Pedro Avila has had a rough time early in 2023. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Tacoma Rainiers 9, Chihuahuas 2
Key Stats: RHP Pedro Avila 4 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 1 K, 5 BB; RHP Michel Baez 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB; RHP Domingo Tapia 1 IP, 1 H 2 K; LF Adam Engel 1-for-4, HR (1); C Pedro Severino 2-for-3; 1B Rangel Ravelo 1-for-2, BB
Prospect Watch: Tacoma jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as they took five of six from the Chihuahuas. Pedro Avila‘s early-season struggles continued as the big righty surrendered five more runs in four innings. After getting added back to the 40-player roster this offseason, Avila was optioned out early in spring training and has yet to find any success in El Paso. In five outings, he’s given up 18 hits and 21 earned runs in just 14.2 innings and sports a dreadful 6:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. … Adam Engel, in his seventh game of a rehab assignment, hit a two-run homer for the Chihuahuas’ only runs of the game. Through 29 plate appearances, the six-year big league veteran is hitting just .160/.276/.360. … Pedro Severino, who signed a minor league deal over the winter, had a pair of hits to push his OPS to .886 in 57 plate appearances. The 29-year-old backstop has thrown out just one of 14 would-be base stealers, but if he continues to produce offensively, he could force the club’s hand on a spot on the 40-player roster.
Missions rained out
The Missions’ series finale at Corpus Christi was rained out. They took four out of five on the roadtrip and will head home for Tuesday. No makeup has been announced yet.
Peoria Chiefs 9, TinCaps 0
Carlos Luis cuts an imposing figure in the on-deck circle. (Photo: Fort Wayne TinCaps
Key Stats: RHP Jared Kollar 3 IP, 2 H, 2 K, 3 BB; 3B Marcos Castañon 1-for-3, BB, E (1); DH Carlos Luis 1-for-3, 2B, BB
Prospect Watch: Jared Kollar, who joined the squad from Extended Spring Training to bolster the staff as a flu bug continues to sideline a number of players, worked three scoreless innings in his High-A debut. The 24-year-old righty signed as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers last summer and made seven appearances for Lake Elsinore. Sunday he allowed three walks, but was able to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the second. … Things didn’t go as well for Reinier Parra, who also joined the TinCaps for his first taste of full-season ball since signing in July of 2019. The 21-year-old righty coughed up four hits and three walks and was charged with four runs while retiring only one batter. … Things didn’t go much better at the plate as visitors managed just two hits. Carlos Luis doubled for the club’s only extra-base hit of the game. Now 23, Luis is one of the dwindling number of 2016 international free agent signees still in the organization. He continues to show impressive bat-to-ball skills from the left side, but he’ll need to prove his defense and awkward athleticism can play at each level as he moves up.
Storm 6, Modesto Nuts 3
Key Stats: DH Anthony Vilar 1-for 3, 2B, BB; CF Samuel Zavala 1-for-3, HR (1), Sac; RF Albert Fabian 2-for-3, SF; 1B Griffin Doersching 2-for-4, 2B; LHP Austin Krob 5 IP, 2 H, 3 R (1 ER), 4 K, 2 BB; RHP Kobe Robinson 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K, 3 BB; RHP Will Geerdes 1 IP, 2 K
Prospect Watch: The Storm got another strong pitching performance and rolled to victory to split their home series with Modesto Sunday afternoon. Starter Austin Krob, 23, gave up three runs, just one earned, over five innings in his third and longest outing of the year. The lefty, yet another pitcher from the 2022 class coming back from an injury in his draft year, turned in his most efficient start of the year, issuing just two walks against four strikeouts. He now sports a 15:9 ratio in 10.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .114 against him in his first professional campaign. … Righty Kobe Robinson followed with three scoreless innings, working around a pair of hits, three walks, and a hit batter. After his last outing got squeezed to one third of an inning because of the schedule of big league rehabbers, the 22-year-old has worked just seven innings across his three appearances, but has yet to give up a run. … Samuel Zavala, who has been off to a very slow start to the year after a breakout campaign last season, connected on his first homer of the year to put the Storm ahead in the eighth. The 18-year-old center fielder saw his line slip to .111/.297/.185 at the end of last week’s series at Inland Empire, but hit in four of five contests against the Nuts and hasn’t struck out in his last four games. The left-handed hitter’s all-field power potential showed Sunday as he put his home run out over the left field wall. … Lefty slugger Albert Fabian had a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly on the day, driving in a pair. The 21-year-old slugged .502 for the Storm in 62 games last year, but thus far has just three extra-base hits in 55 trips to the plate. Oddly, he’s been hit three times but drawn only two walks on the year. … Anthony Vilar continued his torrid start, connecting on a double and drawing a walk in four plate appearances. That actually nudged his OPS for the season down slightly to 1.304.
