Ronald Bolanos has had an inconsistent showing in Amarillo. (Photo: Grant Wickes)
Chihuahuas 6 Nashville Sounds 4 (10 innings)
Key Stats: LF Travis Jankowski 4-5, R, RBI, 2B; RF Josh Naylor 1-5, R, RBI; 3B Ty France 2-4, R, RBI, BB; C Austin Allen 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Prospect Watch: Down by three in the eighth inning, the Chihuahuas rallied to tie on back-to-back doubles by Ty France and Austin Allen. They went ahead in extra innings when Michael Gettys scored on an Allen groundout. Allen has back-to-back multi-hit games, raising his season average back over .300. While PCL slugging numbers are even more inflated this year, Allen’s .301 average is well in line with his .291 career mark, even as his overall production is slightly down from last year relative to league numbers. … The Chihuahuas were able to come back and win thanks to fantastic relief pitching from the Killer Ws. Trey Wingenter, Brad Wieck, and Steven Wilson combined for four scoreless innings. They allowed just two hits and struck out seven. While the first two have already been in San Diego, do not be surprised if Wilson ends up getting a look by year’s end. The 2018 draft pick, who we profiled earlier this month, has dominated at both Lake Elsinore and El Paso this year. … Travis Jankowski has five straight multi-hit games and is 15-for-28 since he was optioned to Triple-A. The Padres face an interesting choice between recalling him or Josh Naylor following Tuesday night’s big trade.
Sod Poodles 3 Northwest Arkansas Naturals 2
Key Stats: RHP Ronald Bolaños (W, 5-1) 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K; CF Buddy Reed 1-3, R, BB, SB (14); RF Tyler Kohlwey 3-4, 2B, R; SS Owen Miller 1-3, 3B, RBI, BB
Manager Phil Wellman has had many reasons to celebrate over the years. (Photo: Grant Wickes)
Prospect Watch: On the heels of two straight rough starts, RHP Ronald Bolaños rebounded with arguably his best Double-A game. For the first time in his career, Bolaños pitched seven innings without allowing a run (he gave up one unearned run in seven innings for Fort Wayne on the same date two years ago). With seven strikeouts on the night, he has 116 in 106.2 innings split between Hi-A and Amarillo. That’s two off his 2017 total, in 18.1 fewer innings so far. When Bolaños is on with location, he can be almost unhittable, but when he’s missing with his low-90s stuff, he can get hit hard. … Buddy Reed is arguably the best defensive CF in the Padres system, so it will be interesting what happens with the addition of Taylor Trammell. The two became quick friends in last years Future’s Game, and this could be the jolt both of them need. Reed had struck out in four straight at-bats, before walking and stealing second to open Tuesday’s game. He finished with a hit and a strikeout on the night. Away from Amarillo, he’s hitting .195/.268/.317. … The victory was number 1,200 for manager Phillip Wellman. He is in his 20th season managing minor league ball,the fourth with the Padres.
San Jose Giants 5 Storm 4
Key Stats: LHP Garrett Richards 2.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, K; LHP Jose Castillo IP, 3 K; 2B Xavier Edwards 2-5, R, RBI; CF Jeisson Rosario 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB; DH Esteury Ruiz 0-2, RBI, HBP, 2 SB (34)
Xavier Edwards has just kept hitting in the Cal League. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: Lake Elsinore is used to having players join them for rehab assignments. It is less common for it to happen while on a roadtrip, especially not one of the two each year they make to the Bay Area. This time, two big leaguers joined them there. As mediocre as the line looks for Garrett Richards, there are positives. He threw 57 pitches for the first time, working with a fastball that sat around 94-95. He got the first two outs of the game quickly before getting squeezed on what could have been strike three to Joey Bart to end the inning. Bart came back with a single, then Richards allowed a homer, double and walk before an inexplicable stolen base attempt got him out of the frame. Richards gave up two more hits in the second, but looked solid in the third, getting two straight grounders (one Eguy Rosario booted for an error) before issuing a walk to end his night. … Jose Castillo‘s rehab inning went much better as the big lefty struck out the side. Castillo got four swinging strikes among his 14 pitches. He’s struck out eight in three innings since restarting his rehab assignment last week. … Xavier Edwards had two more hits Tuesday, pushing his Cal League average up to .325. He has one extra-base hit – a triple – in his first 89 plate appearances for the Storm.
