Sunday, May 31, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, May 30, 2015

Welcome to the California League, D.J. Fisher!

Also, Happy Dominican Summer League Opening Day!

Fresno 2, Oklahoma City 1

W- Dan Straily (4-3)
L- Deck McGuire (1-1)
S- Kevin Chapman (4)

Fresno home runs: Matt Duffy (5, 2-run in 3rd)

The Grizzlies took game 2 of the Redhawks Reunion behind a stellar mound performance.

Dan Straily looks like he's rounding into form as he spun his best start of the season. He allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 10 over 6 innings. Jason Stoffel and Kevin Chapman locked it down and secured the win for him. Stoffel walked 1 and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless, and Chapman worked around a hit to get the save, striking out 2.

Matt Duffy put the Grizz in the lead with a 2-run homer in the 3rd, his 5th blast of the year. That home run turned out to be the game-winning hit. Jon Singleton finished 2-4 with a double.

Alex White gets the start in game 3 of this series. He'll face Scott Baker at 2:05.

Arkansas 4, Corpus Christi 1

W- Albert Suarez (5-3)
L- Brian Holmes (1-1, 3-2 season)
S- Danny Reynolds (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks dropped a rather uneventful game and lost their starting 2B after a takeout slide. Tony Kemp had to be carried off the field in the 6th after Travelers 1B Wade Hinkle slid high into 2nd base and took him out. That incident cleared the bases, as the Hooks took great umbrage to that play. No word on Kemp's condition. Hope we don't have to hear about a serious injury.

Roberto Peña singled in the 8th and on the ensuing error, Leo Heras scored. Teoscar Hernandez went 1-3 with 2 steals (10).

Brian Holmes went 4.2 innings and allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Chris Cotton was the first man out; he allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Juan Minaya allowed a run on 2 hits and walked 1 in the 7th, and Jandel Gustave allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, and walked 2 in the 8th.

Mike Hauschild takes on Mike Brady in the series finale. First pitch is at 2:10.

Lancaster 16, High Desert 3

W- Adrian Houser (1-2)
L- Richelson Peña (2-4)

Lancaster home runs: D.J. Fisher 3 (3, 9 season; solo in 1st, grand slam in 2nd, grand slam in 3rd)

Wow.

In his first game in the California League, D.J. Fisher made history. He homered in his first 3 at-bats, the last two were grand slams. He cleared the bases with a double in the 7th and broke the league's single-game record for RBI, which stood for 61 years. Those were his 4 hits on the night.

J.D. Davis finished 2-6 with a 2-run single in the 5th. Brett Phillips went 3-5 with a double, 3 runs scored, and drew a bases-loaded walk in the 2nd. One batter later, Fisher hit his first slam. Later in the inning, Jack Mayfield added an RBI double. Mayfield finished 3-5 as well. Marc Wik was 1-2 with 3 walks and 4 runs scored, and James Ramsay extended his hitting streak to 18 games as he went 4-5 with 3 runs scored. The top three (Phillips, Fisher, and Davis) and the bottom three (Alfredo Gonzalez, Ramsay, and Wik) in the order scored all 16 JetHawks runs; Davis (3rd) scored 1, and Alfredo Gonzalez (7th) scored twice.

Adrian Houser was perfect through 5.2 innings. He ultimately allowed 2 runs (on a double) on 4 hits and struck out 7. Keegan Yuhl allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 1.1 innings. Albert Minnis finished with 1.2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and striking out 1.

Edison Frias will take on Luis Parra in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 1:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 1, Burlington 0

W- Kevin Comer (5-1)
L- Justin Anderson (3-3)
S- Francis Martes (1)

QC home runs: None.

Kevin Comer and Francis Martes were both fantastic and 1 run turned out to be enough to get them the win.

Bobby Boyd's RBI single in the 6th turned out to be the only run of the game. Kristian Trompiz and Jason Martin had 2 hits apiece.

Comer allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Martes tagged in and struck out 2 over 4 perfect innings to finish it off.

In game 3 of this series, Brandon McNitt will take on Mike Bolaski. First pitch is at 2.

DSL Astros Blue 7, DSL Athletics 3

W- Joel Belboder (1-0)
L- David Montilla (0-1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team only had 4 hits, but they all drove in runs. The A's committed 6 errors, but only one

Orlando Marquez drew a 2-out walk in the 6th, stole 2nd, and scored the Blue team's first run of the season on an error. Cristopher Luciano, who reached on the error, made it to 2nd, and a wild pitch allowed him to advance to 3rd.

They put up 5 in the 7th with their 4 hits. Jose Benjamin drew a walk to lead off the inning, advanced to 2nd on a sac bunt, and to 3rd on an error that allowed Wilson Amador to reach. Andy Piñeda drove him in with a single. Reiny Beltre put the Blue team in front with a 2-run double, and Angel De Leon brought him home with a triple. Marquez followed with an RBI single. Ozziel Sanchez-Galan walked to lead off the 8th, advanced to 2nd when Amador drew a walk, moved over to 3rd on a force out, and finally, he scored when the pickoff throw to 3rd went astray. In addition to his RBI single, Andy Piñeda stole 3 bases.

Diogenes Almengo pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 2 unearned runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Joel Belboder, who drew a walk-off walk (for real) last season with the Orange team, pitched 3.1 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Edwin Villarroel walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

Sunday is an off day in the complex leagues. The Blue team and the A's will play again at the Astros complex on Monday.

DSL Astros Orange and DSL Nationals was postponed

Due to rain. These two teams will play again on Monday, so they'll most likely have a doubleheader then.

Happy Birthday - 5/31

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

1B Cristopher Luciano (19)
Luciano was born May 31, 1996 in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and signed with the Astros prior to the 2014 season. He is currently playing with the DSL Astros on their Blue Team.

Tweet of the Day

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 29, 2015

History was made in Little Rock last night!

Oklahoma City 2, Fresno 1

W- David Huff (2-0)
L- Jordan Jankowski (3-1)

Fresno home runs: Matt Dominguez (3, solo in 8th)

The Redhawks... wait, what? They're not the Redhawks anymore? And they're not the Astros' AAA affiliate either? Oh.... alright then.

The Grizzlies were held to just 2 hits, one of which was a solo homer by Matty D(ominguez) that tied the game at 1, and was their only run of the evening. The other Fresno hit was a single that belonged to Robbie Grossman.

Tommy Shirley kicked things off with 6 shutout innings. He allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Samuel Deduno made his first rehab appearance as he came on for the 7th inning. Deduno was not very sharp as just 13 of his 35 pitches went for strikes. He allowed a run on a bases-loaded walk and overall, he issued 4 walks (1 intentional) and struck out 2. Jordan Jankowski pitched a scoreless 8th, but allowed the winning run with 1 out in the 9th. He allowed 2 hits, issued an intentional walk, and struck out 2 in 1.1 innings.

In game 2, Dan Straily faces Deck McGuire at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 4, Arkansas 0 in 5.5 innings

W- Chris Devenski (6-0)
L- Alan Busenitz (1-5)

CC home runs: None.

This game was called with 1 out in the bottom of the 6th due to rain.

Chris Devenski spun his 2nd career no-no. The other no-hitter he threw occurred on September 1, 2012, when he was with Lexington. Devo walked 1 and struck out 16 against Rome that night as the Legends won 10-0. This was the first no-hitter in Hooks history. In addition, this was also the 2nd no-hitter involving Josh Hader, who collaborated with J.D. Osborne and Dan Minor to throw a no-no for Lancaster on May 13, 2014.

In this game, Devenski walked 1 and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Hader tagged in and got 1 out in the 6th, walking 1. That's when the rain arrived.

Tony Kemp led off the game with a single. He then proceeded to steal 2nd (13), advanced to 3rd on a sac bunt, and scored the first run of the evening on an Andrew Aplin groundout. Kemp ripped an RBI double in the 3rd after Leo Heras singled, stole 2nd (9), and advanced to 3rd on the errant throw down to 2nd base. In the 6th, Conrad Gregor added an RBI single, and Aplin scored on a double play. Kemp and Heras both finished with 2 hits.

In game 2 of this series, Brian Holmes will face Albert Suarez. First pitch is at 7:10, weather permitting.

Lancaster 4, Stockton 3 in 11 innings

W- Tyler Brunnemann (2-0)
L- Brendan McCurry (1-2)

Lancaster home runs: Brett Phillips (8, led off game), Chase McDonald (7, 2-run in 2nd), Ronnie Mitchell (4, solo in 11th)

The JetHawks got the series win as they held the Ports to 4 hits, although the did issue 9 walks.

All 4 Lancaster runs came off of home runs. Brett Phillips fired the first shot by leading off with a homer. One inning later, Chase McDonald went deep to put the JetHawks up 3-0. The Ports got 2 in the 5th and tied it at 3 with a run in the 9th, and that's where the game was entering the 11th. Ronnie Mitchell led off the inning, and he put the JetHawks back on top with his 4th homer of the year. Brett Phillips, James Ramsay, and Jack Mayfield all had 2 hits; Ramsay extended his hitting streak to 17 games, which ties Jose Fernandez's 17-game streak that occurred between April 15 and May 8.

