)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Aces stunned the Grizzlies with 3 runs in the 7th.

Tony Kemp went 2-4 and drove in Fresno's only run with an RBI single in the 5th.

Mike Hauschild allowed 3 hits, walked 7, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Kevin Comer worked around a couple of hits to throw a scoreless 6th, striking out 2. Reno got to Reymin Guduan and Jumbo Diaz after stretch time. Guduan only recorded one out, allowing 2 runs on a homer and one other hit. Diaz got the last two outs of the 7th, but not before allowing a run on 2 hits. Jacob Dorris threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.

The Grizzlies have Wednesday off. They'll welcome Tacoma to Chukchansi Park for their final home series of the 2017 season beginning Thursday.

Corpus Christi 5, Midland 1

W- Yoanys Quiala (3-4, 8-5 season)
L- Grant Holmes (10-12)

CC home runs: Ramon Laureano (7, 2-run in 4th), Kyle Tucker (12, 21 season; 2-run in 5th)

The Hooks launched a pair of 2-run shots to top the RockHounds on Tuesday.

Corpus also played host to some rehabbing Astros as they look to get back to full strength for September. Tony Sipp, Will Harris, and Michael Feliz all started off with a scoreless inning. Sipp walked 1 and struck out 2 in the 1st inning, Harris threw a 1-2-3 2nd and got two groundouts and a strikeout. Feliz worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 3rd, striking out 1. He walked Jorge Mateo, who got caught stealing to end the inning.

Yoanys Quiala followed with 5 innings and allowed a run on a solo homer, 5 other hits, and walked 1. Riley Ferrell struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Ryne Birk opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd inning. Ramon Laureano smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th and Kyle Tucker whacked one of his own in the 5th. Laureano finished 2-3 and scored twice. Evan Gattis caught 7 innings; at the plate, he walked twice and scored a run.

Framber Valdez faces Heath Fillmyer at 7:05.

Lynchburg 6, Buies Creek 3

W- Dominic DeMasi (6-3)
L- Elieser Hernandez (4-4, 5-4 season)

BC home runs: Randy César (3, 6 season; solo in 8th)

The Carolina Stros fell behind early and couldn't quite recover.

Elieser Hernandez allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and struck out 9 in 6 innings. Carlos Sierra allowed a run on a sac fly, a double, walked 1, and struck out 4 in his 3 innings.

Jake Rogers tripled to lead off the 2nd and scored on a Carmen Benedetti groundout. Rogers added an RBI single to his ledger in the 3rd, and Randy César launched a solo homer in the 8th. Rogers, Taylor Jones, and Ronnie Dawson all finished with 2 hits on the night. Dawson was making his Carolina League debut.

Brett Adcock takes on Sean Brady in game 2. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Beloit 1

W- Salvador Montaño (7-3)
L- Sam Sheehan (3-2)

QC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (8, 14 season; solo in 8th)

The Banditos got a solid night from their pitchers to take the first game of this series. With this victory, Quad Cities' magic number is now down to 2.

Carlos Sanabria went 5.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. Salvador Montaño shut it down by allowing 2 hits and striking out 7 over the last 3.1 innings.

Josh Rojas put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI single in the 4th. Rojas scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the 7th and Wander Franco, who was hitting at the time, extended the lead with an RBI single. Abraham Toro-Hernandez launched a homer to start off the 8th.

Ronel Blanco goes up against Zack Erwin in game 2. First pitch is at 7:00.

From June 30: Connecticut 2, Tri-City 1

W- Burris Warner (1-0)
L- Diogenes Almengo (0-2)

TC home runs: None.

The Tigers scored the only two runs of the game after play resumed.

Carlos Hiraldo and Corbin Martin both threw 4 innings; Hiraldo did that almost 2 months ago and allowed 2 hits while striking out 4. Martin came on after play resumed and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Diogenes Almengo allowed a single in the 9th and an error allowed the runner to advance to 3rd, and then a sac fly allowed the runner to score; the run was unearned.

Kristian Trompiz's RBI single in the 4th inning back on June 30 turned out to be Tri-City's only scoring play.

Connecticut 1, Tri-City 0

W- Dean Aldridge (1-0)
L- Colin McKee (1-4)
S- Drew Carlton (6)

TC home runs: None.

