Wednesday Morning Hot Links

In retrospect it's the most Astrosy thing you can imagine: eight-game winning streak coming off a 12-run night in which they hit a season-high in home runs? Of course Houston will get shut out. That's a 6-0 Brewers win. The Astros have won 11 of their last 13 games. 

*It was just the second time this season the Astros have been shut out. They're 0-2 when they don't score any runs in a game. Brewers starting pitcher Colin Rea got his first win as a starter since July 1, 2016. 

*Last night was the 9th time the Astros have recorded five or fewer hits. They're 2-7 in those games. 

*J.P. France had a good bounceback start: 5.2IP, 5H/2R (1ER), 8K:1BB. After striking out 10 of the first 66 batters he faced in the Majors, France struck out eight of the 23 Brewers who came to the plate against him last night. 

*Rafael Montero...did not have a good night. Tasked to keep the game at 2-0 Milwaukee in the 8th, Montero gave up 4H/4ER, 1K:1BB. It's the second time he's allowed 4ER in a game in 2023, and he's allowed at least an earned run in eight of his 21 appearances. 

Montero, Mar/Apr: 12IP, 14H/3ER, 16K:4BB, .763 OPS-against - .419 BABIP.

Montero, May: 7.2IP, 14H/13ER, 7K:5BB, 1.210 OPS-against - .462 BABIP.

*Jose Altuve left the game in the 6th with hopefully Bowels Is Loose. Prior to that, though, he did get an infield single for his 1,938th career hit to move past Jose Cruz for 3rd on the all-time franchise leaderboard. Dusty:

We just took him out because we thought it was the best thing to do for precautionary reasons. Like I said, he was feeling sick. You could see it. He's being evaluated by the doctors and we'll let you know more [today].

*Whatever. These games happen. 

*Michael Brantley is still not hitting.

*2011 2nd Round pick Adrian Houser, who was sent to Milwaukee in the package that brought the Astros Carlos Gomez and Mike MF Fiers, gets the afternoon get-away day start. 

*Toronto beat Tampa 20-1.

*NY Times: Baseball's new rules have the game in overdrive

*In the midst of chaos, futility, and terror, it's easy to find solace in another team's misfortunes. And when those two misfortunes are linked? Hoo boy....

*Want to read the book that just won the Booker Prize? Here you go. (It's back-ordered on Bookshop.org, or I would have linked it there).

*Texas Monthly: What you need to know about "How To Create A Sex Scandal."

*That's enough for today. 

*A musical selection:

Astros trade for Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers

(You) Hey. How's it going?

(Me) After spending all day thinking the Astros were about to land Tyson Ross and Craig Kimbrel - and, of course, there's still 18 hours before the Trade Deadline - the Astros went and took advantage of the Mets' really Metsing it up with the Brewers and got Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers.

Wait, what?

So if you were paying attention last night, the Mets and Brewers seemingly had a deal in place that would send Carlos Gomez to the Mets for injured starter Zach Wheeler and Wilmer Flores. Except it didn't happen, presumably because the Mets had concerns about Gomez's hip. Wilmer Flores cried, on the field, because some fans with Twitter behind the dugout told him he'd been traded. It was bizarre. Well, as it turns out, because (warning: oversimplified explanation ahead) the Mets' owners got suckered by Bernie Madoff, they don't have any money but agreed to the trade, anyway, and then remembered that they don't have any money, so the Mets wanted the Brewers to pick up $9m of Gomez's salary, the Brewers said "Nah, homey," and then the Mets made up some crap about Gomez's hip to get out of the deal.

Okay, so who is Carlos Gomez?

Gomez is a right-handed 29-year old outfielder, 6'3" 220lbs - he'll be 30 in December. Originally signed by the, yes, Mets as an amateur free agent in 2002, the Mets traded Gomez to the Twins (along with former Astro great Phil Humber) for Johan Santana in February 2008. After the 2009 season, the Twins traded Gomez to the Brewers for J.J. Hardy.

In 2012 he hit .260/.305/.463 for his first League-Average season, and followed that up in 2013 with a .284/.338/.506 season resulting in an All-Star appearance, a Top-10 MVP finish, and a Gold Glove. FanGraphs posted his WAR at 7.5. In 2014 he hit .284/.356/.477 with another All-Star nod - not that that means anything - and a 5.7 WAR. In 74 games this season, Gomez is hitting .262/.328/.423, a 105 OPS+, 1.7 WAR and 107 wRC+.

In short: for the last four seasons, Gomez is averaging .275/.335/.474 with 100 doubles, 19 triples, and 74 home runs and an average of almost 118 wRC+. He strikes out a decent amount - 22.3% K-rate this season to go with a 22.6% career K-rate.

So this year he's been average. How does that help?

You don't understand. Carlos Gomez is a really good defensive centerfielder. Let's compare, eh?

Avg. AL CF:    .266/.324/.409
Astros CFs:      .226/.285/.370
Gomez, 2015:  .262/.328/.423, 107 wRC+, 2.5 Def, 1.7 WAR
Marisnick, '15: .238/.275/.374, 78 wRC+, 1.1 Def, 0.5 WAR

So if you want to call Gomez's 2015 "average," you'd be marginally right. But an "average" centerfielder for the 2015 Astros is actually an upgrade.

What's his contract situation?

Gomez is obviously under contract for the rest of this season, so the Astros will take on the remainder of his $8m salary, but he's also under contract for 2016 at a modest $9m. So he's not a rental, the Astros get 220-odd games with Gomez in the outfield.

