Michel Baez returned to action on Tuesday night. Photo: Benjamin Jenkins.
Reno Aces 10 Chihuahuas 7
Key Stats: C Francisco Mejía 2-3, HR (1), R; SS Luis Urías 3-5, HR (12), 3 RBI, RF Josh Naylor 1-4, 2B, BB; 2B Esteban Quiroz 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR (8); RHP Andres Muñoz IP, H, BB, 2 K
RHP Andres Muñoz to El Paso & RHP Michel Baez activated for Amarillo.
— madfriars (@madfriars) May 21, 2019
Prospect Watch: Making his first rehab start of the year, C Francisco Mejía homered in his first at-bat. Mejía, who hit the Injured List on May 11, ended up going 2-for-3 on the day before giving way to Chris Stewart. The talented switch-hitter will likely be given an extended rehab stint to try to find a groove before he returns to the big league club. … Making his Triple-A debut, flamethrowing RHP Andres Muñoz pitched a scoreless inning, working around a walk and double. He got a pair of strikeouts, finishing both off – one looking and one swinging – with his slider. While this is another promising sign for the 20-year-old, Muñoz has yet to pitch in back-to-back games. Don’t expect to see him and his triple-digit heat in San Diego until he shows he can carry a bigger workload. He was in extended spring training at this time last year. … Luis Urías now has more home runs in just over a month than he hit in his first four years in the Padres system combined. More promising, Urías has not struck out in his last three games while walking twice.
Corpus Christi Hooks 6 Sod Poodles 1
Key Stats: RHP Lake Bachar 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; RHP Michel Báez 2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 4 K; 3B Hudson Potts 2-3, R, BB, 2 2B
Prospect Watch: The biggest news of the day was the season debut of Michel Báez at Amarillo. The big Cuban was late getting started this spring because of back soreness but was activated from the IL Tuesday. Báez tossed two strong innings in relief, giving up a run to the first batter he saw while striking out four. Báez only threw his fastball and changeup, sitting 95-97, while his change had a good movement and worked between 81-86. During both innings, Báez was able to work down in the zone, which, at his height and his velocity makes his fastball extremely hard to catch up to. The big right-hander will work in a hybrid multi-inning role as he gets up to speed. … Hudson Potts collected a pair of doubles, accounting for most of the Amarillo offense. He had gone 13 games since his last multi-hit effort.
Storm 5 Stockton Ports 3
Key Stats: RHP Luis Patiño 6 IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; C Luis Campusano 2-4, 2B; 1B Olivier Basabe 1-3, HR (3), 2 RBI; 2B Esteury Ruiz 3-3, HR (5), 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB (15)
Prospect Watch: The first four batters in the game reached base against righty Luis Patiño; the next 18 did not. After walking in a run with no outs in the first, Patiño escaped the inning with just one more run on a slow grounder. He didn’t allow another runner to reach. It was vintage Patiño, as he cruised through the next five innings with little effort. While his lack of control early showed why scouts are still cautious with him, the last five innings show why many are enamored with his upside. Tuesday marks Patiño’s fifth straight start with two walks or fewer and two runs or less allowed. … 2B Esteury Ruiz added to his excellent May, though he never got a fourth at-bat to be able to try for a triple for the cycle. After posting a .534 OPS in April, Ruiz has slugged .625 and posted a .986 OPS in May. Perhaps more impressive is that he has cut his strikeout rate from 35% in April to a far more sustainable 17%.
Efraín Ramirez has made the jump to full-season ball well. (Photo: Fort Wayne TinCaps)
TinCaps 1 South Bend Cubs 0
Key Stats: RHP Efraín Contreras 6 IP, 3 H, 5 K; RHP Henry Henry 1 IP, 1 K; 1B Lee Solomon 1-1, 3 BB, R
Prospect Watch: The system’s best pitching performance of the night belonged to teenager RHP Efraín Contreras. Not only was his stat line for the game impressive, but no batter reached second base until a one-out double in the sixth inning. Although Contreras’s 3.55 ERA and 40:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio are overshadowed on the staff by Ryan Weathers sitting among league leaders in most pitching categories, the Juarez native has impressed a year after opening his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League. … The TinCaps managed just four hits in the game, but one of them was a triple in the second that scored Lee Solomon. The RBI triple by Juan Fernandez added to a blistering May line of .423/.444/.577. Fernandez has pushed his season OPS up to .703, which is above average in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League. … While the offense was largely quiet, Solomon reached base four times and extended his hitting streak to five games.
