<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>he's pimping <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxStassi10">@MaxStassi10</a> now RT <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsTalk790">@SportsTalk790</a>: Listen:<a href="http://t.co/M8S82AqfLK">http://t.co/M8S82AqfLK</a> RT <a href="https://twitter.com/MJ4Sports">@MJ4Sports</a>: Astros GM <a href="https://twitter.com/jluhnow">@jluhnow</a> on w/ us now <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsTalk790">@SportsTalk790</a></p>— Adam Wexler (@awexler) <a href="https://twitter.com/awexler/statuses/362937121704652802">August 1, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Wednesday Stories Tri-City looks to get off the schneid. GCL Astros offense explodes. Walk-offs!!! Recap Oklahoma City 4, Reno 3 Jason Stoffel went wild in the 9th, but Brandon Laird helped him repent for that, as he hit a walk-off RBI single. Wade LeBlanc pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs (both on a 2-run homer) on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Jorge De Leon allowed a hit and walked 1 in 2/3 of an inning. Alex Sogard got the 2nd out of the 8th, and Stoffel attempted a 4-out save. He only got 1 before uncorking the wild pitch that allowed the Aces to tie the game at 3. However, he recomposed himself and was able to retire the side. George Springer grounded into a force out in the 1st to put the Redhawks on the board first. Trevor Crowe was 3-4 with an RBI single in the 4th. Carlos Perez finished 3-3 with a sac fly in the 6th. Che-Hsuan Lin was hit by a pitch to lead off the 9th, advanced to 2nd on a Jose Martinez groundout, and scored the winning run on Laird's single. As the calendar turns to August, the Redhawks and Aces will square off in game 3 of this series. The PCL playoff race is starting to crank into gear as well. Paul Clemens, fresh off spending the majority of the season in Houston, finds himself back in OKC. He draws Tyler Skaggs at 7:05. Corpus Christi 4, San Antonio 3 On the other hand, the Hooks had to hold off the Missions, as their 4-0 lead was whittled down to 1 after the 8th. They halted a brief 2-game skid and avoided the sweep. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Another day, another Max Stassi home run. It’s getting a little silly.</p>— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kevin_Goldstein/statuses/362018525394632707">July 30, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> This one (15) was a 2-run shot in the 5th which put Corpus up 4-0. Stassi finished a double shy of the cycle and scored twice. Michael Burgess hit an RBI single in the 2nd to put the Hooks on the board first, and Enrique Hernandez followed with an RBI single of his own. Ronald Torreyes and Jonathan Meyer had 2-hit nights. David Martinez threw 7 1/3 and gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Pat Urckfitz got the 5-out save, allowing a hit and fanning 1. The Hooks return home to begin a 10-game homestand. First up... 4 with Midland. Nick Tropeano will start the opener against Murphy Smith. First pitch is at 7:05. Lake Elsinore 15, Lancaster 10 Well, this one started off well enough, as the Jethawks stormed out to a 5-0 lead thanks to a 5-run 2nd. Unfortunately, the wheels came off, and the results were not pretty. No sir, not pretty. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Brandon Meredith, who went 0-3 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Matt Duffy got it started with a solo homer (18) to put the Jethawks on the board first. With the bases loaded in the 2nd, Nolan Fontana hit an RBI single, and then Andrew Aplin was hit by a pitch. M.P. Cokinos finished off the 2nd with a 2-run single. Aplin hit an RBI single in the 4th and scored on a Tyler Heineman RBI single. In the 8th, Fontana hit a 3-run homer (6). Fontana finished 3-4. Duffy and Delino DeShields had 2 hits apiece. Has Aaron West seriously had the worst luck ever or what. He was ragdolled for 7 runs (2 inherited) on 8 hits in only 2 1/3 innings. He walked 1 and fanned 4. Michael Dimock didn't fare much better in his 1 2/3, as he allowed 4 runs on 2 hits (3-run homer; both runners he inherited from West scored on the play), walked 3, and struck out 4. Kenny Long went 3 and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Cam Lamb finished it out, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and fanning 3 in 2 innings. The series finale will be at 7:00 Pacific and will feature TBA against Frank Garces. Kyle Smith last pitched on July 26, but I'm not sure if he's joined the team yet. Quad Cities 4, Peoria 3 The River Bandits walked off with