Last night pretty much sums up where our talent is. The highest three teams lost and the rest all won. The knock on the Astros farm system a few years ago was that there were no real prospects, especially high upside prospects. Now, the knock is that there aren't many solid prospects in the upper minors that will be ready to contribute in the next year or two. Lyles and Keuchel with be ready soon and only Lyles has the upside to be a true impact player. Keuchel is more of #4 starter probably, but I think he might be a #3. Shuck and Bogey will be ready soon too, but they don't project to be much more than average regulars. We're not going to go into the relievers.
Speaking of the majority of talent being in the lower minors, Satchel Price over at Beyond The Boxscore wrote an article entitled A Look to the Future: Your 2013 Houston Astros. It is very similar to OremLK's recent article Astros of the Future-Midseason 2010. It's posted again here at Minor League Ball for more discussion. He fills each position by a player that will still be under team control in 2013 and minor leaguers in the system or drafted this year. It really shows that the majority of our best prospects at each position are in the definite lower minors. Although, I disagree with him on many prospects being ready by then. But they are distant possibilities.
Round Rock lost 7-6 in 12 innings
Josh Banks gave up three runs on nine hits, no walks, and three strikeouts in his six and two-thirds innings of work. Well it seems that Polin Trinidad may have been moved to the pen. He pitched two-thirds of an inning out of the pen and gave up one hit and struck out two. Wladimir Sutil went 2 for 6 (maybe he's adjusting) with a strikeout. Bogey went 1 for 4 with a walk, strikeout, stolen base, and a homerun. Ramon Vazquez went 1 for 5 with a double and a walk. Matt Kata (why is he making me cringe and feel like I have to put him on my Sunday performers) went 3 for 6 with two doubles. Drew Locke went 2 for 6 with a triple, stolen base, and two strikeouts. German Duran went 1 for 2 with a double, walk, and a strikeout.
Corpus Christi lost 2-1
Tyler Lumsden allowed just two runs on six hits and a walk in his six and two-thirds innings of work while striking out three. Evan Englebrook didn't allow a hit, walk, or run in his two and a third innings and struck out one. Jonathan Gaston and Marcos Cabral both went 2 for 4 with a strikeout each. Gaston also stole a base.
Lancaster lost 7-0
Patrick Urkfitz made his second start for Lancaster and it was decent. The former undrafted signee gave up three runs on six hits and two walks during his six innings of work. He also struck out four. Kyle Godfrey pitched two innings and didnt register an allowed run, hit, walk, or a strikeout. Typical with any shutout, there is nothing to to talk about with the offense as there were no extra base hits nor anyone with multiple hits.
Lexington won 9-5
Jose Cisnero was wildly effective four five innings of work. He allowed three runs (two coming in the first two batters in the sixth before being pulled) on four hits and six walks and five strikeouts. Wander Alvino pitched two scoreles and hitless innings where he walked two and struck out four. The offense exploded mostly on the heels of JD Martinez's 5 for 5 performance that included a double and TWO homeruns. Jake Goebbert went 1 for 5 with a double. Aaron Bray went 1 for 5 with a double and a strikeout. Jio Mier went 1 for 4 with a double, walk, and a strikeout. Rene Garcia went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk.
Tri-City won 9-2
Jake Buchanan allowed two runs, only one earned, on four hits in his five innings. He also struck out three. Alex Sogard pitched a scoreless inning and two-thirds on one hit and four strikeouts. Jason Chowning pitched a scoreless inning and a third while striking out two and walking one. Chris Blazek pitched another scoreless outing and allowed just one hit while striking out one. Ben Orloff went 2 for 4 with a walk. Ben Heath went 2 for 5 with a double and a strikeout. Tyler Burnett went 2 for 4 with a double and a strikeout. Adam Bailey went 1 for 5 with a double. Oscar Figueroa went 0 for 1 with three walks.
Greeneville won 16-12
Talk about an offensive game. Euris Quezada gave up five run in five innings on nine hits and two walks. Although, he managed to strike out five. Brian Streilein didn't allow a run and allowed just one hit in an inning and a third while striking out one. Ricardo Garcia went 3 for 5 with a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Jonathan Merritt is now batting second and went 1 for 3 with two walks and a strikeout. Jhonny Medrano went 3 for 6 with a homerun and a strikeout. Chris Wallace went 4 for 5 with another homerun. Marcus Nidiffer went 2 for 5. Telvin Nash went 1 for 3 with a homerun, two walks, and a strikeout. Emilio King went 2 for 4 with two strikeouts. Ricardo Heredia went 1 for 5 with a triple and a strikeout.
GCL Astros won 8-5
Luis Ordosgoitti pitched four innings and gave up three runs. The runs came off eight hits and he managed to walk nobody while striking out two. Jose Monzon went 3 for 4 with a double and a homerun as the leadoff hitter. Ryan Ditthardt went 2 for 3 with two doubles and a walk. Rafael Valenzuela went 2 for 4 with a homerun.
DSL Astros won 1-0
Jose Montero pitched four and a third scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and two walks but managed just one strikeout. Xavier Baso pitched five and two-thirds scoreless innings in relief and allowed just two hits. He walked just one and struck out two. Ydarqui Marte went 3 for 4. Mario Gonzales went 2 ofr 3 with a walk.