Houston Astros Minor League Recap: 8/29/13

Unfortunately, today, we're skipping straight ahead to What Happened Was...

Oklahoma City RedHawks (AAA) - With the game tied at 3-3, Jason Stoffel came in to face the Nashville Sounds (MIL) in the top of the 12th inning. After inducing a groundout from the first batter he faced, Stoffel allowed three straight singles to allow Memphis to pull ahead. In the bottom of the frame, though, George Springer did George Springer things, with a single of his own, advancing to second on the throw. Jimmy Paredes followed it up with a single of his own, getting caught in a rundown advancing to second, allowing Springer to score and keep the game alive. In the bottom of the fourteenth inning, Joe Martinez doubled home Raoul Torrez to win this one for the RedHawks in walkoff fashion, 5-4.

Oklahoma City: 80-60, Champions - Pacific Coast League American Southern

• LF Trevor Crowe - 2/6
• 3B Jose Martinez - 3/7, 2B, RBI
• DH George Springer - 3/6, 2 R, RBI, K
• SS Jimmy Paredes - 2/6, 2B, RBI, K, E
• RHP Bobby Doran - 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• LHP Pat Urckfitz - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Jose Cisnero - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Jorge De Leon - 2.0 IP, 0 H,0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Jason Stoffel - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) - Arlett Mavare had seven strikeouts and just one walk in four innings pitched against the Hooks. Ruben Alaniz, Andrew Robinson, and Jonas Dufek combined to strike out just 4 Frisco RoughRiders (TEX), a number they matched in walks allowed. Yet, because baseball is a horribly unfair game, Mavare didn't come in to pitch the fifth inning after throwing 73 through the first four innings, and his replacement, Alex Claudio, ceded three runs fifth inning. Hooks go on to win, 6-2.

Corpus Christi: 39-27, t-1st - Texas League South

• 2B Kike Hernandez - 1/5, 2B, RBI, K, E
• 3B Jonathan Meyer - 4/5, 2B, R
• LF/RF Michael Burgess - 1/4, 2B, R, 2 K
• SS Jiovanni Mier - 1/3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K
• DH Ronald Torreyes - 3/4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
• RHP Ruben Alaniz - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, WP, BK, HBP
• RHP Andrew Robinson - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Lancaster Jethawks (A+) - Since being traded for Justin Maxwell, Kyle Smith has been Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, with some very nice performances and some less-than-stellar ones. He made it just two innings in this start, also allowing a walk, a home run, and a single in the top of the third before being replaced by Blair Walters, who fared only marginally better against the Lake Elsinore Storm (SDP), allowing two runs of his own. By the time Tyson Perez took over in the fourth, the Jethawks trailed 9-3, and despite a four-run bottom of the fourth and some late runs to try and rally, they end up losing their final home game of the season, 11-9.

Lancaster: 41-25, Champions - California League South

• 2B Delino DeShields - 1/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
• SS Carlos Perdomo - 3/4, 3 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB
• DH Nolan Fontana - 3/4, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB
• 3B Joe Sclafani - 1/5, 2B, R, K
• RF Chris Epps - 1/3, R, 2 BB, K
• RHP Kyle Smith - 2.0 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• LHP Blair Walters - 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Tyson Perez - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Jordan Jankowski - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Quad Cities River Bandits (A) - Rio Ruiz singled home Carlos Correa and Catfish Elkins in the top of the first to give Joe Bircher a 2-0 lead before he ever took the mound against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (MIL), but he allowed runs in the first and second to tie the game. Next time through the order, Danry Vasquez got in on the fun, doubling home Elkins before Ruiz once again singled in Correa. That lead would prove to be enough, as Bircher & Co. combined to allow just one more run the rest of the way. A couple of runs on a ninth-inning Roberto Pena double gave Pat Christensen more insurance than he needed, as the River Bandits win, 6-3.