Both teams had 3 hits, but the Tigers had the only run.

Bryan De La Cruz, Gabriel Bracamonte, and Kyle Davis all singled.

Brandon Bielak allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over 4 scoreless innings, while Colin McKee allowed the only run on a single, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 2 innings. The run was unearned.

Game 2 of this series begins at 7:05 Eastern.

Bristol 7, Greeneville 3

W- Max Kranick (1-0)
L- Humberto Castellanos (4-1, 6-1 season)
S- Alex Manasa (1)

Greeneville home runs: Brody Westmoreland (8, solo in 2nd)

The Appy Astros suffered a costly series loss to the Appalachian League's worst team.

Brody Westmoreland smacked a solo homer in the 2nd inning. Gilberto Celestino hit an RBI single in the 3rd and it turned into a Little League home run thanks to an error. Celestino and Westmoreland both went 2-4.

Chad Donato allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out a career-high 9 in 3.2 innings. Juan Corniel was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 2.1 innings. Humberto Castellanos allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings, and Noel Pinto threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.

Greeneville will begin what is probably their biggest series of the season in Johnson City; the Cardinals are currently two games ahead of the Appy Astros in the standings. Remember... in the Appalachian League, the top two teams in each division are the playoff teams. Jairo Solis takes on Alvaro Seijas in game 1. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros Blue 8, DSL Royals 3

W- Flaer Gonzalez (3-1)
L- Carlos Sanchez (1-1)

Blue home runs: None.

Team Blue and the Royals scored in the same number of innings, but the Blue team's three crooked numbers topped the Royals' single tallies.

Angel Macuare struck out 4 over 3 perfect innings. Manny Ramirez, Flaer Gonzalez, and Jonger Ochoa all pitched 2 innings; Ramirez was first, and he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Gonzalez followed by allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 1. Ochoa allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 1.

There weren't really any offensive standouts, but Leonardo Gonzalez did reach in all four of his plate appearances, finishing 2-2 with a couple of walks, one of which came with the bases loaded in the 7th inning.

DSL Pirates 6, DSL Astros Orange 5 in 10 innings

W- Wilmer Contreras (5-1)
L- Cristofer Melendez (0-3)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team scored a run in the 8th to tie the game at 3, but the Pirates regained control in the first extra frame. Team Orange managed to cut the deficit to one run... but no cigar.

Renaigel Martis hit an RBI single in the 3rd. Euclides Chavez tripled in the 4th and ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Gerry Castillo hit an infield single and an error on the play allowed Kelvin Perez to score. Perez started the 10th in scoring position and scored on another error that allowed Deury Carrasco to reach. Carrasco scored on a sac fly from Castillo.

Carlos Perdomo went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Ronny Garcia technically struck out the side in the 4th, but one of his victims managed to reach base safely. He also induced a groundout. Asael Uribe followed with 4 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 6. Cristofer Melendez threw 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Angel Macuare, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 3 IP, 4 K; perfect outing
Leonardo Gonzalez, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-2, RBI, R, 2 BB

Ramon Laureano, OF, Corpus Christi

2-3, 2-R HR (7), 2 R

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 4-1 @ Beloit

9 IP, 8 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 15 K

Carlos Sanabria: 5.2 IP, 6 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 8 K

Salvador Montaño: W (7-3), 3.1 IP, 2 H, 7 K

Yoanys Quiala, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (3-4, 8-5 season), 5 IP, 6 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB

Carlos Sierra, RHP, Buies Creek

3 IP, H, ER, BB, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Brandon Bielak, RHP, Tri-City

4 IP, 2 H, 3 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Juan Corniel, RHP, Greeneville

2.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Both photos taken by Bryan Green.

Brody Westmoreland, 1B/3B, and Gilberto Celestino, OF, Greeneville

Westmoreland: 2-4, solo HR (8)
Celestino: 2-4, RBI; Little League HR (also scored on error following RBI single)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, July 19, 2017, and Thursday, July 20, 2017

Let's play two in Danville!

*Note: Thursdays tend to be incredibly busy at the office so I will usually combine Wednesday and Thursday into one mega-recap. On occasion, I will also combine Thursday and Friday into one if the situation dictates it.