Whatever. Marisnick's still hot. What about Mike Fiers?

Mike Fiers, a 6'2" 200lb RHP who turned 30 this past June, was the Brewers' 22nd Round pick in the 2009 draft out of Nova Southeastern University - two rounds after his teammate J.D. Martinez was drafted by the Astros.

Can we stop for a second and pour one out for J.D.? 

Of course.

Okay, carry on. 

As I was saying, Fiers is really only getting his first shot at a solid rotation spot. His next start will be his 22nd, tying a career high he set in 2012 - his rookie year (I'm not counting the 2IP he threw in the Majors in 2011). He only threw 94IP in the Majors in 2013-14, making 13 starts in 25 appearances. This year, though, he has a 3.89 ERA/1.36 WHIP/3.79 FIP in 21 starts, 118IP. In those 118IP, he has allowed 117H/51ER, 121K:43BB for a 9.2 K/9 rate, 3.3 BB/9 rate. If K and BB/9 don't float your boat, that translates to a 23.8% K% and an 8.5% BB%.

He's also not exactly what you would expect from an Astros pitching acquisition - with only a 37.7% Groundball rate. He's also experiencing a 37.6% Hard-hit rate - an increase of almost 8% over 2014, all pretty much borrowed from his 2014 Medium-hit rate. He throws a fastball (89.3mph) 56% of the time, and mixes in a cutter, curve, and change all between 11-16% of his pitches.

Okay...how does this help?

What immediately stands out to me is that Fiers allows the Astros to move McCullers to the bullpen, managing his innings in the same way that they're doing with Velasquez. McCullers and Velasquez are obviously young pitchers unaccustomed to a full season workload. You probably already know this, but McCullers is 1.2IP away from matching his 2014 total (97IP), Velasquez is 12.1IP away from his 2014 IP total. Fiers is a serviceable pitcher that can fit in behind Keuchel, Kazmir, and McHugh alongside Feldman.

ORRRRR....the Astros could fulfill a pipe dream and flip Fiers in a deal to San Diego where his flyball rate isn't such a big deal in a barren landscape.

What does this do to the roster construction?

Gomez and Fiers have already been added to the 40-Man with no issues. The Astros had DFA'd Alex Presley, Joe Thatcher, and Not Fausto, and with Peacock on the 60-Day DL, there was room.

The 25-Man roster is going to be interesting, because it's firmly at 25. Those on the bubble:

With Lowrie's return, the Astros simply have too many infielders. Note that Valbuena got the start at 1B tonight over Singleton, who did hit his 1st home run of the season last night. Singleton could head back to Fresno and...see what happens. Marwin is more versatile than Singleton, and Valbuena's luck has to come around, right....RIGHT?

Tony Sipp was a candidate when Kazmir came on board, but he remains the only lefty option out of the bullpen. So he's probably untouchable. Valbuena and Carter are out of options, so they would have to clear waivers...which won't happen.

The other option - and it's not going to be popular - is to send Jake Marisnick to Triple-A. He has options left, and coming into Thursday's game he was hitting .238/.275/.374. Gomez makes him expendable. I know you think it's a joke to consider Evan Gattis a "left fielder" but with Tucker, Gomez, Rasmus, and Gattis (and with Springer's return, ideally in about a month), Marisnick is expendable.

Who did the Astros give up?

The Astros gave up four minor-leaguers, though one - Domingo Santana - has Major-League experience. The four, in no particular order, are:

Domingo Santana: We know Domingo. Had a nightmare Major-League debut in 2014, going 0x17 with 14K:1BB in 18 plate appearances. This season, though, in 14 games (42 PAs) he hit .256/.310/.462, still with 17K:2BB, but at least he made contact. He's projectable, still only 22. But he was just blocked, what with Springer, Preston Tucker impressing in his rookie season, and then the glut of outfielders.

Adrian Houser: 2011 2nd Round pick. In five seasons, Houser had a 4.30 ERA/1.37 WHIP, though in seven games with the Hooks this season, he's thrown 33.1IP, 39H/23ER, 23K:15BB. Houser was Rule 5 eligible, meaning that, if the Astros didn't add him to the 40-Man roster (which was unlikely) some team could come in and just pick him up like the Rangers did with Delino DeShields, Jr this last offseason. So basically the Astros got something out of Houser before running the risk of losing him for nothing.

Josh Hader: Acquired in the Bud Norris trade with Baltimore. Losing Hader hurts me a little bit, though I get it. He pitched extremely well in Lancaster last year - a 2.71 ERA/1.11 WHIP in the California League, which is similar to pitching on the moon. His brief stint in Corpus didn't go real well last year, but in 17 games for Corpus in 2015, Hader - in his Age 21 season - had a 3.17 ERA/1.29 WHIP with 69K:24BB in 65.1IP. But there are mixed reports on what Hader could become: a serviceable starter or a future LOOGY, or what? Again, there are roster concerns, though he wouldn't be Rule 5-eligible until after the 2016 season. Given the depth acquired and the goals of the organization over the next 15 months, it's hard to see where Hader fits in.

Brett Phillips: Oh crap this one hurts. This is the very definition of "you have to give to get." Phillips was the Astros' 6th Round pick in the Magical Draft of 2012. 21-year old lefty outfielder, just a sweetheart of a guy. In four seasons, Phillips put up a career minor-league line of .298/.371/.491. In 93 games in Lancaster, he hit .325/.391/.580, and carried that on to Double-A where in 31 games he hit .321/.372/.463. Oh, and he's 21.