Great Lakes Loons 6 TinCaps 4
Key Stats: LHP Ryan Weathers 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 4 K; RHP Efraín Contreras IP, K; SS Tucupita Marcano 2-3, RBI, 2 BB; C Blake Hunt 2-4, RS; LF Tyler Benson 1-4, 3B, RS, 3 RBI
Prospect Watch: After five straight starts of allowing two earned runs or less and outdueling fellow top prospect Matthew Libertore in his last outing, LHP Ryan Weathers got hit hard tonight. His five earned runs allowed were the most since June 1. If there is a bright side to this bad start, after allowing three in the first, Weathers settled down to retire 10 in a row before giving up two more in the fifth. Weathers has walked two batters over his last 16 innings, and just 15 in 71.2 innings this year. His nearly 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio is one of the best in the league. … After failing to record an out a few days ago, RHP Efraín Contreras made a rare relief appearance throwing a one, two, three inning. The quick turn-around gave him a nice opportunity to bounce back on what would have normally been a bullpen throwing day. … After recently retaking the lead for lowest strikeout rate in the Midwest League, Tucupita Marcano struck out in back-to-back games, dropping him back to second. Still his 35 strikeouts in 384 plate appearances is exceptional for anyone, let alone a 19-year-old in full-season ball.
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 5 Dust Devils 3
Key Stats: LHP Jason Blanchard 3.2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 K; DH Carlos Luis 2-4, SB (2); RF Logan Driscoll 1-4, RS; 2B Reinaldo Ilarraza 1-2, HR (5), 2 RBI, BB
Prospect Watch: One of the big battles to watch in the lower levels for the next month is how the 2020 TinCaps staff will come together. The Padres have multiple J-2 signings pitching well, but also took seven straight college pitchers on day two of this year’s draft. Ninth-round pick Jason Blanchard got the start Tuesday and turned in his longest outing yet. After allowing 11 earned runs in his first 4.1 innings, the lefty from Lamar has given up just one earned run over his last 11.2 innings while striking out 16. … Speaking of Fort Wayne, in 126 games in Fort Wayne in 2017 Reinaldo Ilarraza drew 40 walks while striking out 149 times. Two years later, he is playing a level lower, but walking more than he is striking out. While his batting average is still a pedestrian .223, all the walks have contributed to a .399 OBP. His two-run homer Tuesday gives him a career-high five homers in only 40 games. Ilarraza is still 20 and finally starting to put it together.
AZL Padres-1 rained out
AZL Padres-2 5 AZL Dodgers-Lasorda 4 (12 innings)
Key Stats: RHP Pedro Avila 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Carlos Guarate 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; 1B Anthony Nuñez 2-4, 3B, RBI; DH Christian Heredia 2-6, RBI; 3B Vladimir Echavarria 1-4, BB, 2 SB (6)
Prospect Watch: Pedro Avila made his second rehab start in the AZL after missing nearly three months with an elbow strain. The 22-year-old hit his first batter, walked one, uncorked a wild pitch and threw away a pickoff attempt in the first inning. He settled in a bit in the second, but gave up a two-out homer. Coming off a solid season in the Cal League last year, Avila was strong enough in his Double-A debut to get a spot start with the Padres in April, but was shut down after just four more innings in Amarillo. He’ll look to reassert himself over the final month of the minor league season. It will be interesting to see if the Padres bring him back to the big leagues or send him to the AFL in September. … Carlos Guarate turned in another great outing. The 18-year-old righty has now allowed one earned run over his last 14 innings while striking out nine. One of 16 members of the 2017 J-2 class the Padres signed for the $300,000 maximum they were allowed as penalty for the 2016 spending spree, the Venezuelan has started to fill out his long-limbed frame. … Junior Perez doubled and drew a walk to maintain his team-best .973 OPS. Another member of the 2017 international class, the strong-bodied righty, who just turned 18 on July 4, ranks tenth in the AZL with a .582 slugging percentage.
