Houston Astros Prospect Report: Games of August 25, 2015

Scrappy League - Third base prospect Connor Goedert - a fifteenth-rounder in 2014 - is the Astros' lone representative in the Appalachian League All-Star Game. Sporting a .290/.361/.456 slash line on the season, the Kansas native is playing his second stint in Greenville, where he also began his minor league career after being drafted. After a debut season that can only be called "disastrous," it's nice to see the former Neosho County Community College infielder rebound.

Roundups Aren't Just For Weeds - MiLB.com's Sam Dykstra has his roundup of top prospects, and he checks in on the Astros' own first-round pick from 2015, Alex Bregman after the shortstop's 2-for-4 night on August 24.

On Monday night came his second California League homer and third of the season and extended his hitting streak to a personal-best 10 games, during which he is hitting .415 with five extra-base hits, 10 RBIs and a 4-to-5 K-to-BB ratio.

I'm Just Gonna Leave This Here -

This.

What Happened Was...

Fresno Grizzlies (AAA): Iowa Cubs (CHC) 3, Grizzlies 2 (GAME 1)

Asher Wojciechowski held the Cubs to three runs on five hits over six innings, walking four and striking out two, but the Fresno offense had trouble getting anything going, mustering just five hits off of a trio of Iowa pitchers. Jonathan Villar was the offensive highlight for the Grizzlies, reaching base on a double and a walk and stealing his 34th base of the year. Not to be outdone, L.J. Hoes put a double and a steal of his own on the board. But it wouldn't be enough, as Frenso fell to the I-Cubs, 3-2.

• SS Jonathan Villar: 1/3, 2B, RBI, BB, SB
• CF L.J. Hoes: 1/4, 2B, RBI, SB
• DH Tyler White: 1/3, 2B, BB
• RF Preston Tucker: 1/3, 2B, K
• 3B Matt Duffy: 0/3
• 1B Jon Singleton: 0/3, K
• LF Robbie Grossman: 1/3, K
• C Max Stassi: 0/2, R, BB, K
• 2B Tony Kemp: 0/0, HBP, SH, R, BB
• RHP Asher Wojciechowski: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, HBP

Grizzlies 7, Iowa Cubs 3 (GAME 2)

With old friend Felipe Paulino on the mound for Iowa and 2013 first-overall pick Mark Appel taking the bump for Fresno, it was a case of the Astros' past and their future squaring off head-to-head, and 5,560 piled into Principal Park in Des Moines to watch their Cubs and the visiting Grizzlies fight for playoff spots. Fresno emerged victorious, clinching their first division title since 1998 and becoming the first PCL team to clinch the playoffs so far. The fireworks came courtesy of Tony Kemp's third home run of the year and Jon Singleton's multi-hit game. Appel allowed three runs (all earned) in his six innings of work, striking out five and walking four in a very Appelian start. He also hit a guy. Because.

Fresno: 79-51, 1st - Pacific Coast League American Northern
(clinched division)

• 2B Tony Kemp: 2/4, HR, R, RBI, CS
• RF Alex Presley: 0/2, 2 BB, 2 SB
• 1B Tyler White: 0/2, R, 2 BB
• LF Preston Tucker: 0/4, K, E
• 3B Matt Duffy: 1/3, 2B, R, BB, K
• DH Jon Singleton: 2/3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, K
• SS Nolan Fontana: 0/2, R, BB
• C Tyler Heineman: 1/2, 2B, RBI
• CF Andrew Aplin: 1/1, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB
• RHP Mark Appel: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, HBP
• LHP Joe Thatcher: 0.3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• RHP Jordan Jankowski: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) - Hooks 3, Midland RockHounds (OAK) 6

It was all going so well. With a 3-2 lead entering the eighth inning, Corpus Christi manager Rodney Linares handed the ball off to Reymin Guduan, who immediately struck out the first batter he faced. That's when things started to unravel. That strikeout was followed by a double and two walks, loading the bases and putting the tying run at third. Linares went back to his bullpen, calling on Jandel Gustave to get the last two outs and preserve the slim lead. The first batter plated the tying run with a fielder's choice, and the bases cleared on a subsequent single and double. All told, four runs came across in the inning and gave the RockHounds a 6-3 lead entering the ninth. Strikeouts by Jiovanni Mier and Roberto Pena, as well as a groundout by  Danry Vasquez, sealed the Hooks' fate. Wasted in the loss were multi-hit games from four Corpus Christi hitters, including A.J. Reed, the red-hot Jon Kemmer, Vasquez, and Colin Moran.