Troy Scribner allowed just 1 hit over 4 shutout innings, but he walked 5 and only struck out 1. Zach Morton pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on a wild pitch and a groundout, a double, and walked 1. Reymin Guduan walked 2 and fanned 4 over 2 scoreless. The Ports tied the game on an RBI single off of Frederick Tiburcio in the 9th. Tiburcio walked 1 and struck out 2 in the inning. Tyler Brunnemann struck out the side in order in the 10th and worked around a hit to finish off the game in the 11th. He struck out Franklin Barreto for the final out.

The JetHawks will now head to High Desert. They have not announced a starter for this game yet. Whoever he is, he will face Richelson Peña at 6:35 Pacific.

Burlington 3, Quad Cities 1

W- Jeremy Rhoades (4-3)
L- Josh James (1-1)
S- Eduardo Paredes (7)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos put up 8 hits, but only got 1 run to show for it.

That 1 run came courtesy of a Kristian Trompiz RBI single in the top of the 9th. Unfortunately, the Bandits stranded runners at the corners to end the game. Trompiz and Mott Hyde both finished 2-4 with a double.

Josh James allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 5.1 innings. Christian Powell, making his season debut, threw 1.2 scoreless, walking 1 and striking out 2 in the process. Ryan Thompson worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

In game 2 of this series, Kevin Comer gets the start. He'll face Justin Anderson at 6:30. Anderson is a Houston native who graduated from St. Pius X and pitched at UTSA. 

Dominican Summer League Rosters Announced

The Dominican Summer League kicks off play later this morning. For the kids on the roster of a Dominican Summer League team, this is their first stop as they chase their dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player.

All players are Dominican unless otherwise noted, and their dates of birth are also listed.

Asterisk = player bats or pitches left-handed
Bold Italics = player is making professional debut
Hashtag = player is a switch-hitter

BLUE

The Blue team will play in the 6-team Santo Domingo North division against the Indians, A's, Dodgers, Royals, and Rays. Their first game will take place at the Athletics' complex. The Blue team finished 35-34 in 2014, putting them in 4th place in the division. This year, they'll feature a couple of interesting infielders in Cristopher Luciano and the toolsy Wilson Amador, both returning players; Amador spent all of 2014 with the Orange team.

Coaching Staff

Manager: Charlie Romero
Hitting Coach: Luis Mateo
Pitching Coach: Erick Abreu

All three coaches were former Minor League players.

Romero is the new skipper, replacing Johan Maya. He played in the Blue Jays and the Angels organizations from 1985-90 as an outfielder. He was the longtime manager of the DSL Angels, a position that he first took in 1999.

Mateo, another former outfielder, played in the then-Devil Rays organization from 1999-2005.

Abreu last pitched in the Dominican Winter League for Gigantes in 2014. He was originally signed by the Yankees in 2003, but joined the Astros in 2008, spending the majority of his time at Corpus Christi.

Pitchers

Jorge Alcala (7/28/95)
Diogenes Almengo (6/2/95)
Dariel Aquino (1/30/96)
Joel Belboder (10/5/95)
Luis Castro (5/11/95)
Enrique Chavez (Mexico; 4/13/96)
Robert Corniel (6/23/95)
Yan De La Cruz (8/5/93); oldest player on either DSL squad
Michel Martinez (Cuba; 9/16/93)
Saul Martinez (6/21/95)
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/97)
Hansel Paulino (1/3/96)
Hector Perez (6/6/96)
Jose Rosario (2/15/95)
Felipe Tejada (2/27/98); youngest player on Blue roster
Luidin Toribio (2/13/96)
Framber Valdez* (11/19/93)
Edwin Villarroel* (Venezuela; 5/18/95)

Catchers

Oscar Campos (Venezuela; 12/8/96)
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela; 1/24/98)
Orlando Marquez (Venezuela; 3/12/96)
Oliver Toribio (6/7/96)

Infielders

Wilson Amador (12/14/96)
Reiny Beltre (7/16/96)
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/94)
Cristopher Luciano (5/31/96)
Juan Piñeda (Panama; 1/31/98)
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama; 10/30/97)

Outfielders

Jose Benjamin (12/16/95)
Angel De Leon (5/26/96)
Jose Hernandez (3/12/96)
Andy Piñeda (11/11/96)

ORANGE

In its 2nd season, the Orange team will feature the big signings from the previous July 2 international signing period; Ronny Rafael, Miguelangel Sierra, and Franklin Perez, the three million-dollar signees, will begin their road to the show with the Orange team.

The Orange team will play in the 11-team Boca Chica North division, the largest division in the DSL. They'll be matched up against the Angels, the Cubs, the Mariners 2, the Marlins, the Mets 2, the Phillies, the Pirates, two Rangers teams, and the Yankees 2. Last year, the Orange team finished 31-39, putting them in a tie for 6th with the Angels. They finished strong after languishing at the bottom of the division for most of the season.

The Orange team's first game is against the Nationals; they are the home team.

Coaching Staff

Manager: Neder Horta
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Assistant Hitting Coach: Danny Ortega
Pitching Coach: Carlos Gonzalez
Coach/Outfield Specialist: Melvi Ortega

Neder Horta, a native of Colombia, was originally signed by the Yankees, but much of his minor league career was spent in the Astros system. The highest level he reached was Class A, with Asheville; he played there from 1986-88. He last managed in the DSL with the Cardinals, doing so in 2005 and 2006. Horta also served as the hitting coach of the GCL Cardinals in 2009 and served as a coach for the VSL Cardinals in 2010. Horta spent the last two years as a scout for the Astros.

A Panamanian, Carlos Gonzalez played 3 seasons in the Cardinals system and made it to the United States, where he topped out at Johnson City in the Appalachian League in 2008.

Pitchers

Bryan Abreu (4/22/97)
Juan Cuevas (5/4/94)
Harlen Florencio (9/24/95)
Jorge Guzman (1/28/96)
Ezequiel Madera (3/22/96)
Javier Navas* (2/3/98)
Franklin Perez (12/6/97)
Gabriel Pirela (5/1/94)
Yonatan Quintin (11/18/96)
Jose Ramos (Panama; 8/4/96)
Michael Richez (5/15/97)
Juan Robles (Mexico; 11/6/97)
Cesar Rosado (6/22/96)
Maikel Sepulveda* (12/31/96)
Josue Uribe (2/6/95)
Gabriel Valdez (Panama; 10/25/95)
Luis Vasquez (11/21/93)

Catchers

Brandon Benavente# (Venezuela; 9/3/97)
Carlos Canelon (Venezuela; 12/14/94)
Randy Vasquez (3/13/96)

Infielders

Marcos Almonte (3/28/96)
Felix Lucas (3/27/97)
Nicolas Miranda (Panama; 6/12/96)
Anardo Peralta# (5/11/96)
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/96)
Miguelangel Sierra (Venezuela; 12/7/97)

Outfielders

Juan Fuentes# (11/8/93); oldest player on Orange roster
Carlos Machado (Venezuela; 6/5/98)
Hector Martinez (7/6/98); youngest player on either DSL squad
Ronny Rafael (10/14/97)
Angel Tejeda (1/22/97)

Happy Birthday - 5/30

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

OF Brett Phillips (21)
Phillips was born May 30, 1994 in Seminole, Florida and was drafted by the Astros in the 6th round in 2012 out of Seminole High School. He is currently playing for the High A Lancaster JetHawks team.

Brett Phillips - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

Tweet of the Day

Friday, May 29, 2015

Astros Minor League Transactions

The big move from today was Michael Feliz joining the Astros after throwing 4 innings for Corpus Christi in his AA debut on Tuesday. There are a few other moves of note to report as well.

Corpus Christi Hooks

5/29: RHP Michael Feliz recalled to Houston from Corpus Christi.
- Because Feliz is already on the Astros' 40-man roster, no corresponding move is required. 
5/29: 3B Colin Moran activated from 7-Day DL.
5/29: C/1B/OF Trent Woodward assigned to Extended Spring Training from Corpus Christi.

Lancaster JetHawks

5/29: OF D.J. Fisher assigned to Lancaster from Quad Cities.

Quad Cities River Bandits

5/29: RHP Christian Powell assigned to Quad Cities from Extended Spring Training.
- Powell, 23 (24 on July 3), was a Minor League free agent signing in March. He was drafted by the Twins in the 8th round of the 2012 draft out of the College of Charleston.

5/29: OF Ramon Laureano assigned to Quad Cities from Extended Spring Training.
- Laureano, 20 (21 on July 15), was the Astros' 16th-round selection in the 2014 draft from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 28, 2015

I apologize (again) for my absence yesterday... I just wanted to mourn the Rockets' elimination in the Western Conference Finals. Now that basketball season is finished (for me), the Astros should have the full and undivided attention of the city.

Of course, I am acknowledging the fact that attracting attention will likely be a struggle, considering how this decade began in terms of on-field performance. Then, couple that with the CSN quagmire, which obviously cut every non-Comcast subscriber off from the Astros and the Rockets. But, the Astros have alleviated those concerns by playing winning baseball. And, now that the vast majority of the city can watch the Astros and Rockets again, surely you are aware of the incredible start that the Astros are on through the first 50 games of the season. It's time you got out to witness this winning firsthand at Minute Maid Park. The Astros are putting out a winning product.... shouldn't you be out there supporting them, too?

Well, the intro is usually a one-liner, but with the Astros now the only game in town, I decided to put out a little monologue. And so, without further ado... your Minor League recaps.