the series opener as they rallied from a 3-0 deficit after 6 innings. Everyone in the lineup had at least 1 hit except for Luis Alvarez, who went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Before the 9th, the River Bandits' only run came in the 7th, as Terrell Joyce scored on an error. A Teoscar Hernandez grounder to 2nd was flubbed by Breyvic Valera. Well, let's go to the 9th. Danry Vasquez made a very strong first impression on his new employers; he went 3-5 and tied the game at 3 with a 2-run homer (6) with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th. One batter later, Carlos Correa doubled. After Dan Gulbransen struck out to become the 2nd victim of the inning, Bobby Borchering dinked one into center field for the winner. Mark Appel allowed a run on 6 hits and struck out 3 in 4 2/3 innings. Gerardo Sanchez went 2 2/3 and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and struck out 2. Mitch Lambson got the win as he retired all 5 Chiefs he faced, striking out 1. Next up on the docket is a doubleheader featuring Lance McCullers in game 1 and Vince Velasquez in game 2. McCullers will face Ben O'Shea, and Velasquez goes up against Chris Perry. Game 1 begins at 6:00. State College 7, Tri-City 4 The ValleyCats are spiraling downward, as they've dropped 6 in a row. In this latest loss, they coughed up a 4-3 lead. Mike Martinez scored the first TC run on an error in the 2nd. On the play, Jake Rodriguez was credited with an RBI. Martinez also hit a sac fly that turned into a double play in the 3rd. Rodriguez hit a 2-run single in the 6th. Evan Grills went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and fanned 2. Charles Basford allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 4th. Kevin Comer got the loss, as he allowed 2 unearned runs on 3 walks and struck out 2 in 2 1/3. Andrew Walter got the final 2 outs of the 7th, but not before allowing 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Comer to score. He walked 1. J.D. Osborne gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and walked 1 in the 8th without recording an out. Richard Rodriguez retired the 8th in order himself, striking out 1. Tanner Bushue and Adrian Houser will look to end this losing streak. They will face Kevin Herget at 7:05 Eastern. Greeneville 3, Burlington 1 The Appy Astros took 2 of 3, thanks to solid performances from their pitchers, which has been customary for them this year. Greeneville got on the board in the 4th with RBI singles from Ariel Ovando and Thomas Lindauer. Also, manager Josh Bonifay was given the heave-ho in the inning. They added 1 more in the 6th on a Tanner Mathis groundout. Cristian Moronta tripled to lead off the inning. Tyler White finished 3-4 with a double. Frederick Tiburcio allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 5 shutout innings. Krishawn Holley allowed a hit and fanned 3 in 2 scoreless frames. Raul Rivera struck out 2 in the 8th, but also allowed a solo homer to Chris Sweeney. Gonzalo Sanudo threw a 1-2-3 9th for his 7th save of the season. The Appy Astros will have a getaway 3-game series in Bristol. TBA will start the opener against Thaddius Lowry, who's from Spring. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern. GCL Astros 18, GCL Pirates 6 after 5 innings The rain served as the mercy rule, after the Kissimmee Stros ran off 11 in the bottom of the 5th. Not sure if I can describe this game in words, so here's the box score. Luis Ordosgoitti made his season debut, throwing 2 scoreless innings. He allowed a hit and fanned 2. Javier Lozano walked 1 in a scoreless 4th. Joe Musgrove went 2 innings and gave up 6 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and struck out 1. Both teams will do it again in Bradenton, provided that it isn't raining. DSL Astros 8, DSL Rays 7 The Academy staved off a late rally and hung on for the win. Marlon Avea hit an RBI double in the 2nd to tie the game at 1. They busted it open with 5 in the 6th, as Brauly Mejia drew a bases-loaded walk, Jean Estrella cleared them with a double, and Avea hit another RBI double. In the 8th, Hector Roa hit a solo homer (6) and Luis Payano hit a sac fly. Payano was 2-4, with both of hits being doubles. Roa and Arturo Michelena also went 2-4. Estrella was 2-3 with 2 runs scored. Harold Arauz threw 6 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Junior Garcia allowed 4 runs (3 inherited) on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3 in 1 1/3. Victor Mesa allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in the 8th, and Angel Heredia got the final 2 outs to close the game. He allowed a hit, walked 1, and fanned 1.
