Houston Astros Minor League Recap: 4/30/14

Oklahoma City Redhawks (AAA) - The Round Rock Express (TEX) offense seemed to have Jake Buchanan's number from moment one, as three out of the first four hitters of the game singled off of him before a Jared Hoying double put Round Rock up, 2-0, with only two outs recorded in the game. The bottom of the frame began the same way: Robbie Grossman, Gregorio Petit, and Jon Singleton all reached on singles. The difference? Grossman was picked off. So when Domingo Santana hit his double, only one run scored.

Cut to the top of the third, when a Kike Hernandez error allowed Adam Rosales on base to lead off the inning. That was followed by a Brett Nicholas double, a Brad Snyder sacrifice fly, and then Hoying striking again, scoring Nicholas on a single. The RedHawks would only have two more hits until the bottom of the ninth, when Jonathan Meyer scored Max Stassi on a sacrifice fly, but it was too little, too late, as the RedHawks lost, 5-2.

Oklahoma City: 15-12, 2nd - Pacific Coast League American Northern (1.0 GB)

• CF Robbie Grossman - 2/4
• 2B Ronny Torreyes - 0/3, HBP
• DH Gregorio Petit - 1/4, R, K
• 1B Jon Singleton - 1/4, 2 K
• LF Domingo Santana - 1/3, 2B, RBI, BB, PO
• C Max Stassi - 1/4, R
• SS Kike Hernandez - 1/3, 2B, BB
• 3B Jonathan Meyer - 0/2, RBI, BB, SF
• RF Andy Simunic - 1/4, K
• RHP Jake Buchanan - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• LHP Darin Downs - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Jason Stoffel - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) - A three-run home run in the third inning by Preston Tucker put the Hooks up 4-0 against the Midland RockHounds (OAK), and other than a solo home run in the bottom of the inning, that's how it would stay, as Thomas "Don't Call Me" Shirley struck out six and didn't issue a single free pass over his five innings of work. Alex Sogard entered in the sixth, and didn't give up a single hit. Unfortunately, he did allow three walks and two runs, both unearned, in the RockHounds' half of the eighth inning. Pat Urckfitz came on in relief and didn't fare much better, earning the loss after allowing two hits, a walk, and two earned runs in 0.2 innings of work. Hooks lose this one, 5-4

Corpus Christi: 14-12, 3rd - Texas League South (3.0 GB)

• LF Chris Epps - 0/4, BB, K
• SS Nolan Fontana - 2/4, 2B, R, BB, K
• CF Andrew Aplin - 2/4, R, BB, 2 K
• 3B Matt Duffy - 0/4, R, RBI
• RF Preston Tucker - 1/4, HR, R, 3 RBI
• DH Leo Heras - 1/3, 2B, BB
• 2B Joe Sclafani - 1/3, 2B, BB, E
• C Rene Garcia - 2/4, 2B, K
• 1B MP Cokinos - 0/4, K
• LHP Thomas Shirley - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, HBP
• LHP Alex Sogard - 2.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• LHP Pat Urckfitz - 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Lancaster Jethawks (A+) - It was a pitchers' duel in the desert between the Lancaster Jethawks and High Desert Mavericks (SEA)... sort of. While Jethawks starter Josh Hader didn't have his best stuff, walking five and striking out just one through four innings of work, Mavericks starter Dylan Unsworth had the opposite problem, recording five strikeouts through six innings of work, but also walking a pair and giving up five hits - including two doubles and a triple.

Despite walking one batter in each of the third inning, Hader kept his no-hitter intact until the fourth, when Gabriel Guerrero singled to center field. It was the last hit the Mavericks would record for the entire game, as Hader combined with Daniel Minor, Tyson Perez, and Juan Minaya for the one-hit shutout as the Jethawks won, 2-0.

