Minor League Recap: Games of August 1, 2014

AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks: 6-5 loss to Round Rock (TEX)

-> Matthew Duffy: 2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI
-> Andrew Aplin: 2-for-4
-> Ronald Torreyes: 2-for-5, 3B, 2 R
-> Jonathan Villar: 2-for-5, 2 R
-> Domingo Santana: 1-for-3, BB
-> Joe Sclafani: 1-for-4, BB, R
-> Jiovanni Mier: 0-for-3, BB
-> Preston Tucker: 0-for-3, RBI

SP Rudy Owens: 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 3 K
RP Anthony Bass: 1.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K (blown save)
RP Tommy Shirley: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K
RP Patrick Urckfitz: 0.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 K (loss)
RP Jason Stoffel: 0.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K

Duffy is hitting .286/.366/.429 with two doubles and a long ball in his last ten games. After posting a .923 OPS in June, he fell off for a chunk of July and ended up dropping to a .691 OPS for the month.

Villar played 22 games in July, and while he wasn't great, he did show a good walk rate, taking a free pass to first 14 times and ending with a .374 OBP for the month. He's on a four-game hitting streak with six hits during that span. He has ten hits and six steals in his last ten games.

Torreyes has reached safely via hit or walk in his last 11 games in a row, failing to get a hit in just one of them. He's struck out just 23 times in 97 games this season, and has just a 5.8% strike out rate.

AA Corpus Christi Hooks: 7-4 loss to Midland (OAK)

-> Conrad Gregor: 2-for-3, BB, 2B, R, 2 RBI
-> Rene Garcia: 2-for-4, R
-> Ruben Sosa: 1-for-4, BB, SB
-> Colin Moran: 1-for-5, 2B
-> Leonardo Heras: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 R
-> Brandon Meredith: 0-for-2, BB
-> Delino DeShields: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
-> Tony Kemp: 0-for-3, SB
-> M.P. Cokinos: 1-for-1 (pinch-hitter)

SP Kyle Smith: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 3 K (loss)
RP Ruben Alaniz: 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K
RP Kyle Weiland: 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K

The debut game for Moran, both as an Astros' prospect as well as at the AA level of play. He played third base, of course, and batted fifth. Can't really say anything intelligent after one game, but it's nice to see an XBH already, and he forms a pretty interesting corner-infield combo with Gregor.

Speaking of Gregor, this was nice for him, as the transition out of Lancaster hasn't been as smooth as I'm sure he hoped. This was just his second multi-hit game, and he had gone 1-for-21 in his previous seven games. He's also been striking out nearly twice as much as he did in Lancaster. It's only been 12 games though, far too soon to be worried at all.

July was nice for Heras; he hit .273/.351/.470 in 14 games, finally showing some consistency and the pop he'll need if he wants to be a corner outfielder at the highest level. He's a bit old at 24 already, so he really can't afford to hang around, but there's some nice upside still. He's struck out just 46 times in 74 games, with nine doubles, five triples, four homers and 16 steals in 19 tries.

A+ Lancaster JetHawks: 6-2 win over Lake Elsinore (SDP)

-> Tyler Whites: 3-for-4, 2B, solo HR
-> Teoscar Hernandez: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 R
-> Jon Kemmer: 1-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
-> Rio Ruiz: 1-for-4, RBI
-> Ronnie Mitchell: 1-for-4, RBI
-> Austin Elkins: 1-for-4
-> Jack Mayfield: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
-> Roberto Pena: 0-for-4, R
-> Tanner Mathis: 0-for-4, RBI

SP Matthew Heidenreich: 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K (win)
RP Kent Emanuel: 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 2 K (save)

Emanuel's rebound continues with another solid outing. He's allowed three earned runs, three walks and 19 strike outs in 20.0 innings (1.35 ERA, 1.35 BB/9. 8.55 K/9) during his last four starts. He's recorded 17 outs on the ground during those 20 innings.

Hernandez is on a heck of a run; during his last 20 games, he's had at least one hit in 17 of them, and more than one hit in seven of them. He's hitting .329 during those 20 games, and has walked 10 times and stolen eight bases as well. He posted a .942 OPS in July, his third-straight months with an OPS of .900 or better.