Things work out differently for people, but right now I'm most upset about Hader and Phillips. Still, losing Phillips hurts. He's lining up to be the prize of the trade. The Brewers did well.

Did the Astros have to make this trade? 

It's impossible to know what trade talks fell through but the Astros had to make a move to take advantage of the wild ride that has been the 2015 season. In my heart I knew that losing Phillips was likely in any trade of substance, but it doesn't make it any easier. It's strange being in this position: a fan of the team that looks at trade impact now instead of on the "let's reevaluate in five years" side. In no way is the overall state of the Astros' system "in danger." This trade did not "clear out the farm."

Did the Astros get better?

Did they get better today? Yes. They upgraded the team today and still have McCullers...and Velasquez...and A.J. Reed....and we could do this for literally minutes. Will they be regret this trade in five years? Who knows - baseball is a faithless whore. Now, call San Diego...

Sunday Morning Hot Links

At 48-35, the Astros are 4.0 up on the Angels with a 62.3% chance of winning the division and an 80.5% chance of going to the playoffs. Let's get to the Hot Links...

*Collin McHugh couldn't find his command against Boston.

*Jim Crane talked to Brian McTaggart about the need for a starting pitcher, having checked on Scott Kazmir, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Mike Leake (notably absent from this list is Colston Douche Hamels).
If we can get the right move, I'm sure Jeff (Luhnow) will pull the trigger. He has the ability to do that if he wants to do it. It will depend on what kind of contract it is and how long it is and who it is and what we need, but I know it's something a lot of teams are looking at right now...

...On the trade deadline, we're looking at a lot of different options. It's no secret we'd like to get a little deeper on the starting pitcher side. The bullpen is solid. We'll get our guys healthy and hopefully make a run.

*George Springer and the Astros elected not to have surgery on his wrist in hopes that it will make for a quicker recovery.

*Jeff Luhnow on the team's progress:
The most compelling thing about this team is the contributions have come from so many different components. The constants have been Keuchel and the bullpen for the most part. Others have ebbed and flowed as the season's gone on. But there's been enough players contributing at a high level...each month to keep us winning.

*Dan Straily will get at least one more start, and Jake Marisnick will return to the team today, with Domingo Santana heading back to Fresno.

*Nick Cafardo says Cole Hamels will likely not accept a trade to Houston or Toronto. "Yet if those are the only options he has," Cafardo writes, "would he say No?"

*Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan: The Astros won't fold like everyone expects them to do. Money line:
If Edward Snowden hacked into the Astros' database, even he would be stumped as to how this is all happening.

*The Masked Marvel wrote about the possible edge the Astros have in scheduling for the rest of the season.

*Draft longshot Luken Baker is still planning on going to TCU.

*Just about all of Locust Grove, Oklahoma went to OKC to watch Adrian Houser pitch.

*Here's a nice profile on former Astro and Mariners Rule 5 pick David Rollins, who made his Major-League debut yesterday.

Evan Grills promoted to Lancaster

2010 10th Round pick Evan Grills was promoted to Lancaster from Quad Cities.

Grills, who just turned 22, was 3-3 for Quad Cities, allowing 84H/23ER, with 47K:11BB in 76.2IP (2.70 ERA/1.24 WHIP). His 76.2IP are already a career-high for a season.

PreStros Morning Report: July 4

TL;DR
*Domestic affiliates go 5-2 on the day; 205-187 overall
*OKC gets four in the bottom of the 8th to defeat Iowa
*Corpus dominates Springfield behind Kyle Smith's strong outing
*Lancaster continued its 2nd-half struggles, falling to red-hot Rancho Cucamonga. Mark Appel made a half-decent start.
*Quad Cities disintegrated in the 9th in a loss to Wisconsin
*J.D. Davis and A.J. Reed - The Initials - go 5x8 in a Tri-City win
*Joshua James struck out seven in 3IP as Greeneville destroys Kingsport.
*The GCL Astros whipped the GCL Blue Jays behind Marlon Avea's perfect day.

Oklahoma City (46-43, 2.0 GB)

Iowa had a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th before the RedHawks exploded for four runs, winning 4-3. Asher Wojciechowski threw 5IP, 4H/3ER, 3K:2BB and allowed homers by Kris Bryant and Javier Baez. Pat Urckitz threw 2IP, 1H/0ER, 3K:0BB, Jason Stoffel got the win with 1.2IP, 1H/0ER, 4K:0BB, and Kevin Chapman got the last out for his 3rd save.

OKC only managed six hits, but Jonathan Villar had 2RBI, with Joe Sclafani and Ronny Torreyes adding RsBI. Robbie Grossman had a hit and a walk.

Man of the Match: The bullpen. 4IP, 2H/0ER, 7K:0BB

Corpus (7-8, 3.0 GB; 41-44 overall)

A pair of three-run innings put the game out of reach with Corpus dominating Springfield 8-0, holding the Cardinals to four hits. Kyle Smith allowed 4H/0ER, 6K:1BB in 6IP; Mitchell Lambson threw two perfect innings, striking out two, and Travis Ballew walked one in the 9th.

Tyler Heineman was 3x4 with a double and a walk; Tony Kemp (2B, BB, RBI), Delino DeShields (BB, 3RBI), and Jonathan Meyer (2RBI) had two hits each. Ruben Sosa was 1x1 with a walk and two runs scored in a pinch-runner/DH role. Andrew Aplin drew two walks and had an outfield assist.

Man of the Match: Tyler Heineman - called the game behind the plate and provided three hits.

