Justin Lopez is getting to his power more consistently in 2019. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Salt Lake Bees 11 Chihuahuas 3
Key Statistics: RF Michael Gettys 2-for-4, RBI, R; C Michael Cantu 1-for-4, RBI; SS-P-SS-2B Peter Van Gansen 1-for-3, BB; LHP Dietrich Enns (L, 11-10) 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K; RHP Eric Yardley IP, 3 H, 2 ER.
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas lost an ugly at home to Salt Lake as El Paso had to use three position players to soak up 2.1 innings. … Michael Gettys had a pair of singles and drove in a run. Gettys has reached 30 homers this year but as we have noted, strikeouts still continue to be an issue. Gettys has struck out 160 times in 515 plate appearances. For what it is worth, Gettys also struck out 160 times in San Antonio last year albeit in 50 fewer trips to the plate. … RHP Eric Yardley made his first appearance since being optioned back to El Paso. The side-winding righty allowed two runs on three hits. Overall, Yardley has been an invaluable member of the Chihuahuas staff. The 29-year-old has allowed 59 hits in 62.2 while delivering a 2.87 ERA. With El Paso unlikely to make the playoffs, Yardley should get another big league opportunity before the season ends.
Tulsa Drillers 9 Sod Poodles 2
Key Statistics: CF Taylor Trammell 2-for-5, R; 2B Hudson Potts 2-for-5, R; 1B Kyle Overstreet 2-for-5, RBI; RHP Jesse Scholtens (L, 5-7) 5 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 9 K; RHP Carlos Belen 2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
Prospect Watch: The Sod Poodles were blown out at home, as they begin their final homestand before the playoffs start next week. … Outfielder Taylor Trammell singled twice and scored a run Monday. For Trammell, it was just the second multi-hit game since he joined the Amarillo roster on August 1. The top prospect has struggled with Amarillo but his talent has flashed at times. … Hudson Potts also chipped in two more hits. The 20-year-old infielder has struggled mightily for the year, but is finally making consistent solid contact this month. He’s had multiple hits in five of his last eight contests and has struck out just twice – albeit with no walks – in his last 36 plate appearances. … RHP Jesse Scholtens gave up five earned runs on ten hits and took the loss. Scholtens did strike out a season-high nine batters without a walk. Scholtens’ ERA rose to 5.59 but when you look at his peripheral stats, he has been victimized by a .365 BABIP. He may not be a big-time prospect, but he has been much more effective than his traditional stats would indicate.
Storm 7 Lancaster JetHawks 4
Key Statistics: C Luis Campusano 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, BB, RBI; 3B Eguy Rosario 3-for-4, R, 2B, BB, 3 RBI; LF Jack Suwinski 1-for-3, BB, RBI; DH Allen Córdoba 1-for-2, R, 2 BB, SB (31); RHP Reiss Knehr 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 K; RHP Deivy Mendez (W, 1-0) IP, H, K; RHP Mason Fox (S, 1) 2.1 IP, BB, 4 K.
Prospect Watch: The Storm came back in the middle innings to win. Lake Elsinore took three of four in a pivotal series with playoff implications. They have a four-game lead on a playoff spot with seven left to play. The two teams will play a four-game series starting Friday at The Diamond. … Catcher Luis Campusano did what he has done all season Monday night; he carried the offense. The co-MVP of California League had two doubles, a single and drew a walk. Campusano’s 31 doubles rank second in the league, behind the recently-promoted Jeter Downs. The catcher also leads the Cal League in batting average (.324) and is second with a .908 OPS. … Eguy Rosario also had three hits and drove in three runs. The versatile infielder has been red-hot in August, posting a .330/.410/.549 slash-line with three homers. While the hot bat is certainly encouraging, Rosario has made great strides with his plate discipline. After walking just 22 times coming into August, Rosario has drawn 12 free passes this month. The infielder finally turned 20 on Sunday having already tallied almost 300 games in full-season ball. … RHP Reiss Knehr gutted out five innings but did not factor in the decision. Knehr allowed four earned runs, striking out seven without a walk. The righty has struggled on the road, as one implosion in Stockton and a couple of poor outings in Lancaster have inflated his ERA to 5.60. Knehr’s 11.43 K’s per nine innings trail only MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patiño among Storm pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings in 2019.
TinCaps 6 West Michigan Whitecaps 4
Key Statistics: RF Agustin Ruiz 1-for-3, BB, 2B; SS Justin Lopez 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI; 2B Ripken Reyes 2-for-4, R; LHP Omar Cruz 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER) BB, 7 K; LHP Andrew Dean (W, 1-0) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K; RHP Franklin Van Gurp (S, 1) 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K.