Wednesday: Las Vegas 4, Fresno 2

W- Kevin McGowan (5-3)
L- Dayan Diaz (4-1)
S- Chasen Bradford (10)

Fresno home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (11, 2-run in 8th)

Well, the Grizzlies weren't going to score 21 and 19 runs in the rest of their games forever.

Teoscar Hernandez's 2-run blast in the 8th put them in the lead, but the 51s regained control with 3 in the bottom of the 8th. J.D. Davis went 2-4 in his AAA debut. Tony Kemp had a single to extend his hitting streak to 24 games.

The one run that Trent Thornton allowed in his 7 innings came on a Dom Smith solo homer in the 1st inning. After that, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way for him. Thornton allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Vegas got to Dayan Diaz and Jordan Jankowski in the 8th; Diaz got 2 outs, one via strikeout, but issued walks to the next two batters to load the bases, which prompted Jankowski's entrance. Jankowski got the last out of the inning with a strikeout, but not before he allowed a bases-clearing double to Smith and issued a walk.

Thursday: Fresno 18, Las Vegas 5

W- Kent Emanuel (1-0, 6-5 season)
L- Donovan Hand (2-4)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed 2 (19; 2-run in 5th, 3-run in 7th), Jon Kemmer 2 (13; solo in 6th, solo in 7th), Reid Brignac (12, solo in 2nd), Preston Tucker (17, 3-run in 7th)

What a roadtrip it was for Fresno. The Grizzlies finished 7-1 and outscored Tacoma and Vegas 86-36 in the 8 games. After getting held on Wednesday, the Grizzlies poured it on one last time in Sin City.

Sadly, Tony Kemp missed out on the party as he saw his 24-game hitting streak come to a close.

Kent Emanuel won his first AAA start, going 5 innings and allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, walking 6, and striking out 4. Jacob Dorris and Kyle Smith pitched 2 innings apiece; Dorris allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, while Smith allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 1.

Dean Deetz gets the start as the Grizzlies welcome Round Rock to the Central Valley. He'll take on David Ledbetter at 7:05 Pacific.

Wednesday: Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 0

W- Alex Winkelman (1-5, 3-5 season)
L- Collin Wiles (7-7)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (12, 13 season; 3-run in 6th), Jason Martin (7, 14 season; solo in 7th), Dexture McCall (3, 7 season; 2-run in 8th)

Alex Winkelman was one out away.... and then Andy Ibañez had to ruin the fun.

That's right, Winkelman had a no-hitter going for 8.2 innings until Ibañez put Frisco into the hit column with a 2-out single in the 9th inning. Winkelman walked 2 and struck out 6 in the best outing of his career. Andrew Walter recorded the last out of the game by getting Luke Tendler to line out to Ramon Laureano.

Corpus launched homers in three consecutive innings to account for all six of their runs. Jack Mayfield's 3-run shot came in the 6th, Jason Martin smacked a solo homer in the 7th, and Dex McCall whacked a 2-run homer in the 8th. Ryne Birk singled and scored a run in his Texas League debut.

Thursday: Corpus Christi 5, Midland 3

W- Yoanys Quiala (2-2, 7-3 season)
L- Tyler Sturdevant (1-3)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (13, 14 season; solo in 1st), Jason Martin (7, 14 season; solo in 9th), Dexture McCall (4, 8 season; solo in 9th)

For the second straight night, Jack Mayfield, Jason Martin, and Dex McCall all homered for the Hooks, who broke a 3-3 tie thanks to Martin's and McCall's solo blasts in the 9th inning.

Jack Mayfield opened the scoring with his solo shot in the 1st. Arturo Michelena finished 2-3 and scored on a wild pitch in the 3rd inning. Mayfield tied the game at 3 by adding a sac fly to his ledger in the 8th. After Garrett Stubbs grounded out to lead off the 9th, McCall and Martin put Corpus in front.

Brock Dykxhoorn pitched 3.2 innings and allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. Yoanys Quiala allowed an unearned run on 4 hits and struck out 2 in 4 innings.

Cy Sneed takes on Casey Meisner at 7:00. Meisner is a 2013 graduate of Cypress Woods High School.