Wednesday: Memphis 6, Fresno 1

W- Tim Cooney (4-2)
L- Brett Oberholtzer (1-2)

Fresno home runs: Max Stassi (5, solo in 8th)

Max Stassi's homer represented the only Fresno run as the Grizzlies were doomed by 4 errors. Nolan Fontana had 1 double in 3 at-bats.

Brett Oberholtzer was back in Fresno for another rehab start; he went 4.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits (solo and 2-run homers) and struck out 5. Luis Cruz tagged in for 4.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and walked 2.

Thursday: Fresno 5, Memphis 4 in 11 innings

W- Richard Rodriguez (5-0)
L- Dean Kiekhefer (0-1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizz earned the split in the 2nd matinee of the series and finished their homestand 5-3 against the PCL's Tennessee teams.

Fresno scored in the first 3 innings. L.J. Hoes opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, Tyler Heineman scored on an error in the 2nd, and he ripped a 2-run double in the 3rd. The Redbirds scored 2 in the top of the 6th to tie the game at 4, and that's how it stood as the game went into extra innings.

Memphis stranded the go-ahead run at 3rd to end the top of the 10th, and Fresno went down in order in the bottom of the 10th. The Redbirds went down in order in their half of the 11th, and so, it was the Grizzlies' turn. Alex Presley hit a 1-out single, advanced tto 2nd on a Heineman single, and Joe Sclafani delivered the winning hit. Heineman and Sclafani had 3-hit days, while Presley (2 R) and Hoes both went 2-5. Heineman is currently on a 12-game hitting streak spanning two levels.

Brady Rodgers allowed 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 1. Mitch Lambson technically threw 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out 1, but he allowed both of the runners he inherited from Rodgers to score. Tyson Perez pitched 1.1 scoreless and allowed a hit and walked 1. Kevin Chapman worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1. Richard Rodriguez threw 2 scoreless for the win; he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1.

The current Astros AAA team will be spending the weekend and Monday with the former Astros AAA team, which has been rebranded as the Dodgers. In game 1, Tommy Shirley will take on Zach Lee. First pitch is at 7:05.

Wednesday: Corpus Christi 9, Northwest Arkansas 3

W- Kyle Westwood (2-2)
L- Miguel Almonte (4-2)
S- Aaron West (1)

CC home runs: Brandon Meredith (4, 3-run in 1st), Conrad Gregor (1, 2-run in 4th)

The Hooks stormed out of the gate and overwhelmed the Naturals, putting up 5 in the 1st to prop up Kyle Westwood. The heart of the Corpus lineup delivered in a big way as Tyler White, Conrad Gregor, and Brandon Meredith drove in 8 of their 9 runs.

Northwest Arkansas did get 2 of those runs back off of Westwood in the bottom of the 1st, and then he walked the first man he faced in the 2nd, but he turned it all around by retiring the final 12 batters he faced. Westwood allowed those 2 runs on 4 hits, and all of those came in the 1st inning. He walked 2 and struck out 4 over 5 innings. Aaron West pitched the final 4 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits, walking 2, and striking out 2.

Jio Mier opened up the scoring with an RBI single. He then stole 3rd (4) and eventually scored on an error that allowed Conrad Gregor to reach, and also allowed Andrew Aplin to advance to 3rd. After Gregor reached, Brandon Meredith delivered the haymaker with a 3-run homer. Tyler White smacked an RBI double in the 2nd. He finished 2-5 and added an RBI single in the 3rd. One batter later, Gregor hit his first home run of the season. Danry Vásquez, in his AA debut, went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. He reached on a force out in the 3rd and stole his first base in the Texas League, giving him 7 on the season. Andrew Aplin finished 2-4 with a double, a walk, scored 3 runs, and stole a base (8, 14 season).

Thursday: Northwest Arkansas 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- J.C. Sulbaran (4-3)
L- Mark Appel (3-1)
S- Benino Pruneda (1)

CC home runs: Conrad Gregor (2, solo in 6th)

The Hooks were foiled in their bid to sweep the series as the Naturals got 2 in the bottom of the 6th off of Mark Appel to re-take the lead, after Conrad Gregor put the Hooks in front in the top of the inning.

That homer was Gregor's 2nd in as many nights. Jio Mier hit an RBI double in the 5th to put Corpus on the board and tied the game at 1. The Vanderbilt duo of Gregor and Tony Kemp had 2 hits apiece; Kemp also drew 2 walks. Unfortunately, the Hooks were left to rue their missed chances as they finished 0-9 with runners in scoring position. The Naturals, on the other hand, went 5-13 in such situations.

Mark Appel went 5.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 9 hits (all singles), walked 3, and struck out 4. Travis Ballew allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 over 1.1 innings, and Juan Minaya struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 8th.

The Hooks' tour of Arkansas continues as they spend the weekend with the Travelers in Little Rock. Chris Devenski will start the opener; he will face Alan Busenitz at 7:10.

Wednesday: Stockton 6, Lancaster 5

W- Omar Duran (1-0)
L- Albert Minnis (1-2)
S- Brendan McCurry (5)

Lancaster home runs: James Ramsay 2 (3; 2-run in 6th, 3-run in 8th)

James Ramsay's 2nd homer of the night put the JetHawks in front, but the Ports responded with their 3rd 2-run inning of the game to take the opener.

Ramsay was the entire offense. He had 2 of the 4 Lancaster hits and scored himself on both of his homers. Jose Fernandez also scored twice; the other run was scored by Marc Wik on Ramsay's 3-run shot. Alfredo Gonzalez had a double in 4 trips to the plate.

In his California League debut, Dan Mengden went 5.1 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits (2 solo homers), walked 3, and struck out 4. Tyler Brunnemann was the first man out; he allowed a hit and struck out 3 over 1.2 scoreless. Albert Minnis got 1 out in the 8th; a throwing error from Jose Fernandez after he fielded a groundball proved costly as the Ports scored 2 runs. Keegan Yuhl got the final 2 outs of the 8th; he allowed a hit and struck out 1.

Thursday: Lancaster 6, Stockton 0

W- Evan Grills (3-4)
L- Lou Trivino (3-3)
S- Bryan Radziewski (1)

Lancaster home runs: A.J. Reed (12, 2-run in 1st)

The JetHawks took flight, left the Ports in the dust, and Evan Grills and Bryan Radziewski combined on a 5-hit shutout.

Grills delivered his best start of the year as he allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 over 5 shutout innings. Radziewski finished it off, allowing 3 hits and striking out 5 over the final 4 innings.

A.J. Reed kicked things off with his 12th home run of the year. Marc Wik added an RBI single in the 2nd and scored on a passed ball in the 3rd. James Ramsay, who was at the plate, eventually coaxed a walk, J.D. Davis clubbed a 2-run double. Reed and Davis had 2 hits apiece. Ramsay scored twice and walked twice.

In the rubber game of this series, Troy Scribner will take on Dylan Covey. First pitch is at 7:10 Pacific.

Wednesday: Quad Cities 13, Kane County 4

W- Angel Heredia (1-0)
L- Touki Toussaint (0-1)
S- Jorge Perez (1)

QC home runs: Mott Hyde (1, solo in 3rd), Ryan Bottger (3, 2-run in 5th)

The Banditos erased an early deficit and took full advantage of 6 Kane County errors. 4 of those 6 miscues occurred in the 7th, and 3 of the 5 runs the River Bandits scored in the frame came off of those errors. They finished the game on an 12-0 run after trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the 3rd.

Jake Nottingham put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI single in the 1st. Mott Hyde cut into the deficit with his 1st homer of the year, which began the run. In the 4th, Sean McMullen hit an RBI double, Jason Martin scored on a wild pitch/strikeout, and Hyde added an RBI single to his ledger. Bottger cranked a 2-run shot in the 5th, and then the Banditos busted this game open in the 7th.

McMullen hit an RBI single, and he and Jason Martin would score on a 2-error play from the Cougars that also saw Kristian Trompiz advance to 3rd. Bobby Boyd added an RBI single. Boyd advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch and scored on yet another error. The 4th error, which occurred on the same play, allowed Mott Hyde to advance to 2nd. Boyd walked in the final run of the day in the 8th inning. Nick Tanielu went 3-4 with 3 runs scored. Hyde (solo HR, 2 RBI), McMullen (2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), and Nottingham (RBI, R) all finished with 2 hits.

Austin Chrismon went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs (all on a solo and a 3-run homer) on 5 hits and struck out 5. Angel Heredia, in his season debut, walked 2 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 5th. Jorge Perez pitched 4 scoreless, allowing 3 hits, walking 2, and striking out 2.

Thursday: Kane County 5, Quad Cities 2

W- Ethan Elias (5-1)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (3-3)
S- Zac Curtis (10)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits couldn't erase this early deficit this time around, and they dropped just their 2nd series of the season.

D.J. Fisher opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Nick Tanielu added an RBI single in the 4th. The two of them finished 2-4. Bobby Boyd went 1-3 with a walk, scored a run, and stole 2 bases (8).

Brock Dykxhoorn went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits (all singles), walked 3, and struck out 3. Eric Peterson allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and struck out 3. Jordan Mills struck out 1 over 1.1 perfect innings.

The Banditos will spend this weekend and Monday in scenic Burlington, Iowa. In game 1, Josh James will take on Jeremy Rhoades at 6:30.

