While the big league club opened the unofficial start of the second half with a big win in New York, the rest of the organization took a beating. All five stateside clubs lost on Friday night. Hashtag woof.
C.J. Hinojosa’s bat has been red-hot in July. (Photo: Jorge Salgado).
Reno Aces 8, Chihuahuas 5
Key Statistics: C Luis Campusano, 1-for-4, R, HR (7), RBI; RF Brent Rooker, 2-for-4, 2B; 2B Eguy Rosario, 2-for-4, 2 R, 3B, RBI, SB (15); SS C.J. Hinojosa, 1-for-3, HR (10), 2 RBI; RHP Dinelson Lamet, IP, 2 K; LHP Ray Kerr, IP, BB, 2 K; RHP Jesse Scholtens (L, 3-1) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER
Prospect Watch: El Paso lost a tough one in Reno. They fell behind 4-0 in the third inning, then scored three runs in the fifth to inch closer. Luis Campusano tied the game with a homer in the sixth, and El Paso took the lead on a sac fly in the seventh before Reno got to reliever Jesse Scholtens in the eighth, scoring four runs to pull away. … The homer for Campusano was his seventh of the year. After hitting well in the season’s first three months, the catcher has had a rough July. After hitting over .300 each month, Campusano is at just .217 this month. … Shortstop C.J. Hinojosa also homered for El Paso. It was his tenth of the year, just one off of the career high he set last year while playing for Sugar Land. The veteran infielder got off to a slow start this season but has been red-hot this month. Hinojosa has homered in three straight games and has seven this month in just 61 plate appearances. The 28-year-old has never played in the big leagues, but he has routinely been a solid hitter in the upper minors. … Dinelson Lamet twirled a scoreless inning, punching out two batters. The former major league starter has struggled in the big leagues as a reliever, but he’s been quite good in Triple-A. He’s pitched to a 0.77 ERA in 11 games with El Paso, striking out 18 batters in 11.2 innings.
Corpus Christi Hooks 7, Missions 4
Key Statistics: DH Juan Fernandez, 3-for-4, R; RF Jorge Oña, 2-for-3, R; 3B Connor Hollis, 1-for-4, BB, 2 RBI; RHP Ryan Lillie (L, 1-4) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, K; RHP Kevin Kopps, 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K
Prospect Watch: Mark and Ben are in San Antonio, crushing Whataburger and covering the Missions. Ben has the game recap here.
Dayton Dragons 5, TinCaps 3
Key Statistics: CF Robert Hassell III, 2-for-4; LF Corey Rosier, 2-for-3, R, BB, SB (27); C Brandon Valenzuela, 1-for-4, R; RHP Dwayne Matos, 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K; RHP Jose Espada, 2 IP, BB, 6 K; RHP Luis Madrazo (L, 0-1) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 K
Corey Rosier had two hits on Friday night (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps traveled into Ohio for a weekend series against Dayton, losing the opener to the Reds’ High-A affiliate. … Robert Hassell III returned from his excursion out west to play in the Sirius XM Futures Game. The 20-year-old had a pair of singles in the loss. The multi-hit effort raised his batting average to .313 – just two points off the league lead. He ranks fifth in the circuit with a .873 OPS. … Left fielder Corey Rosier had two singles, a walk, and a stolen base. Since Max Ferguson‘s promotion to the Summit City, Rosier has hit fifth or sixth in the order most nights. The 22-year-old outfielder has done his best work in July, slashing .277/.397/.447 in 15 games. … RHP Jose Espada pitched two scoreless innings after taking over for starter Dwayne Matos. Espada faced eight hitters and struck out six of them. The Padres signed the 25-year-old earlier this month. Originally drafted in the fifth round way back in 2015 by the Blue Jays, he spent last year in the Red Sox organization and was pitching for the Milwaukee Milkmen of the partner American Association league.
Inland Empire 66ers 6, Storm 2
Key Statistics: 1B Carlos Luis, 2-for-5; 2B Nerwilian Cedeño, 1-for-4, BB, 2 RBI; CF James Wood, 1-for-4; LF Justin Farmer, 1-for-4, R, 2B, BB; LHP Danny Denz (L, 0-1) 3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Alan Mundo, 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 2 K; RHP Keegan Collett 1.1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Justin Farmer continues to show out for the Storm (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: The Storm traveled into San Bernardino to take on the 66ers, where Lake Elsinore batters struck out 16 times as they lost the series opener. … First baseman Carlos Luis was the only Storm player to notch a multi-hit game. Luis stroked a pair of singles in the Storm loss to extend his hitting streak to four games. The left-handed hitting Luis has been a solid contributor this season for the Storm, but July’s .641 OPS is the lowest he’s produced in any month this season. … Justin Farmer reached base twice, once via a walk in addition to stroking a double. The 23-year-old former undrafted free agent has continually improved as the season progressed. In 14 July contests, Farmer has walked an incredible 17 times. His keen eye at the plate has resulted in a .475 on-base percentage this month. Farmer has a .850 OPS since June 1. … Friday nights have usually meant that Garrett Hawkins has been the Storm starter, but after the four-day break, lefty Danny Denz made the start Friday. He allowed three runs in the first, which included a pair of homers. He bounced back and pitched well in his final two innings. After pitching well last season down the stretch, Denz has struggled this season. In eight games with Fort Wayne, Denz allowed seven homers in 19.2 innings, resulting in an ERA pushing 11. He’s fared better in the Cal League, flashing some swing-and-miss ability. The former Memphis Tiger doesn’t possess elite velocity, but he can spin a good curve. He will need to command his fastball better to right the ship.
ACL Royals 5, ACL Padres 0
Key Statistics: CF Joshua Mears, 1-for-3, BB; LF Ruben Salinas, 2-for-4; LHP Ryan Och (L, 0-1) IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K; RHP Henry Baez, 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K
Prospect Watch: The ACL Padres managed just five hits in a nine-inning affair in the desert. … Joshua Mears played for the first time in over two weeks, starting in center field. The 2019 second-rounder singled and drew a walk in four plate appearances. After coming off the development list in early June, Mears has spent the last six weeks in the ACL. He’s continued to slug (.566 in the ACL), but he’s struck out in 40% of his plate appearances in the desert. It’s been stated numerous times that Mears’ power might be the loudest tool in the organization, but he will need to make more contact to make it play in game situations. … Ruben Salinas had a pair of singles and has hit in four straight as he continues a solid season in the ACL. Overall, the 19-year-old outfielder is hitting .281/.333/.458 this season. … LHP Ryan Och pitched the first inning and allowed a run in his second rehab appearance. Since the club was shut out, that was enough damage to absorb the loss. The left-hander is working his way back to Fort Wayne after hitting the injured list in mid-May. He struck out a pair of batters and picked another for good measure.