Corpus Christi: 31-26, 2nd - Texas League South (9.0 GB)
(clinched playoffs in first half)

• LF Leo Heras - 0/4, K
• CF Teoscar Hernandez - 0/3, R, BB, K, CS
• 3B Colin Moran - 2/4
• 1B A.J. Reed - 2/4, R
• RF Jon Kemmer - 2/4, 2B
• SS Jiovanni Mier - 1/4, R, K
• DH Danry Vasquez - 2/4, 2B, 2 RBI
• C Roberto Pena - 0/4, K
• 2B Chan Moon - 1/3, CS
• RHP Chris Devenski - 5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
• RHP Josh Fields - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• RHP Travis Ballew - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• LHP Reymin Guduan - 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• RHP Jandel Gustave - 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Lancaster Jethawks (A+) - Jethawks 12, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (LAD) 7

The Jethawks are in a pretty good position to make the playoffs, despite being four games behind the High Desert Mavericks (TEX) and just two games ahead of the Quakes in the standings. The Quakes, luckily, won the California League South in the first half, so it would take an epic collapse by the Jethawks - and an epic finish by the Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) - to keep Lancaster out of the Cal League South wildcard. But they're still trying to clinch, and games like this will go a long way towards making that happen. After seeing an early lead dwindle to 5-4, Lancaster's offense turned it around in the bottom of the fourth inning with a seven-run outburst that began with an Alex Bregman walk. Derek Fisher and J.D. Davis followed with singles, and Ronnie Mitchell walked to load the bases for Mott Hyde, who cleared the paths with a triple. Hyde came home a few batters later on Sean McMullen's second home run of the year - a three-run shot to right center field. After a pitching change, Bregman threatened to start another rally - this one with two outs - by hitting a triple, but Fisher struck out swinging to put an end to the fun. Every Jethawks starter - except for Ruben Castro, who went 0-for-5 to drop his season average to .179 - ended up with a hit in this one, with Davis and Brian Holberton getting more than one apiece. Perhaps more impressive, five different Lancaster hitters had extra-base hits, and the first six batters in their order drew a combined nine walks (though the team did strike out ten times as a unit.)

Lancaster: 31-27, 2nd - California League South (4.0 GB)

• LF Sean McMullen - 1/3, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K, SB
• SS Alex Bregman - 1/2, 3B, R, RBI, 2 BB
• CF Derek Fisher - 1/4, 2 R, BB, 3 K
• 3B J.D. Davis - 3/4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB
• RF Ronnie Mitchell - 1/3, 2 R, 2 BB
• 2B Mott Hyde - 1/4, 3B, R, 3 RBI, BB, 2 K
• 1B Marc Wik - 1/5, R, 2 K
• C Brian Holberton - 2/4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, HBP
• DH Ruben Castro - 0/5, RBI, K
• RHP Akeem Bostick - 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• LHP Albert Minnis - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Troy Scribner - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, WP
• RHP Andrew Walter- 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Quad Cities River Bandits (A) - River Bandits 0, Clinton LumberKings (SEA) 3

This one was an old-fashioned pitching duel, with Justin Ferrell and Eddie Campbell going toe-to-toe for six innings before Ferrell exited with a one-run deficit. Zach Davis and Eric Peterson allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk in the final three frames, but the Quad Cities offense faltered in support, mustering just four hits and two walks, striking out six times and going a combined 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. When your lone highlight is a double by Bryan Muniz, a twenty-second-round first base prospect hitting .267 in the Midwest League as a twenty-two-year-old, you know you're in trouble.

