Astros Farm Report: 1/13/20

After a long (and much needed) hiatus, WTHB is back to catch you up on the off-season Astros minor league happenings ...

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Here are the offseason roster moves for the Astros minor league players.

1/9: RHP Peyton Battenfield (Tri-City) and OF Cal Stevenson (Fayetteville) traded to the Rays for RHP Austin Pruitt
Notes: Battenfield was drafted by Houston in the 9th round in 2019 out of Oklahoma State University and had an excellent first pro season. Here is my interview with him from July.  Cal Stevenson came to the Astros, along with Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini, as a part of the 7/31/19 trade with the Blue Jays that sent Derek Fisher to Toronto. Here's hoping that his family didn't invest a lot in Astros gear after the trade.
1/9: RHP Dean Deetz designated for assignment
12/12: RHP Brandon Bailey (Corpus Christi) claimed by the Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft
12/12: RHP Yohan Ramirez (Corpus Christi) claimed by the Mariners in the Rule 5 Draft
12/12: SS Jonathan Arauz (Corpus Christi) claimed by the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft
12/5: CF Jake Marisnick (Houston) traded to the Mets for LHP Blake Taylor and OF Kenedy Corona (assigned to Tri-City) - see below for more
11/20: RHP Cristian Javier (Round Rock) added to the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft
11/20: 1B Taylor Jones (Round Rock) added to the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft
11/20: RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez (Fayetteville) added to the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft
11/20: RHP Enoli Paredes (Corpus Christi) added to the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft
11/4: LHP Kent Emanuel (Round Rock) added to the 40-man roster (Emanuel was due to become a MiLB FA)
11/4: OF Granden Goetzman (Corpus Christi) elected minor league free agency
11/4: RHP Erasmo Pinales (Corpus Christi) elected minor league free agency
10/16: RHP Chanderson Perez signed (18 year old Dominican)

RULE 5 DRAFT NOTES

A little about the players taken in the Rule 5 Draft.

RHP Brandon Bailey (Baltimore): Bailey had a very solid season with the AA Corpus Christi Hooks in 2019 (3.30 ERA/1.219 WHIP in 22 games/17 starts). Bailey came to the Astros in the November 2017 trade with Oakland that sent Ramon Laureano to that team. Bailey allowed 41 walks while striking out 103 in 92.2 innings of work. He has solid command and is expected to take on a swing man/middle relief role. In my opinion, Bailey showed enough polish and pitch development in 2019 that he is the most likely of the three taken to stick with his new team.

RHP Yohan Ramirez (Seattle): Ramirez is a real wild card (in more than one meaning of the word wild). Ramirez has an electric arm with a fastball that touches the upper 90's and a plus curveball, but his control is still very much a work in progress. In 106 innings pitched between High A Fayetteville and AA Corpus Christi in 2019 (3.99 ERA/1.302 WHIP), Ramirez allowed 74 walks while striking out 158. There was also the matter of 17 wild pitches and 15 hit batters. He is the ultimate high risk, high reward pick up. It will be difficult for him to stick with a team without showing a lot of progress on control and command, but if he is able to harness his talent, watch out! Ramirez is, in my opinion, the least likely of the three to stick.

SS Jonathan Arauz (Boston): Arauz falls somewhere in between the other two in his ability to stick with a new team (again, in my opinion). Arauz's bat has lagged his solid defense over his career, but he mostly held his own in 2019 between High A Fayetteville and AA Corpus Christi, hitting a combined .249/.319/.388 with 22 doubles, three triples and 11 home runs in 115 games. Arauz will be helped by the expansion of the MLB rosters to 26 and could conceivably earn his keep as a utility infielder, helping him to stick on the roster until his bat catches up to the major league level.

FEATURED PLAYERS

This week, let's look at the two players who came to the Astros from the Mets in the December Marisnick trade.

LHP Blake Taylor: Taylor was drafted by the Pirates in the second round in 2013 and was traded to the Mets a year later. Tommy John surgery and recovery sidelined him from late 2015 to late 2016. For the next two years, Taylor was a starter who failed to break through, but a move to the bullpen in 2019 suited him and he put together the most successful season of his career to date (2.16 ERA/1.095 WHIP in 40 appearances, converting 10 of 11 save opportunities). He spent approximately half of the season at High A, half at AA (1.85 ERA/0.949 WHIP) and finished the season by facing and retiring one batter at AAA. Taylor built on his 2019 success with seven appearances in the Arizona Fall League (2.00 ERA/0.778 WHIP). Taylor becomes one of only seven lefty pitchers in the Astros system who finished the 2019 season at AA or higher. Baseball America describes him as having a "mid-90's fastball and a high spin rate on his breaking ball." He turned 24 in August.

OF Kenedy Carona: Corona, a 19-year old Venezuelan (20 in March), has only one professional season under his belt at this point, but it was a very successful season in which he progressed from the DSL to the GCL to four games at short season A to end the year. In 63 games, he hit .301/.398/.470 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 29 RBI. He also snagged 19 bases (five caught stealing) and walked (29 times) almost as much as he struck out (36 times). He can play all the outfield positions and his defensive numbers stack up nicely against most of his outfield competition in the system. Baseball America describes Corona as athletic with "the ability to play the outfield with some polish at a young age."