Thursday: Buies Creek 8, Carolina 3

W- Matt Bower (4-4)
L- Kodi Medeiros (4-8)
S- Kevin Hill (1, 4 season)

BC home runs: Anibal Sierra (4, 2-run in 7th)

The Carolina Stros seized control of this game thanks to a 4-run 5th, then tacked on two more runs in the 7th and the 9th for good measure.

Matt Bower pitched 5.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 2. Kevin Hill picked him up with 3.2 strong innings out of the bullpen, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 5.

Anthony Hermelyn singled to lead off the 5th, and then Randy César and Tyler Wolfe joined him on the bases by walking and singling, respectively. That brought up Anibal Sierra, who sent them all home with a triple. He ended up scoring the go-ahead run on a Stephen Wrenn sac fly. Sierra smacked a 2-run homer in the 7th, and in the 9th, Wolfe scored on a wild pitch and Jake Rogers capped off the night with a sac fly. Sierra finished a double shy of the cycle and scored 3 runs. Wolfe and César both scored twice; Rogers, Myles Straw, and Wolfe all finished with 2 hits on the night.

Justin Ferrell starts game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Wednesday: Quad Cities 20, Lansing 3

W- Carson LaRue (10-3)
L- Mike Ellenbest (3-7)

QC home runs: Ronnie Dawson 2 (12; 2-run in 2nd, 3-run in 2nd), Josh Rojas 2 (7; 2-run in 3rd, 2-run in 5th), Troy Sieber (3, 3-run in 1st), Daz Cameron (10, 2-run in 2nd)

lol

No, I read the box score correctly; Ronnie Dawson homered twice in one inning.

Carson LaRue was the beneficiary of the, um... generous run support. That didn't stop him from turning in a nice outing on the mound; he allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 over 5 shutout innings. Ronel Blanco went 3.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 4. Dustin Hunt recorded a strikeout to end the game.

Thursday: Lansing 3, Quad Cities 2

W- Yennsy Diaz (2-2)
L- Abdiel Saldaña (5-2)
S- Nick Hartman (2)

QC home runs: Josh Rojas (8, 2-run in 8th)

Both teams had one scoring inning. The Lugnuts managed to get one more than the Banditos.

Josh Rojas smacked a 2-run homer in the 8th for the only Quad Cities runs. He and Daz Cameron both finished 2-4 on the night.

Abdiel Saldaña pitched well, but he had a tough end to his night in the 7th as he allowed 3 runs, 2 of which were inherited runners that were charged to him. In 6.1 innings, Saldaña allowed 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Devon Carr allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 2 in 1.2 innings, and Lucas Williams worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Patrick Sandoval makes his second Midwest League start in game 2 of this series. He'll face Osman Gutierrez at 6:35.

Wednesday: Connecticut 3, Tri-City 1

W- Jhonny Mateo (1-1)
L- Tyler Ivey (0-2)
S- Wladimir Pinto (4)

TC home runs: J.J. Matijevic (3, solo in 7th)

The ValleyCats dropped the series to Connecticut as their bats went silent.

J.J. Matijevic's solo shot in the 7th was their only scoring play.

Tyler Ivey went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 2. Carlos Hiraldo was the first man out of the TC bullpen and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3 innings. Luis Ramirez finished it by allowing a hit over 2 scoreless.

Thursday: Lowell 3, Tri-City 1

W- Enmanuel De Jesus (1-2)
L- Matt Ruppenthal (0-1)
S- Juan Florentino (5)

TC home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (3, solo in 3rd)

The ValleyCats' last three games have all ended 3-1. They've dropped two of them.

Matt Ruppenthal allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Nathan Thompson was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 3.1 innings. Diogenes Almengo got the last 2 outs of the 8th, one via strikeout.

Miguelangel Sierra smacked a solo homer in the 3rd for Tri-City's only run.

Game 2 of this series starts at 6:35 Eastern.

Wednesday Game 1: Danville 7, Greeneville 6

W- Jesus Heredia (1-1)
L- Willy Collado (1-1)
S- Landon Hughes (2)

Greeneville home runs: None.

Both teams scored 6 in the 4th, but Danville's run in the 6th was the difference in game 1. The Appy Astros had runners thrown out at the plate twice to end the game.

