Grant Little was 4-4 yesterday. Photo: Jeff Nycz.
Chihuahuas 8 Salt Lake City Bees 6
Key Statistics: RF Jose Pirela 2-5; 3B Matt Batten 3-5, 7 RBI; 2B Esteban Quiroz 1-3, 2 BB; LHP Dietrich Enns (W, 9-5) 5.0 IP 7 H 4 R 4 ER 3 BB 6 K 2 HR; RHP Andres Munoz 0.1 IP 3 H 2 R 2 ER BB K; LHP Brad Wieck 0.2 IP 2 K
Prospect Watch: Matt Batten’s second-inning grand slam was enough to propel the Chihuahuas to their third victory in four games. Batten’s seven RBI’s were one short of a team record. This season, the former 32nd round pick has played every position in the infield and last week was starting to learn how to play the outfield. The former Quinnipiac University star has posted a slash line of .321/.376/.490 for El Paso in 2019. The versatile Batten has been one of the nicer surprises in the system. …On the season El Paso has now hit 190 home runs on the year and is on pace, per Tim Haggerty the Chihuahuas’ announcer to hit 300 for the season. The record is 305 in a season by Sacramento Solons in 1974. … LHP Travis Radke tossed a pair of shutout innings in the El Paso victory. Radke has been excellent out of the bullpen in 2019. The 26-year-old southpaw has seen action in Lake Elsinore, Amarillo and El Paso. Between the three stops, he has a 1.61 ERA in 44.2 innings. .. The only mildly disappointing news of the night was Andres Munoz not being able to close out the game. He only lasted a third of an inning, but Brad Wieck got his second save in a row since being sent down from San Diego with a pair of punchouts.
Sod Poodles 5 Frisco RoughRiders 0
Ivan Nova is leading the Texas League in batting average. Photo: Grant Wickes.
Key Statistics: CF Buddy Reed 1-2, HR (9) 3 RBI; DH Kyle Overstreet 0-0, 3 BB; 2B Ivan Castillo 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI; RF Edward Olivares 1-4; RHP Ronald Bolanos 6.2 IP H BB 10 K; RHP David Bednar 2.1 IP 2 H 2 K
Prospect Watch: Both Amarillo and Frisco only managed three hits each on the night. Amarillo took advantage of eight walks and Ronald Bolaños and David Bednar combined to strikeout 12 RoughRiders in the victory. … Buddy Reed’s two-run home run gave Amarillo the early lead and they didn’t need much else. In the seventh inning, Reed hit a sacrifice fly for his third RBI of the night. It was Reed’s first dinger since June 18. …Ronald Bolanos was one of the many Cuban pitchers that the Padres’ signed in 2016 and had one of his better outings of the year. Bolanos, 22, finished last year in High-A Lake Elsinore with a 5.11 ERA, returned to the Storm in 2019 and was promoted after posting a 2.85 ERA in 10 starts. In 31.2 innings with the Sod Poodles, he has a 4.65 ERA with 40 strikeouts against 12 walks. ..Ivan Castillo, who had a hit tonight, remains atop the Texas League in batting average at .338, is tenth in on-base percentage at .361 and is third in slugging at .515.
Lancaster JetHawks 3 Storm 0
Key Statistics: RF Jeisson Rossario 1-4, SB (13); C Jalen Washington 1-3, SB (4); LHP Osvaldo Hernandez 3.0 IP 3 K; RHP Elliot Ashbeck (L, 3-2) 5.1 IP 7 H 3 R 3 ER BB 6 K;
Prospect Watch: The Storm were the only affiliate that lost on the night as Lake Elsinore was held to five singles on the evening. …After a rocky start to his tenure with the Storm in which he gave up three earned runs in three innings in Rancho Cucamonga, Hernandez didn’t give up anything tonight. Last season in Fort Wayne, Hernandez — still another Cuban international signee that came over in 2016 — was part of the hyper-athletic trio of pitchers the TinCaps featured along with MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino. Like Patino, he is an even six feet – well, maybe on a really good day with some high cleats – has four pitches, including a good low 90’s fastball with excellent command.
The Padres sent talented 19-year old Tirso Ornelas back to the AZL to work out some swing issues. Photo: Jerry Espinoza.
Storm Roster Notes: The Storm sent outfielder Tirso Ornelas down to the AZL for probably some swing adjustments as the 19-year old Tijuana native was only hitting .203/.301/.264 with only 12 extra-base hits in 71 games. The big left-handed hitter has too much talent to struggle as much as he has this year.
