Michel Baez brings easy velocity in Lake Elsinore. (Photo: Cherished Memories)
Chihuahuas 8 – Oklahoma City Dodgers 2
Key Stats: 2B Luis Urías 1-5, 2 K; SS Javy Guerra 4-4, 2B; PH Francisco Mejia 1-1, RBI; SP Brett Kennedy (W, 10-0) 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 7 K; RP Trey Wingenter 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Prospect Watch: Starter Brett Kennedy was roughed up in the first inning, allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk. He was nearly unhittable thereafter, including a stretch when he retired 11 batters in a row. In his last inning of work, he struck out the side around a one-out single, finishing with 98 pitches on the night. The 23-year-old now has the fourth best ERA in the Pacific Coast League (2.56) and has finished at least the fifth inning in 14 out of his 15 starts this season. … Luis Urías scratched out an infield single, but also struck out twice, bringing his strikeout rate up to 20.5%. Despite the uptick in punch-outs, his .386 OBP is just south of his career mark. … Though he was a late scratch to the starting lineup, Francisco Mejia pinch hit for Kennedy and drove in a run on a bloop single to right. He is 2-for-8 in his three game stint in El Paso, along with three strikeouts and a walk. … Javy Guerra had a four-hit night, and is hitting .273/.324/.470 in the month of July. Though he is OPS’ing almost .800 during that stretch, he is also striking out 36.6% of the time. … Diego Goris hit a grand slam in the sixth to break open the scoring for El Paso, and Trey Wingenter struck out three of the four batters he faced in the eighth. In his last 13 outings (14 innings, dating back to June 16), the six-foot-seven flame thrower has allowed just two earned runs, good for a 1.29 ERA and a 17:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Missions 9 – Frisco RoughRiders 3
Key Stats: CF Buddy Reed 1-5, R, RBI, SB; C Austin Allen 3-4, 2B, 3 R; RF Michael Gettys 3-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI, K; SP Lake Bachar (W, 2-4) 6 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Prospect Watch: In Lake Elsinore this season, Lake Bachar had a 1.91 ERA in seven games (28.1 innings). Since the 23-year-old was promoted to Double-A, he has struggled to find the same success. In 54 innings in a Missions uniform, he has allowed an even 10 hits/9, while posting a 38:22 K:BB rate. Last night, he allowed three runs in the first, but then settled down and didn’t allow any more the remainder of the outing. Whether in relief or starting, he’s struggled to get out of his first inning of work, but produced deeper in his outings. … Speaking of Lake Elsinore standouts, Buddy Reed‘s bat continues to struggle to find a rhythm in the Texas League. He is 8-for-48 in his first 12 games with San Antonio (.167 batting average), though he has managed to steal six bases with the Missions and his strikeout and walk rates have stayed on track with the promotion. … Both Austin Allen and Michael Gettys had big hits all night, including in the five-run sixth inning. While Gettys is hitting .351 in his last ten games, he’s also struck out at a 32% clip in July.
Storm 8 – Stockton Ports 2
Key Stats: CF Edward Olivares 0-3, BB, K, 2 R, SB; 2B Eguy Rosario 2-4, 2B, RBI, R; 3B Hudson Potts 1-3, BB, K, RBI, R; C Luis Torrens 2-4, 2B, 2 R; SP Michel Báez 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K; RP David Bednar (S, 7) 3 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 K
Prospect Watch: It was another solid outing for Michel Báez, who struck out five in a row at one point. He loaded the bases with one out in the third after a pair of singles and a walk, and Stockton pushed across a run on an force out. Then in the fourth, he allowed three consecutive one-out singles to load the bases again, but he retired the side with a strikeout and a pop up. The Ports got his pitch count up, and the big Cuban left after five innings, having thrown 94 pitches (57 for strikes, a 60.6% rate). His last two starts have lowered his ERA from 3.28 to 2.90 on the year, and in nine starts since June, he boasts a 57:14 K:BB rate in 48.2 innings. … In the bottom of the eighth, the Storm took advantage of four walks and a pair of doubles by Luis Torrens and Ruddy Giron to put five runs across and put the game out of reach. … Hudson Potts‘ sixth inning single pushed his hit streak to 14 games. He is 25-for-58 (.431) with a 1.209 OPS during that stretch (along with a .512 BABIP), and has reached base safely in all but two games for the month of July.