2019-2020 FALL AND WINTER BALL

All of the regular seasons are complete except for the Australian Baseball League (where Chuckie Robinson has been playing as recently as over this past weekend). In addition, a few Astros minor leaguers have been playing in the postseason in their respective leagues. Their most recent postseason stats are shown below.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

1B J.J. Matijevic: 27 G | .255/.315/.412
SS Jeremy Pena: 24 G | .183/.248/.290
C Colton Shaver: 18 G | .175/.294/.333
RHP Cody Deason: 6 G | 8.0 IP | 6.75 ERA/2.13 WHIP
RHP Carlos Sanabria: 8 G | 9.0 IP | 9.00 ERA/1.89 WHIP
LHP Blake Taylor: 7 G | 9.0 IP | 2.00 ERA/0.78 WHIP
RHP Jojanse Torres: 7 G | 8.0 IP | 3.38 ERA/1.50 WHIP
RHP Forrest Whitley: 6 G | 25.0 IP | 2.88 ERA/1.24 WHIP

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

C Chuckie Robinson: 21 G | .227/.301/.440

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE

OF Bryan de la Cruz: 10 G | .294/.278/.471
RHP Rogelio Armenteros: 5 G | 19.0 IP | 2.37 ERA/1.16 WHIP
RHP Ronel Blanco: 1 G | 0.2 IP | 27.00 ERA/3.00 WHIP
RHP Willy Collado: 3 G | 2.1 IP | 0.00 ERA/0.43 WHIP
RHP Francis Martes: 3 G | 5.2 IP | 7.94 ERA/1.41 WHIP
RHP Leovanny Rodriguez: 16 G | 16.1 IP | 2.76 ERA/0.86 WHIP
(Postseason: 4 G | 3.0 IP | 0.00 ERA/1.33 WHIP)
RHP Cesar Rosado: 1 G | 0.1 IP | 27.00 ERA/3.00 WHIP
LHP Framber Valdez: 5 G | 23.2 IP | 2.28 ERA/1.14 WHIP

MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE

C Lorenzo Quintana: 42 G | .278/.339/.405
C Cesar Salazar: 15 G | .222/.276/.370
RHP Jose Bravo: 6 G | 20.0 IP | 5.85 ERA/1.75 WHIP
RHP Humberto Castellanos: 13 G | 9.1 IP | 5.79 ERA/1.82 WHIP
RHP Lupe Chavez: 7 G | 17.1 IP | 4.67 ERA/1.38 WHIP
RHP Ralph Garza: 13 G | 15.0 IP | 2.40 ERA/1.00 WHIP
LHP Juan Pablo Lopez: 15 G | 13.2 IP | 0.66 ERA/1.24 WHIP

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE

C Ruben Castro: 11 G | .000/.333/.000
LHP Jonathan Bermudez: 4 G | 3.2 IP | 0.00 ERA/2.00 WHIP
(Postseason: 3 G | 2.1 IP | 3.86 ERA/1.29 WHIP)
RHP Layne Henderson: 11 G | 7.2 IP | 3 saves | 7.04 ERA/2.48 WHIP
RHP Felipe Tejada: 9 G | 6.0 IP | 1.50 ERA/1.33 WHIP
(Postseason: 1 G | 1.0 IP | 0.00 ERA/0.00 WHIP)

2019 FINAL SEASON STANDINGS

AAA ROUND ROCK (Pacific Coast League/American Southern Division)
Division Winner
Won over Iowa in Semifinals 3-2
Lost to Sacramento in LCS 0-3

1st 84-56 .600 -.-GB L1

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

4th 66-73 .475 7.0GB L3

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)
2nd half Division Winner
Won over Down East in the Semifinals 3-2
Lost to Wilmington in LCS 2-3

3rd 72-67 .518 15.0GB W2

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)
1st half Division Winner
Lost to Cedar Rapids in MWL Quarterfinals 1-2

2nd 79-57 .581 0.5GB W1

SHORT SEASON A TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League/Stedler Division)
4th 32-42 .432 9.0GB W3

ROOKIE LEVEL GULF COAST LEAGUE (East Division)
4th 25-26 .490 3.5GB W1

ROOKIE LEVEL DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Northwest Division)
2nd 38-31 .551 2.5GB W2

INTERVIEWS

The following links are to the interviews I conducted during the 2019 season. Here is a full list of links to all of the interviews I've done since December 2011.

Colin McKee
Enoli Paredes and Cristian Javier
Cesar Salazar
Brett Daniels
Felipe Tejada
AJ Lee
Peyton Battenfield
Franny Cobos and Juan Pablo Lopez
Austin Hansen
Jake Adams
Nivaldo Rodriguez and Enmanuel Valdez
Colton Shaver
Brett Conine
Bryan Abreu and Ronel Blanco
Granden Goetzman
Osvaldo Duarte and Jose Urquidy
Stephen Wrenn

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Montana 2009

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Jayne has a look at the playoff picture as it currently stands.

San Antonio 14, Round Rock 8

W- Bubba Derby (7-7)
L- Ryan Hartman (6-7)

RR home runs: Jack Mayfield (26, solo in 1st), Kyle Tucker (33, 2-run in 7th), Nick Tanielu (18, 2-run in 7th)

The E-Train tried to claw back into this one as a six-run 7th cut their deficit to 10-8. The Missions, however, put them away with four in the 8th. Round Rock now leads San Antonio by two games heading into tonight's series finale.

Everyone in the lineup recorded at least one hit except for Alex De Goti, who walked twice and scored a run despite going 0-2. Jack Mayfield smacked a solo homer in the 1st and Ronnie Dawson ripped an RBI double in the 2nd. That double was Round Rock's last scoring play until they went off in the 7th. Three hits in that 7th inning resulted in six runs; Kyle Tucker and Nick Tanielu whacked two-run homers and Drew Ferguson added a two-run single. Ferguson, Tanielu, and Myles Straw all finished with two hits on the evening.

Tough night for the pitchers. Felipe Paulino was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed two hits, one of which was a solo homer, in two innings of work. Ralph Garza Jr. was the last pitcher to appear for the Express and he retired all four batters he faced, striking out two.

Brandon Bielak will start the 2019 regular-season home finale for Round Rock and he'll take on Trey Supak at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 2, Arkansas 1

W- Forrest Whitley (3-7)
L- Ljay Newsome (3-3)
S- Yohan Ramirez (1)

CC home runs: Colton Shaver (20, 2-run in 4th)

Both teams only had one scoring play but the Hooks' yielded more runs.