Lancaster (5-10, 9.0 GB; 49-36 overall)

A quick note. Lancaster has struggled in the second half, going 5-10 as you see above, but freakin' Rancho Cucamonga is 14-1 in the 2nd half, so... anyway. It's Rancho Cucamonga who got out to a 3-0 lead by the middle of the 2nd, which was all they needed as Lancaster fell 4-2, despite out-hitting RC 9-6. Mark Appel got the start, throwing 5IP, 5H/4R (3ER), 3K:2BB getting nine groundball outs. Brian Holmes came in for the final 4IP and allowed just 1H/0ER, 3K:0BB.

Conrad Gregor was 2x3 with two walks (hitting .374/.459/.634 in 32 games since getting promoted); Roberto Pena and Jack Mayfield (2B) added two hits each. Jordan Scott (SB), Teoscar Hernandez (2B) each got a hit and drew a walk, and Austin Elkins got a hit and two walks.

Man of the Match: Brian Holmes

Quad Cities (8-7, 3.5 GB; 43-41 overall)

Quad Cities plated two runs in the 4th, and had held Wisconsin to two hits before Frederick Tiburcio allowed a hit and three walks in the 9th and Andrew Walter allowed all those runs to score plus one of his own. Quad Cities got a run back in the bottom of the 9th, but it wasn't enough as Quad Cities falls 5-3. Adrian Houser threw a gem: 6IP, 2H/0ER, 8K:1BB with eight groundball outs; Tyler Brunnemann threw 2IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB to set up the 9th. Tiburcio's final line is 1H/4ER, 0K:3BB in 0.1IP and Walter's 0.2IP, 2H/1ER.

Jose Fernandez hit a two-run homer and Brian Holberton provided your 9th inning RBI. Ronnie Mitchell added a double, with Marc Wik and Brett Phillips getting your other hits.

Man of the Match: Adrian Houser

Tri-City (13-8, 2.0 up)

Back-and-forth game with Lowell, with the score going 1-0 Tri-City, 1-1, 3-1 TC, 3-2 TC, 3-3 before a pair of two-run innings put the game out of reach for a 7-4 Tri-City win. Brandon McNitt allowed 2H/2ER, 3K:3BB in 3.2IP; Kevin Ferguson got the final out of the 4th inning; Austin Chrismon allowed 2H/1ER, 3K:0BB in 3IP, and Chris Munnelly allowed 3H/1ER, 4K:0BB in 2IP.

J.D. Davis was 3x4 with a double and 3RBI; A.J. Reed was 2x4 with a double and an RBI; Terrell Joyce was 1x4 with a two-run homer; Alfredo Gonzalez was 2x4.

Man of the Match: J.D. Davis

Greeneville (7-8, 2.5 GB)

Good GAWD that was ugly. Greeneville put up six runs in the bottom of the first, and then scored the next eight runs of the game before Kingsport got a consolation run in the top of the 9th. 14-1 Greeneville. Jose Montero threw 5IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:3BB; Joshua James then came in for 3IP, allowing one hit, no runs, striking out seven and walking one. Jorge Perez allowed 2H/1ER, 2K:1BB in the 9th.

Kingsport's pitching staff line: 8IP, 11H/14ER, 7K:13BB, 7 wild pitches. Jason Martin was 2x3 with three walks and an RBI; Juan Santana (BB, 2RBI), Sean McMullen (2 doubles, BB, RBI), and Luis Reynoso (2RBI) had two hits each; Jacob Nottingham was 1x4 with a walk and 3RBI; Antonio Nunez was 1x2 with two walks.

Man of the Match: Jason Martin.

GCL Astros (6-7, 1GB)

The GCL Astros put up four in the 1st inning on the GCL Blue Jays, who responded in the bottom of the 3rd with three of their own. Then the GCL Astros scored nine of the next ten runs in a 13-4 win at the Blue Jays. Junior Garcia allowed 6H/3ER, 3K:2BB in 4IP, Alejandro Solarte allowed 2H/1R (0ER), 2K:0BB in 2IP; J.D. Osborne threw 1IP, 1H/0ER, 1K:0BB and Aaron Vaughn threw 2IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:1BB.

Marlon Avea was 4x4 with a walk and 3RBI; Alexander Melendez (2SB, RBI) and Will Dupont (2RBI) had three hits each. Randy Cesar added two hits. Kristian Trompiz was 1x5 with a walk.

Man of the Match: Marlon Avea

PreStros Morning Report: June 23

Oklahoma City (40-35), 3.5 GB

Game 1: OKC beats Omaha in Game 1 of a double-header, 6-5, in 10 innings. Brad Peacock had one of the strangest lines I've seen with 6IP, 7H/5R (2ER), 1K:6BB; Kevin Chapman allowed a hit in 1IP, Jason Stoffel allowed 2H/0ER, 1K:1BB in 2IP and Josh Zeid gets the win by allowing just one hit in the 10th inning.

Brandon Laird was 2x5 with a 6th inning 2-run homer and the walkoff RBI double with two outs in the 10th. Jose Martinez was 2x4 with an RBI. Jon Singleton, hitting 6th, was 1x2 with two walks and no strikeouts.

Man of the Match: Brandon Laird

Game 2: Omaha overcame a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 6th. OKC tied it up, but Omaha got the run back in the 7th for a Sunday split, 4-3 win over OKC. Brady Rodgers made the spot start, throwing 5IP, 5H/1ER, 4K:0BB in his Triple-A debut. Eric Berger allowed 2H/2ER, 0K:2BB in 0.2IP and Rhiner Cruz took the loss, giving up 2H/1ER, 1K:1BB in 1.1IP.