Quad Cities: 35-22, 3rd - Midwestern League Western (3.0 GB)
(clinched playoffs in first half)

• CF Bobby Boyd - 1/3, BB, K
• RF Ramon Laureano - 0/4, K
• 3B Nick Tanielu - 1/3, BB, K, PO
• DH Bryan Muniz - 1/3, 2B
  • PR/DH Drew Ferguson - 0/1, K
• C Trent Woodward - 1/2, 2B
• LF Jason Martin - 0/3, K, PO
• SS Kristian Trompiz - 0/3
• 1B Ryan Bottger - 0/3, K, E
• 2B Luis Reynoso - 0/3
• RHP Justin Ferrell - 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• LHP Zach Davis - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, K, HBP
• RHP Eric Peterson - 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Tri-City ValleyCats (A-) - ValleyCats 13, Connecticut Tigers (DET) 6

It was the best of games, it was the worst of games. First, it was the worst of games. After three-and-a-half innings, the Tigers had jumped all over the Tri-City pitchers, chasing starter Zac Person (no relation to Dave Human) from the game and making life difficult for his replacement, Kevin McCanna. Tri-City entered the bottom of the fourth inning trailing 5-0 with just one hit on the night. A foul-out by Brooks Marlow set the tone for more of the same in the fourth, but that's when things clicked. Consecutive doubles by Aaron Mizell and Kolbey Carpenter got the Astros on the board, and by the time the inning was over, they'd batted around in the process of plating six runs. The only Tri-City hitter other than Marlow who got an out in the inning was Pat Porter, who'd at least had the decency to make his out productive, with a sacrifice fly to right. Los Gatos would hold strong after that, piling on seven runs en route to a 13-6 victory.

Tri-City: 35-27, 1st - New York-Penn League Stedler

• CF Johnny Sewald - 1/4, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB, K
• 2B Brooks Marlow - 1/6
• LF Aaron Mizell - 1/6, 2B, R
• DH Kolbey Carpenter - 2/3, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
• 1B Dexture McCall - 1/3, 2 R, BB, E
  • RF Alexander Melendez - 0/1, K
• 3B Bobby Wernes - 3/4, 4 R, RBI, HBP
• RF/1B Pat Porter - 2/4, 2 R, SF, RBI, K
• C Anthony Hermelyn - 3/5, 2B, R, 3 RBI
• SS Keach Ballard - 2/3, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB
• LHP Zac Person - 3.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• RHP Kevin McCanna - 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 2 WP
• RHP Ralph Garza - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Greeneville Astros (Rk) - Astros 8, Elizabethton Twins (MIN) 4

The Twins and the Astros took the field on Tuesday with playoff aspirations: With the win, the two teams are tied for second in the Appalachian League West. The top two teams in each Appalachian League division advance to the playoffs. The scoring came in one big clump for Greeneville in this one, with all eight of their runs scoring in the bottom of the second inning. 2015 23rd-rounder Matt Bower was just good enough in his start, going four innings and allowing four runs - but just one earned. He combined with Alejandro Solarte and Andrew Thome to allow just one walk and five strikeouts over nine innings. Offensively, Myles Straw led the way with the only multi-hit performance of the day for the Astros, but he also got caught twice on the basepaths. You win some, you lose some.

Greeneville: 31-29, t-2nd - Appalachian League West (2.5 GB)

• CF Myles Straw - 2/4, RBI, 2 CS
• LF Daz Cameron - 0/3, R, BB, 2 K
• 3B Randy Cesar - 1/4, R, K
• 1B Connor Goedert - 1/3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB
• RF Kyle Tucker - 1/3, R, BB, SB
• C Kevin Martir - 0/3, R, BB, K
• DH Ford Stainbeck - 0/2, R, BB, K
• 2B Rodrigo Ayarza - 1/2, 2B, R, 3 RBI, SF, E
• SS Osvaldo Duarte - 1/3, 2B, R, RBI, K, E
• LHP Matt Bower - 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• LHP Alejandro Solarte - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• RHP Andrew Thome - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K