Happy Birthday - 5/29

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

OF Leo Heras (25)
Heras was born on May 29, 1990 in Tiajuana, Baja California, Mexico, and was signed as a Free Agent out of the Mexican League in August 2013. He is currently playing for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks team.

Leo Heras - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen


RHP Harold Arauz (20)
Arauz was born on May 29, 1995 in Chiriqui, Panama and signed with the Astros in July 2011. In Arauz' third season in 2014, he played the bulk of the season for the Gulf Coast League Astros team before being promoted to the Rookie League Greeneville Astros in mid-August.

RHP Juan Delis (21)
Delis was born on May 29, 1994 in Corregimiento de Bella Vista, Panama and signed with the Astros in October 2010. Delis started the 2014 season playing for the Gulf Coast League Astros and was promoted to Greeneville in early August.

Tweet of the Day

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Grizzlies LHP Tommy Shirley vs. Ben Zobrist

Visiting Fresno this past weekend, I had the opportunity to see LHP Tommy Shirley pitch in person for the first time in quite a while. It occurred to me that I should video him to capture his unconventional delivery. Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs was somewhat fascinated with Shirley last season and featured him several times as one of his Fringe Five, and cited these remarks from my interview with Corpus Christi Pitching Coach Doug Brocail regarding Shirley. Part of Shirley's fascination is his funky delivery and the success he's had with that delivery.

So, I readied my video recorder just as the rehabbing Ben Zobrist came up to bat with two outs in the first inning. It took only three pitches for Shirley to dispatch Zobrist and send him on his way.




I pulled out the recorder again in the third inning. Again two outs. Again Zobrist. Again a strikeout.




One final time. Sixth inning. Again two outs. Again Zobrist. Again a strikeout, Shirley's 7th and final K in six innings of work.



The following day I spoke with Ace Adams, Pitching Coach for the Fresno Grizzlies. I asked Adams about that delivery. "It's funky, isn't it?" When asked how Shirley makes that delivery work, Adams told me, "Well, he times it up right. It doesn't look pretty but he times it up perfect."

Adams continued, "He's a great competitor and he's starting to throw his changeup more, starting to get his curveball over a little better than he did. But the big thing is his fastball has this cutting action that jams a lot of hitters. He's got a lot of deception in that delivery so hitters see all that quickness and they don't feel comfortable up there."

Shirley has been used as both a reliever and a starter in his minor league career, but Adams would like to see him continue in a starting role. Adams concluded by saying, "He's just got electric stuff and he's such a great worker. I just love everything he does. He's just really a pleasant guy to have around. I really enjoy him a lot."

I think everybody enjoys Tommy Shirley, with the possible exception of Ben Zobrist.

Tweet of the Day

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Getting to Know Astros/JetHawks LHP Bryan Radziewski

LHP Bryan Radziewski, a 2014 9th round pick out of the University of Miami, Coral Gables, started his season with Quad Cities, putting up a 2.05 ERA and 0.909 WHIP in 5 appearances (3 starts) before his early May promotion to Lancaster. Following his first three appearances in the California League, Radziewski now has a 1.96 ERA and a 1.064 WHIP for the season. He has walked 10 batters and struck out 37 in 36.2 innings.

Bryan Radziewski - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

When I spoke with Radziewski last week, I asked his opinion of what I had written in my Astros MiLB handbook over the offseason:
According to Tri-City Pitching Coach Chris Holt, Radziewski's slider is one of the best breaking balls in the Astros system. The key for him is good fastball command and effective use of his fastball/changeup combo to set up the slider for best effect. Radziewski's fastball, reported to be in the high 80's when he signed, has seen a slight jump in velocity (88 to 92 mph) through better use of his lower half. When all is said and done, he should end up with a low 90's fastball and a plus slider.
After Radziewski declared that description to be spot on, we discussed his development so far this season, In describing his accomplishments in the new season, he said, "I've gained more confidence in my fastball and I can use my changeup now as opposed to just throwing straight sliders. In college, after shoulder surgery, I was throwing about 82 to 83 mph, and I was just afraid to throw a fastball which is why I developed bad habits with throwing my slider so much."

Radziewski's fastball command is the key to everything for him. According to Lancaster Pitching Coach Don Alexander, "I don't care how good your secondary stuff is or how good your breaking ball or changeup is, if you can't command your fastball, if you can't pitch off your fastball, you're going to have a hard time." Alexander is working with Radziewski on trusting his fastball, but likes what he has seen in Radziewski's short time with the JetHawks, "He's got the chance to have some pretty good stuff if he just learns to trust it more. He's another guy that you like how he goes about his business. He just comes right at you, he's not afraid to challenge you. He's not afraid to be aggressive in the strike zone, and he's also got a good mix of pitches. I think there's more coming with him, but he's riding a nice little wave of success right now."

When asked what people who have never seen him pitch before can expect to see from him on the mound, Radziewski responded, "They'll just see someone who's not afraid of a challenge. When it's second and third or bases loaded, I have more of a chance of getting out of it than most people because I just have that confidence in myself, making pitches in big situations."

Who in the Astros minor league system has a pitch that Radziewski would like to steal? "Whoever has a good fastball! [Adrian] Houser throws like 97. I'll take his fastball. Whoever throws hard, I'll take their fastball." And what hitter would he want to avoid? "I'll say probably [Nick] Tanielu or [Mott] Hyde because I lived with them and they know exactly what I would throw them. (Hyde) is having an incredible year ... humble, works hard."

With the current depth of talent in the Astros system, I asked Radziewski if there was someone he thought might be flying under the radar somewhat. According to Radziewski, "I'll go with Bruno [Tyler Brunnemann]. He's been doing real well. And [Albert] Minnis. The good thing about Minnis is he gets a lot of groundball outs and that's going to go a long way for him. Those are two people who are low key that people may not know about that are doing well in a league you're not supposed to do well in."

As a final question, I asked Radziewski what he would do if he couldn't play baseball. He responded, "I would teach baseball, some way, somehow become a coach. I like teaching. I learn as much as I can. I ask stupid questions, even if it's not about me. I just want to learn and share that information with other people."

Thank you for your time, Bryan, and the best of luck as the season continues to unfold.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Other recent interviews:
1B Jon Singleton

You can find more on virtually every player in the Astros minor league system in the 2015 Houston Farm System Handbook available on Amazon for download to your kindle, iPad, laptop, desktop or smart phone.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Welcome to AA, Michael Feliz!

Fresno 5, Memphis 2

W- Asher Wojciechowski (3-0)
L- Tyler Lyons (3-2)
S- Kevin Chapman (3)

Fresno home runs: Carlos Correa (3, 10 season; solo in 1st)

The Grizzlies got on the board in the series and snapped the Redbirds' 9-game winning streak.

Mr. Correa put Fresno on the board with a monstrous home run in the 1st, which tied the game at 1. In the 4th, the Grizz took the lead on a 2-run single from Tyler Heineman. Finally, Matt Duffy ripped an RBI double and L.J. Hoes added a sac fly in the 5th.

Asher Wojciechowski went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Richard Rodriguez, Jason Stoffel, and Kevin Chapman brought it home as they each threw 1 scoreless inning. Rodriguez was first; he allowed a hit in the 7th. Jason Stoffel set Memphis down in order in the 8th, and Kevin Chapman struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to finish it off.

Brett Oberholtzer is back in Fresno as he makes another rehab start. He'll face Tim Cooney at 11:05 A.M. Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Northwest Arkansas 1

W- Vince Velasquez (2-0)
L- Jon Dziedzic (1-3)
S- Michael Feliz (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks took the opener as Vince Velasquez and Michael Feliz completely shackled the Naturals.

Velasquez opened with 5 shutout innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Michael Feliz was greeted rather rudely by Raúl Adalberto Mondesi, who took him deep to lead off the 6th. That homer turned out to be the only hit (and run) Feliz allowed in his 4 innings, and he struck out 7 in his AA debut.

After 10 zeroes on the scoreboard, the Hooks made the breakthrough with a pair in the top of the 6th. Teoscar Hernandez led off the inning with a walk and scored the first run of the evening on an error. Later in the inning, the Naturals traded 2 outs for 1 run, scored by Tony Kemp. The Hooks got some insurance in the top of the 9th on a couple of RBI singles from Teoscar and Jio Mier. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Conrad Gregor; Andrew Aplin and Brandon Meredith had 2 hits apiece.

Kyle Westwood gets the start in game 2 of this series. He'll take on Miguel Almonte at 7:05.

Lancaster was off

The JetHawks are in Stockton to kick off this latest roadtrip. Dan Mengden will get the start in game 1, and this is his California League debut. First pitch is at 7:10 Pacific.

Kane County 3, Quad Cities 0

W- Wei-Chieh Huang (1-0)
L- Akeem Bostick (1-1)
S- Jency Solis (1)

QC home runs: None.

Akeem Bostick pitched well.... but as we saw with Dallas Keuchel on Memorial Day, one mistake can really come back to haunt a pitcher.

Bostick went 5 innings and allowed a 2-run homer to Cody Regis in the 1st inning. He allowed 2 other hits and struck out 7. Brandon McNitt tagged in for 3 innings and he was taken deep by Stryker Trahan in the 8th. McNitt allowed 2 other hits and fanned 2. Aaron Greenwood threw a 1-2-3 9th.

