Tucupita Marcano has stayed hot in El Paso. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Albuquerque Isotopes 12, Chihuahuas 7
Key Stats: LF Tucupita Marcano 3-for-5, 2B, HR (5); RF Patrick Kivlehan, 1-for-5, HR (16); CF Brian O’Grady 1-for-4, 2B, BB, CS; RHP Caleb Boushley 4 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 5 K, 1 BB; RHP Jose Quezada 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, 1 BB
Prospect Watch: Tucupita Marcano led off the game with his fifth homer of the year and collected his fifth three-hit game since rejoining El Paso in early June. The versatile left-handed batter, playing left field Sunday, has had 12 multiple-hit games in his last 21 starts, pushing his Triple-A line up to .306/.395/.500, which is about 20% above league average in the offense-friendly Triple-A West league. Marcano’s above-average defense at multiple positions plays well in most value calculation systems as well. … Robbie Podorsky collected his first hit since coming off the Injured List with a pinch-hit single in the fifth. The speedster has made just three appearances and logged five at-bats since coming off a five-week Injured List stint last weekend. The 26-year-old outfielder has made the most of opportunities in his career, racking up a .396 on-base percentage over parts of four seasons, but has also missed significant stretches with injuries.
Jose Azocar has provided a spark in his first year with the organization. (Photo: Joe Alexander)
Corpus Christi Hooks 10, Missions 8
Key Stats: CF Jose Azocar 2-for-5, 2B, HR (4); RF Jack Suwinski 2-for-5; SS Eguy Rosario 2-for-4, BB; RHP Henry Henry 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K; RHP Carlos Belen 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Henry Henry. (Photo: Joe Alexander)
Prospect Watch: After digging themselves an early 9-0 hole, San Antonio clawed their way back into it before finally dropping the game 10-8 to come away from their series against Corpus with a split. The news off the field was even more disappointing as the Padres acknowledged that CJ Abrams will be down for the year after suffering a broken tibia and torn MCL when he collided with Eguy Rosario last week. … Jose Azocar got the Missions offense started with a two-run homer in the third. The 25-year-old outfielder, signed as a minor league free agent last winter, also added a double for his second game with multiple extra-base hits of the season. Thanks in part to a double-digit walk rate, Azocar sports a .254/.346/.383 line that is just above league average. He’s appeared in all but one of San Antonio’s games this year. … Jack Suwinski, who has done most of his damage in the bottom half of the Missions lineup this year, collected a pair of singles out of the two-hole Sunday. The Chicago-raised outfielder has a 1.457 OPS out of the sixth spot, but less than half that when hitting higher in the lineup. … The Missions’ bullpen day didn’t start well as Mason Fox and Dylan Rheault were tagged for nine runs through the first three innings. However, Henry Henry turned in his longest outing of the year, allowing just one hit over 3.1 frames. The long-limbed righty extended his personal scoreless streak to 10.1 innings and dropped his ERA for the year to 2.76 despite posting just a 21:13 strikeout to walk ratio in 32.2 innings. While he never grew into the dominance some projected when he was 17 and showing a big fastball in Peoria, the 22-year-old is emerging as a potential big league relief arm.
Justin Lopez has hit much better in June. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Great Lakes Loons 7 TinCaps 5
Key Stats: C Jonny Homza 1-for-2, 3B, 2 BB, HBP; LF Tirso Ornelas 2-for-5; SS Justin Lopez 1-for-4, 2B; RHP Gabe Mosser 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 7 K, 3 BB
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead, but weren’t able to pull away enough as Great Lakes did enough damage in the middle innings to claim the victory. Jonny Homza continues to spark the TinCaps offense out of the leadoff spot. Sunday, the 22-year-old catcher reached base four times in five trips, pushing his team-leading OBP to .414. Homza notched his third triple of the year in the ninth inning and now sports a .911 OPS. … Justin Lopez connected for an RBI double to continue his surge. After a brutal May, the 21-year-old switch-hitting shortstop is inching his way toward a .800 OPS since the start of June. While he continues to strike out at a concerning rate, Lopez has been swinging through fewer pitches as he posts better numbers.
All 6-foot7 of Connor Lehmann. (Photo: Mike Wilson)
Inland Empire 66’ers 7, Storm 4
Key Stats: DH Robert Hassell III 1-for-3, 2B, BB, PO; SS Euribiel Angeles 2-for-4, 2B, E (10); RF Matt Acosta 2-for3-, 2B, BB, OF Assist; 2B Jordy Barley 1-for-4, HR (8), BB, K; RHP Connor Lehmann 3 IP, 7 H, 5 R 4 ER, 3 K, 3 BB; RHP Jose Garcia 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, 2 BB; RHP Jason Reynolds 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K, 1 BB
Prospect Watch: The top four in the Storm lineup combined to go 6-for-14 with three walks and four extra-base hits, but the rest of the offense managed just two more singles as the Storm fell Sunday. Robert Hassell III added to his team lead with his 16th double of the year and drew a walk. The club’s top pick in last year’s draft has pushed his walk rate up to 12.1%. The combination of hit tool and selectivity make him a good candidate to turn some of the doubles he collects as a 19-year-old into home runs in a few years. … As a 23-year-old with no single plus tool, Matt Acosta draws less attention than others in the Storm lineup, but the Southern California native is has been a key cog for their offense. Acosta collected his 10th double of the year as he reached base three more times Sunday and now owns a .813 OPS that trails only Hassell on the squad. … Connor Lehmann made his first full-season league start as he continues to work his way back from an injury that delayed his season debut until last month. The 6-foot-7 righty out of Saint Louis University stretched out to three innings for the first time but allowed three of the 10 runners who reached in the outing to score. At 24-years old, Lehmann, who was drafted as a senior sign in the seventh round in 2019, has logged just 40 professional innings.
