Edward Olivares is enjoying Hodgetown. (Photo John Moore/Amarillo Sod Poodles)
Chihuahuas 6, Salt Lake City Bees 5
Key Stats: SS Luis Urías 1-for-3, 2BB, K; C Austin Allen 1-for-3, HR (5), HBP, PB (3); LHP Dillon Overton 5.1IP, 4H, 2ER, 6K, 1BB; RHP Luis Perdomo 1IP, 3H, 3R (0ER), 1K, BS (1), W
Prospect Watch: El Paso rallied for five runs in the bottom of the eighth, gave away the lead in the ninth, then won on a walk-off wild pitch to claim their 20th victory in the last 23 contests. Austin Allen turned around a 2-1 fastball down and in from long-time big leaguer Sam Freeman for a three-run homer in the eighth. The blast, his fifth of the year, pushed his OPS against left-handed pitching up to 1.090 for the year – more than 200 points higher than his mark against opposite-handed pitching. After posting reverse splits in his first two professional seasons, the left-handed hitting catcher had significant traditional platoon splits over the last two years. Allen’s homer was the only extra-base hit on the day for a Chihuahuas club that, as a team, is slugging a ridiculous .569. … Dillon Overton, making his second start since rejoining the team last week, gave up two runs over 5.1 innings and struck out six batters. The 27-year-old lefty has spent the majority of the last three years in the Pacific Coast League for three different organizations, including the Padres. He’s only topped that whiff rate once in the last two years. … Luis Urías drew a pair of walks on Sunday, including one after falling behind 1-2 in the eighth inning. He also struck out once, keeping his K rate since his demotion at 22 percent in 60 plate appearances. He’s hit in eight straight games.
Sod Poodles 8, Arkansas Travelers 5
Key Stats: RF Edward Olivares 3-for-5, 3HR (8), K; 2B Hudson Potts 3-for-5, 2 2B, HR (5); RHP Miguel Diaz 3IP, 2H, 0R, 2K, 3BB; LHP Travis Radke 2IP, 2H, 0R, 5K, 1BB
Prospect Watch: Edward Olivares homered in each of his first three plate appearances, powering the Sod Poodles to victory. Olivares, 23, hit his first one off the center field wall and sprinted around for the team’s second inside-the-park homer of the year before going the more conventional route with two bombs over the left field fence. Six of his Texas League-best eight homers have come in the friendly environs of Hodgetown, where his 1.220 OPS dwarfs the .689 mark he’s managed in 14 away games. His solid walk and strikeout rates are nearly identical at home and on the road. He’s managed just a .244 average on balls in play away from Amarillo, meanwhile, he sports a .426 IsoP rate at home. Neither number is likely sustainable, so it will be worth tracking his production as both normalize. … Hudson Potts clubbed three more extra-base hits including his fifth homer of the year. After a brutal start to the season, the 20-year-old infielder has been on fire over the last 10 days. Perhaps most encouraging sign during the stretch when he’s raised his OPS more than 200 points is that he’s struck out just six times – and only twice in his last 24 plate appearances. As his manager, Phillip Wellman noted on Saturday night, he’s starting to figure it out … The big league club got good news as it searches for ways to cobble together 1,400+ innings from its pitching staff as Miguel Diaz worked three solid innings in his first rehab appearance of the year. The 24-year-old righty, who had knee surgery early in spring training, showed a little rust in the outing, falling behind the first four batters he faced and issuing back-to-back walks in the second inning. But overall, Diaz worked effectively. He’ll likely get a few more appearances before joining the mix as a multi-inning option for the Padres.
Storm 8, Lancaster JetHawks 0
Key Stats: C Jalen Washington 3-for-4, 2HR (2), 4RBI, PO; 1B Taylor Kohlwey 3-for-3, 3B; DH Luis Campusano 2-for-5; 3B Allen Córdoba 2-for-4, 2B; LHP MacKenzie Gore 5IP, 0H, 0R, 7K, 2BB; RHP Steven Wilson 2IP, 0H, 0R, 3K, 0BB
Prospect Watch: MacKenzie Gore and the Storm bullpen carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning and held the Lancaster offense in check despite a typical wind blowing out of one of the most offense-friendly parks in affiliated ball Sunday afternoon. Gore continued to make his case both as the top left-handed pitching prospect in the game and someone ready for a promotion, striking out seven over his five innings of work. After burning 86 pitches to get through 4.1 frames on Monday, the 20-year-old used 74 to get through five full innings Sunday. Through six outings, Gore leads the offense-happy Cal League with a 1.15 ERA and an absurd 40 percent strikeout rate. Opponents have managed just a .142 average against him. … While his batterymate flourished, catcher Jalen Washington had a huge day as well. The Ohio State Buckeye hit his first two homers of the year and collected more than twice the total bases he had coming into the contest. A favorite among teammates for his role in the clubhouse, Washington posted a .699 for Fort Wayne in his first full season last year. The 24-year-old also had a pretty pickoff, snapping a throw to first to pick off the first JetHawks baserunner of the game in the fourth inning. … Taylor Kohlwey added three more hits Sunday for his fifth straight multi-hit game. He’s a mere 10-for-15 on the year in Lancaster. … Relieving Gore, righty Steven Wilson worked a pair of scoreless innings of his own. The 24-year-old, drafted as a senior sign out of Santa Clara last summer, sports a 22:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 16.1 innings. He has paired with Evan Miller for a surprising lockdown duo out of the Storm bullpen this year.
Quad Cities River Bandits 4, TinCaps 3 (F/11)
Key Stats: 3B Tucupita Marcano 2-for-4, BB; LF Grant Little 2-for-5, BB; DH Agustin Ruiz 1-for-5, 2B, K; RHP Adrian Martinez 5IP, 2H, 0R, 3K, 2BB; RHP Austin Smith 3IP, 2H, 2ER, 1K, 1BB
Prospect Watch: The big news out of Fort Wayne is what didn’t happen; Ryan Weathers was scratched from his scheduled start and put on the disabled list after traveling to San Diego Saturday to have his arm examined. The team’s top pick in 2018 left his last outing after two innings with what the organization later described as a “bicep spasm.” There’s not more info available at this point. … In Weathers’s absence, 20-year-old Mexicali native Adrian Martinez got the spot start and turned in five strong innings. The big righty got knocked around in the Midwest League last year and gave up six runs in five innings over his first two outings once he joined the squad mid-April, but seems to be finding his groove. Long a tantalizing talent, Martinez has allowed just one run on six hits over his last nine innings, striking out a batter per frame along the way. … Austin Smith joined the TinCaps from extended spring training and worked two innings in the afternoon. The first draft pick called after AJ Preller became general manager, Smith has struggled to find consistency and maintain velocity in the organization. Now 22, Smith has now appeared in the Midwest League for four consecutive seasons. … Tucupita Marcano collected two more hits Sunday to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Since hitting his low-water mark with a .179/.270/.196 line following play on April 19, the Venezuelan infielder has hit in 11 of 13 games and moved his OPS up to .776.