As the calendar turns to August, where do the Astros' minor league affiliates stand? Oklahoma City July record: 18-11 At 62-50, the Redhawks are tied for 2nd with Round Rock in the Pacific Coast League American Southern division. They're 1 game behind Albuquerque. Corpus Christi July record: 18-11 In the 2nd half, the Hooks are 23-17, 1 game behind San Antonio in the Texas League South. Overall, they are 65-45, which would lead the division if the league didn't use halves. They've already clinched a playoff spot by virtue of winning the first half. Lancaster July record: 15-14 As they won the first half in the California League South, the Jethawks clinched a playoff berth. Currently, they are 24-16 in the 2nd half, which leads the division. 2 games ahead of Inland Empire. Overall, they sport a 63-47 record. Quad Cities July record: 14-12 The River Bandits currently sit in 2nd in the Midwest League Western division with a 21-15 record. They are 3 games behind Cedar Rapids and a game ahead of Beloit (who won the 1st half) for the 2nd-half wild card spot. Overall, they are 59-46, which would be 3rd in the division, 5.5 behind Cedar Rapids. Tri-City July record: 15-15 Despite their current 6-game losing streak, the ValleyCats' 26-18 record still leads the New York-Penn League's Stedler Division. However, their lead has been whittled down to 1 game over Lowell. Greeneville July record: 21-8, with 1 suspended game At 26-13, the Appy Astros lead the Appalachian League West by 2 games over Kingsport. They are tied with Bluefield for the best record in the league. GCL July record: 12-13 The GCLstros are in 3rd place in the GCL Northeast, 4 behind the Tigers. DSL July record: 11-14 The Academy has a 26-24 record, which puts them in a tie for 3rd with the Rays. This is certainly encouraging, as they were in the cellar for almost all of last year. They are 7 games behind the Red Sox.
Jeez that is ugly. I'd say those guys would be on par with our 31-40 prospects (minus Castro, Mier, Lyles).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> prospects RHP Bobby Doran, 24, and catcher Rene Garcia, 23, have just been promoted to Oklahoma City from Double A Corpus Christi.</p>— Richard Dean (@RichardDeanCSN) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardDeanCSN/statuses/363017982542225408">August 1, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Corpus manager Keith Bodie on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> prospect Bobby Doran (6-6, 235): 'He has a good angle on his fastball that makes him tough to hit.'</p>— Richard Dean (@RichardDeanCSN) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardDeanCSN/statuses/363018816499875841">August 1, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Corpus manager Keith Bodie on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> prospect Rene Garcia: 'His defensive skills are off the charts. He's developing into a solid hitter.'</p>— Richard Dean (@RichardDeanCSN) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardDeanCSN/statuses/363019237205344256">August 1, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> catching prospect Rene Garcia, who was promoted from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City today, had a 30-game on-base streak this year.</p>— Richard Dean (@RichardDeanCSN) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardDeanCSN/statuses/363019821471907840">August 1, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I saw him play the night I was in Corpus. I can't believe the depth we seem to have at the catcher position in this organization. I can't remember there ever being that kind of depth at that position within the Astros.
Perez, Garcia, Stassi, Cokinos, Holberton, Heineman, Nottingham. Wow, seems like Luhnow must have made catching depth a priority.
Interesting that he got the call before Stassi -- I guess this ensures more innings for Stassi behind the plate, and they didn't want to split time with Perez and Stassi. Garcia is a .300 hitter in his own right - he oddly has much better numbers this year than last year in Lancaster.
Is Appel still on a pitch/inning limit? It seems like all his starts so far he hasn't made it 5 innings yet. I'm just wondering if he is still adjusting so he is throwing more pitches per inning than normal, or if he is just being pulled because they are being careful.
He's most definitely on an innings list for the season... not sure if he's on a pitch limit as well, but if he is its likely increased from game to game. Remember, he's already pitched a good amount of innings this year... and everybody's arm only has so many throws before it gets hurt. I'm really against him going to Lancaster to start next season... not sure what everybody else here thinks. Not to say that good pitching can't win there... I just see pitchers getting beat up on a consistent basis to the point that pitching staffs get taxed, and pitchers may try to overdo it.
A lot of people don't realize the Astros have a huge 40 man roster crunch coming after this season. There are a lot of players that need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft and not enough spots for all of them. Stassi, Perez, and Garcia will all be rule five eligible after this season. I would say it's a foregone conclusion that Stassi will be protected. This gives Stassi more reps at C and allows the FO/AAA coaches to evaluate Perez and Garcia at the same level of competition.
Definitely agree with this. I hope the Astros can find a way out of the California League or at least to one of the more neural parks.
