Edward Olivares is finishing strong in Elsinore. (Photo: Cherished Memories)
Chihuahuas 7 – Tacoma Rainiers 6
Key Stats: 3B-1B Ty France 2-5, HR (5), 2B, 4 RBI, K; 1B-C Brett Nicholas 1-4, HR (16), K; SS-3B Dusty Coleman 2-3, 2B, R, BB, K; SP Walker Lockett 4.2 IP, 6 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K; Brad Wieck (W, 3-0) 2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K
Prospect Watch: Down 6-1 in the 8th, Ty France homered with a man on to cut the lead to 6-3. Brett Nicholas then led off the 9th with a solo homer, and the Chihuahuas continued to chip away at the lead, until France came up again with two on and two out. His eighth double of the month was the walk-off winner for El Paso, which didn’t lose at home the entire month. … Since his promotion to Triple-A earlier this month, France has hit five homers and eight doubles, to carry a .941 OPS. The SDSU alum has struck out at just a 17.7% clip, while walking at a 10.4% rate. … Reliever Brad Wieck struck out the side (around a pair of singles) in two innings of work. The 6-foot-9 Texan has a 1.46 ERA in his last ten appearances (12.1 innings) and has a 24:6 K:BB ratio during that stretch. … Wieck was pulled into the game in the eighth after reliever Carter Capps (along with catcher Raffy Lopez and manager Rod Barajas) were ejected from the game for disputing an illegal delivery.
Midland RockHounds 4 – Missions 1
Key Stats: LF Buddy Reed 3-4, HR (1), R, RBI, CS; C Austin Allen 2-4, 2B; DH Josh Naylor 0-3, BB; 3B Hudson Potts 0-4, 2 K; SP Emmanuel Ramirez (L, 2-2) 7 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Prospect Watch: With one out in the first, Buddy Reed launched his first homer in a Missions uniform over the fence in right field. Reed also managed to secure his first 3-hit game since joining the Missions on July 11, after recording 15 such games in Lake Elsinore in the first half of the season. After a 10-game stretch in which he’d gone only 3-for-42, he’s 6-for-12 in his last three games. … Josh Naylor went hitless with a walk, and is hitting .200 in his last 14 games (55 plate appearances). He is slugging .333 in the month of August, with two doubles and two homers in 95 plate appearances. … Austin Allen hit his 31st double of the season, which equals his career high from last season in Lake Elsinore. He is third in the Texas League in doubles and OPS (.860). … In his fourth outing for the Missions, Emmanuel Ramirez gave up some hard contact, allowing four doubles, but limited the damage by striking out six. His K:BB ratio since joining San Antonio is 27:6 in 24 innings.
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Storm 3 – Lancaster JetHawks 2
Key Stats: CF Edward Olivares 2-4, HR (12), 2B; 1B Brad Zunica 2-4, 2B; C Luis Torrens 0-4, K; SP Nick Margevicius 7.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Prospect Watch: With the recent wave of offensive talent promoted to Double-A, Edward Olivares has been tasked with carrying the Storm lineup, and has moved into the third hole to capitalize on his recent production. He is slashing .390/.447/.707 in his last 11 games, and he hit his fifth homer in the month of August last night. His strikeout rate for the month has also dropped to 13.2%. … With the score tied at two in the ninth, A.J. Kennedy singled on a slow roller to third, and he came around to score on a Luis Guzman double for a walk-off win. … Starter Nick Margevicius didn’t allow a walk on the night, and his K:BB ratio in 58 High-A innings is 59:8. Hitters are still hitting .297 off of him in the Cal League, and both runs scored off of him came on extra base hits (a double and a triple).
Lake County Captains 5 – TinCaps 4
Key Stats: LF Jack Suwinski 3-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R; RF Agustin Ruiz 2-4, 2B, R, K; 3B Owen Miller 1-4; SS Gabriel Arias 0-4, K; SP Mason Thompson (L, 6-8) 3.1 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Prospect Watch: Jack Suwinski recorded his third three-hit game of the month, raising his OPS in August to 1.069. The 20-year-old out of Chicago has also bumped his walk rate up to 9.3% for the month. … Outfielder Agustin Ruiz made his TinCaps debut and doubled to lead off the ninth. He came around to score on a double play and pulled Fort Wayne to within a run, but the comeback fell short. Ruiz began his season in Arizona, and played two games in Tri-City before getting bumped up to Single-A to fill in for the injured Olivier Basabe. … Starter Mason Thompson allowed three runs in the first on a double, a hit by pitch, and three singles. In the second, he walked a pair of hitters and one came around to score on another single. He retired the side in order in the third, and was lifted in the fourth after the Captains went double-strikeout-walk. His three walks was the most he’s allowed since May 19, and he has a 50:9 K:BB ratio in his last ten games.
Spokane Indians 4 – Dust Devils 3
Key Stats: SS Xavier Edwards 2-5, C Blake Hunt 2-5, K; 1B Justin Paulsen 3-4, HR (4), BB, 2 RBI; SP Ramon Perez 5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K; Jean Cosme (L, 0-1) 2.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 K
Prospect Watch: Xavier Edwards and Blake Hunt continued their hot streaks with four singles between them. Edwards has been an on-base machine since being promoted to Tri-City, getting on base in 16 of his first 20 games, good for a .435 clip. At just 19-years-old, the 5-foot-10 shortstop hasn’t grown into much power yet, but has an intriguing contact tool and plus speed. … Hunt, meanwhile, finished the month with an .884 OPS. After a walk-heavy approach with no extra-base hits in June, he’s flipped the script over the last month with a 21:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio, but also 11 extra-base hits, in 86 plate appearances. … Lost in the shuffle of the many standout lefties in the system and a season interrupted by a minor shoulder issue that cost him some innings, Ramon Perez has quietly put together his second straight strong season at the bottom end of the system. A physically mature 19-year-old, the Cuban hurler finishes his season with a 2.48 ERA while increasing his strikeout rate and cutting his walk rate from his AZL debut last year. After coming off the disabled list at the end of July, he allowed just three earned runs on 16 hits in 20 innings.