A- Quad Cities River Bandits: 6-2 loss to Kane County (CHC)

-> James Ramsay: 2-for-3, BB, R, 2 SB
-> J.D. Davis: 1-for-3, BB, RBI
-> Ryan Bottger: 1-for-3, BB, SB
-> Chase McDonald: 1-for-4. R
-> Brett Phillips: 0-for-3, BB
-> Marc Wik: 0-for-3, BB
-> A.J. Reed: 0-for-4, RBI

SP Blaine Sims: 3.0 IP, 6 R (2 ER), 5 H, 4 BB, 4 K (loss)
RP Chris Cotton: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K
RP Edison Frias: 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K

McDonald extended his hitting streak to eight games, and he's reached safely via hit or walk in 13 straight. After posting OPS totals ranging from .710 to .719 for the first three months, he exploded with a 1.083 OPS in July.

Davis has played in 14 games since being promoted from Tri-City, and he's hitting .367/.429/.469 with five doubles so far.

Ramsay has five hits and four walks in his last four games.

In six games with QC, Knuckleballer Sims has a 7.99 BB/9. LOL, RIP catchers.

SS Tri-City ValleyCats: 7-4 win over Mahoning Valley (CLE)

-> Terrell Joyce: 2-for-4, BB, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
-> Mott Hyde: 2-for-4, 2B, SB, 2 RBI
-> Jake Rodriguez: 1-for-4, solo HR
-> Jose Solano: 1-for-4, RBI, R
-> Alex Hernandez: 0-for-2, 2 R, 4 BB
-> Ariel Ovando: 0-for-3, BB
-> Juan Santana: 0-for-3, BB
-> Bobby Boyd: 0-for-4, BB, SB
-> Jamie Ritchie: 1-for-2, R (pinch-hitter)

SP Jeffrey Gause: 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 K
RP Luis Ordosgoitti: 4.2 IP, 3 R (1 ER), 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K
RP Aaron Vaughn: 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K (blown save, win)

Mr. Hyde (low-hanging fruit, I know) has stepped up recently to help fill the gaps left with Reed and Davis' departure to a higher level. He's hitting .324/.405/.622 with six doubles, a triple and a tater in his last ten games. The short stop, who was praised pre-draft for his glove, owns a .751 OPS on the season in 43 games.

Joyce is a guy I kind of liked coming out of the draft a couple of years ago, but he hasn't done much to live up to that semi-love. He's hitting .286/.350/.514 with two doubles and two homers in his last ten games, though.

RK Greeneville Astros: 4-1 win over Johnson City (STL)

-> Hector Roa: 2-for-4, 2B, R
-> Jason Martin: 1-for-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI
-> Jacob Nottingham: 1-for-4
-> Jeffry Santos: 0-for-0, R, 3 BB
-> Kristian Trompiz: 0-for-2, BB, R
-> Ydarqui Marte: 0-for-3, BB

SP Austin Nicely: 6.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 0 K (win)
RP Zach Davis: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K (hold)
RP Eric Peterson: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K (save)

Nicely with another solid effort. His peripherals don't scream continued success right now (4.82 for both the BB/9 and K/9), but he's battling and has prevented runs, owning a 3.38 ERA in 37.1 innings. His BAbip was .352 heading into this game as well, so balance that with the peripherals, and maybe you'd expect any regression that hits him soon to not be so bad.

Though he ended the month on a rough 2-for-26 run, Martin had a big July, hitting .293/.403/.444 with 11 XBH and really putting himself on the map, statistically, for the first time. Every area of his game still needs work, but the tools and abilities in every area are also already visible.

DSL Astros Blue: 4-3 win over DSL Royals

-> Marcos Almonte: 2-for-3, BB, 2B, SB, RBI, 2 R
-> Jonathan Matute: 1-for-2, R
-> Andy Pineda: 1-for-4, R
-> Jake Bowey: 0-for-1, SB, 3 BB
-> Luis Vasquez: 0-for-2, BB, RBI
-> Oliver Toribio: 0-for-3, BB
-> Cristopher Luciano: 0-for-4, RBI

SP Moreno Polanco: 5.0 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 1 K
RP jose Rosario: 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K (win)

DSL Astros Orange: Off Day?

Today's Scheduled Starters

AAA: Nicholas Tropeano vs. TBD
AA: Luis Cruz vs. Shawn Haviland
A+: Josh Hader vs. Elliot Morris
A-: Kevin Comer vs. TBD
SS: Troy Scribner vs. Gabriel Castellanos
RK: Robert Kahana vs. Landon Beck