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps won in the rain Monday and head home to finish out the rest of their 2019 campaign in Fort Wayne. … Shortstop Justin Lopez had a pair of singles and drove in two, as the youngster continues to play well. The switch-hitting infielder has a .799 OPS in August while reducing his strikeouts. Lopez has dealt with some injuries over the past few years but he has finally started to put things together offensively. … Infielder Ripken Reyes singled twice and drove in a run. The 30th-rounder out of USD has hit safely in his last three games, going 5-for-11 during that stretch. Reyes has struck out just four times in 31 plate appearances since jumping to the Midwest League. … LHP Omar Cruz flashed excellent stuff but couldn’t get the final out in the fifth, as he reached 79 pitches. The Mexican-born southpaw allowed an unearned run on four hits while striking out seven. Cruz has flashed dominant stuff in the minors this year, with most of his work coming with the TinCaps. In nine starts, he has a 2.20 ERA to go with 56 strikeouts in 45 innings relying on a fastball/curve combination that young hitters have struggled with.
Dust Devils 5 Boise Hawks 4
Key Statistics: 3B Sean Guilbe 2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R; DH Mason House 2-for-3, R, 2B, BB, 3 RBI; 1B Luke Becker 1-for-2, BB, RBI; LHP Jason Blanchard 4 IP, BB, 7 K; LHP Dan Dallas 2 IP, BB, 3 K; RHP Chris Lincoln 2 IP, 3 K.
Sean Guilbe. (Photo: Mike Wilson)
Prospect Watch: The Dust Devils won to keep pace for a playoff spot. They are tied for a wild-card spot with a week left to go. … Third baseman Sean Guilbe doubled twice and scored a pair of runs for Tri-City. The 19-year-old has hit for power and showed a good eye at the plate, helping hiim produce despite a still-high strikeout rate. Guilbe ranks in the top-ten in the league with 14 doubles and his six homers are second on the team, behind Jordy Barley’s eight. … Designated hitter Mason House had his best game of the season in the Tri-City win. House singled, doubled and walked in four plate appearances. The former third-rounder has struggled to make contact this year. House has punched out in an eye-popping 54% of his plate appearances this year, which has contributed to a .127/.205/.183 slash-line. … LHP Jason Blanchard dominated once again, as his scoreless streak stayed intact. The former Lamar hurler has not allowed a run in seven consecutive outings, spanning 21.2 innings. During that stretch, the Padres’ ninth-rounder this June has racked up 28 strikeouts against just six walks.
AZL Padres-1 5 AZL Reds 4
Key Statistics: PH-DH Franchy Cordero 0-for-3, 2 K; RF Joshua Mears 2-for-4, R, HR (7), 3 RBI, SB (9); LF Yordi Francisco 2-for-4, SB (16); RHP Luarbert Arias (W, 4-1) 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 5 K; RHP Brandon Komar (S, 1) 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 K.
AZL Padres-2 6 AZL Angels 5
Key Statistics: 1B Luis Almanzar 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB; SS Yeison Santana 2-for-2, R, HR (3), RBI; 2B Vladimir Echavarria 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 SB (10, 11); RHP Keegan Collett 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K; RHP Duilio Ochoa IP, H, K.
Yeison Santana’s aggressive approach at the plate has served him well in his stateside debut. (Photo: Joseph Coblitz/Burning River Baseball)
Prospect Watch: Both AZL teams won on the final day of the regular season. The AZL Padres-2 made the playoffs. … Franchy Cordero came off the bench and got three at-bats while serving as the designated hitter. He struck out twice. … Outfielder Joshua Mears cranked his seventh homer of the season and stole his ninth bag as well. Overall, Mears has had a very successful pro debut, showing the power that made him a second-rounder. Mears has a very solid wRC+ of 111 and his ISO is approaching .200. … Luis Almanzar had a pair of hits, including a double Monday. Almanzar finished the regular season with a six-game hitting streak that included three consecutive multi-hit games. The 19-year-old was perhaps started too aggressively a few years ago, when he made his pro debut in Tri-City. He has struggled the past few years in Fort Wayne but his performance in the desert is certainly encouraging. He will finish with a .295/.435/.443 slash-line in the desert. Yeison Santana finished his season with his third straight two-hit game, collecting his third homer of the season in the process. The 18-year-old shortstop has shown quick hands and good feel for the zone in his first season stateside, posting a 150 wRC+ to rank seventh in the league. … RHP Luarbert Arias threw five solid innings for the AZL Padres-1 to earn his third victory. Arias, 18, allowed just one run on four hits while striking out five. Arias struck out 60 batters against just nine walks in 51.1 innings.
