Adrian Morejon returned for the Lake Elsinore Storm Sunday. (Photo Credit: Cherished Memories)
Chihuahuas 4 – Oklahoma City Dodgers 2
Key Stats: RF Forrestt Allday 2-for-3, 2BB, PH Diego Goris 1-for-1, 2B, 2RBI; LHP Dillon Overton 5IP, 8H, 2ER, 3K, 0BB; RHP Seth Simmons 1.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0K, 1BB
Prospect Watch: Pitchers Dillon Overton and Seth Simmons both returned from the disabled list Sunday, and the duo helped El Paso to their fourth straight win. Overton, who last pitched for El Paso on June 21, had been dealing with a tricep issue. After a pair of three-inning rehab appearances in the desert, he picked right up where he’s left off in the PCL, allowing two runs over five innings. The 26-year-old former second-rounder sports a 2.80 ERA over 10 starts for the Chihuahuas despite a 36:15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 54.2 innings and a flyball-heavy approach. Simmons wound up going exactly four weeks between appearances, but came back directly rather than mixing in a rehab assignment. The 30-year-old righty is up to 44 innings this season coming off of Tommy John surgery early in 2017. … Diego Goris came off the bench with a key two-out, two-run double to give El Paso the lead. One of the organization’s most versatile pieces, the 27-year-old who was re-acquired at the end of spring training, is one game short of 300 in the PCL.
Frisco RoughRiders 3 – San Antonio 1
Key Stats: 1B Kyle Overstreet 2-for-4, RBI; C Webster Rivas 2-for-4; RHP Jake Nix 7.1IP, 7H, 3ER, 8K, 0BB
Prospect Watch: Jacob Nix matched a season high by throwing 96 pitches as he worked into the eighth inning for just the second time in his career. The 22-year-old righty gave up three hits and a run before getting an out in the first, then retired 11 batters in a row. After allowing another run in the fifth, he again got on a roll and put away 10 straight until a one-out homer in the eighth. Nix struck out eight for the third time this year and has 29 over his last 30 innings of work after starting off relatively slowly. … After being a late scratch Saturday evening, Josh Naylor was back in the lineup Sunday. He went 0-for-3, but drew his team-leading 56th walk to keep his on-base percentage fifth in the league at .404.
Storm 3 – Stockton Ports 0
Key Stats: 3B Hudson Potts 2-for-3, BB; LF Allen Cordoba 2-for-3, 2B, R; SS Chris Baker 2-for-3, 2R; C AJ Kennedy 2-for-3, 2B; LHP Adrian Morejon 4IP, 1H, 0R, 3K, 2BB; RHP Pedro Avila 5IP, 3H, 0R, 3K, 3BB
Prospect Watch: Lefty Adrian Morejon came off the disabled list and combined with Pedro Avila on a four-hit shutout to take the series win over Stockton. Morejon, who was on the shelf for six weeks after experiencing arm soreness, cruised through four innings relatively easily. The lefty gave up a allowed a one-out walk in the second and put two on with one out in the third, but retired the last five batters he faced. Cal League opponents have hit just .232 against him all year and he’s struck out more than a batter an inning. With Sunday’s outing, Morejon has now worked more innings than he did in his debut season as an 18-year-old last year. He needed only 48 pitches to get through his work Sunday. … Avila picked up right where Morejon left off, blanking the Ports for five innings. The big-bodied righty has piggybacked in two of his last three outings as the organization tries to manage his innings as he reaches 105.2 and counting for the year. … The bottom third of the Storm lineup combined to go 6-for-9 and score all three of the club’s runs. Allen Cordoba, working in left field for the third time in 37 games, had a single and double, but is hitting just .194/.222/.310 since coming back from his extended disabled list stint.
Bowling Green Hot Rods 4 – TinCaps 0
Key Stats: CF Jeisson Rosario 1-for-3, BB; DH Gabriel Arias 1-for-3, BB, 2K; 1B Jalen Washington 1-for-3, 2B, BB; LHP Aaron Leasher 6.2IP, 7H, 3ER, 4K, 4BB
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps managed only four hits and hit into three double-plays as they fell to the division-leading Hot Rods. Gabriel Arias extended his nascent hitting streak to five, but the gifted athlete is still limping through his first full-season campaign with a .227/.287/.293 line. The 18-year-old’s strikeout rate has been climbing as the season has gone on. He’s whiffed in 35.2% of his plate appearances since the All-Star break, pulling his season-long mark up over 30 percent. … Lefty Aaron Leasher topped 100 pitches for the first time since the Padres drafted him in the sixth round last year. The Michigan native gave up three runs in the third, but otherwise held Bowling Green in check. He’s logged nearly a strikeout per inning this year, but has gotten into trouble when he’s lost the zone. He issued four walks Sunday, including three in a row to open the third inning. He’s allowed 38 free passes in 91.2 innings this year.
Dust Devils 7 – Boise Hawks 2
Key Stats: CF Grant Little 2-for-4, 2B, BB; DH Owen Miller 2-for-4, 2B, HBP; C Blake Hunt 1-for-4, HR (1); RHP Adrian Martinez 6IP, 7H, 2R (1ER), 5K, 1BB
Prospect Watch: Six different Dust Devils reached base multiple times Sunday as the club cruised to its third straight win. Adrian Martinez bounced back from a brutal, one-out start his last time out, posting his best start of the year. The 21-year-old from Mexicali allowed just one earned run over a six innings with a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio that matches his best of the season. … Owen Miller and Luis Asuncion both extended hitting streaks to eight games. Miller, 21, has struck out in just 11.4% of his plate appearances so far and continues to play to his strengths well. Asuncion still isn’t walking much, but has been on a tear since he stopped expanding the strike zone as often and has added nearly 100 points to his slugging percentage during the streak.
