MacKenzie Gore returned to the mound on Tuesday night. [Photo by John Moore/Amarillo Sod Poodles]
Chihuahuas 7 Salt Lake Bees 6
Key Stats: RF Michael Gettys 2-4, R, 2B; CF Travis Jankowski 2-5, SB (7); 1B Aderlin Rodriguez 2-4, HR (19), 2B, RBI; SS Matthew Batten 2-4, 2 R, RBI; 2B Peter Van Gansen 2-3, HR (5), 3B, 2 RS, 3 RBI
Prospect Watch: With the win Tuesday, the Chihuahuas pull within two games of the division lead with six to play. They have two more games at home with last-place Salt Lake before finishing the season with four at playoff-bound Sacramento. The Chihuahuas are winning despite being without eight of their top 11 offensive contributors for the season. With the likes of Luis Urías, Ty France, Josh Naylor and Austin Allen busy pitching in for the Padres, the Chihuahuas relied on the unlikely power output of Peter Van Gansen to carry them to the win. After hitting one home run each in 2016 and 2017, and four with the Missions last year, Van Gansen broke out with eight in 49 games for Amarillo earlier this year and now has hit five in 102 PCL at-bats. The contributions from the 175 pound left-handed batter and fellow middle infielder Matthew Batten (.299/.355/.425) have helped El Paso take the sting off losing two top middle infield prospects already this year. … Aderlin Rodriguez clubbed a double and his 19th homer in his 70th game of the season. The journeyman slugger has a good shot at reaching the 20-homer plateau for the fourth straight year.
Tulsa Drillers 8 Sod Poodles 4
Key Stats: LHP MacKenzie Gore 1.2 IP, BB, 5 K; CF Taylor Trammell 1-3, 2 BB; 1B Kyle Overstreet 3-4, RS, RBI; LF Tyler Benson 3-4, RS, RBI; RHP Javy Guerra 1.1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 2 K
Gore had five strikeouts in a limited stint at Hodgetown. (Photo by John Moore/Amarillo Sod Poodles)
Prospect Watch: After spending three weeks resting in Peoria, MacKenzie Gore returned to Amarillo for one final start. He clearly made the most of it, striking out five of the six batters he faced. The top lefthanded pitching prospect in baseball is going to finish the season with 135 strikeouts against 28 walks in 101 innings. Gore allowed a total of 19 earned runs across 20 outings on the year, including his lone rough start of the year when he gave up seven over four innings in his first Hodgetown experience. Crossing the 100 inning threshold should position Gore to throw around 150 innings next year as he prepares for San Diego. … Javy Guerra‘s progression as a pitcher took a step forward when he was brought in with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh Tuesday. He escaped the jam, then returned to the mound in the eighth. While he gave up a homer and allowed two other runners to reach in that frame, he recorded a pair of strikeouts as well. The 23-year-old former shortstop had worked more than one inning just once previously this summer.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5 Storm 1
Key Stats: RHP Felix Minjarez 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K; 2B Xavier Edwards 1-4, 2B; SS Gabriel Arias 1-4, RS, 2B; 3B Eguy Rosario 2-4,; DH Tirso Ornelas 2-4, RBI
Prospect Watch: Tirso Ornelas was a consensus MadFriars top 20 prospect with claims that he had top 100 overall prospect potential. But the 19-year-old from Tijuana struggled with mechanical changes and had just a .565 OPS when he was sent down on July 5. He posted an even more depressing .506 OPS in the AZL. But when things started to click, the Padres quickly sent him back to Lake Elsinore, and he’s finishing an otherwise lost year with a bang. Thought it’s important to note that seven of his 12 games — and 15 of his 18 hits — since returning have been in Lancaster, he’s posted a .916 OPS. That’s better than double his mark in the two previous months. He has struck out only four times and has drawn five walks since his return. … Felix Minjarez got the spot start just down the road from his home town of Riverside. The 22-year-old, who turned in 44 strong innings with Tri-City allowed just one run over four innings. The righty has struck out 91 in 78.1 professional innings since signing as an undrafted free agent last summer.
Jawuan Harris supplied the offense in the TinCaps’ victory. Photo: Jeff Nycz.
TinCaps 1 West Michigan Whitecaps 0
Key Stats: RHP Efraín Contreras (W, 6-5) 5 IP, 5 H, BB, 3 K; CF Jawuan Harris 2-4, RBI; 1B Chris Givin 1-3, 2B, RS, BB
Prospect Watch: While the TinCaps have fallen out of it recently, one highlight this season has been ‘Little Bartolo,’ RHP Efrain Contreras. The 19 year-old has led the team in innings pitched (103.2) and ranks second with 112 strikeouts, which ranks among the top 10 in the MWL. His peripherals, including WHIP, K/9, and BB/9, took a step backward in the second half as he tore past his previous innings high of 68, but he’s still had a great season. … Contreras made his first appearance in the TinCaps’ second game of the year. The lineup from Tuesday has almost completely turned over since then. Only Contreras, Agustin Ruiz, Justin Lopez, and Jawuan Harris remain on the active roster from that April lineup. Chris Givin, who scored Tuesday’s only run, played for Xavier that night. The 19th-rounder had been hitting .356 with the AZL Padres before his promotion last week. While he has started his TinCap career 2-26, he has shown versatility, playing four different positions.
Dust Devils night off
With a week left, the Dust Devils hold a two game lead over Everett for the final playoff spot. They take on last place Vancouver starting Wednesday.
AZL Padres-2 day off
With the regular season over, the Padres-2 club got an off day to prepare for a playoff matchup at home against the Indians-Blue team Wednesday. The winner of that game will advance to the championship.