TinCaps 4 Great Lakes Loons 1
Efrain Contreras had a strong outing on Saturday. Photo: Jeff Nycz.
Key Statistics: 2B Tucupita Marcano 2-5; C Blake Hunt 2-5; LF Grant Little 4-4, 2B; RHP Efrain Contreras (W, 4-3) 5.0 IP 3 H R ER 2 Bb 6 K HR; RHP Carlos Belen (S, 4) 2.0 IP H BB 2 K
Prospect Watch: Grant Little pounded out four hits as the TinCaps rebounded from last night’s loss with a 4-1 victory. Hopefully, the four-hit day is an indicator of good things to come for the Texas Tech product that was the Padres’ Competitive Balance B pick in last year’s draft. With the Red Raiders, he was one of the better hitters in the country with a .370/.462/.642 slash line. ..Blake Hunt continues to hit. In eleven games in the second half, the 6-foot-4 California native is slashing .413/.449/.609. Defensively, he has a strong arm and manager Anthony Contreras has praised his work ethic and ability to put together a game plan. …In 15 and two-thirds innings, 19-year old Mexican native Efrain Contreras has allowed just one earned run. Overall he has a 3.04 ERA in 68 innings.
Alison Quintero is another one of the Padres’ talented catchers. Photo: Mike Wilson
Dust Devils 2 Boise Hawks
Key Statistics: Kelvin Melean 2-4, 2B; C Alison Quintero 2-3; LF Sean Guilbe 1-3, HR (3), RBI; 2B Reinaldo Ilarraza 1-4, HR (2), RBI; RHP Cullen Dana (W, 1-0) 3.0 IP 3 H K
Prospect Watch: After four straight losses, Tri-City bounced back and got the victory tonight. …There are a few interesting prospects to watch with the Dust Devils this season, one of which is highly regarded catcher Alison Quintero who got off to a horrid start this year. Quintero had his second multi-hit game in the past five games after hitting after going 1-31 in June. The 19-year old Venezuelan native is a gifted athlete behind the plate and hit .288/.352/.356 in 142 plate appearances in the AZL. Also, what has become a common theme in this report, he was signed as part of the international class in 2016. …Kevin wrote about Sean Guilibe yesterday, Sean Guilbe had a Sean Guilbe day, three at-bats, a home run, a strikeout and grounded into a double-play. This season he has a slash line of .203/.266/.441 with eight of his twelve hits for extra-bases.
AZL Padres-1 7 AZL Brewers Gold 3
Key Statistics: LF Yordi Francisco 2-4, HR (4)3 RBI, BB; DH Hudson Head 2-5, 2B, RBI; SS C.J. Abrams 1-5, HR (2), 2 RBI; CF Victor Nova 1-3, RBI, BB; SB (6); RHP Moises Lugo (W, 3-0) 4.0 IP 2 H 3 K
AZL-Padres 2 8 AZL Giants Orange 5
Key Statistics: 3B Ethan Skender 2-4, 3B, BB; 2B Ripken Reyes 3-4 3 RBI; SS Yeisson Santana 2-4; RF Junior Perez 2-5, 3 RBI, 2B; RHP Jefferson Garcia 4.2 IP 4 H 3 R ER 9 K
Prospect Watch: There is always so much to write about when you have a selection of the 70 players that comprise of the Padres have in the AZL. …The big story has been the performance of the Padres’ top two picks – in terms of bonus money – in C.J. Abrams and Hudson Head. As Mark Conner, the Padres Scouting Director noted, Abrams’ speed is amazing, but his bat-to-ball skills are impressive as well. So far, Abrams has nine extra-base hits and five strikeouts in 75 plate appearances. …in 28 plate appearances Hudson Head has a .348/.464/.609 slash line. Both could be candidates to spend the last month of the season in Tri-City. …In this column, you have read all of us praising Ethan Skender. Skender, 22, was an over-slot signee the organization selected in 2016 and hadn’t played until this season because of injuries. After two years away from playing he has come out of the chute on fire with a .386/.449/.727 slash line in 49 plate appearances. Seven of his 14 hits have been for extra-bases in one of the better stories of the season.
Finally, check out Marcus’ players of the month for June. A rare month where MacKenzie Gore did not take the top honours.
For the box scores of all the games please go to the MiLB.com scoreboards.
