Luis Campusano’s bat has been heating up. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Las Vegas Aviators 4, Chihuahuas 3 (10 innings)
Key Statistics: C Luis Campusano 1-for-4, HR (7), RBI, R; SS Pedro Florimón 1-for-4, HR (7), RBI, R; DH Austin Nola 2-for-5, 2B; CF Robbie Podorsky 2-for-4, 2B; LHP Luke Westphal 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K; RHP Steven Wilson 2 IP, H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Alex Powers (L, 2-1) (BS, 2) 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K
Prospect Watch: Nine innings was not enough to decide this one, but the Aviators notched a pair of singles in extras to edge the Chihuahuas at home. Luis Campusano sent a ball to the warning track in his first plate appearance but didn’t miss the second time around. The 22-year-old catcher’s seventh home run of the season put El Paso on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Perhaps even more encouragingly, Campusano has only struck out eight times in 52 at-bats in July. …Pedro Florimón added his seventh home run of the season in back-to-back fashion, giving the Chihuahuas a 2-1 lead. The 34-year-old free-agent signee owns an OPS of .833 for the season. …Austin Nola logged a multi-hit evening as he nears the end of his rehab stint. The 31-year-old should join the big league club in Miami in the coming days. … Luke Westphal got the starting nod for El Paso, twirling five quality innings. The Wisconsin-Oshkosh alum struck out foud and has a WHIP of 1.00 across three outings. …Alex Powers took the loss, allowing consecutive singles in the 10th inning. Opposing hitters are batting .252 off the 29-year-old in his tenure with El Paso.
Missions 4, Springfield Cardinals 4 (Suspended – the fourth inning)
The Missions and Cardinals were locked in an entertaining affair when Mother Nature intervened, forcing the game to be suspended. The game will resume prior to the regularly scheduled contest tomorrow.
Dayton Dragons 4, TinCaps 1
Key Statistics: 2B Chris Givin 1-for-2, 2 BB; RF Agustin Ruiz 1-for-4, HR (11), RBI, R; RHP Carlos Guarate (L, 0-1) 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, K; RHP Ramon Perez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Agustin Ruiz hit his home run number 11 on Tuesday night. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: Carlos Guarate’s Fort Wayne debut left the Dragons unimpressed as they sailed past the TinCaps at Parkview Field. The 20-year-old Venezuelan tossed five efficient innings, allowing just two earned runs. 45 of Guarate’s 64 pitches went for strikes. …The TinCaps offense was held off the scoreboard until Agustin Ruiz connected for his 11th home run of the year in the seventh to avoid the shutout. The 21-year-old from Tabasco, Mexico came into the contest hitting just .219 in July and had not homered since June 26th. …Chris Givin enjoyed a solid night at the plate, reaching base three times via a single and a pair of walks. The former Xavier Musketeer has split time between Fort Wayne and San Antonio this season, logging time at all four infield positions.
Storm 9, Inland Empire 66ers 4
Key Statistics: Robert Hassell III 0-for-2, 3 BB, SB; Sean Guilbe 1-for-2, 2 BB, 2 SB, R; SS Jarryd Dale 2-for-6, 2B, 2 SB, RBI, R; C Brandon Venezuela 3-for-4, BB, 2 RBI; RF Joshua Mears 1-for-3, HR (13), 2 BB, 3 RBI, R; 1B Matthew Acosta 3-for-4, BB, SB, R; RHP Dwayne Matos 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R (0 ER), BB, 7 K; RHP Jason Reynolds (BS, 2) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, K; LHP Cullen Dana (W, 2-0) 1.1 IP, H, 0 ER, K
Robert Hassell III had another strong night. (Photo: Dinur Blum)
Prospect Watch: The Storm snapped a 4-4 tie with an eighth-inning onslaught to claim the victory at San Manuel Stadium. …The surface of the sun may be the only thing hotter than the bat of Joshua Mears right now. The 20-year-old former second-round draft pick from Federal Way High School (Washington) launched his 13th home run of the campaign, a three-run blast off former St. Augustine hurler Jack Dashwood. Mears has raised his average by nearly 50 points in July while posting a video game-like OPS of nearly 1.400. …Robert Hassell III continues to do what he does best: show off his plate discipline and steal bases. The 19-year-old was the recipient of three free passes and stole his 22nd base of the season. The theft was one of seven stolen bases on the evening for the Storm. Hassell’s on-base percentage for July sits at a robust .494. …Brandon Valenzuela and Matthew Acosta both contributed three-hit nights for the Storm, each adding a walk. The 20-year-old Valenzuela is now slashing .293/.380/.423 in 2021 and is quickly emerging as a prospect in his first full professional season. The Storm also got some positive injury news with the return of Jordy Barley, who had been out of action since July 9th due to a minor injury. …Dwayne Matos logged one of his best starts of the season, tossing five innings for the first time since May 13th. The 20-year-old right-hander struck out a season-high seven batters while allowing a pair of unearned runs. Cullen Dana collected his second win in a Storm uniform, allowing just one hit in 1.1 innings of work. The 23-year-old Seton Hall product has a 0.27 WHIP in 7.1 innings thus far in 2021.
ACL Padres 14, ACL Royals Blue 2
Key Statistics: 1B Anthony Nunez 4-for-5, 2 HR (2), BB, 6 RBI, 2 R; RF Cristian Heredia 3-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R; LF Pierce Jones 2-for-4, BB, RBI, R; RHP Reinier Parra 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Hazahel Quijada (W, 1-0) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, 4 K; LHP Bodi Rascon (H, 1) 3 IP, H, BB, 4 K
Prospect Watch: This one was decided early as the Padres raced to a 9-2 lead after just two innings before cruising to victory in Surprise. Anthony Nunez was the star of the evening, blasting a pair of home runs and driving in six. The 20-year-old Miami native is starting his second season in the organization strong, with a .927 OPS. Cristian Heredia enjoyed his own banner night at the plate with three hits, including a triple. The 20-year-old from Madrid, Spain could be a name to watch as a sleeper in the Padres system. …Reinier Parra took the hill for the Padres, lasting 3.1 innings. The 20-year-old from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic is in the midst of his first professional season after signing as part of the 2019 international class. …Hazahel Quijada made his second appearance in the desert as part of his ongoing rehab assignment. The 23-year-old University of California Riverside product has been limited to just 29.2 innings since being drafted in 2018. …Bodi Rascon, working with a comfortable lead, logged his second consecutive three-inning outing with stellar results. The 6-foot-5 southpaw from Decatur, Texas struck out four and now has 11 strikeouts in just 7.2 innings of work in his second stint in the ACL.