Forrest Whitley is starting to show the form that has made him the Astros' top prospect once again. He allowed just one hit, walked four, and struck out eight over 5.1 shutout innings. Yohan Ramirez took it home and allowed a run on a wild pitch, a double, walked two, and struck out three in 3.2 innings of work.

Colton Shaver became the eighth player in the Houston Astros' minor league system to hit 20 home runs this season when he sent a pitch from Ljay Newsome out for a two-run homer in the 4th.

Brett Adcock will take on Logan Gilbert in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:15.

Carolina 5, Fayetteville 0

W- Scott Sunitsch (2-0)
L- Nivaldo Rodriguez (6-6)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

The Woodpeckers got blanked, but...

Thanks, Potomac! pic.twitter.com/gKR6uyqUdl

— 🐦 Fayetteville Woodpeckers (@WoodpeckersNC) August 29, 2019

Nivaldo Rodriguez pitched well but one poor pitch resulted in him getting the loss. He allowed two hits, one of which was a two-run homer, and struck out seven in five innings of work. J.P. France got the 6th and allowed an RBI single, walked one, and the two outs he recorded came via the strikeout. Riley Cabral pitched the last 2.1 innings and allowed two runs on two hits and struck out one.

Scott Schreiber ripped a couple of doubles from the #9 spot in the order.

Austin Hansen will start the series finale, which will also wrap up the road portion of Fayetteville's regular-season schedule. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 0

W- Brian Rapp (5-1)
L- José Bravo (7-6)

QC home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game... and it did not belong to the Banditos, who walked off with the loss in the bottom of the 9th.

Brett Daniels allowed just one hit and struck out a career-high 11 over six shutout frames. His only baserunner came in the form of a one-out single in the 6th inning. Cedar Rapids scored the only run of the game off of José Bravo in the 9th with a bases-loaded single. Bravo allowed the one run on three hits and struck out three in 2.1 innings.

Quad Cities could only muster up a pair of singles from Oscar Campos and Freúdis Nova.

Jonathan Bermúdez will take on Tyler Palm in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:35.

GCL Astros 5, GCL Marlins 2

W- Jervic Chavez (3-2)
L- Matt Givin (5-1)
S- Chandler Casey (2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach 'Stros shook off two early runs from the Marlins and shut them out the rest of the way.

Yorbin Ceuta scored on a passed ball in the 2nd to put the Gulf Coast squad on the board. Rainier Rivas followed with an RBI single in the 4th and put them in front with a two-run double in the 5th. Sean Mendoza finished it off with an RBI single in the 8th. Rivas finished 3-5 on the afternoon. Sean Mendoza, Yimmi Cortabarria, and Gerry Castillo all had two hits; Cortabarria had a double and scored twice.

Diosmerky Taveras allowed two runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in the 1st inning. The bullpen shut the Marlins out for the final eight innings of this game. Jervic Chavez was first and he walked two and struck out four in four innings. Jherson Pereira walked the bases loaded in the 6th but got out of it unscathed, somehow. Whit Drennan walked two and fanned two in two innings and Chandler Casey closed it out, working around a walk in the 9th to do so.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jervic Chavez, LHP, GCL Astros: W (3-2), 4 IP, 2 BB, 4 K
Rainier Rivas, OF, GCL Astros: 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI

Brett Daniels, RHP, Quad Cities

6 IP, H, career-high 11 K; perfect through 5.1 IP

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 2-1 vs. Arkansas

9 IP, 2 H, ER, 6 BB, 11 K

Forrest Whitley: W (3-7), 5.1 IP, H, 4 BB, 8 K

Yohan Ramirez: Save (1), 3.2 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Nivaldo Rodriguez, RHP, Fayetteville

L (6-6), 5 IP, 2 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 7 K

Nick Tanielu, IF, Round Rock

2-5, 2B, 2-R HR (18), 2 R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, August 12, 2019

Round Rock 11, Albuquerque 6

W- Framber Valdez (4-2)
L- Pat Dean (3-11)

RR home runs: Kyle Tucker 2 (32; 2-run in 1st, 2-run in 9th), Garrett Stubbs (7, solo in 5th)

The E-Train went off for five runs in the top of the 9th to bust open what had been a 6-5 lead and then they defused a bases-loaded predicament before things got out of hand in the bottom of the 9th.

Kyle Tucker whacked the first of his two two-run homers on the night in the 1st inning. Garrett Stubbs led off the 5th with a home run and Jack Mayfield drove in another run with an RBI single. In the 7th, Nick Tanielu ripped an RBI double and he came home on Mayfield's sac fly. In the 9th, Tanielu smacked a two-run double and came around to score on Mayfield's base hit. One batter later, Tucker launched his second two-run shot of the night. The three of them, along with Myles Straw, all finished with two hits on the evening.

Framber Valdez pitched 6.2 innings and allowed four runs, all of which scored on a pair of two-run homers, on six hits, walked one, and struck out a career-high 13, which also set a new Round Rock franchise record at the Triple-A level. Ronel Blanco was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen; he got the last out of the 7th and pitched the 8th, allowing an unearned run on a passed ball, a hit, and walking one. Riley Ferrell allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out two in the 9th. The Isotopes loaded the bases on him but he managed to keep his composure and finished this game off.

José Urquidy will start the series finale and he'll go up against Chris Rusin at 6:35 Mountain.

Corpus Christi 7, Frisco 5

W- Brett Adcock (2-8)
L- Ronald Herrera (2-3)
S- Carlos Sanabria (7)

CC home runs: Jake Adams (17, 2-run in 2nd)

The Hooks had to withstand a five-run 8th from the Roughriders but fortunately, they were able to emerge with the victory.

Yohan Ramriez allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out eight in 4.1 innings of work. Colin McKee came in with two men on and stranded them both as he got the last two outs of the 5th, striking out one. Brett Adcock was next; he allowed a grand slam in Frisco's huge 8th, one of six hits that he allowed in his 2.1 innings. Adcock also walked two and struck out four. Carlos Sanabria got the last 1.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on an RBI single and struck out two.

