In a bit of quirky scheduling, all three affiliates in action faced off with their Dodgers counterparts, and the system claimed a clean sweep.
El Paso had a scheduled night off after playing Monday. The Chihuahuas will continue their six game series at the Salt Lake Bees Wednesday with Ryan Weathers slated to take the mound.
Matt Waldron had the knuckler working for San Antonio. (Photo: John Moore)
Missions 3, Tulsa Drillers 1
Key Statistics: CF Esteury Ruiz 1-for-3, Sac, PO (1); LF Tirso Ornelas 2-3, RBI; 1B Yorman Rodriguez 1-4, 2 RBI; RHP Matt Waldron (W, 2-1) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, 4 K; RHP Angel Felipe (S, 5) 1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB
Prospect Watch: Matt Waldron tied a season high with six shutout innings as the Missions led wire-to-wire to beat the Drillers at home. After an uneven April when opposing hitters hit .297 off the 25-year-old, Waldron rebounded with a dominant May, surrendering just three earned runs across 20.2 innings. The University of Nebraska alum limited opponents to just a .181 average across four starts in the month as he found the feel for his knuckleball again. … With Esteury Ruiz having a rare quiet night, Yorman Rodriguez came through in the clutch. The 24-year-old Venezuelan singled in a pair of runs to cement the lead for San Antonio in the eighth inning, providing a cushion that would prove important. The outing capped a great month for Rodriguez, who slashed .333/.370/.505 in 24 games in May. … Tasked with holding on to a three run lead, Angel Felipe ran into some ninth inning trouble, loading the bases via a single and two walks with one out. The right-hander escaped with two groundouts to allow just one run and collected his fifth save. Felipe, 24, has worked to a 2.43 ERA in his first year with the organization after signing as a minor league free agent in the offseason. Originally signed by the Tampa Bay Rays as an 18-year-old back in 2015, the 6-foot-6 righty reached full-season ball for the first time last year.
Noel Vela’s set down nine Loons on strikes Tuesday. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
TinCaps 9, Great Lakes Loons 1
Key Statistics: DH Brandon Valenzuela 3-5, RBI, R; RF Agustin Ruiz 1-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB; 1B Lucas Dunn 1-2, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB; LHP Noel Vela (W, 2-2) 5 IP, H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 9 K
Prospect Watch: No Hassell, no problem. With the TinCaps star outfielder getting the day off, newly-promoted Lucas Dunn made a seamless transition to High-A, reaching base three times with a single and two walks. The former Louisville Cardinal is off to a spectacular start in 2022, boasting an OPS of .956 through 43 games with an extra base hit rate just south of 50 percent for the Storm. Dunn figures to provide some meaningful stability for a Fort Wayne club that is still searching for offensive consistency. … A six run second inning was more than enough offensive support for Noel Vela, who battled through some control issues to post five shutout innings. The 2017 28th-round selection out of high school in Mission, Texas has offset 23 walks with 50 strikeouts in 37 innings for the TinCaps this season. Despite the bouts of wildness, Vela’s emergence has been a revelation of sorts for a Fort Wayne rotation that has seen inconsistent results. The lefty’s 2.43 ERA is good for eighth in the Midwest League. … Brandon Valenzuela collected his third straight multi-hit game with three singles to help his average creep up to .225, the highest it’s been in over a month. The switch-hitting catcher finished May with a .661 OPS for the month.
Marcos Castanon has been a consistent offensive contributor for the Storm. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Storm 9, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6
Key Statistics: 3B Marcos Castanon 2-3, HR (3), RBI, 2 R, 2 BB; CF Justin Farmer 2-4, RBI, R, BB, SB; LF Albert Fabian 1-5, HR (3), RBI, R; RHP Wilton Castillo 2.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; RHP Keegan Collett (W, 2-0) 2.1 IP, H, 0 ER, BB, 4 K
Prospect Watch: The Storm lived up to their moniker, storming past the Quakes in come-from-behind fashion to secure victory at LoanMart Field. Albert Fabian provided the pivotal blow, seizing opportunity on the first pitch he saw for a game-tying home run in the ninth inning. Assigned to Lake Elsinore in early May, the 20-year-old Dominican Republic native has posted a respectable .722 OPS in his first 22 contests. … Marcos Castanon got the scoring started for the visitors, connecting on an 0-1 pitch for his third home run of the campaign. The former UC Santa Barbara Gaucho has proven to be a solid on-base threat, reaching at a .374 clip as the Storm look to offset the continued absences of Jackson Merrill and James Wood. …. Wilton Castillo, newly added to the roster in place of injured righty Kobe Robinson, received the starting nod for Lake Elsinore, but ultimately did not factor in the decision. The 6-foot-7 Cuban, 22, had not appeared in a game since last September in the desert. The late offensive heroics made a winner out of Storm reliever Keegan Collett, who moved his record to a perfect 3-0 with 2.1 scoreless frames. Collett, 23, has been an integral cog in the Lake Elsinore bullpen, striking out 32 in just 18 innings in his return to the California League.
