Matthew Batten is getting to in-game power more than he ever has before. (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
Chihuahuas 4, Round Rock Express 3
Key Stats: SS CJ Abrams 1-for-6, 2B, 3 K, E (3); CF/3B Matthew Batten 2-for-5, HR (7); C Luis Campusano 2-for-4, HR (4), K, BB; 1B Aderlin Rodriguez 1-for-3, HR (10), BB, HBP; CF/1B Taylor Kohlwey 2-for-2, 2B, 2 BB; 3B/2B Eguy Rosario 1-for-3, BB, Sac, SB (4); RHP Jesse Scholtens 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 K, 3 BB; RHP Yusmeiro Petit (W, 1-1) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K; RHP Taylor Scott (S, 2) 1 IP 1 H, 1K
Prospect Watch: Luis Campusano and Aderlin Rodriguez homered in the seventh inning to pull the Chihuahuas even, then CJ Abrams yanked a double deep into right field to plate the winning run in the eighth. Campusano’s shot, a mammoth 446-foot blast to left center, was one of two balls he hit on the night with a triple-digit exit velocity. The 23-year-old had a chance to add on in the eighth, but struck out with the bases loaded, then shattered his bat slamming it to the ground in frustration. It’s a rare missed opportunity since he rejoined the Chihuahuas as he’s posted a 1.242 OPS with as many walks as strikeouts this month. … Matthew Batten connected on his career-best seventh homer of the season and finished the night with two more hits. The 26-year-old made his first start of the year and seventh of his career in center field but shifted to the dirt mid-game. He’s now logged time at six defensive positions and has emerged as a potential utility option for the big league club. … Taylor Kohlwey, another multi-position player from a cold-weather university, started the game on the bench, but wound up reaching base four times after he entered the game in the fourth. The 27-year-old pushed his OPS up to .862 with the showing. … Four relievers combined for five scoreless innings on Saturday including 1.1 frames by Yusmeiro Petit. After getting hit hard in his first outing, the big league veteran has blanked opponents in his last three appearances.
Missions 11, Midland RockHounds 3
Key Stats: CF Esteury Ruiz 2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 SB (29); RF Thomas Milone 3-for-4, 2B, 3B, BB, CS; LF Tirso Ornelas 1-for-2, 2B, 3 BB; RHP Lake Bachar 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 K, 2 BB, HBP; RHP Michel Baez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R; LHP Tom Cosgrove 1 IP, 0 H, 1 K, 1 BB; RHP Dinelson Lamet 1 IP, 0 H, 2 K
Prospect Watch: John Conniff has the on-site coverage from San Antonio‘s big offensive outburst.
Robert Hassell III has yet to be caught in a stolen base attempt. (Photo: John Nagel)
West Michigan White Caps 1, TinCaps 0
Key Stats: LF Corey Rosier 1-for-3, Sac, CS (4); CF Robert Hassell III 1-for-4, SB (15); LHP Robert Gasser 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 6 K, 4 BB; RHP Nick Thwaits 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 K
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps offense stalled out again Saturday, squandering a strong outing from Robert Gasser. The lefty worked six innings to match his season high and allowed just one run on a homer after he fell behind in the count 3-0. Gasser walked four as he fought his command throughout the game, but he also struck out six batters for the third consecutive outing. The Northern California native, who turns 23 next week, is now fifth among Midwest League starters with an 11.89 K/9 rate. Subscribers can read our interview with him here. … One-time Padres draftee Dylan Smith, who went to Alabama rather than signing back in 2018 and earned a third-round selection by the Tigers, allowed Fort Wayne just three singles over five innings. Robert Hassell III collected the only hit, also a single, against the White Caps bullpen and promptly swiped his 15th base of the season, but was one of seven runners left stranded in the game.
Victor Lizarraga has been working to develop his breaking ball. (Photo: Dylan Otto/Insta: DylanOtto13)
Visalia 7, Storm 6
Key Stats: LF Albert Fabian 2-for-4, BB, CS (3); 3B Carlos Luis 2-for-5, 2B; 1B/C Tyler Malone 2-for-3, HR (1), BB; PH Cole Cummings 1-for-1, HR (3); RHP Victor Lizarraga 3.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R (5 ER), 6 K, 1 BB, WP; RHP Aaron Holiday 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Prospect Watch: Visalia jumped Storm starter, Victor Lizarraga, for three homers as the rigthy failed to make it out of the fourth inning while giving up season highs in hits and runs. The 18-year-old, who is younger than most high schoolers in July’s draft class, did strike out six against just one walk, but is still figuring out how to be in the zone without being too hittable as he refines his breaking ball and works on sequencing with a changeup that could become a real weapon. … Continuing to work in a multi-inning relief role, Aaron Holiday tossed two more scoreless frames and struck out two. The Philadelphia native, who came over from Oakland with Sean Manaea, sports a 1.13 ERA with a strong 21:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio through his first 16 innings in the organization while holding opposing hitters to a .130 average. He was reportedly up to the upper-90s in spring with the Athletics but has been effective working a few ticks below that for Elsinore. He was a 13th-round pick for Oakland last summer. … Tyler Malone, who came off the IL on Friday, connected on his first homer of the season on the same day a slightly more famous Oregon State classmate was in the news. The Sacramento area native played all over the infield and outfield in college but has been working on a catching conversion since the Padres selected him on day three in 2019. He’s posted a .938 OPS in limited action for Lake Elsinore this year.