Jake Adams homered for the second consecutive night as he launched a two-run shot in the 2nd inning. With the bases loaded and two outs in the 6th, Adams brought everyone in with a double and he came around to score on a Chuckie Robinson single. J.J. Matijevic lashed an RBI double in the 7th but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Adams finished 2-4 on the night and had a hand in all but one of Corpus Christi's scoring plays.

Chad Donato takes on Tyler Phillips in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:15.

Fayetteville was off

The Woodpeckers will begin a three-game series with Down East at 7:00 Eastern.

Wisconsin 4, Quad Cities 3

W- Nick Bennett (1-0)
L- Lupe Chavez (0-3)
S- Logan Gillaspie (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos were foiled in their bid to sweep this series as their comeback bid fell short.

Guadalupe Chavez pitched four innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits and walked two. Felipe Tejada and Devin Conn threw two innings apiece, with contrasting results. Tejada allowed three runs on three hits, walked two, and struck out two, while Conn had a perfect outing, recording four groundouts and two flyball outs.

Quad Cities got on the board in the 7th thanks to a couple of errors that allowed James Nix and Austin Dennis to score. Freúdis Nova drove in a run with a groundout in the 8th. Oscar Campos went 2-4 and stole a base in this game.

The Banditos will have Tuesday off before starting a three-game series with Beloit on Wednesday.

Tri-City 7, Connecticut 5

W- Peyton Battenfield (2-1)
L- Austin Bergner (0-1)
S- Peyton Plumlee (1)

TC home runs: A.J. Lee (5, 2-run in 2nd), Nate Perry (8, solo in 2nd), Jordan Brewer (1, solo in 3rd)

The ValleyCats stormed out to a 7-0 lead after the 3rd inning and staved off the Tigers' comeback bid.

Hunter Brown started things off with two scoreless, walking one and striking out four. Derek West and Peyton Battenfield followed with three innings apiece; West allowed three runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out five, while Battenfield allowed two runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out five. Peyton Plumlee pitched a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

C.J. Stubbs opened up the scoring with a two-run double in the 1st inning. Tri-City went off for four in the 2nd as Luis Santana hit a sac fly and A.J. Lee (two-run) and Nate Perry (solo) clubbed back-to-back home runs. Jordan Brewer went deep for the first time as a pro when he sent one out for a solo shot in the 3rd inning. A.J. Lee finished 3-4 on the night while Perry and Brewer both finished with two hits and two runs scored.

The ValleyCats will look for a series sweep in their final meeting with the Tigers in 2019. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

DSL Astros 4, DSL Athletics 2

W- Miguel Padilla (3-1)
L- James Gonzalez (1-3)
S- Edinson Batista (2)

DSL home runs: Yohander Martinez (1, 2-run in 1st)

The Dominican 'Stros had the advantage of putting up the only crooked number in this game.

Yohander Martinez hit his first career homer, a two-run blast in the 1st that opened the scoring. Miguel Palma drove in a run with a groundout in the 3rd and scored on a sac fly from Cristian Gonzalez in the 8th. Carlos Hurtado went 2-3.

Danny Subero allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out three over three scoreless. Miguel Padilla walked one and struck out two in a scoreless 4th. José Nodal took over for four innings and he allowed a run on two hits while striking out four and Edinson Batista allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, walked one, and struck out two in the 9th.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Danny Subero, RHP, DSL Astros: 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Jake Adams (getting hug from Jonathan Arauz), 1B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (17), 5 RBI, 2 R

Yohan Ramirez, RHP, Corpus Christi

4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K

Jordan Brewer's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Nate Perry, C/1B, A.J. Lee, IF, and Jordan Brewer, OF, Tri-City

Perry: 2-5, 2B, solo HR (8), 2 R

Lee: 3-4, 2B, 2-R HR (5)

Brewer: 2-4, solo HR (1), 2 R

Hunter Brown, RHP, Tri-City

2 IP, BB, 4 K

Kyle Tucker, OF, Nick Tanielu, IF, and Jack Mayfield, IF, Round Rock

Tucker: 2-5, 2 HR (32), 4 RBI

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

Mayfield: 2-4, 3 RBI, R

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, July 27, 2019

The Astros aren't just facing the Cardinals at the Major League level...

Round Rock 10, Iowa 2

W- Brandon Bielak (8-3)
L- Alec Mills (6-3)

RR home runs: Kyle Tucker (26, grand slam in 7th), Chas McCormick (11, 2-run in 9th)

Round Rock took the lead with three in the 3rd and then tacked on seven runs over the final three innings to turn this one into a laugher.

Brandon Bielak shook off two 1st-inning runs to turn in a solid outing. In seven innings, Bielak allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out seven. Brendan McCurry walked one and struck out four over the final two innings.

Josh Rojas put Round Rock on the board with an RBI single in the 3rd and Jack Mayfield followed that up with a two-run double. Kyle Tucker blew this one open with a grand slam in the 7th. Nick Tanielu scored on a wild pitch in the 8th and Chas McCormick launched a two-run homer in the 9th to cap off the evening. Rojas (RBI, 2 R, SB) and Tanielu (2B, 2 R) both finished with three hits on the night, while Mayfield went 2-4.

Rogelio Armenteros gets the start as the E-Train looks for a sweep. First pitch is at 1:08.

Springfield 3, Corpus Christi 1

W- Johan Oviedo (5-4)
L- Nick Hernandez (0-2)
S- Bryan Dobzanski (2)

CC home runs: Lorenzo Quintana (13, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks outhit the Cardinals 6-3 in this one but lost out in the column that matters most.

Lorenzo Quintana's solo blast in the 2nd inning represented Corpus Christi's only scoring play. Abraham Toro finished 2-4 with a double.

