Salt Lake Bees 9 Chihuahuas 6
Key Statistics: CF Michael Gettys, 3-for-5, R, HR (22), RBI; RF Jose Pirela, 1-for-4, R, HR (15), RBI; LF Boog Powell, 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (8), 2 RBI; SS Seth Mejias-Brean, 2-for-4, R, HR (7), 2 RBI; LHP Jerry Keel (L, 6-3) 5.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 5 K; RHP Steven Wilson, 1.1 IP, H, ER, 3 K.
Prospect Watch: There were plenty of fireworks in this one, as the two teams combined for seven homers. … Michael Gettys had three hits, including his 22nd homer of the year. Gettys is tied for fifth in the PCL in homers and he leads El Paso with 62 runs scored. The former 2nd-rounder has struck out 107 times this year; the fourth-most in the PCL. He has struck out at least twice in the last four games. … Right fielder Jose Pirela slammed his 15th homer of the year; his only hit of the evening. Pirela has scorched the ball for El Paso, as evidenced by his .343/.388/.692 slash-line. Pirela also has a blistering 33% line drive rate, which would lead the PCL if he had enough at-bats to qualify. … RHP Steven Wilson allowed his first earned run as a Chihuahua, which came on a solo homer. After dominating in Lake Elsinore, Wilson has continued to pitch well in El Paso. Through 9.1 innings in Triple-A, the former eighth-rounder has allowed just three hits and two walks to go with 13 strikeouts. The former Santa Clara star has put himself in the conversation to earn an opportunity out of the bullpen in San Diego.

Lake Bachar had his best start of the year on Thursday. Photo: Grant Wickes.
Sod Poodles 9 Frisco RoughRiders 1
Key Statistics: 2B Ivan Castillo, 2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI; RF Edward Olivares, 2-for-2, R, 2B, RBI; DH Kyle Overstreet, 2-for-4, R; CF Buddy Reed, 2-for-3, R, RBI; RHP Lake Bachar (W, 5-2) 7.2 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 9 K; RHP J.C. Cosme, 1.1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, K.

Ivan Castillo has been one of the best hitters in the Texas League. Photo: Grant Wickes.
Prospect Watch: The Sod Poodles used a 13-hit attack to blow out Frisco. … Outfielder Edward Olivares extended his hitting streak to seven games, with a single and a double. The 23-year-old is hitting .385/.426/.615 with three homers and seven stolen bases over his last 14 games. Last year, Olivares had 12 home runs in 580 plate appearances with Lake Elsinore; he has equaled that total in 259 fewer plate appearances with Amarillo. If Olivares can stay hot over the next two months, he has a chance to be a 20/20 man. He already has 20 stolen bases this season. … Center fielder Buddy Reed had a pair of singles and drove in a run Thursday night. The 24-year-old outfielder was in a 3-for-31 slump in his last nine games going into Thursday’s game. The talented Reed has struggled to find consistency this year and his overall .218/.303/.353 line is 22 percent below the league average. … RHP Lake Bachar turned his best outing of the year, throwing 7.2 scoreless innings to earn the victory. Bachar struck out a season-high nine and allowed just four hits. Bachar also equaled a season-high with four walks Thursday. Bachar is averaging five walks per nine innings with Amarillo in 2019. Overall, Bachar has a 3.63 ERA in 48 innings with the Sod Poodles.

Gabriel Arias is one of the top shortstop prospects in the Padres’ system.. Photo: Jerry Espinoza
Storm 10 Lancaster Jethawks 0
Key Statistics: CF Jeisson Rosario, 2-for-4, 2 R, BB; C Luis Campusano, 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, 3 RBI; SS Gabriel Arias, 3-for-4, 2 R, BB, RBI; 2B Eguy Rosario, 2-for-5, R, 2B, SB (13), 2 RBI; LF Jack Suwinski, 1-for-5, R, HR (6), RBI; RHP Reiss Knehr (W, 3-1) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 10 K; RHP Jordan Guerrero, IP, H, K.
Prospect Watch: The Storm blew out Lancaster in front of a packed house at The Diamond. … Jeisson Rosario had a pair of singles and scored two runs in the Storm victory. After a slow, start Rosario is hitting .315/.396/.360 since June 1st. The 20-year-old outfielder currently is sporting a 14% walk rate, which ranks fourth in the Cal League. Rosario has never flashed any power and his .059 ISO represents a career-low. … Shortstop Gabriel Arias had three singles and drove in a run Thursday night. Arias has started to put things together over the last few weeks and is making more consistent contact. Over his last ten games, Arias has struck out just five times in 41 plate appearances. In a much smaller sample, Arias has struck out just once his last 19 plate appearances. Since the all-star break, Arias is hitting .327/.377/.408. … RHP Reiss Knehr struck out a career-high ten batters over six shutout innings to earn his third win. Knehr, 22, has stepped into the Storm rotation and he has performed admirably. The former Fordham hurler has 21 strikeouts over his last three starts (16 innings).

