Ronald Bolanos turns over his curve in a start for the Lake Elsinore Storm. (Photo: Cherished Memories)
Chihuahuas 10 – Sacramento River Cats 3
Key Stats: 2B Luis Urias 1-for-3, 2BB, 2R; C Brett Nicholas 4-for-5, 2 2B, 5RBI; SS Javier Guerra 1-for-4, 3B, 2RBI, 3K; LHP Jerry Keel 7IP, 4H, 2R (1ER), 3K, 1BB
Prospect Watch: Big lefty Jerry Keel turned in his third quality start in four games since his promotion to the Chihuahuas, giving up only one earned run over seven innings of work. The CSU-Northridge product has held lefties in the PCL to a laughable .422 OPS in 34 plate appearances, even more impressive than his work against same-sided hitters in Double-A. Even though the River Cats stacked the lineup with seven righties – who have hit .333 against him – Keel held them to only four hits and one walk while using only 78 pitches to get through seven innings. Now 24, the 2015 draftee has always seemed to profile more as a relief specialist, but he’s been effective enough to keep getting starting opportunities throughout his career. … Brett Nicholas is making the most of what’s likely a final hurrah behind the plate before Francisco Mejia makes his planned organizational debut on Tuesday. The 30-year-old had a pair of doubles among four hits Sunday, capping a 7-for-13 series in which he added five extra-base hits to his team-leading total. He’s now second on the circuit with 44, including 28 doubles which is good for a share of the league lead. … Luis Urias reached base three more times Sunday to push his slash line for the month to .315/.448/.481 with 13 walks against 14 strikeouts in 14 games, a performance much more in line with his career norm and organizational expectations than his stretch through May and June.
Frisco RoughRiders 7 – Missions 3
Key Stats: CF Buddy Reed 2-for-3, BB, 2B, SB (5), CS (2); RF Taylor Kohlwey 1-for-3, HR (4), BB; RHP Jesse Scholtens 6.2IP, 13H, 7R (6ER), 3K, 2BB
Prospect Watch: Buddy Reed had his first big game in the Texas League, reaching base three times, connecting for his first extra-base hit, and swiping his fifth base in seven games. The 23-year-old had been off to a slow start after his well-deserved promotion, but has continued to make strong contact, striking out at a lower clip than he did as he torched the Cal League. … Jesse Scholtens gave up 13 hits, the most by a Missions pitcher on the year and six earned runs to spike his Texas League ERA by more than have a run to 3.19. In six starts with San Antonio in April and May, the 24-year-old never struck out fewer than one per inning and held opponents to a .168 average. In his six outings since he returned to the Texas League, he has allowed 35 hits in 32.1 frames and struck out only 24. … TJ Weir came on with a man on and two outs in the seventh. He induced a pair of grounders, but the turned into an infield single and an error to plate the final run before he got a strikeout to end the frame. In eight second-half appearances, the 2014 draftee has allowed only one earned run on six hits in 12.1 innings of work with a typically-strong 12:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Storm 8 – San Jose Giants 5
Key Stats: 3B Hudson Potts 2-for-5, 2RBI, K; 1B Luis Torrens 3-for-4, 2B, BB, K; RHP Ronald Bolaños 6IP, 5H, 3ER, 7K, 1BB; RHP Carter Capps 2IP, 1H, 2ER, 3K, 1BB; RHP Dauris Valdez 1IP, 0H, 0R, 3K, 0BB, 2WP
Prospect Watch: The Storm exploded for five runs on as many hits in the fifth and then tacked on three more runs in the sixth to cruise to their sixth straight win and push their second half record above .500. Ronald Bolaños continued his strong turn-around for the year. At the end of May, the 21-year-old Cuban owned a 7.00 ERA and nearly two runners were reaching base per inning. In nine outings since, his ERA sits at 3.06 and he’s allowed a WHIP of 1.19. Over the last two months, he’s struck out 3.5 times more hitters than he’s walked. … Speaking of in-season turn-arounds, Marcus Greene had a .622 OPS through his first two months, but has added more than 100 points to that total since June 1. The 23-year-old catcher has hit in nine of his last 10 games. … Hudson Potts extended his hitting streak to nine games with a pair of singles Sunday. He’s hitting .421 over that stretch with 10 strikeouts in 41 trips to the plate. Luis Torrens extended his own streak to 11 games, with five multi-hit efforts.
