Luis Campusano finishes his swing for the El Paso Chihuahuas

Luis Campusano continues to rake in El Paso. (Photo Jorge Salgado)

Albuquerque Isotopes 11, Chihuahuas 7

Key Statistics: C Luis Campusano 3-for-5, 2B, HR (9), 4 RBI, 2 R; 2B Ivan Castillo 2-for-5, HR (2), RBI, 2 R; SS Pedro Florimon 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, SB; LHP Matt Strahm 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K; RHP James Norwood (L, 2-4) 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K

Prospect Watch: Luis Campusano continued his torrid July with a booming home run to dead center, but the Isotopes pulled away late to secure the win at Southwest University Park. The 22-year-old backstop from Augusta, Georgia finished a triple shy of the cycle, setting a new season-high with four RBI and is slashing .310/.364/.634 for the month. … Ivan Castillo added to his home run total, notching his second of the season in the ninth to cap the scoring. The 26-year-old owns a .672 OPS in his tenure with El Paso. … On a night when the Chihuahuas used eight pitchers to navigate their way through, a familiar face looks poised to return to the big leagues. Matt Strahm pitched a perfect inning, striking out a pair. The 29-year-old figures to be a key cog down the stretch for a Padres bullpen that has logged an MLB high 426.1 innings. … James Norwood took the loss for El Paso, surrendering three runs. The 27-year-old flamethrower has struck out 36 hitters in just 21 frames in Triple-A but has struggled to limit baserunners at times with a WHIP of 1.41 on the season.

Amarillo Sod Poodles 8, Missions 3

Key Statistics: CF Ben Ruta 3-for-5, HR (1), RBI, 2 R; RF Michael Curry 1-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI, R; RHP Matt Waldron (L, 0-1) 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, LHP James Reeves 1 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, BB, K

Michael Curry adds some pop to the middle of the San Antonio lineup. (Photo: Joe Alexander)

Prospect Watch: San Antonio jumped out to an early lead before Amarillo stormed away late to win at Hodgetown. Ben Ruta led the offensive charge for the Missions, connecting on his first home run since coming down from El Paso early this month as a part of a three-hit night. The Wagner College product has split time between Double-A and Triple-A after being claimed off waivers last December. … Michael Curry joined the home run parade out of the cleanup spot, blasting his fourth homer of the season to give the visitors a short-lived lead in the third inning. Curry, 24, owns a .734 OPS and figures to see increased playing time with the departure of Jack Suwinski to Pittsburgh. … Matt Waldron‘s second turn on the hill wasn’t quite as stellar as his debut. The 24-year-old knuckleballer struggled with control, walking four and uncorking two wild pitches while scattering nine hits. It was the first time in exactly a month that the former Cleveland farmhand had allowed more than two earned runs in a start.

Tirso Ornelas had a big blast in the eighth inning. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)

TinCaps 3, Lansing Lugnuts 1

Key Statistics: LF Grant Little 2-for-3, BB, R; 1B Luis Almanzar 2-for-4, 2 2B; DH Tirso Ornelas 1-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, R; LHP Danny Denz 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 6 K; LHP Fred Schlichtholz (W, 2-0) 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 K; LHP Ramon Perez (S, 2) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 K

Prospect Watch: Tirso Ornelas provided the heroics with an eighth-inning three-run home run to send the TinCaps to victory on the road. The 21-year-old from Tijuana has had trouble manifesting his in-game power, with a slugging percentage of just .363 on the season, but does have 23 doubles in his 2021 campaign. … Danny Denz paved the way for Ornelas’ heroics, twirling a career-high five shutout innings, allowing just two hits. Like most collegiate arms, Denz had to get creative during the pandemic, working out in his garage to maintain readiness. The undrafted free agent from the University of Memphis is undersized at just 5-foot-9, but pairs a quality curveball with a developing changeup and low-90s fastball. … Fred Schlichtholz collected his second win of 2021, allowing an unearned run across two innings. The former Fresno State Bulldog by way of Coronado High School was recently sent down from San Antonio, where he logged a 5.93 ERA in 30.1 innings. Ramon Perez tallied his second save in Fort Wayne, striking out a pair over two scoreless frames. The 22-year-old Cuban has held opposing hitters to a paltry .172 average in the High-A Central League thus far in 2021.

Storm 3, Fresno Grizzlies 2

Key Statistics: 2B Jarryd Dale 1-for-2, 2B, BB, RBI, R; LF Angel Solarte 1-for-3, 2B, RBI; RHP Ruben Galindo 4 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 K; RHP Hazahel Quijada (W, 2-0) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, K; RHP Chase Walter (S, 2) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K

San Diego Padres prospect Chase Walter on the mound for the Lake Elsinore Storm.

Chase Walter has struck out 35 through 20 innings in Lake Elsinore. (Photo: Dinur Blum)

Prospect Watch: On a night where toolsy outfield prospects squared off, Zac Veen won the individual performance while Robert Hassell III‘s Storm teammates won the ballgame. Lake Elsinore made the most out of five hits, as Hassell was held off the bases for the first time since July 10th. … Jarryd Dale helped pick up the slack as he reached base twice, hitting his 15th double of the year while adding a walk. The 20-year-old Australian has a .708 OPS in his first taste of full-season ball as a professional while adding 16 stolen bases. … Ruben Galindo got the starting nod for the Storm, throwing four innings of two-run ball. The 20-year-old from San Juan de Uraba, Colombia owns a 3.93 ERA in July across 18+ innings of work. Hazahel Quijada, 23, earned his second win of the campaign, extending his run of scoreless appearances to four. The San Bernardino native has been limited to just 33.2 innings on the mound since being drafted in 2018. … Chase Walter shut the door on the Grizzlies in dominant fashion to nail down his second save, recording three of his four outs by way of the K. The undrafted free agent out of Western Carolina has 35 strikeouts in his 20 innings for the Storm.

ACL Brewers Gold 7, ACL Padres 4

Key Statistics: LF Willmert Paula 1-for-2, HR (2), 3 RBI, BB, R; 2B Max Ferguson 0-1, 2 BB, 2 SB; RHP Victor Lizarraga (L, 0-3) 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Luarbert Arias 1.1 IP, H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Prospect Watch: The Brewers got out of the gates early, creating a 4-0 cushion that proved insurmountable in Peoria. Offensively, Willmert Paula led the Padres with his second home run of the season. The 19-year-old from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic sports a .388 on-base percentage across 15 games in the desert. … Max Ferguson reached base twice in split duty as the 2021 draftees who have been activated continue to acclimate. The fifth-rounder out of the University of Tennessee added a pair of stolen bases to his ledger. … Victor Lizarraga could not quite escape danger in the first, allowing a two-out bases-clearing triple before settling down and allowing just two more baserunners until he was lifted in the fourth inning. The former Montgomery High Aztec, who returned to Mexico before signing a professional contract, won’t turn 18 until November. … Luarbert Arias struck out four to finish the game in his third consecutive scoreless appearance. The talented 20-year-old has struck out 13 batters thus far in 7.2 innings, limiting opposing batters to a .192 average in his second season in Peoria.

Posted by Ryan Payne

Ryan has written for MadFriars since 2020. Born and raised in East County, he is a former athlete who played wheelchair basketball for 16 years before transitioning into a high school coaching role. He has a healthy obsession with all things prospects, analytics and statistics.

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