The Appy Astros turned a bases-loaded situation to start their half of the 4th into their 6 runs. Ruben Castro opened the scoring with a 2-run single and Wilson Amador followed by ripping a 2-run double. Cody Bohanek added an RBI single and Amador scored on a double play. Castro and Colton Shaver both finished 2-4 in the first game.

Felipe Tejada went 3 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Ian Hardman allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4, and Willy Collado allowed the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. He also allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the 6th.

Wednesday Game 2: Greeneville 2, Danville 1 in 8 innings

W- Dariel Aquino (1-1)
L- Kelvin Rodriguez (3-1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

Patrick Mathis got thrown out at the plate to end game 1 and then got into it a little with Danville catcher Drew Lugbauer afterward. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and it sounds like game 2 went along without any escalating tension.

Both teams scored a run in the 3rd; Greeneville's came on a Gilberto Celestino RBI double. Colton Shaver drove in what turned out to be the winning run with a bases-loaded walk in the 8th inning. Wilson Amador went 2-4 with a stolen base (9) in game 2.

Humberto Castellanos allowed an unearned run on 3 hits and struck out 3 in 5 innings, while Dariel Aquino walked 2 and fanned 6 in 3 scoreless to get the win.

Thursday: Danville 7, Greeneville 6

W- Keith Weisenberg (1-1)
L- Johsson Arias (0-2, 0-3 season)

Greeneville home runs: Brody Westmoreland (5, 2-run in 1st), Roman Garcia (3, solo in 1st)

The Appy Astros couldn't hold a 6-2 lead and Danville wound up walking off with the win with a pair in the bottom of the 9th.

Roman Garcia opened up the scoring with a solo shot in the 1st inning. Brody Westmoreland launched a 2-run homer later in the inning. Martin Figueroa went 3-5 with an RBI single in the 3rd and scored on a Wilson Amador infield single in the 6th. Frankeny Fernandez scored on an errant pickoff throw in the 6th. Westmoreland finished 2-4 on the evening.

Leovanny Rodriguez went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 6. Tim Hardy pitched 2.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 3. Johsson Arias allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings.

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

Wednesday: GCL Astros 5, GCL Mets 0 in 6 innings

W- Brandon Bielak (1-0)
L- Briam Campusano (1-1)

GCL home runs: None.

This game was called with one out in the top of the 6th due to rain.

Corbin Martin walked 1 in 3 scoreless innings, while Brandon Bielak allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 2.1 innings.

Juan Piñeda opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd. The Palm Beach Stros put up 3 in the 3rd thanks to an error that allowed Jonathan Matute and Jose Benjamin to score and an RBI single from Piñeda. He and Benjamin both finished 3-3.

Thursday: GCL Astros 4, GCL Nationals 2

W- Brendan Feldmann (1-0)
L- Darly Infante (0-1)
S- Carlos Pimentel (2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros got their 4 runs in the last 2 innings to nip the Nationals.

Andres Santana ripped an RBI double to put the GCLstros on the board in the 8th. He scored on an Orlando Marquez single after a wild pitch allowed him to get to 3rd. Ronny Rafael drove in the go-ahead run with a single later in the inning. Jose Benjamin provided some insurance with an RBI triple in the 9th.

Juan Pablo Lopez, Ronaldo Marrero, and Nivaldo Rodriguez all pitched 2 innings to start things off. Lopez allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2. Marrero allowed a run on a sac fly, a hit, walked 3, and struck out 2, while Rodriguez allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and struck out 3. Brendan Feldmann was the only pitcher who didn't throw 2 innings; he struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 7th. Carlos Pimentel allowed a hit, walked 1, and fanned 3 over 2 scoreless.

Wednesday: DSL Astros Blue 6, DSL Royals 0

W- Freylin Garcia (1-5)
L- Rovaldis Cabrera (1-1)

Blue home runs: Yeuris Ramirez (3, 2-run in 1st), Kendy Moya (1, solo in 9th)

Kendy Moya went 3-3 with a solo homer, a sac fly, and scored 3 runs. Yeuris Ramirez smacked a 2-run homer in the 1st and stole home in the 7th inning. Rhandall Sanchez and Nerio Rodriguez had 2 hits apiece.

