More minor-league releases

Via Jose de Jesus Ortiz, the Astros have released the following minor-leaguers:

*Joe Bircher. Bircher was the 2012 10th Round pick out of Bradley University. He was limited to 78IP in 2013 due to injuries, and was 3-3 with a 4.15 ERA/1.29 WHIP in 65IP for Quad Cities.

*Ernesto Genoves. Genoves, a catcher, was signed as an amateur free agent prior to the 2008 season, and never played more than 52 games in a season. In 37 games for Tri-City last year, he hit .196/.275/.299. His high-water mark was in 2011, when he hit .280/.375/.464 for Greeneville.

*Gera Sanchez. RHP Gera Sanchez was an unsigned free agent in 2012 (he was drafted by Boston in the 42nd Round of the 2009 draft, but did not sign). Sanchez spent the majority of 2013 in Quad Cities, striking out 57 batters in 50IP, but with a 5.22 ERA/1.44 WHIP.

*Jesse Wierzbicki. The Astros 24th Round pick of the 2011 draft out of North Carolina, Wierzbicki hit .271/.362/.409 in parts of three seasons. In 2013, he spent most of the season in Quad Cities, but did spend 25 games in Lancaster, hitting .245/.351/.351.

*Brandon Wikoff. This one's a heartbreaker (I mean, none of these are fun, but this one in particular). Wikoff was the Astros' 5th Round pick in 2009. Wikoff was in Corpus by 2011, hitting .308/.398/.353 with 33K:47BB in 331 PAs. He dealt with a wrist injury in 2012, but was injured in a one-car wreck at Spring Training last season. He played in three games in all of 2013.

PreStros Morning Report: May 31

Oklahoma City

Postponed, because Oklahoma is getting crapped on by Nature. (Seriously. Thoughts and prayers to Oklahoma.)

Corpus (33-21), 1.0 up

It was 3-3 heading into the bottom of the 8th at Arkansas, but the Travelers got two in the inning to defeat Corpus 5-3. Bobby Doran dealt, throwing 5IP, 2H/1ER, 4K:2BB; Andrew Robinson allowed 2H/2ER, 0K:1BB in 1.1IP and Pat Urckfitz got the BS/L with 1.2IP, 3H/2ER, 2K:2BB (and one of Robinson's earned runs).

Drew Muren was 3x4 with a double; George Springer was 2x4 with two doubles, a walk, and only one strikeout. Max Stassi, Domingo Santana, and Jonathan Meyer each had a hit, a walk, and an RBI. The Hooks left 12 LOBsters and were 1x13 with runners in scoring position.

Man of the Match: Bobby Doran.

Lancaster

Crazy one in Lancaster. The JetHawks led 3-0, 4-1, and 5-3 before Visalia (the Rawhide, for those of you who listen to the Morning Drive and listen to Idiot guess at minor-league franchise names) got EIGHT RUNS in the top of the 4th. The JetHawks answered with five in the bottom half, but it wasn't enough. Visalia wins, 12-10.

Blair Walters allowed 5H/4R (2ER) in 3.1IP; Jonas Dufek gave up 5H/6ER, 0K:1BB in 0.1IP; T.J. Geith allowed 3H/1ER, 2K:0BB in 1.1IP; Aaron West allowed 3H/1ER, 6K:1BB in 4IP.

Andrew Aplin (2B, RBI) and Matt Duffy (2B, HR, RBI) had three hits each; Joe Sclafani (3R, 2B, 2BB), Matt Duffy (2B, HR, RBI), Tyler Heineman (RBI), and Chris Epps (2B, RBI) had two hits each; Brandon Meredith was 1x3 with two walks, a homer, and 4RBI total. Telvin Nash was 0x2 with two walks (and three strikeouts).

Man of the Match: Uh. Joe Sclafani

Quad Cities (30-23), 4.0 GB

The River Bandits moved within half a game of 2nd place Beloit with a 6-3 14-inning win over the Snappers. Jordan Jankowski threw 2IP, 2H/1ER, 4K:2BB; Cameron Lamb allowed 2H/0ER, 2K:1BB in 3IP; Gera Sanchez was The Pimp with 1H/0ER, 6K:0BB in 4IP; Mitchell Lambson allowed 2H/2ER, 3K:1BB in 1.1IP (but got the win), with John Neely recording the final two outs - the last of which represented the tying run.

Carlos Correa was 3x6 with a double and an RBI (now hitting .350/.422/.525 in his last ten games); Jon Homerton's one hit was, indeed, a 14th-inning homer, but he was 1x6 with 3K. Brian Blasik also struck out three times - in fact, the River Bandits won despite striking out an Astros-worthy 17 times.

Man of the Match: Gera Sanchez