Cal Quantrill dominated early Tuesday but couldn’t carry it deeper into the game. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
The Arizona Summer League season opened Tuesday with an impressive showing by first-round pick Xavier Edwards. Brett Kennedy had another strong start for El Paso, while both San Antonio and Tri-City had tough games.
Chihuahuas 7, Memphis Redbirds 4
Key Stats: RHP Brett Kennedy (W, 4-0) 5 IP, H, 2 R (0 ER), BB, 5 K; LF Wil Myers 1-4, 2B, RS, 2 K; SS Luis Urias 1-4, 3B, RS; C Austin Hedges 1-3, 2B, RS, 2 RBI; 3B Diego Goris 1-4, HR (5), 2 RBI
Prospect Watch: Rehabbing big leaguers Wil Myers and Austin Hedges both had an extra-base hit in the game. Both players have hit in every game in their rehab stints with the Chihuahuas. Most big-leaguers join minor league clubs for a homestand, where the staff can better evaluate them and control the environment a bit more. El Paso has a day off Wednesday before a four-day series in Sacramento so it will be interesting to see whether the Padres keep Myers and Hedges with the team. … In his second start since coming back from a month-long stint on the DL, Brett Kennedy allowed just two unearned runs on a single and walk, though it was his fielding error that set up the runs. Since returning from an ankle injury, Kennedy has allowed just one earned run on seven hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts in 10 innings.
Corpus Christi Hooks 9, Missions 6
Key Stats: RHP Cal Quantrill 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB, 6 K; LF Josh Naylor 1-3, R, BB, HBP; C Austin Allen 1-4, R, HBP; 3B Kyle Overstreet 3-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI; CF Michael Gettys 2-4, RBI
Prospect Watch: Both Ty France and Fernando Tatis Jr. received the day off. … RHP Cal Quantrill had another game that started off incredibly well. He struck out three of the first four batters, and through three innings allowed one walk and struck out five. In the fourth, he got unlucky as he gave up a run thanks to two ground ball singles, but in the fifth, the wheels came off. Quantrill has followed an inauspicious trend of struggling the second and third time through the order. Tuesday, the Hooks went 3-for-8 with only one strikeout and the top of the lineup went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles before chasing him after five innings. His ERA in the first three innings of games is 2.80.
Both the Storm and TinCaps had the night off for their leagues’ All-Star games.
Aaron Leasher and Reggie Lawson each drew the starts for their teams not far from where they grew up. Leasher, Nick Margevicius, and Travis Radke combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless ball in a winning effort. Lawson and Elliot Ashbeck yielded four of the eight runs the South team surrendered in Lancaster. Hudson Potts and Edward Olivares each collected one of their club’s five hits.
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 4 – Dust Devils 0
Key Stats: LHP Ramon Perez 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 2 K; LHP Dan Dallas 2 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K; CF Aldemar Burgos 2-4, 2B, SB (1); 2B Olivier Basabe 1-3
Prospect Watch: After winning the last two games the Dust Devils were shut out in their series finale. They’ll play their home opener Wednesday. Dan Dallas made his second appearance of the season, striking out four in two innings. The club’s seventh-round pick out of high school in 2016 lost most of last year to shoulder issues, but the Buffalo native is trying to show he is fully healthy. In 26 career minor league innings Dallas has struck out 40 batters, but has walked more than five per nine innings. … Lefty Ramon Perez got the start and gave up one unearned run over four innings. The youngest of the Cuban players signed in the 2016 international class was a workhorse in the AZL last year, holding hitters to a .208 average while maintaining a 2.88 ERA over 50.2 innings as a 17-year-old. His 33 walks raised a potential red flag in his debut season, a concern he didn’t assuage when he walked three and hit a batter Tuesday.
AZL Padres-1 6, AZL Padres-2 3
Key Stats: SS Xavier Edwards 2-3, R, 2 BB, SB (1); CF Jawuan Harris 1-3, 3B, R, RBI, SB (1); DH Alison Quintero 3-3, R, BB; SS Jordy Barley 0-3, BB, R, 2E; 3B Reinaldo Illaraza 1-4, 2 RBI; RHP Omar Cruz 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 5 K; RHP Manny Guzman 3 IP, H, 4 R, (1 ER), 3 BB, 4 K; RHP Starlin Cordero IP, 3 K
Prospect Watch: The opening game in the AZL featured the professional debuts of nine Padres – five draftees and four members of the 2017 international free agent class. The star of the game was supplemental first-round pick, Xavier Edwards. Edwards reached base four times, stole a bag, and played a clean game defensively at short. Venezuelan catcher Alison Quintero had three hits and a walk in four trips to plate as the designated hitter on the opposing squad. … Righty Starlin Cordero made his return to the AZL mound for the third year in a row,. The huge righty, still just 19 years old, has shown dominating stuff but has never been able to control it. In 70 career innings, he has struck out 80 (good) but also walked 60 (bad). He struck out the side in his inning of relief Tuesday.
You can read up on the two AZL Padres squads here. We’ll have coverage from Peoria starting Thursday night.
