Jesse Scholtens finished the year strong for the Missions.
Chihuahuas 9, Tacoma Rainiers 4
Key Stats: C Francisco Mejia 4-5, HR (7), PB; 2B Carlos Asuaje 3-5, 2B; CF Dusty Coleman 2-4, 2B; RHP Cal Quantrill 5IP, 6H, 1ER, 3K, 0BB
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas bounced right back to their winning ways, riding a 17-hit attack and another solid performance by Cal Quantrill to victory. In his six outings with El Paso, the club’s 2016 first-rounder shaved almost 1.5 walks per nine innings of his total in San Antonio but also saw a drop in his strikeout rate to just 6.39 per nine, all of which left his ratios pretty flat. The 23-year-old will go over 150 innings for the first time in his career if he makes a playoff start. … Francisco Mejia went 4-for-5 and added his third homer in four games. The switch-hitter has been especially deadly from the right side, where he carries a 1.147 OPS in about a third of his Chihuahuas plate appearances. While his walk and strikeout rates have remained almost identical to what he was doing in Columbus prior to the Padres trading for him, the 22-year-old’s overall league-adjusted production has jumped significantly. … Two nights after he was ejected for an illegal delivery, Carter Capps was back on the mound and worked an uneventful inning. He’s walked six in eight innings since his promotion to Triple-A, but allowed only three hits.
Corpus Christi Hooks 2, Missions 0
Key Stats: RHP Jesse Scholtens 6.1IP, 2H, 0R, 5K, 0BB; LF Josh Naylor 1-for-3, BB; 1B Kyle Overstreet 1-for-3, BB
Prospect Watch: The Missions offense managed only one single in six innings against Astros’ prospect J.B. Bukauskas in his Double-A debut, and couldn’t do much more against the bullpen, wasting a strong outing by Jesse Scholtens. However, because Frisco lost earlier in the day, they have clinched a spot in the Texas League playoffs. Scholtens matched Bukauskas through the first six frames, finishing off a strong season for the Missions with a 3.00 ERA. The 24-year-old righty held Double-A hitters to a .236 average over 108 innings relying primarily on a two-pitch mix.
Storm 4, Lancaster JetHawks 2
Key Stats: SS Eguy Rosario 2-for-3, BB; CF Edward Olivares 2-for-4, OF Assist; RHP Caleb Boushley 5IP, 3IP, 0R, 5K, 0BB
Prospect Notes: Caleb Boushley got his first start of the year and worked five strong innings to carry the Storm to victory. The Padres’ 33rd-round pick last summer has been an effective multi-inning reliever at both Single-A stops for the Padres this summer, posting a 2.71 ERA across 73 innings in 38 outings, with a strikeout per frame and an impressive 72:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The 24-year-old out of Wisconsin-La Crosse will turn 25 next month. … Infielder Eguy Rosario, who finally turned 19 last week, had a pair of hits and a walk at the top of the Storm lineup. After batting lower in the order for much of the year, the Dominican-born infielder – who logged his first innings of the year at shortstop in the game – has been in the leadoff spot three times. After a solid first half, Rosario has limped through the second half with a .206/.289/.309 line. Assuming he returns to Elsinore to start 2019, he’ll still be among the youngest position players on the circuit. … Edward Olivares had two more hits Sunday and is now has his OPS since the start of August up over .900.
West Michigan Whitecaps 2, TinCaps 1
Key Stats: CF Jeisson Rosario 2-for-4, 2B, CS; LHP Ryan Weathers 3IP, 3H, 1ER, 0K, 0BB; RHP Gabe Mosser 5IP, 3H, 1R (0ER), 5K, 1BB
Prospect Watch: After a loss to split the series Sunday, the TinCaps set up a winner-take-all Monday afternoon contest. Whoever wins the game will advance to the Midwest League playoffs. Ryan Weathers, making his third start with the club, turned in three innings of one-run ball. The 18-year-old lefty has struck out nine with only one walk in nine Midwest League innings. It will be interesting to see if the club elects to let him continue working if the TinCaps get into – and make a deep run in – the playoffs. … Gabe Mosser, taken 26 rounds out of Weathers in June, has his professional career off to as good a start as he could hope. The 22-year-old righty hasn’t allowed an earned run over 12 innings since joining the TinCaps, posting a stellar 18:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio along the way. He worked 30 strong innings in Tri-City to get the opportunity. Much like Boushley this year, he’ll likely get an opportunity to work multiple innings in Single-A next year.
Dust Devils 5, Everett AquaSox 3
Key Stats: SS Xavier Edwards 2-for-4, BB; DH Blake Hunt 1-for-3, 2B; LF Luis Asuncion 2-for-4, HR (6); 2B Kelvin Alarcon 2-for-3, BB, SB (2), CS (2); RHP Adrian Martinez 5IP, 4H, 1ER, 3K, 1BB; RHP Jordan Guerrero 1.1IP, 0H, 0R, 2K, 0BB
Prospect Watch: Luis Asuncion has seen his production move backward in his third season with Tri-City as he converts to first base. The big right-handed slugger hit his second homer in three games and now has six on the year in a difficult offensive environment for home run hitters, but has struck out more and walked less this season. He’ll be 22 next spring and will be in a fight to make the Fort Wayne roster. … Xavier Edwards is on track to finish his first professional campaign with an on-base percentage above .450 across two levels. The 19-year-old shortstop has continued to walk more than he’s struck out in Tri-City and has swiped 22 bases in 23 attempts. … Righty Adrian Martinez finished on a high note, giving up one run over five innings. The 21-year-old from Mexicali has had an up-and-down campaign, turning in three outings of at least five innings and one or fewer runs in his last six, but also failing to get out of the first inning twice. After posting just 30 innings in his first post-surgery season last year, Marinez logged 74.1 frames this season.
