Astros Prospect Report: Scribner and Musgrove dominate lower levels, Hoes explodes

AAA Fresno Grizzlies: 3-2 loss to Salt Lake (LAA)

-> L.J. Hoes: 5-for-5, 2B, RBI
-> Joe Sclafani: 1-for-3, R, 2 BB
-> Jon Singleton: 1-for-4, BB
-> Max Stassi: 1-for-4, 3B
-> Matt Dominguez: 1-for-4
-> Preston Tucker: 1-for-5, RBI
-> Matt Duffy: 1-for-5
-> Domingo Santana: 0-for-4, BB
-> Alex Presley: 0-for-1, R (pinch-hitter)

SP Dan Straily: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 K
RP Richard Rodriguez: 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
RP Kevin Chapman: 1.2 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K (loss)

If there's any out there who still believe in Hoes, you have to be encouraged by this start. He's getting pretty regular playing time, and is now hitting .439/.477/.634. Hasn't struck out in his last five games.

With 13 games under his belt now, Singleton checks in with a strong .308/.400/.615 line and nine extra-base hits. His strike out rate is just 18.3%. If that number were to hold up, it would be his lowest strike out rate since his Low-A ball days with the Phillies back in 2010.

Slight improvement for Straily tonight, though he's still been mediocre, at very best. He's been way too hittable, having surrendered 21 knocks in 14 innings. Some of it could just be BAbip, but he hasn't been missing bats much, either. Could take a while longer.

Two guys expected to be stalwarts in the Fresno pen have really been down. Chapman and James Hoyt have combined for a 9.00 ERA and have blown three saves already. The good news, for Chapman at least, is the control numbers; he's walked just two batters so far in 7.2 innings. But Harris and Fields are already making things difficult for the brass, and Sipp and Thatcher have been good so far. It will take injuries for these AAA guys to get in on the action. Nice to have some depth though, right?

AA Corpus Christi Hooks: Off Night

Corpus is currently in first place in their south division with an 8-4 record. This is tied for the best record in the league with the north division leader Arkansas (Angels affiliate). They're first in team runs scored and second in team OPS. The pitching staff's combined 2.14 ERA is the best mark in the league by a solid margin, and they've also allowed fewer walks than any other team, and lead the league with three shutouts.

A+ Lancaster JetHawks: 5-3 win over Rancho Cucamonga (LAD)

-> Chan Moon: 2-for-4, RBI, R
-> A.J. Reed: 1-for-2, 2B, R, 2 BB, 2 RBI
-> Jack Mayfield: 1-for-3, R
-> Chase McDonald: 1-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
-> Danry Vasquez: 1-for-4, 2B
-> Brian Holberton: 1-for-4, R

SP Troy Scribner: 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 9 K (win)
RP Evan Grills: 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 1 K
RP Chris Cotton: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K (save)

Scribner man, geeze this kid can miss some bats when he's on. One hit? In the California League? Whew. Can't wait until we can get some eyes on him. He has a 1.64 ERA, 1.6 BB/9 and 13.9 K/9 during starts that I've covered and a 13.50 ERA otherwise. Love you too, Scribby. Love you too.

I'm trying not to fall in love with a reliever after eight-something innings, but dang, Chris Cotton. How does a 1.1 BB/9 and 17.3 K/9 sound? Baby. It was easy to leave last year's draft feeling depressed and underwhelmed, but a couple of years from now, I think we'll look back and be very impressed with how it turned out, especially depending on what kind of magic they work with those two picks and all the cap money this year.

A hit, a couple of walks, and no strike outs for Reed tonight. Didn't strike out last night, either. Progress! Despite everything, his walk rate has been silly-good. Kind of a Chris Carter without the goofy power package so far, but I think the strike outs come down some more as time goes on, too. And he does have power that will show up.

Vasquez has a six game hitting streak working, half of them being multi-hit affairs. Power has been in the form of eight doubles so far, but he's 21 and there could be more. He's only whiffed five times in 11 games now. A bit of a project, but there's definite talent and he could be a nice prospect if the development goes correctly.

McDonald is on an 11 game hitting streak now. Has at least one hit in all but one of his games this season. Sitting at .389/.426/.704 with three bombs, five doubles and seven multi-hit games, he's a big-time Player of the Month candidate at this point.

A- Quad Cities River Bandits: 6-2 win over Peoria (STL)

-> Kristian Trompiz: 2-for-4, R
-> Jacob Nottingham: 1-for-3, BB, HR, R, 2 RBI
-> Jorge Martinez: 1-for-3, BB, HR, R, 2 RBI
-> Ryan Bottger: 1-for-3, solo HR
-> Alex Hernandez: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
-> Mott Hyde: 0-for-2, SB, 2 BB, 2 R

SP Joe Musgrove: 5.2 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 5 H, 1 BB, 9 K (win)
RP Keegan Yuhl: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
RP Ryan Thompson: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Derek Fisher did play, but he was removed after he grounded out in the first inning. He grounded out to end that inning, and the very next half inning he was pulled. In other words, it sounds like he may have pulled or tweaked something running to first base. According to the game recap article, he "slowed up" after running through the base. Unfortunately, sounds like an injury. Stay tuned.

Third bomb of the season for Nottingham, in just ten games played. Yes, the power is real, and he's tapping into it a lot earlier than you might expect. Just eight strike outs in ten games, too.

Fisher's injury put Bottger in a game he wouldn't have been in normally, nice to see him capitalize with a dinger, first of the season. He's struggled out of the gate, but he is walking, and he's on a five game hitting streak.

Oh baby, Joe Musgrove. So great to see him start like this, since he's lost a lot of development time to all those injuries. That walk was just the first of the season he allowed; with 19 strike outs and just one walk in 14.2 innings, he owns a cool 0.6 BB/9 and 11.7 K/9 to back up his 1.23 ERA. Can't ask for better than that through three games.

Speaking of nice peripherals, Ryan Thompson has eight punch outs and no walks allowed in his first 6.1 innings out of the pen. Hasn't allowed a run yet, either. He was our 23rd round pick in last year's draft, in case you were wondering.

Today's Scheduled Starters

AAA: Alex White vs. TBD
AA: Mark Appel vs. Jake Thompson
A+: Blaine Sims vs. Harrison Musgrave
A-: Austin Chrismon vs. Daniel Poncedeleon

Sims again? Three days rest after getting lit the bleep up? That's what the website says...and also, Adam Wilk is listed as today's starter against Fresno, but he pitched last night so that's probably not right.