Houston Astros Prospect Report: Games of 9/8/15

Ending With A Bang - Congratulations to Dean Deetz, who was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for August 31 - September 7. It was the second consecutive POW award for Deetz, the Astros' 2014 eleventh-rounder, and he earned it with two scoreless starts, going eleven innings total and allowing just four hits, two walks, and recording three strikeouts in the two games, combined. In two stops this year (Tri-City and Quad Cities), the 6'1", 195-pound righty is 9-3 with a 1.70 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. Over his final six starts this season, he's only allowed a single run - that one coming on August 19.

What Happened Was...

What happened was THE PLAYOFFS, MAN! Let's take a look...

Fresno Grizzlies (AAA) - No game.

The Grizzlies will begin their semi-final playoff action on Wednesday against the El Paso Chihuahuas (SDP) at Chukchanski Park in downtown Fresno. The best-of-five series will play its first two games in Fresno before heading to El Paso for game three, and for games four and five, if necessary. Dan Straily will be on the mound for Fresno, facing Daniel McCutchen. Asher Wojciechowski has the ball for game two, and Mark Appel is slated to start game three. There's a silver lining if this thing goes to five games: El Paso has former Astro Jason Lane scheduled to pitch a theoretical game five.

Series Tied 0-0

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) - No game.

After finishing the regular season with 89 wins - the most of any team in the minor leagues this season, and the most of any minor league team since the 2011 San Antonio Missions - the Hooks (led by Texas League Manager of the Year Rodney Linares) are set to host the Texas League South Division Series beginning Wednesday against the Midland RockHounds (OAK). Like their Triple-A counterparts, Corpus Christi will host the first two games of the five-game series, and all remaining games will be played in Midland. Chris Devenski gets the ball for the home team Hooks, with Parker Frazier on the bump for Midland in game one. The Hooks offense feasted on Frazier the last time they faced him, with eight earned runs on eleven hits over 4.1 innings on August 28. That game began a streak that saw the Hooks finish the season on a 9-2 tear. Ruben Alaniz is scheduled to start game two for Corpus Christi, with Kyle Westwood handling game three.

Series Tied: 0-0

Lancaster Jethawks (A+) - No game.

The Jethawks will host the High Desert Mavericks (TEX) in a best-of-three series beginning Wednesday. After one game, the series will move to Adelante for games two and (if necessary) three. The Jethawks will hand the ball to Keegan Yuhl, the Astros' 2014 35th-round draft pick, to square off against Reed Garrett. Yuhl posted a 1.94 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP after being promoted to the California League. David Paulino will take the mound for game two, and Akeem Bostick will start game three, if necessary.

Series Tied: 0-0

Quad Cities River Bandits (A) - No game.

Just to switch things up, Quad Cities will begin their playoff series - a best-of-three series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels (MIN) - on the road. Joshua James, Houston's 2014 34th-round pick, will start game one for Quad Cities against Felix Jorge, with Brock Dykxhoorn getting the start in game two in Davenport. Two-time MWL Pitcher of the Week Dean Deetz will pick up the decisive game three, if necessary.

Series Tied: 0-0

Tri-City ValleyCats (A-) - No game.

Tri-City will also start their playoff series on the road on Wednesday, against the Staten Island Yankees (NYY), with games two and (if necessary) three at home. Chris Murphy, the Astros' 2015 24th-round pick out of Millersville University, will start game one against James Kaprielian, the Yankees' first-round pick this June out of UCLA.

Series Tied: 0-0

Greeneville Astros (Rk) - Greeneville 8, Princeton Rays (TBR) 7

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to your 2015 Appalachian League champions, the Greeneville Astros. Ending an eleven-year title drought, the G-stros took this one to the wire. The Astros went up by a run in the first inning, but the  Rays (battled hard, and at the end of four innings, they led 6-5. A three-run sixth inning - with two runs coming before a single out was recorded - put the Astros up to stay, however. Edgardo Sandoval pitched the last four innings to record the save, striking out seven and allowing one run on one hit and two walks in that span.

• LF Myles Straw - 2/5, R, 2 K
• CF Daz Cameron - 1/4, R, 2 K, SH
• RF Kyle Tucker - 2/4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, SB
• 1B Connor Goedert - 2/5, 2B, RBI, K
• 3B Randy Cesar - 0/5, 3 K
• DH Brauly Mejia - 1/5, R, K
• C Christian Correa - 2/4, 2B, R, K
• SS Arturo Michelena - 2/4, 2 R, RBI
• 2B Rodrigo Ayarza - 2/4, 2B, 2 RBI, K
• RHP Erasmo Pinales - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, K
• RHP Diogenes Almengo - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, HBP
• RHP Edgardo Sandoval - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Greeneville Wins Series 2-1