Four pitchers combined on the shutout. Oscar Severino and Freylin Garcia started with 3 scoreless innings apiece; Severino allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1, while Garcia allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Renny Ugarte fanned 2 in 2 perfect ininings, and Jervic Chavez struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Thursday: DSL Royals 4, DSL Astros Blue 2

W- Angel Zerpa (3-2)
L- Angel Macuare (1-2)
S- Kelvin Gonzalez (2)

Blue home runs: None.

The Royals put up the only crooked number in this one and that made all the difference.

Kendy Moya and Rhandall Sanchez hit RBI singles in the 8th and the 9th, respectively.

Angel Macuare, Jean Reyes, and Fredis Guerrero all threw 3 innings. Macuare allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Reyes allowed 2 hits and fanned 2, and Guerrero allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits and struck out 2.

Wednesday: DSL Astros Orange 6, DSL Pirates 2

W- Luis De Paula (2-0)
L- Randy Jimenez (1-1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team regained control with 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th after the Pirates had tied it in the top of the inning.

Freudis Nova ripped an RBI double in the 1st to open the scoring. Jose Alvarez added an RBI single later in the inning. Alvarez put Team Orange back in front with a 2-run double. They loaded the bases and got 2 more runs when Sean Mendoza walked and Jeury Castillo got plunked. Ramiro Rodriguez went 3-4 and scored twice. Alvarez's two hits resulted in runs.

Miguel Matos and Christian Mejias began with 3 scoreless innings; neither of them allowed a hit. Matos walked 2 and struck out 4, while Mejias walked 1 and fanned 4. Jose Alberto Rivera allowed 2 runs (both inherited runners charged to him), a hit, walked 3, and struck out 1 in 1+ innings. Luis De Paula allowed those 2 runs on a sac fly and a wild pitch. He went 2 innings and allowed a hit while striking out 3.

Thursday: DSL Pirates 13, DSL Astros Orange 2

W- Santiago Florez (2-2)
L- Elian Rodriguez (0-2)
S- Kleiner Machado (3)

Orange home runs: None.

Kelvin Perez spoiled the shutout with a 2-run double in the 8th.

Uh... the Pirates only had 5 hits, but they scored 13 runs mainly because 7 Orange team pitchers combined to issue 18 walks.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Kendy Moya, 2B/OF, DSL Astros Blue: 3-3, solo HR (1), 2 RBI, 3 R; 1st career HR

Alex Winkelman, LHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-5, 3-5 season), 8.2 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 K; lost no-hitter with 2 outs in 9th

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Quad Cities River Bandits: W 20-3 vs. Lansing

20 R, 22 H

Ronnie Dawson: 3-4, 3B, 2 HR (12), 5 RBI, 3 R; 2 HR came in same inning

Josh Rojas: 4-5, 2B, 2 HR (7), 6 RBI, 4 R

Troy Sieber: 2-4, 3-R HR (3), 4 RBI, 2 R

Daz Cameron: 3-5, 3B, 2-R HR (10), 3 RBI

Carson LaRue: W (10-3), 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno

7 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 3 K

Humberto Castellanos' picture is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Greeneville Astros pitchers: W 2-1 @ Danville in game 2 of doubleheader

Humberto Castellanos: 5 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 3 K

Dariel Aquino: W (1-1), 3 IP, 2 BB, 6 K

Thursday's Stars

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Fresno Grizzlies: W 18-5 @ Las Vegas

Outscored Tacoma and Las Vegas 86-36 on 7-1 roadtrip

Jon Kemmer: 3-4, 2 solo HR (13), 4 R, SB (5)

Derek Fisher: 3-3, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB (16)

Preston Tucker: 3-4, 3-R HR (17), 5 RBI, 2 R

A.J. Reed: 2-5, 2 HR (19), 5 RBI, 3 R

Yoanys Quiala, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (2-2, 7-3 season), 4 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 2 K

Kevin Hill, RHP, Buies Creek

Save (1, 4 season), 3.2 IP, H, BB, 5 K

His mugshot on MiLB.com

Anibal Sierra, SS, Buies Creek

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

Photo by Bryan Green

Brody Westmoreland, 3B/1B, Greeneville

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