Sacramento River Cats 6, Chihuahuas 3
Key Statistics: 1B Luis Campusano 2-for-5, RBI; CF José Azocar 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, SB, BB, R; LHP Luke Westphal (L, 1-2) 3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, BB, 5 K
Prospect Watch: El Paso saw its modest two-game winning streak snapped as they dropped the series finale in Sacramento. Luis Campusano‘s offensive onslaught continued with a multi-hit performance, his third such effort of the series. Notably, Campusano made just his second appearance of the season at first base. The 22-year-old’s struggles in the opening month of the season continue to fade from view as he puts himself firmly on the radar for a return trip to San Diego next month. … José Azocar, in just his second game with the Chihuahuas, contributed a pair of hits, including a double. The 25-year-old Venezuelan has been a solid all-around addition in his first year in the system. … Luke Westphal received the starting assignment for El Paso, laboring through three innings. The 32-year-old southpaw was tagged for a pair of home runs, needing 71 pitches to cover his outing. Westphal’s journey back into affiliated ball after a five-year hiatus has led to some uneven results, with a 7.24 ERA on the season undermined by an absurdly low 42.6% strand rate.
Midland RockHounds 15, Missions 0
Osvaldo Hernandez got hit hard Tuesday. (Photo: Joe Alexander)
Key Statistics: RF Esteury Ruiz 2-for-4, 2B; Osvaldo Hernandez (L, 3-7) 2 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, K
Prospect Watch: Midland proved to be a house of horrors as the Missions were routed on the road. The RockHounds showed no mercy, pounding out 21 hits against a quartet of San Antonio hurlers, including utility infielder/outfielder Olivier Basabe … Esteury Ruiz accounted for two of the Missions’ three hits, including a leadoff double in the third inning. Ruiz, 22, has lowered his strikeout rate to 21.1% in his third full season in the organization but has yet to tap into much power. The right-handed hitter has just nine home runs in 569 plate appearances going back to the start of 2019 and is slugging .376 in his injury-shortened campaign. … Osvaldo Hernandez surrendered eight earned runs in just two innings. After allowing just a single run in the first, Hernandez looked poised to get out of the second unscathed. With two outs and a man on first though, six straight Midland came through with six straight hits, including a grand slam and two-run homer. The two innings of work were a season-low for the 23-year-old from Havana, Cuba, who saw his ERA rise nearly a full run to 5.11.
Tirso Ornelas hit his fifth home run on Tuesday night. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
South Bend Cubs 6, TinCaps 2
Key Statistics: RF Tirso Ornelas 1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, R; 3B Zack Mathis 1-for-3, BB; RHP Connor Lehmann (L, 1-2) 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Prospect Watch: It was a reunion of sorts as the TinCaps faced off against former teammate Anderson Espinoza, with the visitors emerging victorious at Parkview Field. Tirso Ornelas got Fort Wayne on the board early, cranking his fifth home run of the season in the first. It was the third home run of the month for the 21-year-old from Tijuana, coming off the heels of a July that saw him post a season-high .784 OPS. …After a brief three-game cameo in El Paso, Zack Mathis has settled into a nice early groove in the Summit City. The former LSU Tiger reached base safely twice via a single and a walk, boosting his slash line to .333/.385/.500 with the TinCaps. … Saint Louis University product Connor Lehmann made his fifth start of the season, ultimately getting tagged with his second loss. The 6-foot-7 right-hander allowed three earned runs in 4.2 innings of work, throwing 88 pitches. Opposing batters are hitting a robust .328 off the 2019 seventh-round draft pick.
Storm 8, Visalia Rawhide 4
Euribiel Angeles just keeps hitting for Lake Elsinore. (Photo: Dinur Blum)
Key Statistics: SS Euribiel Angeles 2-for-4, BB, 2 R; CF Robert Hassell III 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R; 3B Lucas Dunn 2-for-3, 2 2B, BB, 2 R; DH Colton Bender 3-for-4, 2 RBI, SB, R; RHP Jesus Lugo 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; RHP Jason Reynolds (W, 4-1) 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, K
Prospect Watch: Lake Elsinore broke a 4-4 sixth inning deadlock and added a trio of insurance runs late to top Visalia at The Diamond. Euribiel Angeles, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, continues to hit. The 19-year-old Dominican was aboard three times, tallying a pair of singles and a walk. Since July 1, Angeles has failed to reach base safely in just two games. … Speaking of pure hitters, cue your nightly Robert Hassell III superlatives. Returning to the lineup after two days off, the 19-year-old Tennesseean picked up right where he left off, connecting for his 25th double in the third inning. Hassell would tack on an RBI single in the seventh to cap his evening, raising his OPS to .862. … Pressed into full-season duty perhaps earlier than expected due to the Storm’s COVID situation, Lucas Dunn blasted a pair of doubles to aid in the offensive effort. The former Louisville Cardinal is 5-for-15 in his first three games with Lake Elsinore. Not to be outdone, Colton Bender posted a team-high three hits out of the DH spot, driving in a pair of runs and adding a stolen base. The 2021 tenth-round selection out of Quinnipiac, much like Dunn, has been promoted ahead of schedule, but has acquitted himself nicely thus far with the Storm. … Jesus Lugo made his 12th start of the campaign, earning a no-decision. The 23-year-old struggled a bit with command, lasting 3.1 innings before yielding to the bullpen. Jason Reynolds collected his fourth win of the year in relief, throwing 2.2 shutout innings to keep Visalia at bay. The Lehigh University alum owns a solid 3.69 ERA across 20 contests in the Low-A West circuit.
ACL Padres 2, ACL Royals Blue 1 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: CF James Wood 1-for-2, BB, R; 1B Cole Cummings 1-for-3, RBI; Seth Mayberry (W, 1-0) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K; RHP Joshua Paulina (S, 1) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K
Cole Cummings was 1-3 on the night with an RBI. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: Pitching ruled the day as the ACL Padres edged the Royals in Peoria. Robert Gasser‘s professional debut was a clean one, as the lefty tossed a perfect first inning with a strikeout. The former Houston Cougar and this year’s 71st overall pick is an intriguing name to monitor when his career begins in earnest. … Seth Mayberry collected his first victory since 2019, striking out the side in order in his first appearance of the year. The 2018 39th round selection out of Dinwiddie, Virginia has seen his professional career limited to just 28.1 innings by a litany of injuries. When he was healthy in 2019, he put up solid numbers. Joshua Paulina notched his first professional save, stifling the Royals with a pair of hitless innings. The 19-year-old Pennsylvania native signed with the Padres last summer out of high school. … Cole Cummings led the offense with his second double of the season, tallying the decisive run in the first inning. James Wood continued his strong start, reaching base safely twice. The IMG Academy product is now hitting .367 in his first nine professional games.