Yohan Ramirez threw six innings and allowed a run on a wild pitch, a single, walked one, and struck out eight. Nick Hernandez got the 7th and got two outs via strikeout, but he also walked two and allowed a go-ahead solo homer. Carlos Sanabria pitched 1.1 innings and allowed a run on a sac fly, a hit, walked four, and struck out three.

Chad Donato gets the start in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:10.

Fayetteville 4, Carolina 2

W- Joey Gonzalez (4-2)
L- J.T. Hintzen (0-1)
S- César Rosado (5)

Fayetteville home runs: Enmanuel Valdez (7, solo in 7th), Chandler Taylor (6, solo in 8th)

A couple of homers swung the momentum of this game in the Woodpeckers' favor.

Shawn Dubin went five innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked two, and struck out nine. Joey Gonzalez allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one over three scoreless innings and César Rosado allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out the side in the 9th.

Fayetteville got on the board in the 5th thanks to a pair of RBI singles from Jeremy Peña and Jonathan Arauz. Enmanuel Valdez smacked a solo homer in the 7th to put them in front and Chandler Taylor sent one out in the 8th for an insurance run. Peña went 3-4 on the night, while Arauz, Ross Adolph, and Valdez (solo HR, 2 R) all had two on the evening.

Austin Hansen takes on Matt Hardy in the series finale. The Woodpeckers are looking for a sweep; first pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 11, Beloit 4

W- Felipe Tejada (6-0)
L- Aiden McIntyre (2-8)

QC home runs: Alex Holderbach (4, 2-run in 6th)

With Jayne in attendance, the Banditos poured it on the Snappers to start this new series. They scored in each of the first seven innings and added in a couple of three-run innings in the 3rd and the 6th.

Lupe Chavez threw four innings and allowed four runs on six hits, walked three, and struck out three. Felipe Tejada shut it down by allowing three hits, walking two, and tying his career-high with nine strikeouts over five scoreless.

Ramiro Rodriguez hit a one-out single in the 1st; he proceeded to steal his way to third and scored the first run of the night on the errant throw to third. Trey Dawson hit an RBI single in the 2nd. César Salazar ripped a two-run triple in the 3rd and scored on a sac fly from Alex Holderbach. Dawson scored on a wild pitch in the 4th and Michael Wielansky lashed an RBI double in the 5th. Oscar Campos hit an RBI single in the 6th and he wound up scoring when Holderbach whacked a homer. Grae Kessinger capped off the night with a sac fly in the 7th.

Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit. Wielansky led the way by going 3-6 with a couple of doubles. Rodriguez (3B, 3 R, 2 SB), Holderbach (2-R HR, 3 RBI), and Dawson (RBI, R, SB) all finished with two hits in this game. Rodriguez's two steals give him 12 on the year.

Quad Cities and Beloit will play two today with game one starting at 2:00. José Alberto Rivera and Jonathan Bermúdez will go up against Rafael Kelly and Richard Guasch.

Connecticut 9, Tri-City 2

W- Marco Jimenez (2-1)
L- Hunter Brown (0-1)

TC home runs: C.J. Stubbs (4, solo in 5th), A.J. Lee (3, solo in 5th)

The Tigers took control of this one early.

Tri-City's only two runs of the evening came on back-to-back solo homers from C.J. Stubbs and A.J. Lee in the 5th. Stubbs and Korey Lee both finished 2-4.

Hunter Brown pitched two innings; he also pitched in the 3rd but failed to record an out. Brown allowed five runs (three inherited runners charged to him) on three hits, walked four, and struck out three. Derek West took ownership of the 3rd and ended up going three innings, allowing four runs (three earned) of his own on six hits, walking one, and striking out one. Yeremi Ceballos got a groundout and two fly ball outs in a 1-2-3 6th and Peyton Battenfield allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out three over three scoreless.

Kyle Serrano will be on the mound for the series finale. First pitch is at 5:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Cardinals 3

W- Kevin Dickey (1-1)
L- Wilman Madera (1-1)
S- Jherson Pereira (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach 'Stros scored four in the 8th to snatch this game from right under the Cardinals' noses.

They loaded the bases in the 8th and got all of their runs from that situation. Tyler Krabbe brought in the first run after he got plunked and then José Álvarez brought everyone home with a double. Alfredo Angarita finished 2-4 and scored a run.

Brady Rodgers made his first rehab appearance since going on the IL in Round Rock; he and Franny Cobos threw two innings apiece in this game. Rodgers allowed a hit and struck out two in a scoreless outing while Cobos allowed two hits, one of which was a two-run homer, walked one, and struck out four. Kevin Dickey took over for four innings and allowed two hits, one of which was a solo homer, and struck out eight. Jherson Pereira walked one and struck out one in the 9th to earn the save.

DSL Athletics 7, DSL Astros 6 (10 innings)

W- Marcelo Hernandez (2-2)
L- Miguel Padilla (1-1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dominican 'Stros thought they got an insurance run in the 9th, but the A's tied it with two in the 10th. The Astros retook the lead in the 10th... and then the A's walked off with the win.

Andrés Monzón went 2-5 with an RBI single in the 3rd inning. Cristian Gonzalez also finished 2-5 and he scored a run. Frank Pérez stole a couple of bases, giving him six on the season.

