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Round Rock Recap April 22-28: Disappointing homestand

By Andrew Gleinser

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 06: Kyle Tucker #79 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a home run against the New York Mets during the seventh inning of a spring training game at First Data Field on March 6, 2018 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The Mets defeated the Astros 9-5. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 06: Kyle Tucker #79 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a home run against the New York Mets during the seventh inning of a spring training game at First Data Field on March 6, 2018 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The Mets defeated the Astros 9-5. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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The Houston Astros’ Triple-A affiliate Round Rock Express suffered a disappointing homestand, losing three of five games.

After posting a middling 3-3 record last week, the Round Rock Express repeated the feat this week. After finishing off the road trip with a win, the team hosted New Orleans for five games and proceeded to lose three.

There wasn’t one particular culprit, as the pitching and offense each had periods of ineffectiveness. Consistency has evaded this team lately, but there are still some noteworthy performances.

Capping off the Road Trip

The Express took the series finale against Memphis on April 22, winning by a score of 9-4. Brady Rodgers earned his second win, tossing six innings of three-run ball. Taylor Jones homered twice and drove in three. Yordan Alvarez and Jack Mayfield also went deep and drove in three runs apiece.

Home Field Disadvantage?

Following a day off on Tuesday, Round Rock opened a five-game home series against New Orleans with an 11-8 loss in 10 innings on Wednesday. Ryan Hartman started the game by throwing five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, but the combination of Akeem Bostick and Kent Emanuel gave up 11 runs (10 earned) in five innings. Kyle Tucker doubled and hit a solo homer, while Mayfield added a three-run blast.

The Express bounced back on Thursday, winning 2-0. Corbin Martin earned his first Triple-A win, hurling five scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Tucker hit a solo homer, while Drew Ferguson added two hits.

Round Rock fell in Friday’s game by a score of 5-2. Rogelio Armenteros took the loss, allowing three runs in 4.1 innings. Derek Fisher contributed two hits and two walks, while Alex De Goti had three hits and a walk.

The Express evened the series with an 11-7 win on Saturday. Rodgers took a no-decision, allowing four runs in five innings. Alvarez homered among his four hits, driving in three. Tucker added a three-run shot, while Jones tallied three hits and two RBIs.

New Orleans won the series finale on Sunday, defeating Round Rock 9-2. Cy Sneed took the loss, giving up five runs in five innings. Forrest Whitley pitched in relief and allowed four runs in three innings. The only two hits for the Express were solo homers from Ferguson and Nick Tanielu.

Players of the Week: Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker

Tough call between these two. Alvarez continues his hot start to the season, hitting safely in four of five games this week while adding two homers and six RBIs. He’s hitting .347/.443/.867 so far, drawing plenty of attention and some impressive comparisons.

Tucker’s star seems to have waned quickly, and he’s endured a rough start to the season. But he put together a four-game hitting streak against New Orleans with three homers and five RBIs. He’s still hitting just .173/.221/.407 on the season but he’s simply too talented to not heat up for good.

What’s Next

The Express begin a four-game road series at Oklahoma City on Monday before playing four games at San Antonio beginning Friday. Round Rock sits at 13-10 on the season, tied for second place and one game behind San Antonio in the PCL American Southern division.

Next. Is Yordan Alvarez comparable to Vladimir Guerrero Jr?. dark

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