Dayton Dragons 8 – TinCaps 6
Key Stats: CF Jeisson Rosario 2-4, BB, R, K; LF Robbie Podorsky 2-4; DH Esteury Ruiz 1-3, HR, 2 K; SS Gabriel Arias 2-4, HR, K; SP MacKenzie Gore 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K, 2 HBP; RP Jose Quezada (L, 0-1) 1.1 IP, 4 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Prospect Watch: In a rare MiLB.com televised start, MacKenzie Gore got off to an interesting start, as he loaded the bases and hit two batters in the first, but still managed to collect three strikeouts and escaped without any runs scoring. After the 27-pitch first, he was more economical, needing 54 to get through the next four frames. He allowed a two-run homer in the fourth (though one run was unearned, as the runner had reached via error) and an RBI-single after a ground rule double in the fifth, and was able to lower his ERA to 4.19 on the season. As evidenced by the pair of hit batsmen in the first, he struggled a bit with control early, wasn’t flustered and settled down the rest of the outing. The Padres are loosening the reins on him, and after going three innings or fewer in his first six starts, he’s now gone five innings or more in four out of his last five starts. … Gabriel Arias connected on a hanging breaking ball and put it over the fence to straightaway center field for his second homer of the year, and Esteury Ruiz turned on a fastball for his tenth round-tripper this season. Despite a 13-hit attack by Fort Wayne, a 5-run inning by Dayton against 2018 draftee Jose Quezada helped the Dragons to victory. … Luis Almanzar had a pair of errors at third, his 18th and 19th of the season, in addition to hitting his tenth double of the season. The 18-year-old has struggled with an aggressive placement this season, and has a .512 OPS on the year.
For our subscribers, Travis Barnett has a great set of pieces on TinCaps closer Travis Radke. Check out his profile piece and the extended Q&A for some great insights into the lefty’s journey.
Dust Devils 9 – Boise Hawks 6
Key Stats: LF Grant Little 1-4, BB, K, 2 R; SS Owen Miller 3-4, 2 RBI, BB, K, CS; 2B Olivier Basabe 1-4, RBI, R; RF Luis Asuncion 3-5, HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 K; SP Angel Acevedo (W, 4-1) 5 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K; RP Dan Dallas (S, 1) 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Prospect Watch: After he threw a perfect game through four innings, the Hawks got to starter Angel Acevedo for five runs in the fifth. Of the five hits he allowed that inning, two were doubles, and the final run of the inning scored on a balk. Acevedo has held short-season hitters to a .210 batting average in 33.2 innings this year. … Luis Asuncion hit his 13th and 14th doubles of the year, a mark that places him second in the Northwest League. He has hit in 11 of his last 13 games, raising his OPS 135 points in the process. … Olivier Basabe singled, extending his hit streak to a modest six games. His .319 batting average is tied with teammate Owen Miller for the seventh highest mark in the league. … Reliever Dan Dallas added five strikeouts to his stat sheet, and the 20-year-old now has 38 in 23.1 innings for the Dust Devils. He has a 1.93 ERA and earned his first professional save.
AZL Padres-1 12 – AZL Indians-2 8
Key Stats: SS Xavier Edwards 1-3; CF Jawuan Harris 2-3, 2 BB, 2 R; 2B Reinaldo Ilarraza 2-5, 2B, RBI, R; SP Nick Thwaits 4 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 BB, 2 K; RP Carlos Belen 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K
AZL Mariners 4 – AZL Padres-2 3
Key Stats: SS Tucupita Marcano 1-3, R, K; C Alison Quintero 1-4, 2B; LF Mason House 0-3
Prospect Watch: Nick Thwaits, the Padres’ 19-year-old 15th-round pick from this June’s draft, didn’t allow a hit in his four innings of work, and has only allowed one hit in nine shutout innings in the AZL. The Ohio prep product has nine strikeouts and four walks in three outings. … A 1-for-3 night by Xavier Edwards dropped his batting average down to an even .400. The 18-year-old competitive balance pick from June has just three extra base hits, but has struck out as many times as he’s walked (eight times each). Friday was his first game in the field after missing four weeks with a wrist injury. … Tucupita Marcano has also proven to be difficult to strikeout, but he did so for just the tenth time this season. He had a single on the night and has reached base in all but one game. … Mason House, who struggled in Tri-City with a .121/.288/.276 hitting line in 18 games, is hitting .235/.316/.412 in his first six games in Arizona. The third round pick from 2017 had a .817 OPS for the AZL Padres last year, but has struggled to make contact with inconsistent mechanics since joining the organization. He’s struck out in 43 percent of his professional plate appearances.