Jeremy Molero and Edinson Batista threw three innings apiece to start off; Molero allowed two runs, both of which were inherited runners that scored and were charged to him, a hit, walked four, and struck out five. Batista allowed a run of his own on two hits, walked two, and struck out three.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Kevin Dickey, LHP, GCL Astros: W (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 8 K

Felipe Tejada, RHP, Quad Cities

W (6-0), 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 9 K

Michael Wielansky, IF, Alex Holderbach, C, and Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, Quad Cities

Wielansky: 3-6, 2 2B, RBI, R

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

Rodriguez: 2-4, 3B, 3 R, 2 SB (12)

C.J. Stubbs, C/OF, Tri-City

2-4, solo HR (4)

Peyton Battenfield, RHP, Tri-City

3 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Yohan Ramirez, RHP, Corpus Christi

6 IP, H, ER, BB, 8 K

Josh Rojas, UTIL, Jack Mayfield, IF, and Kyle Tucker, OF, Round Rock

Rojas: 3-4, RBI, 2 R, SB (31)
Mayfield: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Tucker: Grand Slam (27)

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 10-2 @ Iowa

9 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K

Brandon Bielak: W (8-3), 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Brendan McCurry: 2 IP, BB, 4 K

Jonathan Arauz, IF, Enmanuel Valdez, IF, and Jeremy Peña, IF, Fayetteville

Arauz: 2-4, RBI

Valdez: 2-3, solo HR (7), 2 R

Peña: 3-4, RBI

Joey Gonzalez's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Fayetteville Woodpeckers pitchers: W 4-2 vs. Carolina

9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 13 K

Shawn Dubin: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Joey Gonzalez: W (4-2), 3 IP, H, BB, K

César Rosado: Save (5), IP, H, BB, 3 K

Astros Farm Report: 7-22

Bringing you the latest news from down on the farm ...

In case you missed these, here are my recent interviews from Tri-City
RHP Franny Cobos and LHP Juan Pablo Lopez
RHP Peyton Battenfield

Stay tuned for another interview coming out tomorrow!

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Here are the latest roster moves. An ongoing list of all of the 2019 season transactions and roster moves can be found here.

7-21: RHP Peyton Plumlee (31st round) assigned to Tri-City
7-21: RHP Garrett Gayle assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-21: RHP Riley Cabral assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-21: RHP Tyler Ivey assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
7-20: 1B Tyler White designated for assignment
7-20: RHP Riley Ferrell (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
7-20: 2B Alfredo Angarita (Corpus Christi) assigned to the GCL Astros  (assumed rehab assignment)
7-20: RHP Danny Cody assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-20: RHP Jose Urquidy recalled to Houston from Round Rock
7-20: RHP Alfredi Jimenez assigned to the GCL
7-19: LHP Parker Mushinski (Fayetteville) sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-19: 2B Aledmys Diaz sent to Corpus Christi on a rehab assignment
7-17: RHP Abdiel Saldana (Fayetteville) sent to Tri-City on a rehab assignment
7-16: RHP Franny Cobos assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
7-16: RHP Carson LaRue assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-16: RHP Colin McKee assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-16: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) activated from the IL
7-16: RHP Rogelio Armenteros recalled to Houston from Round Rock
7-16: LHP Framber Valdez optioned to Round Rock
7-16: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
7-16: RHP Tyler Ivey activated from the IL and assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
7-16: 1B Ronaldo Urdaneta (Tri-City) placed on the 60-day IL
7-16: 3B Yeuris Ramirez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-16: RHP Christian Mejias assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-15: RHP Felipe Paulino (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
7-15: RHP Justin Ferrell (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
7-15: SS Carlos Correa sent to Round Rock on a rehab assignment
7-15: RHP Riley Ferrell assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-15: 2B Aledmys Diaz sent to Round Rock on a rehab assignment
7-14: C Tyler Krabbe (19th round 2019) assigned to the GCL
7-13: RHP Luis de Paula assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-13: OF Juan Ramirez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-13: RHP Hansel Paulino (Quad Cities) released
7-13: RHP Edgardo Sandoval assigned to Tri-City (had been reported earlier to have retired)
7-12: RHP Cy Sneed optioned to Round Rock
7-12: RHP Forrest Whitley starting a rehab assignment with the GCL
7-11: LHP Framber Valdez recalled to Houston
7-11: RHP Carson LaRue assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
7-11: RHP Brandon Bailey (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day IL
7-10: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Fayetteville from Round Rock
7-10: RHP Brad Peacock sent to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment
7-10: RHP Cody Deason assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-10: RHP Lupe Chavez assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-10: LHP Yeremi Ceballos assigned to Tri-City from Fayetteville
7-10: OF Luis Guerrero assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-10: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Tri-City from Fayetteville
7-10: OF Andres Santana (Tri-City) released
7-10: SS Javier Bermudez (GCL) released
7-10: RHP Misael Tamarez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
7-9: RHP Colin McKee assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
7-9: RHP Joe Smith assigned to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment (activated 7-12)
7-9: IF Dexter Jordan (16th round 2019) assigned to the GCL
7-9: OF Roilan Machandy (Cuban 18-year old) officially signed and assigned to the DSL Astros on 7-10
7-8: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) activated from the IL (assigned to Corpus 7-8 and then assigned to Round Rock 7-9)
7-8: 1B A.J. Reed (Round Rock) claimed off waivers by the White Sox
7-8: RHP Jose Urquidy optioned to Round Rock
7-8: RHP Leovanny Rodriguez assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
7-8: OF Jacob Meyers (Fayetteville) activated from the IL
7-8: RHP Jacob Billingsley (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL retroactive to 7-7
7-8: C Ruben Castro (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL
7-7: RHP Erasmo Pinales (Corpus Christi) activated from the IL
7-7: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Fayetteville from Corpus Christi
7-6: RHP Leovanny Rodriguez assigned to Corpus Christi from Round Rock
7-5: RHP Ralph Garza (Round Rock) placed on the 7-day IL
7-5: RHP Colin McKee assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-5: RHP Chad Donato assigned to Corpus Christi from Fayetteville
7-5: RHP Leovanny Rodriguez assigned to Round Rock from Fayetteville
7-5: OF Ross Adolph assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-5: IF Michael Wielansky (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day IL
7-5: RHP Abdiel Saldana sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-5: SS Grae Kessinger assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-5: RHP Franny Cobos assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-5: RHP Kyle Serrano sent to Tri-City on a rehab assignment
7-4: RHP Brady Rodgers placed on the 7-day IL
7-4: RHP Carson LaRue assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-4: LHP Brett Adcock (Corpus Christi) activated from the IL
7-4: RHP Miguel Figueroa assigned to Corpus Christi from Tri-City
7-4: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to Quad Cities from Corpus Christi
7-4: RHP Alex Palmer (20th round 2019) assigned to the GCL
7-3: RHP Justin Ferrell assigned to Round Rock from Corpus Christi
7-3: OF James Nix signed (35th round 2019)
7-3: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to Corpus Christi from Quad Cities
7-3: RHP Joey Gonzalez assigned to Fayetteville from Quad Cities
7-3: C Alex Holderbach (Quad Cities) activated from the IL
7-3: RHP Hansel Paulino assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
7-3: RHP Christian Mejias assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
7-3: 1B Ronaldo Urdaneta assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-2: RHP Tyler Ivey (Corpus Christi) sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-2: RHP Jose Urquidy called up to Houston from Round Rock
7-2: 1B A.J. Reed (Round Rock) designated for assignment
7-2: OF Jacob Meyers (Fayetteville) placed on the 7-day IL
7-2: RHP Blair Henley assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
7-2: RHP Dean Deetz (Round Rock) sent to the GCL on a rehab assignment
7-2: SS Dauri Laurenzo signed (Dominican Republic)
7-2: C Fernando Caldera (Venezuela) signed
7-2: OF Everett Cooper (Bahamas) signed
7-2: OF Denfry de la Cruz (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: IF Luis Encarnacion (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: RHP Elvis Garcia (Venezuela) signed
7-2: OF Richi Gonzalez (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: IF Danyuri Guzman (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: RHP Eurys Martich (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: OF Christopher Morales (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: IF Josue Payano (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: OF Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) signed
7-2: C Juan Santander (Venezuela) signed
7-1: LHP Reymin Guduan optioned to Round Rock from Houston
7-1: OF Jordan Brewer (3rd round pick) signed
7-1: RHP Kevin Holcomb (13th round 2019) assigned to the GCL Astros
7-1: LHP Julio Robaina assigned to the GCL from Tri-City
7-1: 2B Bryan Arias (28th round 2019) assigned to Tri-City

