Round Rock Express 3, Chihuahuas 2
Key Statistics: RF Brian O’Grady 1-for-4, HR (10), RBI, R; RHP Caleb Boushley (L, 3-5) 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K; RHP Steven Wilson 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Brian O’Grady has made loud contact throughout the year for El Paso. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas came up short in a rare Triple-A West pitchers’ duel in Round Rock. Brian O’Grady got El Paso on the board in style early, obliterating a ball that cleared the berm and landed in the pool area in right-center field. The mammoth shot was the 10th of the season for the 29-year-old, marking the second time in his minor league career he’s reached double digits O’Grady’s 1.015 OPS stands out in stark contrast on an El Paso team that has struggled to a .776 team OPS that ranks next-to-last in the league. … Caleb Boushley got the start for the Chihuahuas and turned in a quality effort, allowing three earned runs in six innings. The 27-year-old out of Wisconsin La-Crosse has surrendered three earned runs or fewer in four of his five August appearances, striking out 27 batters in 26.2 innings.
Midland RockHounds 9, Missions 4
Key Statistics: SS Eguy Rosario 2-for-3, 2B, BB, 2 E (20); LF Jorge Oña 2-for-4, RBI; C Juan Fernandez 1-for-4, HR (7), RBI, R; RHP Brandon Komar (L, 1-3) 3 IP, 3 H, 4 R (1 ER), BB, 4 K
Jorge Ona is back in Double-A with the Missions. (Photo: Joe Alexander)
Prospect Watch: The RockHounds took advantage of four San Antonio errors to race out to an early lead and claim victory at Nelson Wolff Stadium. Eguy Rosario turned in another solid night at the plate, collecting a pair of base hits, including his 23rd double of the year. The 22-year-old has now hit safely in six straight games, including four multi-hit performances in a row. Rosario has been a steady all-around offensive contributor. He has seen time defensively at shortstop, third base and second base, though two throwing errors Tuesday night leave him with 10 in a career-high 403 innings at short. … After a brief stint in the desert, Jorge Oña‘s rehab assignment has landed back in Texas. The Havana, Cuba product tallied a pair of base hits and drove in a run. Injuries have limited Oña, who turns 25 in two weeks, to just 30 games since 2019. … Brandon Komar took the mound for the Missions and ran into immediate adversity. After a defensive miscue helped load the bases, Komar’s third walk of the first inning forced in a run. Allen Cordoba helped limit the damage, turning a sacrifice fly to Oña into a double play by cutting off the throw and catching the trail runner trying to advance to third. The Wisconsin native was charged with four runs in his three innings, only one of which was earned. Despite the outing, Komar’s campaign in 2021 has been solid, with 70 strikeouts in 70 innings and an ERA of 3.60.
TinCaps 10, Dayton Dragons 4
Key Statistics: C Adam Kerner 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R; CF Reinaldo Ilarraza 2-for-5, 2 SB, 2 R; 3B Zack Mathis 1-for-4, 3 RBI, BB, R; RHP Carlos Guarate (W, 1-5) 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Reinaldo Ilarraza’s speed makes him a constant threat on the basepaths. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps got some key contributions from unlikely sources as the bottom of the order helped propel them to victory over the Dragons. USD product Adam Kerner, known more for his defensive prowess behind the plate, connected for a pair of hits, including a two-run double. One spot below Kerner in the order, Reinaldo Ilarraza stuffed the stat sheet with two hits, two stolen bases and two runs scored. The Venezuela native hasn’t shown much power, but has been a terror on the basepaths, successfully converting 32 out of 39 stolen base attempts. … Carlos Guarate got his elusive first win in the Summit City, tossing five efficient innings. August has been a roller coaster for the talented 20-year-old, as he’s alternated strong performances with rough outings. Guarate won’t showcase elite velocity, but he has done a fantastic job controlling the strike zone, issuing just 19 walks in 89.2 innings across two levels in 2021.
San Jose Giants 8, Storm 5
Key Statistics: CF Robert Hassell III 2-for-4, HR (7), RBI, R; DH Joshua Mears 1-for-3, HR (16), 3 RBI, BB, SB, 2 R; RHP Dinelson Lamet 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K; RHP Dwayne Matos (L, 0-4) (BS, 1) 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Prospect Watch: The present and future were both on display as Dinelson Lamet followed fourth-rounder Jackson Wolf on the mound. Wolf, 22, allowed two runs over two frames in his first full-season appearance. The lanky lefty worked around 89-90, showing an effective breaking ball. Lamet, restarting his rehab assignment after an infection required surgery, hit the first batter he faced. The power right-hander then settled down to retire the side in order, reaching 98 mph with his fastball. A return to San Diego may be imminent for “El Flaco,” who was close to rejoining the big-league club earlier this month before his setback. … Coming out of the 2019 draft, some scouts and evaluators questioned the future power potential for Robert Hassell III. Well, that power might be starting to emerge. The 20-year-old Tennessee native blasted an opposite field home run, his seventh of the year and second in as many games. The ultra-consistent outfielder has upped his slugging percentage for the month to .581 – .131 points above his mark through July – while keeping his strikeout rate under 20%. … Unlike Hassell, there are zero questions surrounding the power of Joshua Mears. The Kirkland, Washington product turned around a hanging curveball in the first inning, launching it over the left field fence for his 16th home run of the year. Mears has missed time to a shoulder injury and the team’s COVID outbreak this month, but continues to do damage when he’s in the lineup. If the 20-year-old can cut down on his strikeouts to any degree, the rest of the profile will play. … Dwayne Matos, on in a relief capacity, was unable to make the Storm power surge hold up. The 20-year-old was tagged for nine hits and six earned runs. After positing a solid 2019 season in the Dominican Summer League, Matos has been unable to duplicate those results stateside. Opposing hitters are batting .321 against him in his 61.1 innings in the Low-A West.
ACL Padres 6, ACL Diamondbacks 1
Key Statistics: CF-RF James Wood 1-for-3, 2 RBI, SB, BB; Max Ferguson 2-for-4, 2 R: LHP MacKenzie Gore (W, 1-0) 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
MacKenzie Gore has reworked his mechanics, but still gets a pronounced leg kick from the wind-up. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: MacKenzie Gore‘s second outing in the desert provided more good news as the ACL Padres tamed the Diamondbacks in Peoria. Gore was charged with three hits, though two were infield singles, and he issued three walks and a pair of wild pitches, but the former third overall pick kept the Diamondbacks off the scoreboard. Gore’s stretched out to 5.2 innings in the appearance and now has 15 strikeouts in 10.1 one-run innings. A return to El Paso may be on the horizon, where the Whiteville, North Carolina product’s mechanical overhaul and command figure to face a stern test. … James Wood helped provide all the support that Gore would need, driving in a pair of runs while adding his seventh stolen base. With questions swirling around how much contact Wood would make in his inaugural season, the former IMG Academy standout has posted an OBP of .424 and shown intriguing speed on the bases. The 6-foot-7 outfielder, recently named the number five prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline, may have the highest ceiling of any player in the organization if he can somehow get all the tools to play together.
