Switch-hitting infielder Ivan Castillo is leading the Texas League in hitting. [Photo by John Moore/Amarillo Sod Poodles]
Tacoma Rainiers 6 Chihuahuas 5
Key Statistics: CF Michael Gettys, 3-for-5, R, HR (17), 3 RBI; 2B Luis Urias, 1-for-5, 3 K; 1B Aderlin Rodriguez, 1-for-4, R, HR (3), RBI; LF Boog Powell, 2-for-4, R; RHP Miguel Diaz, 1.2 IP, H, BB, 3 K; LHP Dietrich Enns (L, 7-5) 5 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K.
Prospect Watch: El Paso lost to Tacoma Friday night. … Michael Gettys had three hits including his 17th homer of the year, which tied his career-high. Despite the power, Gettys has been about 20% below league average offensively. The issue with Gettys continues to be strikeouts — he has whiffed in 30% of his plate appearances this season. … The Chihuahuas deployed an opener for the second straight game, with Miguel Diaz recording five outs before giving way to Dietrich Enns. The outing was Diaz’s first appearance since being optioned last weekend. It will be interesting to see if Diaz and Robert Stock, who “opened’” yesterday’s game will continue in that role going forward.
Sod Poodles 4 Tulsa Drillers 3
Key Statistics: LF Ivan Castillo, 2-for-4, R, HR (3), RBI, BB; RF Edward Olivares, 2-for-5, 2B; 2B Owen Miller, 1-for-5, R, HR (8), RBI; SS Peter Van Gansen, 1-for-2, R, HR (4), 2 RBI, BB; RHP Blake Rogers, 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K; RHP Nick Kuzia (W, 1-1) 3 IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; RHP David Bednar (S, 4) 2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 2 K.
Prospect Watch: Amarillo used three solo homers to win on the road in Tulsa. …Versatile Ivan Castillo sparked the Sod Poodles offense once again, as he homered and singled out of the leadoff spot. The former Indians farmhand is leading the Texas League in batting average (.344) and his .505 slugging percentage ranks fifth. The wiry Dominican native has only homered three times but has 13 doubles and four triples for Amarillo this year. Castillo has started a game at every position except first base, catcher and pitcher. … Owen Miller homered; his only hit in five at-bats Friday. Miller is in the midst of his best month of 2019, as the former Illinois State product is hitting .351/.393/.519 in June. Miller’s .316 batting average is third in the circuit. … Blake Rogers made a spot start and turned in his best outing of the year. Rogers threw four clean innings, allowing just two hits while punching out five. The 25-year-old has struggled at home, where he has allowed 34 hits and four homers in 22.1 innings. Rogers’ ERA is 9.27 at Hodgetown and a much more respectable 3.91 on the road.
Roster Move: The Sod Poodles placed RHP Jesse Scholtens on the seven-day IL, retroactive to June 19th. Scholtens was slated to pitch tonight but as we mentioned, Blake Rogers took his place on the mound. RHP Nick Kuzia was brought up from Fort Wayne to take his place on the roster. The move left the TinCaps with 24 players, so they will likely get another arm tomorrow.
Jack Suwinski has a big night on Friday. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Storm 6 Inland Empire 66’ers 3
Key Statistics: 3B Allen Córdoba, 3-for-4, R, SB (9); CF Jeisson Rosario, 1-for-3, BB, RBI; C Luis Campusano, 1-for-3, BB; LF Jack Suwinski, 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR (5), 2 RBI; RHP Reiss Knehr, (W, 1-1) 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K; RHP Caleb Boushley, 2 IP, 2 H, BB, K; RHP Elliot Ashbeck, IP, H, 2 K; LHP Fred Schlichtholz (S, 1) 0.1 IP.
Prospect Watch: The Storm won their second consecutive game to open up the second half. … The left fielder broke out of a slump with two hits, including his fifth homer of the year. Suwinski has struggled to a .140/.252/.210 slash-line since May 1st, although he has walked in 13% of his plate appearances in the aforementioned time period. The 20-year-old outfielder struggled in the first half last year for Fort Wayne before breaking out in August. … Allen Córdoba had three singles and stole a base on Friday night. The former big leaguer has come on strong this month, hitting .292/.354/.431, with just eight strikeouts in 76 plate appearances. … Reiss Knehr got his first High-A win, completing five innings of three-run ball. The 22-year-old has a 5.14 ERA for the Storm in five games (three starts) but does have 19 strikeouts in 14 innings.
Former top pick Austin Smith has been making a come back in Fort Wayne in 2019. Photo: Jeff Nycz.
Great Lakes Loons 6 TinCaps 3
Key Statistics: 2B Xavier Edwards, 1-for-4; C Blake Hunt, 1-for-3, R, BB, RBI; RF Agustin Ruiz, 3-for-3, R; DH Luis Roman, 1-for-2, BB, RBI; LHP Ryan Weathers (L, 2-2) 3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Austin Smith, 2 IP, BB, K.
