MacKenzie Gore delivers for the TinCaps.
(Photo: Jeff Nycz)
El Paso had the night off
The Chihuahuas take a seven-game winning streak into a series at Sacramento on Thursday.
Missions 4 – Springfield Cardinals 1
Key Stats: RHP Jesse Scholtens (W, 7-2) 8 IP, 5 H, ER, 6 K; C Austin Allen 1-4, HR (20) 2 RBI; CF Buddy Reed 0-4, K; 1B Webstar Rivas 2-4, RS
Prospect Watch: Austin Allen has reached 20 home runs for the second year in a row. The big lefty leads the team and is fourth overall in the Texas League. While he will continue to face questions about his defense behind the plate, it is hard to argue with the offensive production or the work he’s done to improve as a receiver. His .889 OPS ranks third among qualified hitters in the league. … Despite pitching into the seventh inning six times this year, Jesse Scholtens had not managed to complete the inning until Thursday. After starting the season dominating, the Padres’ ninth-round pick in 2016 got hit hard in Triple-A and then allowed a 4.00 ERA in July. But over his last two home starts, Scholtens has gone 14.2 innings allowing just two runs on 12 hits striking out 12. … The Missions won despite having both Josh Naylor and Ty France out of the lineup Thursday.
Storm 11 – Visalia Rawhide 2
Key Stats: LHP Nick Margevicius 7 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 3 K; CF Edward Olivares 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB; C Luis Torrens 4-5, 2B, HR (5), 2 R, 4 RBI; 3B Ruddy Giron 2-4, 2 R, 2B, BB
Prospect Watch: John has the game story live from Lake Elsinore, where Nick Margevicius pitched a gem.
TinCaps 9 – Lake County Captains 8
Key Stats: LHP MacKenzie Gore 3 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, K; CF Jeisson Rosario 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB; 2B Olivier Basabe 2-6, 3B, RBI; DH Owen Miller 1-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB; SS Gabriel Arias 2-4, 2 RBI, BB
Prospect Watch: While the stuff is there, the results won’t always be. This was a game to forget for MacKenzie Gore, who struggled from the start. He allowed runs in each of the three innings he worked. He threw 69 pitches, 44 for strikes. On the positive side of the eight non-strikeouts he got, seven of them were groundouts. … Olivier Basabe and Owen Miller both made their presences felt in their first Midwest League Games. Miller, playing DH, broke a 5-5 tie with his first home run of the year for Fort Wayne, while Basabe had what would prove to be the game-winning RBI with a triple in the seventh. The 21-year-old infielders had been pacing the Tri-City offense all year. … Gabriel Arias had two more hits and a single to extend his on-base streak to 17 games, while Jack Suwinski drew a season-high four walks and has managed to add 68 points to his season OPS in his last eight games.
No games for the Dust Devils or AZL teams on Wednesday. They’ll be back in action Thursday.
Basabe has been a nice surprise this year. We have a lot of middle infield depth for sure