Lancaster: 16-11, t-1st: California League South

• 2B Tony Kemp - 1/3, 2B, R, HBP, E
• CF Teoscar Hernandez - 0/3, BB, K
• 3B Rio Ruiz - 1/4, 2B, RBI
• 1B Brandon Meredith - 0/3, K
• DH Dan Gulbransen - 0/3, K
• SS Carlos Perdomo - 1/3, 3B, R, K
• RF Danry Vasquez - 2/2, BB
• C Roberto Pena - 0/3
• LF Ruben Sosa - 1/3, 2 K
• LHP Josh Hader - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 1 K
• RHP Daniel Minor - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Tyson Perez - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Juan Minaya - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Quad Cities River Bandits (A)

Game 1

Kent Emanuel couldn't have looked much better in the first inning, striking out the first Clinton LumberKings (SEA) hitter he saw and inducing groundouts from the next two. After allowing a leadoff single in the second, he got a double play and another strikeout. In the third, it was a leadoff home run, followed by two strikeouts and a fly out. With the 1-0 deficit, Emanuel was replaced by weak contact specialist Albert Minnis, and he couldn't hold it together, giving up five hits and five runs while getting just five outs.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out Tyler Brunnemann's continued dominance, going 2.1 scoreless innings, with three hits allowed, a strikeout, and no walks, lowering his ERA on the season to a sexy 0.61. The offense, on the other hand, mounted a three-run rally of their own in the fifth inning, but it was all for naught, as they lost 6-3.

• LF Tanner Mathis - 0/2, R, 2 BB
• 2B Chan Moon - 1/2, 2B, R, BB
• RF James Ramsay - 1/4, 2 RBI, 2 K
• 1B Chase McDonald - 1/4, 2B, RBI
• DH Tyler White - 0/4
• CF Brett Phillips - 0/1, 2 BB
• C Jobduan Morales - 1/3, 2 K
• 3B Alex Gonzalez - 0/3, 2 K
• SS Thomas Lindauer - 1/2, 2B, R, BB, K
• LHP Kent Emanuel - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• LHP Albert Minnis - 1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Tyler Brunnemann - 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, WP

Game 2

It was one of those first innings. Jandel Gustave walked the first batter of the game, Zach Shank, who advanced to second on a passed ball, then moved up to third when Alex Gonzalez had a throwing error on the next batter, Jack Reinheimer. Austin Wilson singled Shank and Reinheimer home to give the LumberKings a 2-0 advantage.

But the Quad Cities offense fought back. In the bottom of the frame, Conrad Gregor doubled home Chan Moon, and in the second inning it was a solo shot by Jon Kemmer to even the game up. From there, though, it got ugly, as Clinton put up five runs to Quad Cities' one over the next three innings. Heading into the bottom of the fifth, the River Bandits trailed, 7-3. That bottom of the fifth started with a Chan Moon single, a walk by Gregor, and an RBI single by McDonald. After James Ramsay flew out, Brian Holberton singled to load the bases and Kemmer walked home a run. After a pitching change, Tyler White came on to punch-hit for Gonzalez, lacing a two-run single into center field. Thomas Lindauer walked the bases loaded for Brett Phillips, who hit a sacrifice fly. Coming back to the top of the order, Chan Moon hit into a double play, but the damage was done with a five-run bottom of the fifth.

In the top of the seventh and final frame, Clinton put a run on the board when Austin Wilson homered, but the River Bandits got it back in the bottom of the inning on another Brett Phillips sac fly, this one of the walk-off variety. Quad Cities wins, 9-8.

Quad Cities: 11-13, t-5th: Midwest League Western (6.5 GB)

• RF Brett Phillips - 0/3, 2 RBI, 2 SF
• 2B Chan Moon - 2/4, 2 R, K
• 1B Conrad Gregor - 1/2, 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB
• DH Chase McDonald - 2/4, R, RBI, K
• CF James Ramsay - 0/4, K
• C Brian Holberton - 2/4, 2B, 2 R, 2 PB
• LF Jon Kemmer - 2/3, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB
• 3B Alex Gonzalez - 1/2, RBI, E
• 3B Tyler White - 1/2, 2 RBI
• SS Thomas Lindauer - 2/3, BB, E
• RHP Jandel Gustave - 3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• RHP Zach Morton - 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP
• RHP Andrew Walter - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K