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps lost on the road to the Dodgers’ Low-A affiliate. … Agustin Ruiz had three of the six TinCaps’ hits and scored a run Friday. Ruiz has been hot over the last few weeks and has hit .283/.365/.472 in June. Overall, Ruiz has produced an 89 wRC+ after a brutal May. The 19-year-old has also been prone to the strikeout, as his 32% K% is in the top-ten in the Midwest League. He did not strike out Friday, which snapped a string of 11 straight games with at least one punch out. … LHP Ryan Weathers struggled Friday night and took the loss. Weathers allowed four earned runs and eight hits in three innings. Weathers’ velocity was down quite a bit from earlier in the season; he sat at 87-89 mph, which was about 2-4 mph from where he was in the spring and earlier this season. Over his last four starts, Weathers has allowed 11 earned runs in 11.2 innings. As of now, the organization maintains that he is healthy but the diminished velocity is certainly a concern. … Austin Smith pitched two scoreless innings in relief Friday night. Smith has pitched well in his fourth season in Fort Wayne, displaying the best command of his career. Coming into Friday’s outing, the former second-round pick has walked just 2.2 batters per nine innings while striking out 29 batters in 26.2 innings. His 2.58 FIP is by far the lowest of his career as well. While the ship has sailed on Smith developing into a starter, he is still just 22 and could get another opportunity to pitch in the Cal League later this summer.
Former Alaska prep star Jonny Homza is in his first year in the Northwest League. Johnny Homza. Photo: Mike Wilson
Eugene Emeralds 5 Dust Devils 3
Key Statistics: SS Jordy Barley, 1-for-4, R, BB, SB (2); 3B Jonny Homza, 2-for-3; CF Matthew Acosta, 1-for-3, RBI; 1B Jason Pineda, 1-for-4; LHP Ethan Elliott, IP, H, 2 K (pro debut); RHP Ignacio Feliz, 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K; RHP Dominic DiSabatino, IP, 2 BB, 2K; RHP Tom Colletti (L, 1-2) 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 K.
Prospect Watch: The Dust Devils lost their series opener in Eugene. … Jonny Homza had a pair of singles at the plate and made a couple of nice throws at third. The Alaskan-born catcher/infielder has hit safely in all five games he has played this season. Homza is playing outside of the AZL for the first time as a professional. … Outfielder Matthew Acosta had a bunt single that led to a pair of runs, thanks to a Eugene throwing error. The 12th-rounder out of USC has hit safely in all six games he’s played and he is hitting .385/.448/.500 overall in 28 plate appearances. … 10th-rounder Ethan Elliott pitched a scoreless inning in his professional debut. The former Lincoln Memorial University star signed for $5,000 as a senior sign last week. … Ignacio Feliz pitched four innings in relief, allowing three runs. Feliz was acquired by the Padres in the off-season, in exchange for RHP Walker Lockett. In Friday’s outing, Feliz was sitting at 89-91 mph with his heater. … Dom DiSabatino appeared in his first game since 2016 and threw a scoreless inning. DiSabatino, a 20th round pick in 2016, is coming off of Tommy John surgery.
AZL Royals 8 AZL Padres 3
Key Statistics: DH C.J. Abrams, 1-for-5; SS Chris Givin, 2-for-4, 2 R; CF Yordi Francisco, 2-for-5, 3B, RBI; 1B Michael Suarez, 2-for-4, R, BB; RHP Andrew Dean, IP; RHP Miguel Rondon (L, 0-1) 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB; RHP Dylan Coleman, IP, BB, K
AZL Padres-2 8 AZL Cubs 6
Key Statistics: 3B Ethan Skender, 1-for-2, R; CF Angel Solarte, 2-for-5, R, 3B, 5 RBI; LF Junior Perez, 2-for-3, R, RBI, BB; LHP Sam Williams, 2 IP, H, BB; RHP Fernando Sanchez (W, 1-0), 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K; RHP Luis Eusebio (S,1), IP, 2 H, 3 K.
Prospect Watch: The AZL teams split a pair of games in the desert. …Angel Solarte had a triple, a single and drove in a career-high five runs. Solarte, 18, has tremendous speed and is one of the better athletes the Padres have in the lower minors. The Venezuelan-born outfielder made his professional debut last summer in the AZL and played in a handful of games for Tri-City in 2018. Solarte is hitting .294/.368/.529 in 19 plate appearances this season. … Infielder Ethan Skender had a hit and scored a run. Skender, 22, was drafted way back in 2016 but a myriad of injuries have kept him off of the field until this season. He has three hits in four at-bats in his first professional action. … Dylan Coleman threw a scoreless inning Friday night, walking one and striking out one. Coleman went back to extended spring after opening the season in Lake Elsinore. Coleman seems like a candidate to moved out to a full-season club in the near future.