Players who started the 2019 season on the DL

C Ruben Castro - activated 5-25
RHP Nick Hernandez - activated 5-8
RHP Alex House
OF Alex McKenna - activated 4-29
RHP Hansel Paulino - activated 6-14
RHP Erasmo Pinales - activated 5-20
RHP Abdiel Saldana - activated 7-5
RHP Kyle Serrano - activated 6-26
RHP Jairo Solis

Restricted List
RHP Francis Martes (80-game suspension) - suspension ended 6-26, but will remain on the restricted list for the time being due to visa issues
1B/OF J.J. Matijevic (50-game suspension) - activated 6-21

2019 STANDINGS

Up and down arrows denote an increase or decrease in win percentage over the last week.

AAA ROUND ROCK (Pacific Coast League/American Southern Division)

🠋 2nd 58-42 .580 3.5GB W1

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League/South Division)

3rd 47-52 .475 3.5GB L2 (Overall)
🠉 3rd 14-16 .467 2.0GB L2 (Second Half)

ADV A FAYETTEVILLE (Carolina League/Southern Division)

4th 45-55 .450 22.5GB L1 (Overall)
🠋 T4th 14-17 .452 4.0GB L1 (Second Half)

LOW A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League/Western Division)
1st half Division Winner

1st 59-35 .628 -.-GB W1 (Overall)
🠋 5th 16-12 .571 3.5GB W1 (Second Half)

SHORT SEASON A TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League/Stedler Division)
🠋 4th 13-21 .382 10.0GB L1

ROOKIE LEVEL GULF COAST LEAGUE (East Division)
🠉 5th 10-13 .435 3.0GB W2

ROOKIE LEVEL DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Northwest Division)
🠋 4th 22-19 .537 2.5GB W1

WATCH THIS SPACE

I plan to use "this space" to feature players who are currently flying below the radar, but who deserve a closer look.

Yohan Ramirez - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I have been intrigued by RHP Yohan Ramirez since I first saw him pitch in Quad Cities in 2017. At that time, he was able to crank up his fastball into the high 90's. Then Quad Cities manager cited Ramirez's strong build, quick arm and good slider in addition to that electric fastball when he likened Ramirez to Jandel Gustave. Ramirez started his season with 10 appearances for the High A Fayetteville team (2.89 ERA/1.008 WHIP in 43.2 IP) prior to his early June promotion to AA Corpus Christi. The transition did not go particularly smoothly for Ramirez who mostly struggled in the early going at the higher level. However, over his last four appearances he is 2-1 with a 1.65 ERA, a 1.224 WHIP and has allowed only a .113 batting average. There is still more than a bit of wildness with Ramirez, but if he can get his command under control, he should get some prospect pundit love. That is a big "if" of course, but Ramirez is definitely one to watch. For the season, he has a 3.80 ERA, a 1.282 WHIP and 49 walks to 111 strikeouts (as well as 13 HBP and 9 WP) in 73.1 innings. Ramirez was signed as a 21-year old out of the Dominican Republic in July 2016 and is currently 24. Watch this space ...

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Conrad Gregor - August 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Drafted by the Astros in the 4th round in 2013 out of Vanderbilt University, 1B Conrad Gregor played in the Astros system for four seasons. 2017 and 2018 saw Gregor splitting his time between independent league ball and the Red Sox organization. This season, Gregor has been playing for the New Jersey Jackals (Little Falls, New Jersey) in the independent Canadian-American Association. Through his first 54 games this season, Gregor is hitting a robust .323/.438/.508/.946 with 12 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 22 stolen bases and 41 walks to 48 strikeouts.

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Ephesus, Turkey - 2005

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 31, 2019

How were things down on the farm on the final day of May?