Quad Cities: 40-25, 2nd (4.5 GB) - Midwest League Western (clinched playoffs)

• 2B Catfish Elkins - 2/3, 2 R, BB, K, PO
• SS Carlos Correa - 0/2, 2 R, 2 BB, K
• LF Danry Vasquez - 1/4, 2B, RBI
• 3B Rio Ruiz - 3/4, 3 RBI
• DH Brian Blasik - 1/2, R, 2 BB
• C Roberto Pena - 2/4, 2B, 2 RBI
• LHP Joe Bircher - 3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, WP
• RHP Jamaine Cotton - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, WP
• RHP Pat Christensen - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Tri-City ValleyCats (A-) - The Lowell Spinners won't go away. As the ValleyCats have lost three in a row, the Red Sox short season affiliate has won an equal number in a row, reducing Tri-City's division lead to 1.5 games, with six games left in the season. Two of those six games are road games against Lowell. Meanwhile, the Jamestown Jammers (PIT) are keeping pace with Tri-City, as well. They currently lead the Wild Card standings with a 41-28 record - the same number of wins as the ValleyCats.

Game 1

In the makeup game for the postponed 8/22 game, Kevin Comer, Tyler Brunnemann, and Chris Munnelly combined to strike out 11 Vermont Lake Monster (OAK) hitters over seven innings, walking just three. The problem? Four runs on eight hits. The Tri-City bats, on the other hand, just couldn't get going. Despite just two strikeouts as a team, they drew a single walk (congratulations, James Ramsay!) and combined for just five hits and no runs. ValleyCats lose, 4-0.

• 1B Conrad Gregor - 1/3, 2B
• 2B Ryan Dineen - 2/2, 2B
• RHP Kevin Comer - 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, WP
• RHP Chris Munnelly - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Game 2

The offense was a little better in game two of the twinbill, but the pitching was a lot worse, as the Lake Monsters exploded for 14 hits in the seven-inning affair, as Evan Grills struggled to get outs. He recorded just five before being pulled, and three of them were strikeouts. Justin Hess was worse in relief in his New York-Penn League debut, facing six batters and getting a single out before Zachary Dando came in to save the day. Dando didn't overpower, but he kept the 8-3 beating from getting a lot worse.

Tri-City: 41-29, 1st - New York-Penn League Stedler

• 1B Conrad Gregor - 3/3, 2B, R, RBI
• DH Brett Booth - 2/3, RBI
• LHP Evan Grills - 1.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Justin Hess - 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Zachary Dando - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Greeneville Astros (Rk) - As the Kingsport Mets (NYM) keep winning, the Greeneville Astros keep losing, and they've lost the edge in the Western Division as a result. That's the bad news. The good news is that, despite a 3-2 loss to the Danville Braves (ATL), Greeneville clinched a playoff spot when the Elizabethtown Twins (MIN) lost and were eliminated. Kingsport and Greeneville will begin their three-game series tomorrow at Pioneer Park.

Greeneville Astros: 38-29, 2nd (1.5 GB) - Appalachian League Western (clinched playoffs)

• 1B Chase McDonald - 2/5, 2B
• RF Wallace Gonzalez - 0/4, 3 K
• CF Brett Phillips - 0/4, 3 K
• SS Thomas Lindauer - 1/4, 2 R, 2 E
• RHP Luis Ordosgoitti - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HBP
• LHP Kevin Ferguson - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Raul Rivera - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

GCL Astros (Rk) - The Astros ended their season the same way they began it: With a loss. Five Astros errors led to four unearned GCL Yankees2 (NYY) runs, and the offense - despite out-hitting the Yankees2 9-7 - couldn't scratch together more than a pair of runs. The Astros' season finale is a loss, 5-2.

GCL Astros: 27-33, 3rd (9.0 GB) - Gulf Coast League Northeast

• CF Javaris Reynolds - 2/5, K
• SS Luis Reynoso - 1/3, 2B, RBI, E
• 2B Alex Gonzalez - 2/4, SB, E
• RHP Agapito Barrios - 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HBP
• RHP Jorge Perez - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

DSL Astros (Rk) - Season complete

DSL Astros: 39-31, 3rd (7.0 GB) - Dominican Summer League Boca Chica Northwest