Robbie Grossman was 2x4 with 2RBI and two stolen bases; Cody Clark was 2x3. Che-Hsuan Lin was 1x3 with a walk and an outfield assist.

Man of the Match: Brady Rodgers

Corpus (3-3), 1.0 GB

Corpus jumped out to a 3-0 lead and was able to hold on for a 6-3 win at Frisco. David Martinez took the mound for the first three innings, allowing 2H/1ER, 3K:1BB; Mike Foltynewicz allowed 5H/1ER, 1K:1BB in the next 3IP; Andrew Robinson allowed 3H/1ER, 2K:0BB; Kenny Long gave up a hit to the only batter he faced and Pat Urckfitz got the four-out save.

Rene Garcia was 3x5 with an RBI; Jonathan Meyer (RBI) and Zach Johnson (SB) were each 2x5 with a double. George Springer hit his 19th home run in what is likely his final Double-A game. and Enrique Hernandez and Raoul Torrez each had a hit and a walk.

Man of the Match: Rene Garcia

Lancaster (4-0), 1.0 up

Lancaster competed a four-game sweep of Rancho Cucamonga with a 12-6 win. Chris Devenski threw 4IP, 5H/4ER, 3K:1BB; Jonas Dufek got the win with 2IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:0BB; Theron Geith allowed 3H/2ER; Cameron Lamb and Blair Walters threw scoreless outings to close the game.

So many homers. Andrew Aplin was 3x4 with an RBI and a walk; Tyler Heineman was 2x4 with an RBI. Joe Sclafani was 1x3 with a homer and two walks; Carlos Perdomo was 2x4 with a homer and a walk; But Preston Tucker swung the Big Bat, with two three-run homers and 6RBI total.

Man of the Match: Preston Tucker

Quad Cities (4-0), tied

Quad Cities jumped on Kane County early, taking a 4-0 lead in the 1st and riding it out for a 6-1 win. Lance McCullers threw 5IP, 1H/0ER, 7K:2BB; Daniel Minor threw two perfect innings, and Mitchell Lambson gave up 5H/1ER, 1K:0BB in 2IP.

Carlos Correa was 3x5 and has an eight-game hitting streak in which six of those games are multi-hit games. He's hitting .488/.532/.561 in his last ten games. Teoscar Hernandez was 3x5 with a HR and 2RBI; Jesse Wierzbicki (SB), Rio Ruiz (2SB, 2RBI) and Ruben Sosa (SB, BB, 2RBI) had two hits each. Miles Hambin drew three walks.

Man of the Match: Lance McCullers

Tri-City (6-1), 2.5 up

Wild one at Connecticut yesterday with a scoreless game heading into the 10th, but Tri-City put up five and withstood a Connecticut rally for a 5-2 win. Adrian Houser threw 5IP, 2H/0ER, 6K:2BB; Tanner Bushue then threw four hitless/scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks; Pat Christensen allowed 2H/2ER in 1IP.

Dan Gulbransen was 2x5 with 2RBI; Jose Fernandez was 1x3 with two walks and an RBI. Ronnie Mitchell had a hit and a walk.

Man of the Match: Houser and Bushue

Greeneville (1-3) 3.0 GB

Home opener for the Gastros saw a 3-0 lead slip away in the 8th and a 5-3 Elizabethton win in the 10th.
Frederick Tiburcio threw 4IP, 1H/0ER, 5K:1BB while Krishawn Holley gave up 1H/0ER, 2K:1BB in 3IP; Tyler Brunnemann allowed 3H/3ER, 1K:0BB in 0.2IP. Gonzalo Sanudo gave up 4H/2ER (and two of Brunnemann's runs) in 1.2IP; Ryan Connolly allowed 1H/0ER in the final 0.2IP.

Darwin Rivera was 2x4 with a double, Tanner Mathis was 2x4; Edwin Gomez was 1x4 with a double and 2RBI. Jack Mayfield was 1x3 with a stolen base.

Man of the Match: Frederick Tiburcio

GCL Astros

Off.

Adrian Houser: #17 in Appalachian League

Baseball America has released its Top 20 Appalachian League prospect list, and Adrian Houser (the Astros' 2nd Round pick in 2011) is #17 - the lone Astro ranked.

Byron Buxton, who went #2 overall in the 2012 draft was the #1 prospect in the Appalachian League, as he was also the #1 prospect in the GCL. This is silly. So if you're like us, and immediately thought, "What the hell? What about Correa - who hit .371/.450/.600 for GreenEville?" Baseball America has an explanation:

Greeneville shortstop Carlos Correa, whom the Astros drafted first overall, batted .371/.450/.600 but his 41 plate appearances weren't enough to qualify for our list.

Anyhow, as a 19-year old, Houser threw 58IP for the Gastros, allowing 53H/27ER, 54K:23BB, with a 4.19 ERA/1.31 WHIP. 

PreStros Farm Report: June 29

PreStros: June 29

Oklahoma City (46-35) 

The RedHawks were shutout by Iowa (CHC) 7-0.

Paul Clemens lasted 5.1 innings and gave up 5 R on 8 H and 1 BB with 4 K. Adalberto Flores threw 1.2 innings and allowed 2 R on 2 H with 1 K. Jonnathan Aristil took the final inning with 1 BB and 2 K.

2B-Jimmy Paredes was 2x3 with 1 BB and 1 3B but was caught stealing twice. CF-Brandon Barnes was 1x3 with 1 BB and 1 outfield assist on a play at home. LF-JB Shuck was 1x3 with 1 BB.