Unfortunately, the Banditos were held to just 4 hits, one of which was a double from Jake Nottingham.

In game 2 of this series, Austin Chrismon takes on Touki Toussaint at 7.

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

A couple of recent Astros minor league roster moves to report ...

CORPUS CHRISTI
5-25  1B/DH Telvin Nash released
5-27  OF Danry Vasquez assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi

Vasquez has been having a very nice season in Lancaster and earned the promotion by hitting .357/.400/.541 in 23 games during the month of May. He also looked much more comfortable defensively in left field when I saw him last week in Lancaster (just please don't put him back in right field!). Vasquez just turned 21 in January and will be substantially younger than the average Texas league player.

Happy Birthday - 5/27

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

Me!


Tweet of the Day

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 25, 2015

Let's play 2 in Davenport!

Memphis 5, Fresno 1

W- Nick Greenwood (3-1)
L- Alex White (1-3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies dropped the opener of their series with the Redbirds on Memorial Day.

Matty D(uffy) went 3-4 and his RBI single in the 1st was the only Fresno run of the night. Robbie Grossman, who scored on Duffy's single, was 2-4 with a double. Matty D(ominguez) finished 2-3 with a double.

Alex White went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 1. Jordan Jankowski allowed 2 hits and walked 1 as he got 2 outs in the 7th. Mitch Lambson got the final out of the 7th and pitched the 8th, where he allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1. Murilo Gouvea worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Asher Wojciechowski gets the start in game 2. He'll take on Tyler Lyons at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 8, Midland 7 in 10 innings

W- Jandel Gustave (1-1)
L- Tucker Healy (2-1)

CC home runs: None.

The Rockhounds managed to tie the game late and briefly took the lead in the first extra frame, but the Hooks sent their fans home happy by walking off with the victory.

Corpus got 2 in the 1st on a pair of RBI singles from Conrad Gregor and Brandon Meredith. Midland tied the game with a pair in the 2nd, but the Hooks put up 4 in the 5th as a double steal saw Tony Kemp take home (11), Jon Kemmer ripped an RBI double, Meredith added his 2nd RBI single of the day, and Leo Heras hit an RBI single to push the Hooks' lead to 6-2.

Midland scored 5 unanswered to take a 7-6 lead into the bottom of the 10th. Meredith kicked things off with a walk. He moved to 3rd on a Teoscar Hernandez single. Teoscar then stole 2nd (8), forcing the Hounds to issue a free pass to Heras to load the bases. Chan-Jong Moon and Tony Kemp drilled some balls... right to Midland defenders, so Jio Mier stepped up as the Hooks' last chance, and he came through. Kemp, Meredith, Heras, and Trent Woodward all finished with 2 hits; Kemp and Meredith both scored 2 runs, as did Andrew Aplin, who stole 2 bases (6, 12 season).

Mike Hauschild went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 3. Brian Holmes went through 3 innings without a problem, but he ran into some trouble in the 9th. In 3+ innings, Holmes allowed 3 runs (all inherited runners that were charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Jandel Gustave was unable to extract the Hooks from that jam as he allowed the game-tying grand slam to Bruce Maxwell. Maxwell was charged to Gustave's account; Gustave ultimately went 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (grand slam; 1 run charged to him), walked 2, and struck out 1.

The Hooks hit the road for their tour of Arkansas. Their trip is likely going to be complicated by the god-awful weather we've been having lately. First stop is Springdale, where the Northwest Arkansas Naturals await. Vince Velasquez gets the start in game 1, and he'll face Jon Dziedzic at 7:05. I spelled "Dziedzic" correctly on the first try.

Lancaster 10, Inland Empire 2

W- Joe Musgrove (2-0, 6-1 season)
L- Victor Alcantara (2-4)

Lancaster home runs: Brett Phillips (7, 2-run in 5th)

Joe Musgrove continued his incredible start to the season and the JetHawks backed him up with 5 in the 5th to earn a split in the series.

Musgrove allowed 2 runs (both in the 5th) on 7 hits and struck out 9 over 6 innings of work. He now has 54 strikeouts against 1 walk across both A levels this season. The only other thing that went wrong for him besides the 2-run 5th was that he hit 2 batters. Reymin Guduan struck out 3 over 2 perfect frames, and Frederick Tiburcio extracted himself from a bases-loaded situation in the 9th to finish it off. He allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Brett Phillips, who finished 4-5 and a triple shy of the cycle, hit a 2-run single in the 3rd to open the scoring, and an error on the play allowed a 3rd run to score. Phillips struck again in the 5th as he smacked a 2-run homer. James Ramsay followed with a 2-run double, and another 66ers error allowed a 3rd run to score. Jack Mayfield hit an RBI single in the 7th, and A.J. Reed drove in the final run of the day with an RBI single in the 8th. Reed finished 3-5, while Ramsay, Mayfield, and Marc Wik finished with 2 hits apiece. James Ramsay is currently on a 14-game hitting streak, the 2nd-longest for the JetHawks this season behind Jose Fernandez.

After a day off, the JetHawks hit the road for a couple of 3-game sets. First stop is Stockton beginning on Wednesday.

Game 1: Peoria 8, Quad Cities 6

W- Austin Gomber (4-3)
L- Kevin Comer (4-1)
S- Robby Rowland (9)

QC home runs: Ryan Bottger (2, solo in 5th), Jake Nottingham (8, 2-run in 7th)

The Chiefs scored a touchdown in the top of the 6th to bust the first game wide open. The Bandits fought back, but they just couldn't overcome that big inning.

Ryan Bottger opened up the scoring in the 5th with his 2nd homer of the year. Bottger also drew a bases-loaded walk in the 6th, as did Alex Hernandez. However, the River Bandits could only get a Thomas Lindauer sac fly in the 6th for the add-on. Jake Nottingham finished 4-4, and his 4th hit of game 1 was a 2-run homer, his 8th of the season.

Kevin Comer pitched 5.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits (3-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 3. Eric Peterson got the final 5 outs of game 1; he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 2.

Game 2: Peoria 6, Quad Cities 3

W- Jhonny Polanco (1-0)
L- Ryan Thompson (1-1)
S- Kyle Grana (6)

QC home runs: D.J. Fisher (6, 2-run in 5th)

Unfortunately, the Banditos were swept in the twinbill and were forced to settle for a split in the series. Again, a late Chiefs uprising got out of control.

All 3 River Bandits runs were driven in by D.J. Fisher by way of an RBI single in the 3rd and a 2-run homer in the 5th. Jamie Ritchie scored 2 of the 3 runs; Fisher scored the other when he went deep. They had all 3 Quad Cities hits (Fisher 2, Ritchie 1), as well.

Francis Martes, in his 2nd start of the season, went 5 innings and allowed 2 unearned runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Jordan Mills allowed a hit in a scoreless 6th. Ryan Thompson bore the brunt of the Peoria 7th as he allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Akeem Bostick takes the mound as the River Bandits begin a series with Kane County tonight at 7.

An Interview with Astros 1B Jon Singleton

I recently spent time in California, visiting the Lancaster JetHawks and Fresno Grizzlies teams. I conducted 10 interviews, including this short one with Jon Singleton. Come back often over the next couple of weeks for more player interviews, video and photographs ...

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Jon Singleton - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

According to Fresno Manager Tony DeFrancesco, although Singleton has struggled against lefties to start the 2015 season, he is coming around in that regard. DeFrancesco was also quick to point out that Singleton's overall offensive numbers are among the best in the minor leagues in terms of RBI and home runs. He went on to say, "I'm pleased with his progress and his attitude. He's working hard. Hopefully he can help the big league team soon."

I spoke with Singleton about his terrific month of May (.315/.407/.717 with 10 home runs, including 3 grand slams, and 37 RBI so far in May), his work on hitting against lefties, and his mindset, among other things.




You can find more on virtually every player in the Astros minor league system in the 2015 Houston Farm System Handbook available on Amazon for download to your kindle, iPad, laptop, desktop or smart phone.

Happy Birthday - 5/26

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

OF Angel de Leon (19)
De Leon was born May 26, 1996 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and signed with the Astros in July 2014. He played in the Dominican Summer League in 2014 for his first season.

Tweet of the Day

Monday, May 25, 2015

Astros Weekend Minor League Recaps

Results for the weekend of May 22-24, 2015

It's been a hectic weekend for me, and also.... the Rockets have left me apoplectic.

Fresno

The Grizzlies continued their series with Nashville over the weekend. They took the series opener 10-2 on Thursday as Jon Singleton clubbed his 13th homer of the season.

Friday: Nashville 7, Fresno 2 

W- Zach Neal (2-0)
L- Brady Rodgers (2-3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Sounds refused to pitch to Carlos Correa on Friday as he drew 3 walks. However, the Grizzlies couldn't make them pay, as they were held to just 3 hits. The only 2 runs the Grizzlies got on Friday came in the 6th as Jon Singleton hit an RBI single and Correa scored on an error.

Brady Rodgers got the start and went 5.1 innings, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits, walking 2, and striking out 5. Jordan Jankowski pitched an inning (final 2 outs of the 6th and the first out of the 7th) and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits. Kevin Chapman was next; he allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 over 1.2 innings. Tyson Perez struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Saturday: Fresno 3, Nashville 2 in 11 innings

W- Richard Rodriguez (4-0)
L- R.J. Alvarez (2-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

The game was tied at 1 heading into extras. Their 1 run in regulation tied the game in the 8th, as Joe Sclafani hit a groundout that scored Matt Duffy. The Sounds took the lead in the top of the 11th on a Kent Matthes RBI double.

