Houston Astros Minor League Recap: 5/20/14

Bow-Haus - Congratulations to Mike Hauschild, who won Texas League Pitcher of the Week honors this week after going twelve innings in two starts, giving up just four hits, one run, one walk, and one HBP, while striking out eleven. The Astros' 33rd-round pick in 2012 out of the University of Dayton, Hauschild gained some attention in the California League this year by sharing a tandem with 2013's first-overall draft pick Mark Appel. Hauschild looked to be left holding the bag when Appel was sent to Extended Spring Training, but reacted well to the opportunity, to the tune of 34.2 IP, 21.8 K%, 6.3 BB%, 15.5 K-BB%, 3.77 FIP during his time in Lancaster. The well-deserved promotion to Double-A has looked good on him so far.

Hauschild has quietly been an extremely effective pitcher at all of his stops so far, with the exception of first promotion to Lancaster in 2013. But he came back this season on track, and in the very early returns, seems to be carrying that momentum into Corpus Christi.

Getting an Earful... er, a Mouthful... er... - This has nothing to do with the Houston Astros, but if you haven't already heard about Miguel Olivo biting Alex Guerrero's ear in the Albuquerque Isotopes' (AAA-LAD) dugout during their most-recent game in Salt Lake City, then you should. I feel bad for Guerrero. The presumptive starter at second base for the Dodgers this season after signing a $28m deal, he has spent most of the season in Albuquerque.. And then this happens. He escaped Cuba, only to have his ear bitten by a Dominican journeyman in Utah. There's no justice in this world.

What Happened Was...

Oklahoma City RedHawks (AAA) - Jake Buchanan threw a shutout. Let's just go ahead and start there. Nine innings, six hits, zero walks, zero runs, ten strikeouts. Buchanan continues to solidify his case to be - at the very least - a swingman in the Houston Astros' rotation, as he's gone his first ten games of the season (nine starts) with 51.1 IP, a 17 K%, 2.9 BB%, 1.05 WHIP, 3.73 FIP. He's faced 206 batters this season and walked just six of them. He had a little help from his friends in this one, as the RedHawks offense put up seventeen hits, including four each by Domingo Santana and Max Stassi. Jon Singleton went 0-for-2, but drew four walks. He's also struck out just 13 times in 17 games in the month of May. Singleton has a cool .980 OPS on the season, which includes an unworldly 1.033 OPS against lefties. The RedHawks also put up not one, but two five-run innings, ultimately winning the laugher, 12-0, over the New Orleans Zephyrs (MIA).

Oklahoma City: 25-21, 1st - Pacific Coast League American Northern

• CF Robbie Grossman - 1/6, R, RBI, 2 K
• 3B Kike Hernandez - 2/5, R, RBI, E
• LF Domingo Santana - 4/6, 2B, 3 R, RBI, 2 K
• 1B Jon Singleton - 0/2, R, 4 BB
• DH Max Stassi - 4/4, 2 2B, R, 4 RBI
• PH/DH Ryan McCurdy - 0/2, 2 K
• SS Gregorio Petit - 2/5, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB
• 2B Ronald Torreyes - 1/4, 2 R, 2 BB
• RF Andy Simunic - 2/3, R, RBI, 3 BB
• C Carlos Perez - 1/5, R, RBI
• RHP Jake Buchanan - 9.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 10 K, 97/77 Pit/Str, 13/2 GO/FO

And did I mention that Asher Wojciechowski will be on the mound today against the Zephyrs? Hooray!

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) - While Buchanan was grabbing the headlines in Oklahoma City, Luis Cruz put on a display of his own, striking out nine and allowing just one hit through 6.1 innings of shutout ball against the Midland RockHounds (OAK). Jordan Jankowski came on in relief with more of the same, allowing just one more hit and striking out three through the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, the offense started hot, plating a run in the first inning when Matt Duffy singled home Nolan Fontana. In the third, Fontana doubled in Delino DeShields and Jio Mier, to move the lead to 3-0. In the fourth, a two-run double by DeShields was the highlight of a four-run inning. The Hooks would hold on to the 7-0 victory.