Clinton Lumber Kings 7 – TinCaps 5
Key Stats: C Luis Campusano 3-for-5, 2B, E; CF Jeisson Rosario 2-for-5, R; RHP Jose Quezada 2.1IP, 1H, 0R, 3K, 0BB; RHP Dylan Coleman 1IP, 1H, 0R, 2K
Clinton Lumber Kings 4 – TinCaps 2 (F/7)
Key Starts: LF Robbie Podorsky 2-for-4, SB (21); DH Luis Campusano 2-for-3, RBI; 2B Esteury Ruiz 1-for-3, 2B; LHP Osvaldo Hernandez 5IP, 6H, 4R (0ER), 7K, 1BB
Prospect Watch: Clinton swept Sunday’s doubleheader, completing the victory in the game that was suspended by rain Saturday and then plating four unearned runs to beat the Midwest League’s ERA leader Osvaldo Hernandez in the nightcap. Catcher Luis Campusano collected five hits in eight trips to the plate including a double. The 19-year-old second-rounder from Georgia had been in a slump in July, entering the day hitting just .208 for the month with no walks and one extra-base hit. The slump had pushed his overall production down just a bit below league average, but he’s maintained a 15% strikeout rate. … Hernandez was the tough-luck loser as inning-opening errors in both the second and third extended the frames and allowed four unearned runs to cross the plate. The 20-year-old took the loss despite reducing his ERA to 1.97. Over his last 10 outings, he’s allowed more than one earned run just twice. … Fourth-rounder Dylan Coleman worked his fourth scoreless outing in as many opportunities since joining the TinCaps. The big-bodied Missouri State righty struck out a pair. He continues to work in short bursts every three to five days as he settles in to his professional career.
Dust Devils 5 – Eugene Emeralds 4
Key Stats: RF Aldemar Burgos 2-for-3, 3B, BB; 1B Luis Asuncion 1-for-3, HR (2), K; RHP Henry Henry 4IP, 5H, 3R (2ER), 3K, BB
Prospect Watch: Pinch runner Tre Carter came on after Blake Hunt drew a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch. and then dashed in and got just under the tag on another ball that got away from Eugene’s catcher to score the deciding run. A plus runner, Carter has snagged three of his four bases in the last 10 games. … First baseman Luis Asuncion hit his second homer of the year and first in the spacious confines of Gesa Stadium. Four of his last eight hits have gone for extra-bases and the big man has struck out just four times in his last 32 at-bats. … El Paso native Jose Galindo blew through the first five batters he faced in relief before he gave up an infield single and then a walk. He gave way to Jordan Guerrero, who struck out his only batter to close out the victory and pick up his fourth save. Galindo has been strong out of the pen, working scoreless outings in 8 of his 11 outings and striking out 17 in 13 innings. His one flaw has been the free pass; he’s put nine men on base with walks for Tri-City. Guerrero has yet to allow an earned run in 12 outings since being sent back to the Northwest League. He’s issued two non-intentional walks in 11.2 innings while striking out 14.
AZL Indians-1 6 – AZL Padres-1 3
Key Stats: RF Augustin Ruiz 1-for-4, 2B, OF Assist; DH Xavier Edwards 0-for-3, BB, SB (9), R; RHP Efrain Contreras 4IP, 7H, 3ER, 5K, 1BB
Prospect Watch: Xavier Edwards played his first full game as he continues his return from a wrist injury. After giving way to a replacement midway through his first two contests back, the Padres’ second pick in June drew a walk and stole his ninth base. He has yet to get back on the field defensively, but is on a path back toward full activity. Edwards isn’t the only infielder coming back from an injury layoff. Yerri Landinez, a 17-year-old infielder making his professional debut after signing out of Venezuela last summer, was out of action for three weeks before returning as a pinch-hitter Saturday. A barrel-chested switch-hitter, Landinez has already likely outgrown much shortstop exposure.
AZL Athletics 11 – AZL Padres-2 6
Key Stats: 3B Sean Guilbe 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2BB, SB (3); CF Hunter Jarmon 1-for-3, 2B, HBP, OF Assist; LHP Joey Cantillo 4IP, 4H, 4ER, 5K, 1BB, 2 WP
Prospect Watch: As soon as the Padres had first overall pick Ryan Weathers in the fold with this year’s draft class, they agreed to a $300,000 deal with 12th-rounder Sean Guilbe – essentially sixth-round money. The right-handed hitting infielder has made it look like a wise investment in his early work in the AZL. The 18-year-old Pennsylvanian sports a .310/.442/.548 line in his first 12 games and his two doubles Sunday bring his extra-base total to eight. Unlike the club’s other day three high school hitters Payton Smith and Michael Suarez, Guilbe had exposure against higher-level competition during his high school career. … In a shocking turn of events, it appears Joey Cantillo might be human. The 18-year-old Hawaiian gave up four earned runs, sending his ERA skyrocketing up to 1.73 over 26 innings of work. Cantillo has an impressive 35:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the desert.