The bottom of the 11th didn't start out very well as the Grizzlies found themselves down to their final out. But.... that's when the rally started for real. Alex Presley and Tyler Heineman singled and Sclafani was plunked to load the bases. One batter later, Robbie Grossman came through and delivered the victory with a 2-run single. L.J. Hoes went 3-5 with a double. Presley and Max Stassi had 2 hits apiece; both of Stassi's hits were doubles.

The Grizz held Nashville to 5 hits over the 11 innings. Tommy Shirley got the start and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Mitch Lambson and Jason Stoffel both pitched 2 scoreless innings; Lambson was making his AAA debut. Richard Rodriguez gave up the go-ahead run in the 11th, but he got the win after Grossman's heroics. Rodriguez allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the 11th.

Sunday: Fresno 5, Nashville 3

W- Dan Straily (3-3)
L- Chris Bassitt (1-3)
S- Kevin Chapman (2)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (14, solo in 6th)

The Grizzlies won the series thanks to a nice outing from Dan Straily, who shook off some early trouble when he allowed 3 runs in the 3rd.

2 of those 3 runs came on a 2-run homer from Ryan Roberts. Straily went 7 innings and allowed 8 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Tyson Perez struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th, and Kevin Chapman worked around a hit in the 9th to close it out.

Jon Singleton opened up the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd, and he later scored on a sac fly hit by Matt Duffy. After Nolan Fontana doubled to lead off the 3rd, Alex Presley brought him home with a single. Matt Dominguez added an RBI single in the 4th, and Singleton took a rehabbing Sean Doolittle deep to begin the 6th. Singleton's 14 blasts lead the Minors. Everyone had a hit in this game except for.... Carlos Correa, who had a rare 0-4 night.

Now, the Grizzlies will welcome the other Tennessee team, the Memphis Redbirds, to Chukchansi Park. Fresno's starter is TBA; whoever he is, he'll face Nick Greenwood at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi

Corpus took 2 of the first 3 games of their series with Midland over the weekend.

Friday: Corpus Christi 12, Midland 8

W- Chris Cotton (1-0, 2-2 season)
L- Chris Jensen (3-3)

CC home runs: Jio Mier 2 (5; solo in 1st, solo in 7th), Jon Kemmer (4, 3-run in 1st), Tyler White (3, 2-run in 3rd), Teoscar Hernandez (5, 2-run in 3rd)

The Hooks bullpen picked up Mark Appel and the offense bashed 5 homers as they took the series opener in explosive fashion. They led 10-2 after the 3rd inning.

Mark Appel's dreadful form continues to be a serious cause for concern for the Astros. He only lasted 3.2 innings in this one and allowed 7 runs on 8 hits (grand slam), walked 1, and struck out 2. The bullpen allowed 1 run in 5.1 innings as they restored some order to the game.

Travis Ballew was the first man out; he allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 1.1 scoreless. Kyle Westwood pitched a scoreless 6th, but he failed to record an out in the 7th and allowed a solo homer to Colin Walsh. Westwood allowed 3 other hits and struck out 1. He left a bases-loaded situation with nobody out for Chris Cotton, who was making his AA debut. Oh yeah, it's always the new guy having to clean up a mess...

Well, that's exactly what Cotton did, as he got 2 Ks and induced a force out to extract himself, and by extension, Westwood, from a potential disaster in the 7th. He worked around a couple of singles to throw a scoreless 8th. Jandel Gustave worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 2.

Jio Mier put the Hooks on the board with a solo homer in the 1st. Conrad Gregor added an RBI double to tie the game, and Jon Kemmer smacked a 3-run homer to put the Hooks in the lead. In the 3rd, the Hooks got a pair of 2-run shots from Tyler White and Teoscar Hernandez, and a sac fly from Leo Heras. Kemmer, who finished 4-5, added an RBI single in the 4th. Jio ripped another solo shot in the 7th. He, Teoscar, Roberto Peña, and Andrew Aplin had 2 hits apiece.

Saturday: Corpus Christi 7, Midland 1

W- Chris Devenski (5-0)
L- Nate Long (2-3)

CC home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (6, solo in 3rd)

Chris Devenski's incredible start to the season continued as the Hooks pounded the Hounds on Saturday night.

Devo allowed a solo homer to Renato Nuñez in the 2nd, which was the only run he allowed. It was also the only extra-base hit he allowed in his 7 innings. He walked 1 and struck out 3. Juan Minaya walked 2 and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless to finish it off.

The Hooks offense responded to Nuñez's homer in the 2nd with 5 runs in the bottom of the inning. Teoscar Hernandez put Corpus in front when he ripped a 2-run double. Tony Kemp hit a sac fly, and Jio Mier followed with a single. Conrad Gregor finished off the scoring in the 2nd by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Teoscar finished 2-4 and smacked his second homer in as many nights with a solo blast in the 3rd, and Andrew Aplin finished 3-4 with an RBI single in the 6th.

Sunday: Midland 6, Corpus Christi 2

W- Tim Atherton (2-2)
L- Josh Hader (1-2)

CC home runs: Jon Kemmer (5, solo in 4th)

The Hounds put up 3 deuces in the game to top the Hooks.

Jon Kemmer's solo shot in the 4th opened up the scoring. The other Corpus run came courtesy of Trent Woodward, who was making his season debut. Woodward, a 20th-round pick out of Fresno State in last year's draft, came on as a pinch-hitter in the 9th and ripped an RBI double. Andrew Aplin went 2-4 with a triple.

Josh Hader went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 5. Travis Ballew was the first man out of the bullpen and threw 2 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 2. Chris Cotton got 2 outs in the 9th, 1 via strikeout, but he allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and walked 1. Jandel Gustave got Renato Nuñez to ground out for the final out of the 9th inning.

Mike Hauschild gets the start in the series finale on this Memorial Day. He'll take on Jake Sanchez at 2:05.

Lancaster

The JetHawks are currently down 2-1 in their series against Inland Empire.

Friday: Inland Empire 7, Lancaster 5

W- Brian Loconsole (3-1)
L- Reymin Guduan (0-1, 3-1 season)
S- Greg Mahle (7)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks fought back from an early 4-0 hole to tie the game and finally took the lead in the 7th, but the 66ers put up 3 in the 8th to take this one.

Alfredo Gonzalez hit a 2-run single in the 3rd and scored on a wild pitch. Marc Wik hit an RBI groundout in the 4th to tie the game. Danry Vásquez grounded into a force out that put the JetHawks in the lead in the 7th inning. Gonzalez and Brett Phillips both finished with 2-hit nights.

Bryan Radziewski went 4.2 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Reymin Guduan was the first man out; he allowed 2 runs (well, they were both inherited runners that scored) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 over 2.2 innings. Frederick Tiburcio also allowed an unearned run in the 8th. He pitched 1.2 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Saturday: Inland Empire 9, Lancaster 6

W- Chris Ellis (3-4)
L- Adrian Houser (0-2)
S- Geoff Broussard (2)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks found themselves down 9-0, but they put up a pair of 3-run innings to get within striking distance late. Unfortunately, that 9-run deficit was too much for them to overcome.

They got 2 RBI doubles from Jack Mayfield and Marc Wik and a sac fly from Ronnie Mitchell in the 6th. In the 8th inning, the JetHawks got 3 RBI singles from Brett Phillips, Alfredo Gonzalez, and Danry Vásquez. They threatened for more, but couldn't capitalize on a situation where they had runners on Danry and Alfredo on 2nd and 3rd, respectively, with 1 out after a passed ball allowed the two of them to advance a base. Wik and James Ramsay had 2 hits apiece.

Adrian Houser allowed 4 runs on 8 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 5 over 4.2 innings. Tyler Brunnemann got the final out of the 5th via strikeout, but not before he allowed a 2-run homer to Angel Rosa. Troy Scribner tagged in for 3.1 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits (2-run homer), walking 3, and striking out 5. Albert Minnis got the final 2 outs of the 9th, striking out 1.

Sunday: Lancaster 9, Inland Empire 5

W- Edison Frias (6-2)
L- Harrison Cooney (1-3)
S- Keegan Yuhl (1, 2 season)

Lancaster home runs: Brett Booth (1, solo in 7th), Brett Phillips (6, solo in 8th)

The JetHawks trailed early yet again, but a 7-run 5th put them in the driver's seat.

Edison Frias shook off a rocky 1st inning in which he allowed a 3-run homer to Mike Snyder to throw a decent outing. Those 3 runs were the only runs, and that homer was the only extra-base hit Frias allowed in his 5 innings. He allowed 5 singles, walked 1, and struck out 3. Zach Morton was the first man out; he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 2 innings. Keegan Yuhl threw 2 scoreless for the save; he allowed 2 hits and struck out 1.

The first 3 batters reached base in that big 5th inning, which was done without an extra-base hit. James Ramsay, who singled to begin the inning, scored the first JetHawks run on a passed ball. Brett Phillips followed with an RBI groundout, and Danry Vásquez added an RBI single. Danry later scored on an error. Brett Booth followed with a bases-loaded walk. And finally, another 66ers error on a ball hit by Ramsay allowed A.J. Reed and Ronnie Mitchell to score. Booth hit his 1st homer of the season, cranking a solo shot in the 7th inning. Maverick Phillips also went deep in the 8th.

