Despite taking the loss, Kyle Lloyd had his best start of the year on Saturday. Photo: Grant Wickes
Omaha Storm Chasers 7 Chihuahuas 6
Key Statistics: 1B Ty France 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI; C Francisco Mejia 1-5 HR, RBI; 1B Aderlin Rodriguez 2-5; 3B Seth Mejias-Brean 2-4; LHP Dietrich Enns 5.2 IP 8 H 5 R 5 ER BB 3 K HR; RHP Trevor Megill 2.1 IP 2 H K; RHP Andres Munoz (L,1-1) (BS,1) 0.1 IP 3 H 2 R 2 ER BB HR
Prospect Watch: Tonight’s defeat ended El Paso’s six-game winning streak as Andres Munoz blew the save and took the loss in his worst outing of the year. So far Munoz, 20, has been having the best season of his career between the Chihuahuas and Double-A Amarillo. After taking a 6-5 lead in the top of the ninth on second baseman Esteban Quiroz’s two-run home run, Munoz gave up a lead-off home run to begin the inning, followed by a single, a sacrifice bunt, walk and then a game-ending double. Even for pitchers as talented as Munoz, some nights, it’s just not happening. …Francisco Mejia hit his fourth home of the year, per Chihuahuas’ announcer Tim Haggerty it was an estimated 507-foot blast. …In his second game back in Triple-A Ty France had a pair of doubles which gives him 19 extra-base hits in 21 games for El Paso this year.
Corpus Christi Hooks 1 Sod Poodles 0
Key Statistics: SS Ivan Castillo 2-4, SB; RF Buddy Reed 1-3; RHP Kyle Lloyd (L, 2-2) 6.0 IP 3 H R ER 2 BB 5 K; RHP J.C. Cosme 1.0 IP 3 K; RHP Dauris Valdez 1.0 IP 2 BB 2 K
Ivan Castillo has been one of the Sod Poodles’ better hitters in 2019. Photo: Grant Wickes.
Prospect Watch: All of us have written this many times in this column, that wins and losses are not the best statistic to evaluate how well a pitcher performed on a day and tonight’s outing by Kyle Lloyd, 28, is a shining example of that concept. Lloyd, who has mainly been a reliever the past few seasons, had his best outing of the year only giving up three hits on the night and a single run, but the Sod Poodles were also held to three hits on an entire evening. Lloyd’s strength is his plus forkball and when he has the ability to throw his sinking fastball for strikes, he is especially effective. He has been in the system since 2013, with a brief call-up last year to San Diego. The role he seems best suited to in the future is a middle reliever that can throw multiple innings. …The offensive star of the night was Ivan Castillo, 24, who was at shortstop, instead of his customary second base. The switch-hitter had two of Amarillo’s three hits on the night along with his seventh stolen base in ten attempts. Castillo didn’t make a full-season team out of Spring Training but is making up for lost time with a .348/.377/.489 slash line in 141 plate appearances.
Storm 4 Lancaster JetHawks 2
Key Statistics: LF Jeisson Rosario 1-3, BB; C Luis Campusano 1-3, BB; CF Tirso Ornelas 0-2, 2 BB; RHP Reiss Knehr 4.0 IP 5 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 5 K; RHP Nick Kuzia (W, 1-0) 2.2 IP 2 H BB
Prospect Watch: The Storm put three runs on the board in the first inning and tacked on another in the eighth inning for a victory at the Diamond. …Lake Elsinore is one of the younger teams in the Cal League with most of their star players not legally old enough to drink in the state of California. After hitting .185/.330/.217 in April, Jeisson Rosario, 19, improved to .253/.341/.354 in May and in his first seven games in June he is at .367/.424/.433. Rosario is one of the better defensive center fielders in the minor leagues with a very good eye, but a goal coming into this season was to make more hard contact. If the improvement is real, he is someone very much to watch. Rosario was in left field today because the organization believes that continuing to give his roommate Tirso Ornelas, 19, regular repetitions in center field will continue to help his defensive development.
Dayton Dragons 8 TinCaps 4
Key Statistics: 2B Xavier Edwards 2-5; LF Michael Curry 2-4, 2B, BB; RF Augustin Ruiz 1-3, HR (1) 2 RBI, 2 BB; SS Justin Lopez 2-5, 2 RBI; LHP Ryan Weathers 3.0 2 H 2 R 2 ER BB K; RHP Austin Smith (L, 0-1) 1.2 IP 4 H 6 R 5 ER 2 BB 4 K; LHP Cody Tyler 3.1 IP H
Augustine Ruiz had his first home run of the season on Saturday. Photo: Jeff Nycz.
Prospect Watch: Since taking a step back because of a dead arm a few weeks ago, Ryan Weathers has been throwing in the low 90s as compared to the mid-90s at the beginning of the year. In his first seven starts, he gave up a total of six earned runs in 30.1 innings. In his last two starts, he has given up seven earned runs in 5.2 innings. Weathers is only 19, and at this time last year, he was going through his graduation ceremony in Loretto, Tennessee so he might just be tired, instead of hurt. As of a few days ago, his manager has said he was fine. …Agustin Ruiz who has been in a bad slump the past ten games with a .182 batting average had his first home run of the season.
2019 Draft Update: Per Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline and our friend Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres’ first-round selection C.J. Abrams signed for $5.2 million, which was $500,000 under the $5.7 million slot amount. According to Sanders’ Twitter feed, second-round pick Joshua Mears, competitive-balance pick Logan Driscoll and fourth-round pick Nick Brash, who all threw out the first pitch at Petco today, have also signed, but no amounts have been reported.
For the box scores of all the games please go to the MiLB.com scoreboards.