Sam Keating in action for the TinCaps. Jeff Nycz
Lake County Captains 4 TinCaps 1
Key Statistics: C Blake Hunt, 2-for-3, BB; CF Jawuan Harris, 1-for-1, R, BB, SB (17); RHP Sam Keating (L, 3-5) 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R (all unearned), BB, 4 K; RHP Carlos Belen, IP.
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps had just four hits in a loss at home. … Catcher Blake Hunt had his sixth consecutive multi-hit game with a pair of singles Thursday. Overall, Hunt has hit in ten straight games and is carrying a .415/.455/.634 slash-line during the stretch. Hunt’s wRC+ of 109 is second on the team, trailing only Xavier Edwards, who is currently carrying a wRC+ of 134. … RHP Sam Keating pitched well, allowing three unearned runs in seven innings but was ultimately tagged with the loss. Keating, 20, has had an uneven season with Fort Wayne, in his first exposure to full-season ball. Keating has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his nine outings. In the three other outings, Keating has allowed 19 earned runs in 10.2 innings (16.03 ERA). Keating’s K% percentage is the second-lowest in the Midwest League (min. 30 innings) so he will need to find a way to miss more bats going forward.
Boise Hawks 6 Dust Devils 2
Key Statistics: SS Jordy Barley, 3-for-4, R, SB (5); 3B Sean Guilbe, 1-for-4, R, HR (2), RBI; CF Matthew Acosta, 1-for-3, BB; RHP Connor Lehmann, 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; RHP Starlin Cordero, 1.2 IP, 2 H, 4 K; RHP Tom Colletti (L, 2-3) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (all unearned) BB, 2 K.

Sean Guilibe is one of the more interesting prospects for the Dust Devils. Photo: Mike Wilson.
Prospect Watch: The Dust Devils lost their series opener on the road in Boise. … SS Jordy Barley had three singles and stole a base in the Dust Devils’ loss. Barley has played well for the Dust Devils in the early stages of the Northwest League season. Barley’s .276/.333/.437 slash line has been roughly 10% above the league-average. … Third baseman Sean Guilbe hit his second homer of the year Thursday. Guilbe, 19, has struggled so far this season but his power potential makes him a name to watch. He was drafted in the 12th round last year to an overslot bonus, forgoing his commitment to Tennessee. Starlin Cordero racked up four strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work. Cordero has struck out 18 batters in 11.2 innings of work for the Dust Devils in 2019.
AZL Padres-1 9 AZL Rangers 5
Key Statistics: SS C.J. Abrams, 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R; 3B Chris Givin, 3-for-5, R, 2 RBI; DH Victor Nova, 2-for-3, R, RBI, SB (4); RHP Miguel Rondon, 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; RHP Seth Mayberry, (W, 1-1) 2 IP, BB, K.
AZL Padres-2 9 AZL Diamondbacks 6
Key Statistics: 1B Kelvin Alarcon, 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, 3 RBI; C Michael Cantu, 3-for-4, R, BB; LF Pierce Jones, 1-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI; RHP Carlos Guarante, 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K; LHP Fernando Sanchez (W, 2-0) 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB; RHP Jose Geraldo (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 2 K.
Prospect Watch: Both AZL teams won on Independence Day. Today’s games had a special 10 am start time. … Shortstop C.J. Abrams had three more hits Thursday, including a double. The 6th overall pick in June’s draft has been red-hot since turning pro. Abrams is hitting .467/.492/.650, to go with eight stolen bases thus far. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Abrams in the Northwest League soon. … Third baseman Chris Givin had three hits and drove in a pair of runs for the AZL Padres-1. Given, a 19th-round pick in June has swung the bat well since making his way out to Peoria. The former Xavier shortstop is fifth in the circuit with a .455 batting average. … DH Victor Nova has been the breakout star of the Arizona League for the Padres in the first month of the season. Nova had two hits and stole a base Thursday, to keep his hot streak intact. Nova has hit safely in all 12 games he’s played and his .488 average leads the league. The 19-year-old is listed at five-foot-nine and 150 pounds but the diminutive infielder has five extra-base hits in 49 plate appearances. Nova has also driven in a run in eight straight games. … RHP Seth Mayberry threw a pair of scoreless frames to earn his first professional win. Mayberry was the Padres’ 39th-round pick last year out of a Virginia high school. The right-hander has a 4.76 ERA in 5.2 innings in the desert in 2019.
This seems like a typo … “The Dust Devils lost their season opener on the road in Boise” … or am I misunderstanding something?
It was a typo – it should have been series opener. Thanks for the catch.