The series finale is a Memorial Day matinee as Joe Musgrove takes the mound. He'll face Victor Alcantara at 2 Pacific.

Quad Cities

The Banditos just keep rolling. What else can I say? They welcomed Peoria to Modern Woodmen Park and proceeded to smash them 8-1 on Friday and blank them 2-0 on Saturday. However, game 3 was rained out.

Friday: Quad Cities 8, Peoria 1

W- Dan Mengden (4-1)
L- Fernando Báez (2-3)
S- Austin Chrismon (1)

QC home runs: Nick Tanielu (1, 2-run in 3rd), Jake Nottingham (1, solo in 5th), Jason Martin (1, solo in 5th)

The Bandits pounded out 15 hits as they mauled the Chiefs.

They put up 3 in the 1st as Mott Hyde ripped an RBI double and Jake Nottingham drove in 2 with a 2-bagger of his own. Nick Tanielu's 1st homer of the season was the highlight of the Quad Cities 3rd. The two California kids, Nottingham and Martin, hit solo shots in the 5th, and the final run of the night came when Ryan Bottger scored on an error in the inning. The Sheriff finished 4-5, while Bottger and Bobby Boyd both finished 2-4. Jamie Ritchie reached base in all 5 of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with a double, 3 walks, and a run scored from the top of the order.

Dan Mengden, in his final start before heading to Lancaster, allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 5 innings of work. Austin Chrismon allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 as he got a 4-inning save.

Saturday: Quad Cities 2, Peoria 0

W- Brock Dykxhoorn (3-2)
L- Luis Perdomo (1-4)

QC home runs: None.

Three River Bandits pitchers combined on a 4-hitter.

After 11 zeroes were put up on the board, D.J. Fisher broke the deadlock when he.... flied into a force out that allowed Thomas Lindauer to score. Jamie Ritchie, who was thrown out at 3rd, likely misjudged the flight of the ball after it made contact with Fisher's bat. Two more doubles for The Sheriff; one drove in a run in the 8th inning. Jake Nottingham was the only player on either side to have more than one hit.

Josh James allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 over 4 shutout innings to start. Jorge Perez worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 1 in his season debut. Brock Dykxhoorn got the win as he allowed a hit and struck out 5 over 4 scoreless. That was a great outing for the big Canadian to get himself back on track after a couple of shaky outings.

Sunday: Postponed

This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Monday starting at 4. Kevin Comer will take on Austin Gomber in game 1, and in game 2, Francis Martes matches up against Daniel Poncedeleon.

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Sunday, May 24, 2015

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

A few Astros minor league roster moves to report ...

CORPUS CHRISTI

5-24  OF Brandon Meredith activated from DL
5-24  1B/DH Telvin Nash released

LANCASTER
5-23  RHP Daniel Mengden assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster

With Michael Feliz' recent promotion to Corpus Christi, it was widely assumed that Mengden would be sent to Lancaster to take his place. With a 1.16 ERA and a 0.983 WHIP in 38.2 innings for the River Bandits, Mengden needed a new challenge.

QUAD CITIES
5-22  RHP Jose Montero placed on the 7-day DL (Montero had just been activated from the DL on 5-21 before being placed back on the DL a day later)
5-22  RHP Jorge Perez assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities
5-24  RHP Angel Heredia assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities

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Saturday, May 23, 2015

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Friday, May 22, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 21, 2015

Well, I am in a catatonic state after the end of that Rockets game. So, these recaps will be a little shorter so I can cope, or attempt to cope.

Fresno 10, Nashville 2

W- Luis Cruz (1-2)
L- Barry Zito (1-4)

Fresno home runs: Carlos Correa (2, 9 season; 2-run in 4th), Jon Singleton (13, 2-run in 8th)

The Grizzlies were down 2-0 after 2 innings, but they silenced the Sounds with 10 unanswered.

Mr. Correa put the Grizz on the board with an RBI single in the 3rd. He was erased at 2nd as L.J. Hoes grounded into a force out, but Robbie Grossman scored. Jon Singleton later ripped an RBI double to put Fresno in the lead. Correa smashed a 2-run homer in the 4th. In the 5th inning, Matt Duffy blooped in an RBI single, and Nolan Fontana lashed a 2-run triple, and Singleton drove in the final 2 runs of the evening with his Minor League-leading 13th homer of the season. Correa, Duffy, and Fontana had 2 hits apiece, while Singleton led the way with 3 hits.

Luis Cruz went 7 innings and, other than giving up those 2 runs in the 2nd, he was solid. He allowed 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Murilo Gouvea, making his first appearance in nearly 3 years, worked around 2 hits and struck out 1 in a scoreless 8th inning. Jason Stoffel walked 1 and struck out the side in the 9th.

Gouvea, who is part of a small Brazilian contingent in minor league baseball, has battled his way back from a sprained elbow in 2013 that ended up in Tommy John surgery in 2014. The Astros were satisfied with his rehab to the point that they re-signed him. This could be a feel-good story in the making.

Brady Rodgers gets the start in game 2 of this series. He'll take on Kendall Graveman at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi and San Antonio was postponed

Due to rain. This game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on June 21.

Mark Appel will start tonight as the Hooks begin a series with Midland. First pitch is at 7:05.

Lancaster 22, High Desert 5

W- Evan Grills (2-4)
L- Tyler Smith (1-4)

Lancaster home runs: Chase McDonald (6, solo in 7th), A.J. Reed (11, solo in 8th)

Jayne probably had to sleep at The Hangar. Check out that box score... every position player who appeared in the game scored a run! The JetHawks led 18-4 after the 3rd inning. Yes, the third inning.


Evan Grills was knocked around early, but he pulled himself together and was the beneficiary of some generous run support. He went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (3-run homer) and struck out 3. Tyler Brunnemann allowed a solo homer to Shoeless Joe Jackson's descendent, also named Joe Jackson, in the 7th inning. He pitched 2 innings and allowed a single, walked 2, and struck out 1. Keegan Yuhl worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

The JetHawks will now begin a 4-game series against Inland Empire. Bryan Radziewski will start the opener; he'll face Jordan Kipper at 6:30 Pacific.

Clinton 3, Quad Cities 0


W- Zack Littell (1-0)
L- Brandon McNitt (0-1)
S- Kody Kerski (5)

This was only the 2nd series that the River Bandits didn't win all year. They're now 11-1-1 after splitting with the Lumberkings. They are the last team in Minor League Baseball to lose 10 games.

The Banditos only had 3 hits. 2 of them belonged to Bobby Boyd, and the other hit came off the bat of Jason Martin.

The Bandits pitchers held the Lumberkings to 4 hits... but they managed to score 3 runs. Brandon McNitt allowed all 4 of them; he allowed a run, walked 2, and struck out 6 over 5 innings. Jose Montero pitched 1.1 innings, walked 1, and had an inherited runner charged to him when Aaron Greenwood allowed a 2-run sacrifice fly in the 7th. Greenwood pitched 1.2 innings, walked 2, and struck out 1.

The Banditos are welcoming Peoria to the Quad Cities for the weekend and Monday. In game 1, Dan Mengden and his 'stache will take on Fernando Báez at 7.

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Thursday, May 21, 2015

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

A few Astros minor league moves to report ...

FRESNO
5-21  LHP Mitch Lambson assigned from Corpus Christi to Fresno
5-21  C Tyler Heineman assigned from Corpus Christi to Fresno
5-21  RHP Murilo Gouvea assigned to Fresno from Extended Spring Training
5-21  LHP Darin Downs released

Gouvea, a Brazilian right-hander, last appeared in a regular season game in the Astros organization on August 31, 2012, when he was with Lexington.

CORPUS CHRISTI
5-21  RHP Michael Feliz assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
5-21  LHP Chris Cotton assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
5-21  RHP Daniel Minor released*
5-21  C/1B/LF Trent Woodward assigned to Corpus Christi from Extended Spring Training
5-21  C Luis Flores assigned from Fresno to Corpus Christi and placed on the inactive list

LANCASTER
5-21  LHP Reymin Guduan assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
5-23  RHP Daniel Mengden (and his 'stache) assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster

QUAD CITIES
5-19  RHP Aaron Greenwood assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities
5-19  RHP Francis Martes assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities
5-21  1B Bryan Muniz placed on 7-day disabled list
5-21  RHP Jose Montero activated from disabled list. then placed on the disabled list again the next day
5-22  RHP Jorge Perez assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities

*Daniel Minor was, unfortunately, the victim of a factor that is otherwise a good thing for Astros fans ... a glut of quality arms building up in the higher levels of the system. As a reliever, Minor simply wasn't able to get regular work this season. I wish him the very best of luck and sincerely hope that he is picked up quickly by another affiliated system. In any event, he will remain one of "my guys."

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Swept.




Fresno was off

The Grizzlies begin a 4-game series with Nashville tonight at 7:05 Pacific. Luis Cruz will take on Barry Zito. Also, the Frankenslice, a pizza with a hot dog baked in to the crust, will be offered for one night only.


San Antonio 2, Corpus Christi 0

W- Bryan Rodriguez (3-5)
L- Aaron West (1-3)
S- Tayron Guerrero (3)

CC home runs: None.