Man of the Match: Jimmy Paredes

*Notes: Since returning to OKC, Brett Wallace is hitting .381 with three home runs. Mike Hessman, Jimmy Paredes, and Landon Powell were named to the AAA All-Star Game.

Corpus Christi (42-35) 

The Hooks beat Northwest Arkansas (KC) 3-1.

Jose Cisnero pitched 6 innings, allowing 1 R on 8 H and 2 BB with 5 K. Henry Villar threw 2 innings with 2 K. Jason Stoffel took the ninth with 1 H and 2 K for his 12^th save.

SS-Jonathan Villar was 1x3 with 1 BB and 1 SB. DH-Kody Hinze was 2x2 with 2 BB, 1 2B, and 1 R. 3B-Andy Simunic went 2x4 with 1 2B and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Jose Cisnero

*Notes: Austin Wates has been activated off the disabled list. The Hooks have won 15 of their last 20 games. If Corpus wins today they will tie the club record for June victories at 18.

Lancaster (39-40) 

The JetHawks lost a close, back-and-forth game 8-7 to Rancho Cucamonga (LAD).

David Martinez threw 6 innings and gave up 5 R (4 earned) on 8 H with 3 K. Pat Urckfitz went 2 innings and allowed 3 unearned runs with 1 H, 1 BB, and 1 K. Andrew Robinson pitched the final inning with 1 BB and 1 K.

CF-George Springer was 2x4 with 1 BB and 2 R. LF-Chris Epps was 2x4 with 1 BB, 2 R, and 1 RBI. 1B-Rafael Valenzuela was 2x5 with 1 HR and 2 R.

Man of the Match: Rafael Valenzuela

*Notes: The JetHawks have lost seven of nine since the All-Star break. Nick Tropeano was promoted to Lancaster and will make his first start with the team Sunday.

Lexington (42-36) 

The Legends came up just short against Asheville (COL), losing 4-3.

Carlos Quevedo pitched 2.1 innings and gave up 3 R on 7 H. Tommy Shirley threw 3.1 innings and allowed 1 R on 4 H and 1 BB with 2 K. Gabriel Garcia took the final 3.1 innings with 2 K.

1B-Zach Johnson was 3x4 with 1 BB, 2 2B, and 1 R. RF-Justin Gominsky went 1x4 with 1 2B and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Zach Johnson

*Notes: Mike Foltynewicz is tied for the Sally League lead in wins (9).

Tri-City (8-3) 

The ValleyCats won again despite being outhit, beating Connecticut (DET) 5-2.

Brady Rodgers threw 5.2 innings and allowed 2 R (1 earned) on 7 H with 7 K. John Neely and Travis Ballew each turned in 1.1 scoreless innings. Kenny Long and Blake Ford each struck out the only batter they faced.

CF-Andrew Aplin was 2x3 with 2 SB, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI, and 1 outfield assist. 1B-Jesse Wierzbicki was 2x3 with 1 BB and 1 RBI. C-Tyler Heineman was 2x2.

Man of the Match: Andrew Aplin

*Notes: Andrew Aplin and Jobduan Morales are part of an 11 player tie for first in runs (9). Aplin is also leading the New York-Penn league in steals (6).

Greeneville (7-4) 

The Astros lost a brutal 17 inning game to Danville (ATL) 6-2.

Adrian Houser went 6 strong, shutout innings, with 3 H and 8 K. Jordan Jankowski threw 1 scoreless with 1H and 2 K. Christian Garcia went 1.1 innings and allowed 1 R on 3 BB with 1 K. Michael Dimock threw 3 scoreless innings with 1 H and 3 K. Zach Dando pitched 4 innings, allowing 1 R on 4 H and 1 BB with 6 K. Tanner Bushue took the loss after giving up 4 unearned runs with 1 H and 3 BB in 1 inning.

2B-Brian Blasik was 3x7 with 1 RBI. LF-Terrell Joyce was 2x7. SS-Jean Batista was 2x5 with 1 R and 3 errors.

Man of the Match: Adrian Houser

*Notes: The Astros hitters are tied for the fewest strikeouts (64) in the Appy League. Astros pitchers are leading the league in strikeouts (109).

GCL Astros (5-5) 

The Astros scored four runs in the top of the first and cruised to a 8-2 win over the Nationals.

Chia-Jen Lo threw 2 scoreless innings with 1 H, 2 BB, and 2 K. Enderson Franco went 5 innings, giving up 2 R on 6 H with 2 K. Rodney Quintero took the final 2 innings with 1 H, 1 BB, and 3 K.

CF-Brett Phillips was 2x5 with 2 3B and 2 R. SS-Carlos Correa went 2x5 with 1 SB, 2 2B, and 1 R. 1B- Yonathan Mejia was 2x3 with 2 BB, 1 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI. 3B-Darwin Rivera was 2x5 with 2 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI. C-Alfredo Gonzalez went 2x5 with 1 R and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Yonathan Mejia

*Notes: The average age for the GCL Astros position players is almost a full year younger than the league average.

DSL Astros (8-15) 

The Astros gave up a three run lead to lose 5-4 to the Rays.

Samil De Los Santos threw 6.2 innings, allowing 2 R on 4 H and 1 BB with 6 K. Frangy Colon went .2 innings and allowed 3 R on 4 H and 1 BB with 1 K. Rayderson Chavalier took the final .2 innings uneventfully.

