Astros Minor League Report May 28 – June 3: Fresno gets back on track

The Houston Astros‘ Triple-A affiliate Fresno Grizzlies rebounded from a tough week, posting a 5-1 record.

After seeing their bats go cold and posting a 2-5 record last week, the Fresno Grizzlies turned things around. They posted a 5-1 record this week, shaking off their slump in commanding fashion. The bats came to life, helped by the addition of Derek Fisher, who had a pretty big first week back in Triple-A.

The Turnaround

The Fresno bats broke out in an 11-2 win against El Paso on May 28. Rogelio Armenteros earned the win, giving up two runs (one earned) in six innings. Kyle Tucker notched three hits and two walks, driving in four. Jon Kemmer doubled twice and drove in three, while A.J. Reed had three hits and two RBIs. Fisher had two hits and a walk in his first rehab assignment game.

The Grizzlies won a 2-1 pitching duel on Tuesday to win the series 3-2. Josh James tossed seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts to earn his first Triple-A win. Jack Mayfield drove in both Fresno runs with a double and sacrifice fly. Drew Ferguson walked three times and scored both runs.

Keeping the Momentum

Fresno opened a five-game series at Albuquerque with a 12-11 win on Wednesday in 11 innings. Starter Brock Dykxhoorn went four innings, allowing three runs and striking out six. Tucker homered twice and drove in three, while Mayfield and Kemmer each added two-run bombs. Kemmer also added a pair of doubles as part of a four-hit game.

The Grizzlies lost a 5-4 heartbreaker on Thursday, as they gave up three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Starter Cy Sneed went seven innings, giving up just two runs but settling for the no-decision. Mayfield had two hits and two RBIs, while Fisher added two hits and drove in a run.

Fresno bounced back with a 10-3 victory on Friday. Fisher became the second Grizzly to hit for the cycle this season, going 5-for-5 with four RBIs. Mayfield and Ferguson each had three hits and an RBI, while Tucker drove in three. Mike Hauschild earned the win, allowing three runs (one earned) and striking out eight in six innings.

The Grizzlies earned the series win with a 5-2 win on Saturday. Trent Thornton hurled six innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts to earn the win. Tucker and Tyler White hit back-to-back homers in the first inning, and White added a second blast in the eighth inning.

Sunday’s series finale was suspended in the top of the fourth inning thanks to rain and poor field conditions. The game will resume during the teams’ next series later this month. Albuquerque leads that game 4-0.

Player of the Week: Derek Fisher

It’s not every day a guy hits for the cycle. In his fourth game back in Triple-A, Fisher did just that. He also hit safely in all five games he played this week, leaving him with a .550 batting average.

After struggling to a .176/.222/.419 line with the Astros, Fisher is picking up right where he left off with Fresno last season. He hit .318/.384/.583 in Triple-A in 2017. Time will tell just how long his stay in Fresno will be.

Next: Astros starting rotation not as stellar lately

What’s Next

After a day off on Monday, the Grizzlies begin a seven-game homestand. They play three against Colorado Springs beginning Tuesday, and then four against Oklahoma City starting Friday. Fresno sits at 34-23 on the season, holding a 6.5-game lead in its division. It is currently the only team in the division with a winning record on the season.

***Statistics courtesy of MiLB.com***