10 hits... but no runs to show for it.

All 10 of Corpus Christi's hits were singles. Tyler Heineman and Leo Heras both went 2-4. Tony Kemp went 1-3 with a walk and 2 steals (10).

Aaron West went 7 innings and allowed a run on 8 hits and struck out 3. Jandel Gustave allowed a solo homer to Trea Turner in the 8th. He allowed 2 other hits and struck out 1 in the inning. Juan Minaya threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.

Mark Appel and Kyle Westwood will take on Elliot Morris in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

High Desert 4, Lancaster 3

W- Luis Parra (1-3)
L- Zach Morton (0-3)
S- Juan Grullon (1)

Lancaster home runs: Danry Vásquez (2, 2-run in 4th)

The JetHawks were left to lament their missed opportunities in this game, especially early on, as they left the bases loaded in the 1st.... and the 2nd innings. They stranded 13 in the game.

Danry Vásquez gave Lancaster a 2-1 lead with his 2nd homer of the season, a 2-run shot in the 4th. James Ramsay hit an RBI single in the 7th that made it a 1-run game, but the JetHawks were unable to find the breakthrough.

Joe Musgrove was excellent in his 5 innings of work; the only run he surrendered came on a solo homer to Royce Bolinger in the 2nd. He allowed 2 singles and struck out 9; he now has 45 strikeouts against 1 walk across both Class A stops. Unfortunately, the Mavs got to Zach Morton for 3 in the 6th. Morton allowed 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 over 3 innings. Frederick Tiburcio struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

In the series finale, Evan Grills takes on Tyler Smith. First pitch is at 6:30 Pacific.

Clinton 7, Quad Cities 6

W- Rohn Pierce (2-2)
L- Jordan Mills (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos could not hold a 6-2 lead; this Lumberkings rally resulted in a walk-off loss.

Clinton led 1-0 heading into the 4th, but Quad Cities left the inning with a 3-1 lead. Sean McMullen hit a sac fly and Alex Hernandez smacked a 2-run double. D.J. Fisher finished 2-4 with a 2-run single in the 7th and a stolen base (6). Fine night for Jason Martin, who went 4-4 with an RBI single in the 8th and scored 2 runs. Nick Tanielu went 2-3 with 2 runs scored.

Akeem Bostick allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5 in 7 innings. Ryan Thompson was knocked around in the 8th as he allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jordan Mills got 2 outs in the 9th... but he allowed the winning run to score on a bases-loaded walk. Mills allowed a single and struck out 1.

Brandon McNitt takes on Zack Littell in the series finale. First pitch is at 6:30.

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Well, the Rockets lost, but the Astros and their affiliates all won! So Tuesday was not a total loss.

Fresno 12, El Paso 2

W- Asher Wojciechowski (2-0)
L- Robbie Erlin (4-3)

Fresno home runs: Domingo Santana 2 (10; 2-run in 1st), solo in 4th), L.J. Hoes (2, solo in 3rd), Carlos Correa (1, 8 season; 2-run in 6th), Matt Dominguez (2, solo in 9th), Robbie Grossman (1, 2-run in 9th)

Pretty fun. 9 of the 12 Grizzlies runs came off of those 6 home runs. Also, here's a video from Alex Nicolas of SB Nation's UTEP blog, Miner Rush.


Majestic. Pretty soon, those balls are going to be deposited into the Astros bullpen....

Oh, sorry, I was daydreaming for a moment there.

Domingo's first homer of the game put the Grizz on the board first in the 1st. L.J. Hoes homered to lead off the 3rd, and later in the inning, Luis Flores ripped a 2-run double. Domingo smacked a solo blast with 2 outs in the 4th. Carlos Correa hit his first AAA homer, a 2-run shot in the 6th. Jon Singleton hit an RBI double in the 8th, and Matty D(ominguez) and Robbie Grossman went deep in the 9th, The top 4 of Grossman, Correa, Hoes, and Santana all had 2 hits, all of them homered, and all of them scored 2 runs. Matt Dominguez finished 5-5 with a double, the solo homer in the 9th, and scored twice. Flores finished 2-5, and Jon Singleton finished 4-5.

Wojo was the beneficiary of ample run support and he wasn't too shabby on the mound himself. He went 5.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Richard Rodriguez allowed a hit and struck out 4 over 2.1 scoreless. Jason Stoffel struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

The Grizzlies have today off; tomorrow, they'll begin a homestand with the Tennessee teams coming to visit. First up is 4 with Nashville.

Corpus Christi 6, San Antonio 2

W- Vince Velasquez (1-0)
L- Ryan Butler (0-1)

CC home runs: Telvin Nash (7, solo in 8th)

8 in a row for the Hooks.

Vince Velasquez got his first win of the season as he allowed 2 unearned runs, 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 5.1 innings of work. Mitch Lambson struck out 2 over 2.2 perfect frames, and Travis Ballew worked around 2 hits and a hit batter to finish off this game.

The Missions got their 2 runs in the top of the 3rd, but the Hooks responded with 4 in the bottom of the inning to take control. Chan-Jong Moon scored the first Corpus run when Jio Mier grounded into a double play. Teoscar Hernandez advanced to 3rd, and he wouldn't have to wait long for company, as Andrew Aplin (who stole his 3rd [9 season] base) and Telvin Nash walked. Jon Kemmer proceeded to bring them all home with a double. Moon hit an RBI single in the 4th, and Telvin drove himself in for the final run of the night with a solo blast in the 8th. Kemmer's 2 hits were both doubles. Moon and Tony Kemp both finished 2-3, and Leo Heras stole 2 bases (8).

Aaron West will start game 3 of this series; he'll face Bryan Rodriguez at 7:05.

Lancaster 8, High Desert 7 in 12 innings

W- Albert Minnis (1-1)
L- Justin Sprenger (1-3)

Lancaster home runs: A.J. Reed (10, solo in 1st), Danry Vásquez (2, solo in 3rd)

With the JetHawks' victory, every Astros affiliate is back above the .500 mark. They tied with 1 in the 9th and walked off with the win in the bottom of the 12th.

Brett Phillips led off the bottom of the 1st with a double and scored the first run of the evening on a J.D. Davis groundout. After the JetHawks got on the board, A.J. Reed extended the lead with a mammoth solo shot, his 10th of the season. James Ramsay hit a sac fly in the 2nd. In the 3rd, Danry led off the inning with his 2nd homer of the year, and after doubling, Reed scored on a wild pitch. Danry struck again with an RBI single in the 4th to give the JetHawks a 6-4 lead.

The Mavs scored 1 apiece in the 5th, the 6th, and the 7th to take the lead. They had a grand opportunity with the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the 7th, but 3 straight outs ended that threat. 2 straight singles and an error loaded the bases yet again in the bottom of the 9th, but this time, Brett Booth came through with a sac fly to tie the game at 7. Reed was stranded at 2nd to end the 11th. After Booth struck out to begin the 12th, Ramsay singled, and then Phillips and Danry walked to load the bases for a third time. J.D. Davis was next up, and he finished it off with a single.

Michael Feliz went 4.2 innings, allowing 5 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walking 1, and striking out 4. Keegan Yuhl made his California League debut as the first man out of the bullpen. He went 1.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), issued an intentional walk, and struck out 3. Chris Cotton came on with the bases loaded and 1 out in the 7th, and he successfully extracted the JetHawks from that situation without allowing any runs. 58% Cotton walked 2 and struck out 4 over 2.1 scoreless innings. Albert Minnis tagged in with 2 outs in the 9th. He issued a walk to load the bases, but got out of the inning by striking out Ronald Guzman. Minnis went 3.1 innings and allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3.

Game 2 will be a late-morning game (well, early afternoon in the Central Time Zone). Joe Musgrove gets the start for this game, which will begin at 11 A.M. Pacific.

Quad Cities 8, Clinton 5

W- Kevin Comer (4-0)
L- Patrick Peterson (4-4)
S- Aaron Greenwood (1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits continue to do what they've been doing to their opposition all season. They are now 16-2 in the month of May. They held an 8-1 lead, but the Lumberkings mounted a late uprising to cut into that lead.

In the 1st, the Banditos got a couple of runs on a couple of sac flies hit by Nick Tanielu and Ryan Bottger. Sean McMullen grounded into a force out that scored D.J. Fisher in the 3rd. OK, every time D.J. Fisher hit a double in this game, he scored. He finished with 3 doubles in 5 at-bats and scored 3 runs. He scored the first run of the game in the 1st... after doubling. He doubled for the 3rd time in the 5th.... and scored on a Tanielu triple.The Bandits busted out for 4 in the 6th thanks to RBI singles from Tanielu and Kristian Trompiz and a 2-run double by Jamie Ritchie. Bottger, Tanielu, Ritchie, and Mott Hyde had 2 hits apiece.

Francis Martes was the third player in the Jarred Cosart deal (the fourth will be drafted in a few weeks). He made his season debut in this game and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5 over 4 innings of work. Kevin Comer tagged in and went 4.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 7 hits, walking 2, and striking out 2. Aaron Greenwood also made his 2015 debut with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 9th. He issued a walk to the first man he faced but was able to close it out by recording his first strikeout of the season.

Akeem Bostick will take the mound tonight. He'll face Lukas Schiraldi at 6:30.