Astros affiliate erupts for 29 runs in wild California League game

Astros minor leaguer Bobby Boyd doubled his season RBI output by driving in nine runs Thursday in Lancaster's 29-11 victory over Stockton in a California League game. (Photo by K. Ross Way, Lancaster JetHawks) Astros minor leaguer Bobby Boyd doubled his season RBI output by driving in nine runs Thursday in Lancaster's 29-11 victory over Stockton in a California League game. (Photo by K. Ross Way, Lancaster JetHawks) Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Astros affiliate erupts for 29 runs in wild California League game 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

It's often said the California League is a hitters haven.

That certainly was the case for the Lancaster JetHawks, the Astros' high Class A affiliate, on Thursday night.

The JetHawks obliterated the Stockton Ports 29-11 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium. The JetHawks had three different innings in which they scored at least seven runs and held a football-esque lead of 19-10 after four innings.

The 29 runs were a franchise record for Lancaster, but as Jethawks broadcaster Jason Schwartz noted, shy of the California League record of 34 set by Fresno in a 1947 game. The record for combined runs in a game is 51 set in Lake Elsinore's 33-18 victory over High Desert on June 28, 2009.

JetHawks leadoff man Bobby Boyd drove in nine runs Thursday on four hits - including a grand slam - while Jason Martin, the No. 7 hitter went 5 for 5, scored four times and drove in six runs himself. The JetHawks hit seven home runs and pounded out 23 hits.

Remarkably, Boyd, an eighth-round pick of the Astros in 2014, doubled his season RBI output in one night, as he entered the game with 8 RBIs on the year.

The 9 RBIs are not a JetHawks single-game record. That belongs to Derek Fisher, who had a California League-record 12 RBIS last May 30 at High Desert in his Lancaster debut.

Meanwhile, Martin, an eighth-round pick in 2013, has 10 RBIs in his past three games.

This is what a scorebook looks like when a team scores 29 runs. @JetHawks pic.twitter.com/4SqSkrdoig — Jason Schwartz (@jasondschwartz) May 27, 2016

As for the pitchers, Stockton starter Brett Graves was roughed up for 10 runs - eight earned - in 2.1 innings of work. Matt Stalcup followed with one inning of "relief" that saw him give up nine earned runs on six hits. The JetHawks also got to fellow reliever Rob Huber for seven earned runs in his 1.1 innings on the bump.

After two teammates gave up 10 runs in the first six innings, Lancaster's Ryan Deemes restored order with three innings of one-run relief to earn the win.

Lancaster has been the Astros' high A affiliate since 2009. Among the notable Astros to come through Lancaster are Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa and Dallas Keuchel.