C-Pedro Coa was 2x4 with 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Pedro Coa

Houser, Bushue leaving the GCL

In separate tweets, 2nd Round pick Adrian Houserannounced he's heading to Greeneville, and Tanner Bushue is heading...somewhere.

Eddie's Farm: July 14

Oklahoma City (40-52)

Oklahoma City came out of the break ready to go - except on defense, where they committed six errors - four by Robinson Cancel. OKC wins with an 8-4 win over the Iowa Cubs. Andy Van Hekken threw 7IP, 7H/4R (1ER), 7K:0BB to drop his ERA to 2.97. Wesley Wright and Jeff Fulchino both had perfect IPs.

Anderson Hernandez was 3x3 with a homer and two walks; J.R. Towles was 2x4 with an RBI; Tommy Manzella was 1x4 with 2RBI.

Man of the Match: Gotta go with Anderson Hernandez, but Van Hekken was solid.

Corpus (33-56)

Corpus and Frisco were tied at 1-1 going into the 9th, and then Brad James happened, and Frisco won 2-1 on a walk-off by Renny Osuna. Erick Abreu allowed 4H/1ER, 7K:1BB and Pat Urckfitz gave up 2H/0ER in 1IP. James walked a batter, and then intentionally walked three more, for a 1H/1ER, 1K:4BB, HBP, WP line, taking the loss.

Jake Goebbert and Kody Hinze (2 2B) had two hits each, while Jimmy Paredes' 1st-inning homer provided all the Hooks' scoring. J.D. Martinez was 1x2 with a walk and a double.

Man of the Match: Erick Abreu

Lancaster (36-55)

Lancaster won 13-7 basically thanks to 1B David Flores. More on that in a second, we have a formula to follow. Our Boy Andrew Robinson allowed 9H/6ER, 3K:1BB in 3.2IP; Mike Ness got the win with 3H/1ER, 3K:0BB in 2.1IP; Chris Hicks struck out five of the seven batters he faced, and Kirk Clark walked three in 1IP, but without further incident.

So, yes, David Flores. He hit three homers, going 4x5 with 7RBI on the night. Jonathan Meyer hit a three-run homer and drew a walk (it's nice when 6-7 in your lineup goes 5x9 with 4HR, 10RBI). Jiovanni Mier was 0x3, but drew two walks.

Man of the Match: Please. David Flores.

Lexington (43-48)

Lexington crushed Savannah's souls with a 7-1 win. Mike Foltynewicz went 6IP, allowing 4H/1ER, 9K:2BB; Jason Chowning struck out five in 2IP, and Jorge De Leon struck out two in 1IP.

Mike Kvasnicka went 2x5 with 2RBI, and Ben Heath went 2x4 with a double and an RBI. Enrique Hernandez went 1x2 with 2BB, as did Ben Orloff. Jay Austin had 2RBI on an 0x3 night.

Man of the Match: Mike Foltynewicz

Tri-City (10-15)

Tri-City took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st, but gave it right back, losing 6-3 at Batavia. Nick Tropeano threw 4IP, 6H/4R (2ER), 5K:3BB; Kristian Bueno struck out two, but walked three in 1IP; Joan Belliard allowed 2H/1ER, 1K:0BB in 1IP, and Dayan Diaz had 6K:2BB in 2IP.

The ValleyCats only got three hits - Justin Gominsky (2B), John Hinson (SB), and Zach Johnson.

Man of the Match: Dayan Diaz

Greeneville (8-15)

Mother of Pearl. Greeneville had a 1-0 lead on Johnson City. And then Johnson City scored the next 17 runs. Jamaine Cotton allowed 4H/7R (6ER), 0K:1BB in 1.1IP, with two of those runs coming courtesy of Rodney Quintero, who allowed 3ER of his own. Paris Shewey allowed 4H/2ER, Scott Zuloaga allowed 5H/4ER, and Matison Smith gave up just an earned run in 1IP.

Jordan Scott was 2x3 with a double; Chase Davidson was 1x4 with a double. The Gastros went 0x8 w/RISP.

Man of the Match: Jordan Scott

GCL Astros (7-13)

The GCLers scored the final six runs of the game for a 6-1 win over the Nationals. Adrian Houser got his 1st professional win with 5.2IP, 5H/1ER, 8K:2BB; Steven Dennison allowed 1H/0ER in 2.1IP, and Justin Gill threw a perfect 9th.

Chris Epps was 3x5 (and probably should move up to Tri-Cty); Yonathan Mejia was 2x4 with 2RBI - as was the rehabbing Jason Bourgeois. Justin Shults was 1x4 with a walk and an RBI.

Man of the Match: Adrian Houser

Eddie's Farm: July 1

Oklahoma City (34-48)

Despite out-hitting Memphis 7-4, OKC managed to lose 5-2. Andy Van Hekken took the loss, allowing 3H/5ER, 4K:5BB and 2HR in 5.2IP. New RedHawk Mickey Storey allowed 1H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 2.1IP.

Robinson Cancel was 2x4 with 2RBI, J.B. Shuck was 0x3, but drew two walks. Humberto Quintero was 1x3 with a double in his rehab start.

Man of the Match: Robinson Cancel

Corpus (29-49)

Corpus battled back from a 4-1 deficit to defeat Tulsa 9-4 in a game where five errors were committed (three fielding errors by Jimmy Paredes). Ross Seaton allowed 6H/4R (3ER), 5K:1BB in 6IP and Kyle Greenwalt threw 3IP, faced 10 batters, and allowed 0H/0ER, 1K:0BB.

