MacKenzie Gore has found his mojo with the TinCaps.
(Photo: Jeff Nycz)
While most people were watching fireworks off the field, Luis Urias, Hudson Potts, and Robbie Podorsky all provided fireworks on the field. El Paso and Lake Elsinore both won in extras, while MacKenzie Gore earned his first professional win tossing six scoreless innings.
Chihuahuas 11 – Salt Lake Bees 10 (11 innings)
Key Stats: RHP Walker Lockett 5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; CF Auston Bousfield 3-5, R, RBI; SS Luis Urías 4-5, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB; RF Franmil Reyes 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB; LF Forrestt Allday 3-5, 2B, HR (2), 3 R, 2 RBI
Prospect Watch: With the go ahead run at third base and one out, Luis Urías tripled for his fourth hit of the game. He would later score what would be the game winning run on a Raffy Lopez sac fly. The four hits in the game give Urías 10 in the last five games and raised his batting average to .279, the highest it’s been in two months. Wednesday was also the first time since June 22nd that Urías did not strike out. While Urías commands the strike zone as well as anyone in the system, he has struggled to make contact at times this season. He is on pace to strike out more this season than he did the last two seasons combined. … Forrestt Allday, signed as a minor league free agent in the winter, came up a double short of the cycle as he collected his fourth multi-hit game in his last five. The last player on an opening day roster to collect an RBI, the 27-year-old Texan has had two in each of the last two games. … Rowan Wick worked two innings and gave up one unearned run in his second outing for El Paso. The 25-year-old, claimed on waivers in February, continues to show upper 90s velocity as another converted reliever in the system.
Missions were rained out. A double header will be played on Thursday.
Storm 3 – Modesto Nuts 2 (11 innings)
Key Stats: RHP Ronald Bolaños 6 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K; RHP Carter Capps 2 IP, H, R, BB, K; 3B Hudson Potts 3-5, RBI; 1B Brad Zunica 2-4; LF Nate Easley 2-3, RS, RBI, BB, 2 SB (7)
Prospect Watch: For the first time this year, and second time as a professional, Ronald Bolaños tossed a shutout. Over his last three starts Bolaños has a 1.31 ERA with only three walks and 15 strikeouts in 20.2 innings. The biggest difference in Bolaños’s turnaround has been his ability to consistently find the strike zone. In April he was averaging nearly seven walks per nine innings (8.78 ERA), then over five in May (5.96 ERA). Since then, he has walked eight in 36 innings – two per nine – while posting a 2.75 ERA. … Hudson Potts had the walk off hit, hitting a line drive into the left center field gap to score Eguy Rosario for the winning run. It was his first three-hit game since May 6th.
TinCaps 7 – Great Lakes Loons 0
Key Stats: LHP MacKenzie Gore (W, 1-2) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K; LF Robbie Podorsky 2-4. 3B, 3 RBI, SB (18); 2B Justin Lopez 1-4, HR (6), RBI; 3B Luis Almanzar 2-4, 2 R, DH Esteury Ruiz 1-2, R, BB, 2 SB (30)
Prospect Watch: The talk of the game will be MacKenzie Gore who earned his first pro win by throwing six scoreless innings. This was the first time Gore has reached five innings to qualify for a win. He threw 86 pitches, 52 for strikes. Gore topped out at 94 mph and mainly threw fastball/change mixing in an occasional slider. The control still wasn’t quite back as he went to quite a few three-ball counts and walked two batters, but he found his rhythm and stuck with it. Over his last two starts, Gore has allowed no runs on six hits while striking out 11 over 10 innings… The big hit of the game was a bases clearing triple by Robbie Podorsky. Since joining the TinCaps, Podorsky has hit .357/.399/.488 with 24 runs, 20 RBI, and 18 stolen bases in 36 games.
MacKenzie Gore now 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K on 60 pitches
FB velo ticked up to 93-94, mainly sitting 91-92.
Slider below at 86 mph for his 4th K. @TinCaps #Padres pic.twitter.com/gr2yb1KcV0
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBrozdow) July 4, 2018
Spokane Indians 5 – Dust Devils 2
Key Stats: RHP Adrian Martinez (L, 0-1) 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB; LHP Dan Dallas 2 IP, 5 K; RF Aldemar Burgos 1-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, BB; CF Grant Little 2-4, SB (2)
Prospect Watch: Our own David Jay got to Spokane about five minutes before first pitch, but has an abbreviated recap of the game for you.
AZL Royals 5 – AZL Padres(1) 4
Key Stats: RHP Efrain Contreras 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 7 K; DH Nick Gatewood 4-5, 2B; 1B Greg Lambert 2-5, 2B, R; LF Tyler Benson 1-3, R, RBI, BB
AZL Dodgers 9 – AZL Padres(2) 8 (11 innings)
Key Stats: RHP Michell Milliano 4 IP, 3 H, ER, K; SS Jordy Barley 4-6, 2 2B, 3 R, HR (2), 3 RBI, SB (3); 2B Tucupita Marcano 2-6; 1B Jason Pineda 2-5, R, RBI, BB; RF Yordi Francisco 2-5, R, 2 RBI
Prospect Watch: Shortstop Jordy Barley was once again the player of the game as he came up a triple short of the cycle. After a slow start, the dynamic 18-year-old has six hits in his last two games and has scored six runs. Those two games raised his OPS from .575 a few days ago to .844. His four hits and nine total bases are both career highs. … Tying a career high was fellow 2016 J2 signee Michell Millano who tied a career high with four innings pitched. After giving up 12 runs over five innings in his first two starts this year it was a big improvement to see him able to throw four one run innings. … Efrain Contreras started for the other squad after making his stateside debut in relief last week. Contreras, a lower-profile righty who signed as a 17-year-old last July two, Contreras was not originally slated to be in the US this summer, but dominated in the DSL early. Through two outings in the AZL, he has allowed only one earned run allowed and struck out 10 without allowing a walk. Between the DSL and AZL Contreras has 35 strikeouts against three walks in 27.1 innings (1.32 ERA).