Round Rock 8, Iowa 1

W- Rogelio Armenteros (2-4)
L- Trevor Clifton (1-4)
S- Gabriel Valdez (1)

RR home runs: Lorenzo Quintana 2 (2, 6 season; 2-run in 3rd, solo in 8th)

A Cuban player went off. It was not Yordan Alvarez, who went 0-2 and was intentionally walked three times. Instead, it was Yordan's compatriot, Lorenzo Quintana, who went off as he blasted his first two home runs at the Triple-A level. I'll get to that in a moment.

Rogelio Armenteros, another member of the Cuban contingent, went off on the mound as he allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out seven in six innings of work. Gabriel Valdez walked one and struck out two over the final three innings.

Quintana opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the 3rd inning. Kyle Tucker scored on a wild pitch in the 5th inning. Round Rock got a pair of RBI singles from Alex De Goti and Drew Ferguson in the 6th and they tacked on three more runs in the 8th for good measure as Quintana led off the inning with his second homer of the evening and then they got a couple of bases-loaded walks from Taylor Jones and Nick Tanielu. Quintana was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

José Hernández-Urquidy will take on Adbert Alzolay in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Frisco 6, Corpus Christi 5 (12 innings)

W- Locke St. John (3-2)
L- Layne Henderson (0-1)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (10, grand slam in 8th)

The Hooks got back into this game with a grand slam before ultimately walking off with the loss in extras.

J.B. Bukauskas pitched 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out six. Hunter Martin was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and the two runs he allowed in his 1.2 innings came on a homer. Martin also allowed two other hits and struck out one. Nick Hernandez and Colin McKee followed with two innings apiece. Hernandez struck out one in a perfect outing, while McKee allowed a run on two hits and walked two, one intentionally. Layne Henderson pitched a scoreless 11th inning but failed to record an out in the 12th, where the Roughriders scored the winning run against him. Henderson allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

Corpus couldn't get anything going offensively until the 8th when they suddenly found themselves in a tie game when Abraham Toro launched a grand slam to put them on the board. Osvaldo Duarte started the 10th in scoring position and scored on Stephen Wrenn's double. Luis Santana led off the 12th at second base and advanced to third on an Alfredo Angarita sac bunt, but they couldn't push him across. Wrenn finished 2-6 on the evening.

Bryan Abreu gets the start for game two of this series and he'll go up against Tyler Phillips at 7:05.

Wilmington 5, Fayetteville 3

W- Daniel Tillo (4-4)
L- Chad Donato (3-6)
S- Tad Ratliff (12)

Fayetteville home runs: None.

Both teams scored in the same number of innings, but the difference here was the Blue Rocks putting up a pair of crooked numbers.

Jonathan Arauz extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a base hit in the 1st, put Fayetteville on the board with a sac fly in the 3rd, and scored on Michael Papierski's single in the 6th. Papierski drew a walk in the 9th and eventually scored on a single from Enmanuel Valdez. No one in the Woodpeckers lineup had more than one hit; Miguelangel Sierra's double was their only extra-base hit of the night.

Chad Donato went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out four. Yohan Ramirez allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out eight over the final four innings.

Brett Conine will start the series finale and he'll face Daniel Lynch at 5:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 13, Burlington 10 (10 innings)

W- Riley Cabral (1-0)
L- Mayky Pérez (0-2)

QC home runs: Michael Wielansky (2, 2-run in 2nd), David Hensley (3, 2-run in 4th)

The Banditos came out on top to open this series between the top two teams in the Midwest League's Western Division as they scored more runs in one extra inning than they did in the nine regulation innings.

Michael Wielansky opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the 2nd and the Banditos got two more runs in the inning on a Carlos Machado RBI triple and an RBI single from Austin Dennis. David Hensley launched a two-run homer in the 4th. Let's fast-forward to the 10th.

Dennis started the 10th at second base and he didn't have to wait long to score because Jeremy Peña led things off with an RBI single. Freúdis Nova walked and then Ruben Castro ripped an RBI double to bring Peña home. Wielansky followed by adding a two-run triple to his ledger. Trey Dawson proceeded to draw a walk. Ross Adolph went down on strikes for the first out, but Machado came through with a two-run single. Dennis capped off the assault with an RBI single.

Everyone in the original starting nine scored at least once. Peña, who now has a 13-game hitting streak, finished 4-6 on the night. Machado finished 3-5, while Dennis and Wielansky had two hits apiece.

R.J. Freure got the start and the one run he allowed in his four innings came on a solo homer. Freure also allowed three other hits, walked four, and struck out eight. Manny Ramirez came on for the 5th but he only got one out via the strikeout. He allowed three runs (two earned, one inherited runner charged to him) and walked three.

Felipe Tejada was the next man up and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer. He also allowed one of Ramirez's runners to score, but the solo homer was the only run that he allowed and was charged to him. Overall, Tejada pitched 3.1 innings and allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out nine. Riley Cabral allowed a run on two hits and walked one in 1.1 innings, and things got a bit nervy in the bottom of the 10th as the Bees got four runs off of Cody Deason; three of them were earned. Deason allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out two.

Deason is listed as the starter for game two of this series but his appearance in the 10th inning nixed that. Whoever gets the start for Quad Cities will take on Luis Alvarado at 6:30.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Round Rock Express pitchers: W 8-1 vs. Iowa

9 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 9 K

Rogelio Armenteros: W (2-4), 6 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Gabriel Valdez: Save (1), 3 IP, BB, 2 K

Lorenzo Quintana, C, Round Rock

2-3, 2 HR (2, 6 season), 3 RBI, 3 R

Yohan Ramirez, RHP, Fayetteville

4 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 8 K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Corpus Christi

Game-tying grand slam (10) in 8th inning

Nick Hernandez, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, K; perfect outing

R.J. Freure, RHP, and Felipe Tejada, RHP, Quad Cities

Freure: 4 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 4 BB, 8 K

Tejada: 3.1 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Austin Dennis, OF, Jeremy Peña, SS, Michael Wielansky, IF, and Carlos Machado, OF, Quad Cities

Dennis: 2-6, 2 RBI, R

Peña: 4-6, RBI, R; 13-game hitting streak

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

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