Corpus Christi: 23-21, 3rd - Texas League South (3.0 GB)

• CF Delino DeShields - 3/4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, K, SB
• 2B Nolan Fontana - 3/4, 2B, R, 3 RBI
• RF Andrew Aplin - 0/4, RBI, K
• DH Matt Duffy - 1/4, RBI, K
• 1B Preston Tucker - 0/4, K
• 3B Joe Sclafani - 0/3, R, BB
• LF Leo Heras - 1/4, R, K
• C Tyler Heineman - 0/3
• SS Jio Mier - 1/2, 2 R, BB
• LHP Luis Cruz - 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 97/60 Pit/Str, 3/4 FO/GO
• RHP Jordan Jankowski - 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 34/26 Pit/Str, 2/3 FO/GO

Lancaster Jethawks (A+) - It was Teoscar Hernandez's night, as the wiry center fielder went three-for-five with a pair of home runs and a double to pace the Jethawks offense against the Bakersfield Blaze (CIN). The first shot was a solo job in the first inning to give the Jethawks an early 1-0 lead, which would be erased in the bottom of the frame. Hernandez's second blast was of the two-run variety in the eighth inning, giving the Jethawks an 8-4 lead, which would end up being the final score. All told, Hernandez's five RBI alone would have beaten Bakersfield, who launched three home runs of their own, all off of Jethawks starter Brian Holmes. Meanwhile, Carlos Perdomo went three-for-four with a double, increasing his California League-leading batting average to .370. The guy may not be a prospect, but he is tearing the cover off of the ball for Rodney Linares and the Jethawks this season.

Lancaster: 27-19, t-1st - California League South

• 2B Tony Kemp - 2/5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB
• CF Teoscar Hernandez - 3/5, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI
• 3B Rio Ruiz - 1/4, BB
• 1B Bobby Borchering - 2/4, BB, K
• DH Danry Vasquez - 0/3, R, 2 BB, K
• C Roberto Pena - 1/4, K
• LF Jordan Scott - 2/5, R, SB
• SS Carlos Perdomo - 3/4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
• RF Ruben Sosa - 0/2, K
• LHP Brian Holmes - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 4/6 GO/FO
• LHP J.D. Osborne - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 4/0 GO/FO
• RHP Daniel Minor - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/3 GO/FO

Quad Cities River Bandits (A) - Hat tip to our own Will Eifert, who pointed out that Adrian Houser has allowed one run in seventeen innings with fourteen strikeouts over his last three appearances. Yesterday, he went six strong, allowing one run on five hits and no walks, striking out four. Houser's been difficult to figure out, but he gets good groundball rates, and at least one of our writers (Brian) really likes him. The River Bandits' offense continued their good-hitting ways, giving him an early lead and extending it, scoring runs in all but one of the first five innings, including three in the fifth against the Burlington Bees (LAA). Oh, and Tyler Brunnemann, you know. Three innings, three strikeouts, one hit, one walk, no runs. Boring! C'mon, Tyler, why don't you have a bad outing or something? You know, just to mix things up. He earned the save in this one as the River Bandits win it, 7-1.

Quad Cities: 21-23, 5th - Midwest League Western (7.5 GB)

• CF James Ramsay - 2/5, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI
• 2B Chan Moon - 2/5, R, K, 2 SB
• SS Jack Mayfield - 2/5, K
• 1B Conrad Gregor - 1/4, R, RBI
• C Brett Booth - 2/4, 2 RBI, K
• RF/LF Ronnie Mitchell - 0/4, R, 2 K
• 3B Tyler White - 1/4, 2B, R, RBI, K
• DH Jon Kemmer - 1/4
• LF Tanner Mathis - 1/2, 2B, R, RBI, BB, SB
• RF Brett Phillips - 1/1, 2B, R
• RHP Adrian Houser - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 10/1 GO/FO
• RHP Tyler Brunnemann - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, WP, 3/3 GO/FO