J.D. Martinez was 3x5 with a double, Jose Altuve was 2x5 with a double and 3RBI, Paredes (RBI) and Jake Goebbert (2B) also had two hits. Chris Wallace hit his first homer for Corpus.

Man of the Match: Kyle Greenwalt

Lancaster (30-48)

Good Lord. Modesto had a seven-run 4th and a six-run 5th for a 17-3 win over Lancaster. Robby Donovan allowed 5H/7R (6ER), 0K:3BB; Colton Pitkin gave up 3H/3ER, 0K:1BB; Wander Alvino allowed 2H/6R (0ER), 1K:3BB; Yordany Ramirez allowed 5H/1ER, 2K:1BB in 2.1IP and Chris Hicks threw a perfect 8th inning.

So four errors (Hinze, two from Mier, and one from Rene Garcia) accounted for seven runs. Jonathan Meyer was 2x4 with 2RBI, and Mier, Wates, and Hinze (RBI, 2BB) had your other hits.

Man of the Match: Jonathan Meyer

Lexington (37-42)

Brutal loss for Lexington, who allowed two runs in the bottom of the 9th and the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th for a 6-5 loss at Hagerstown. Alex Sogard allowed 6H/3ER, 5K:1BB in 6IP; Brian Streilein allowed 2H/2R (0ER), 2K:2BB in 3IP, and David Martinez took the loss with 2H/1ER, 1K:1BB in 1.1IP.

Every Legend had a hit, but Ben Orloff (who committed the error leading to two runs in the 9th) went 2x4 (2B, 3B, 2RBI). Delino DeShields - who stole three bases, Enrique Hernandez, Adam Bailey, and Telvin Nash had a hit and a walk.

Man of the Match: Delino DeShields

Tri-City (6-8)

Lowell got two runs in the bottom of the 6th, and that's all the scoring. Lowell beat Tri-City 2-0. Kyle Hallock got the hard-luck loss, allowing 3H/2ER, with 11K:0BB in 7IP. Travis Smink allowed 2H/0ER in the 8th.

Zach Johnson went 2x4 and Drew Muren got your other hit. Neiko Johnson had your only walk of the game.

Man of the Match: Kyle Hallock

Greeneville (2-9)

The Gastros never led in the game, losing 6-3 at Danville. Jose Perdomo dropped to 0-3, allowing 7H/3ER, 7K:3BB with 2WP and two errors in 4.1IP. Rodney Quintero allowed 3H/3ER, 2K:2BB in 1.2IP, and Zach Dando allowed 0H/0BB, 2K:1BB in 2IP.

Chase Davidson was 2x5 with a double; Luis Alvarez, Jose Vargas, and Chan-Jong Moon had a hit and a walk, with Jose Monzon going 0x2, but drawing two walks.

Man of the Match: Chase Davidson

GCL Astros (3-7)

The GCL Cardinals whooped up on the GCL Astros, 9-2. Adrian Houser had a stellar start, going 4IP, 1H/0ER, 7K:0BB; Brandon Culbreth took the loss with 4R (3ER), 0K:2BB in 0IP. Evan Grills threw 2IP, allowing 3H/0ER.

Javaris Reynolds was 2x4, and Jarrod McKinney, Jean Carlos Batista (RBI), Chris Epps, and Max Ayarza had your other hits.

Man of the Match: Adrian Houser

Houser to OU? Not so fast, my friend...

The Pryor Daily Times has a quote from Adrian Houser (that may or may not be from Astros.com):

Baseball is my life, and I want to go play pro ball, and I want to get in the minor league system so I can learn everything as fast as I can, so I can work my way up to the majors as fast as I can. It's just going to be a process that's going to take some time, probably. I've got a lot of thinking to do."

Houser's father, Mike:

"I think if things work out the way we think they're going to, I think he'll probably be an Astro. But I don't know that for sure."

Not even Adrian Houser knows what Adrian Houser's signing bonus will be

Our buddy Ryan Aber has a story about Astros 2nd Round pick Adrian Houser, and his getting all drafted and stuff:

“I’m pretty excited about it. I’m not sure what will happen now. My adviser has a number in mind, but I’m not even sure exactly what it is.”

How Adrian Houser found out he had been drafted...

The Tahlequah Daily Press' Ben Johnson tweeted about 2nd-round pick Adrian Houser:

How did Adrian Houser find out he was drafted? Friends texted &congratulated him while he was @ the hospital with his sick grandpa.

With their 2nd Round pick...

...The Astros select 6'4" 205lb RHP Adrian Houser out of Locust Grove HS in Oklahoma.

Perfect Game says:
Houser has a long lean frame, pitches from a standard arm slot, clean mechanics, cutting action on fastball, throws downhill, good follow through, solid 11-5 curveball with good arm speed, very quick arm, good feel for off speed, three pitches in zone, very interesting arm to follow, hits from a square stance, good bat speed, occasional solid contact. He is also a excellent student.

MLB Bonus Baby says:
He was very impressive here in the Atlanta area for the 17u WWBA championships pitching for the Dallas Yankees, and I think that’s the main reason why he was named to the Under Armour game. His fastball is already in the 88-92 range, and it touched 94 here. He has some projection, but he looks more like a potential #3 starter than a TORP. His curve is solid-average and it could get better, and he definitely puts some zip on it compared to a lot of prep curveballs. I have one report of there being some potential mechanical issues, but I’d like to see more video to make my own opinions.

MaxPreps had him ranked 894th in the nation, 22nd in Oklahoma.

He has committed to play baseball for OU. We'll see if the Astros can throw him enough green to change that.

Here's some video.