Salt Lake City Bees 5, Chihuahuas 4
Oscar Mercado brings plenty of big league experience to the Chihuahuas. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Key Statistics: CF Oscar Mercado, 2-for-4, R, HR (3), 2 RBI, BB, SB (8); LF Ben Gamel, 1-for-3, 2 BB; Ray-Patrick Didder, 1-for-3, 2 R, BB; LHP Aaron Leasher, 2 IP, H, K; RHP Sean Reynolds, IP, BB, 3 K; RHP Domingo Tapia (L, 1-3) IP, ER, BB, K
Prospect Watch: El Paso fell behind early, rallied with three runs in the seventh but ended up taking the loss in Salt Lake City. … Center fielder Oscar Mercado had a nice game with a pair of hits, including his third homer of the year. The multi-hit effort extended his hitting streak to seven games. During the seven-game hitting streak, Mercado is 14-for-30. Overall, Mercado has a .933 OPS with the Chihuahuas. … The Chihuahuas used the bullpen to get through this one and had some positive performances. After starter Aaron Brooks allowed three runs in the first, Aaron Leasher helped out his namesake with two shutout innings. Leasher allowed just one hit while striking out a batter. The outing is an extremely positive outcome considering what Leasher has experienced this season with El Paso. In his two previous outings, Leasher allowed eight runs combined without getting an out. Walks have been a huge issue for the 27-year-old this season. In nine innings, he’s walked 13. Overall, Leasher has a 15.00 ERA with the Chihuahuas. … Sean Reynolds made his organizational debut and notched a scoreless inning. He walked one and struck out the side. The 25-year-old was acquired on Tuesday from the Miami Marlins with Garrett Cooper in exchange for starting pitcher Ryan Weathers. The 6-foot-8 reliever has a 2.72 ERA between three stops this season. For more information on Reynolds, check out our trade deadline recap.
Missions 3, Arkansas Travelers 2
Daniel Johnson has provided a spark for the Missions in the second half. (Vashaun Newman)
Key Statistics: 3B-LF Ripken Reyes, 3-for-4, R, 2 2B; CF Daniel Johnson, 2-for-4, R, HR (9), 3 RBI, SB (19); LF Cole Cummings, 1-for-4, 2B, BB; RHP Gabe Mosser, 3.2 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K; RHP Bobby Milacki (W, 1-2) 2.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K; RHP Kevin Kopps (S, 5) IP, BB, K
Prospect Watch: The Missions got a three-run homer from Daniel Johnson to squeak by the Travelers. … For Johnson, it was his ninth homer of the year. He added his 19th steal of the year as well. The veteran outfielder had a monster July for the Missions, hitting .308/.375/.654 with five homers and 18 RBI. … Ripken Reyes showed off the value he brings to any team with his performance Wednesday night. Reyes started at third base and moved to left field later in the game. At the plate, he had three hits, including a pair of doubles. The 26-year-old doesn’t possess a ton of power but he continues to be an absolute on-base machine. His three-hit game raised his on-base percentage to .438 which ranks second in the Texas League. … Righty Bobby Milacki pitched 2.1 solid innings in relief and earned his first win as a Mission. He allowed just one hit, walking two and striking two. The 26-year-old righty signed with the Padres as a minor league free agent in the offseason after pitching last season in the Twins organization. Milacki has a 4.81 ERA in nine games (four starts) with the Missions this season. … Kevin Kopps tossed a scoreless ninth to notch his fifth save of the year. Kopps walked one and struck out one. The 26-year-old didn’t allow an earned run in 11 July innings (although he did allow six unearned runs). The former Arkansas hurler has shown improved command in the season’s second half and he is averaging more than 11 K/9 on the year.
Great Lakes Loons 5, TinCaps 2
Joshua Mears puts a charge into the ball. (Photo: John Nagel)
Key Statistics: CF Jakob Marsee, 1-for-2, 2 BB; RF Joshua Mears, 1-for-3, R, 2B; C Juan Zabala, 1-for-3, BB, SB (6); RHP Tyler Morgan, 2 IP, BB, K; RHP Joan Gonzalez, 2 IP, K; RHP Eric Yost (L, 0-1) 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 2 K
Prospect Watch: The Loons used a three-run seventh inning to defeat the TinCaps in Fort Wayne Wednesday night. … The TinCaps had a trio of professional debuts, as they received reinforcements from the Padres 2023 draft class. First up was Tyler Morgan, the Padres’ 14th-rounder out of Abilene Christian. Morgan fired a pair of scoreless innings, notching his first professional strikeout. … Joan Gonzalez, an undrafted free agent out of Bethune-Cookman also fired a pair of scoreless innings with a strikeout. The 25-year-old, who originally hails from the Dominican Republic, pitched to a 3.80 ERA in 47.1 innings in his final season as a Wildcat. … Eric Yost did not fair as well as his new teammates as he wore the loss in his first appearance as a Padres farmhand. He threw 1.1 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, walking one and striking out two. Yost was the Padres’ 17th-round pick out of Northeastern, the same college that produced Storm reliever Thomas Balboni Jr. Yost made 15 starts for Northeastern in 2023, logging 78.2 innings in the process. … Joshua Mears doubled and scored a run in the loss Wednesday. With the double, Mears equaled his entire hit total during a nightmare July in which Mears went 1-for-32 with 15 strikeouts. Since June 1, Mears is hitting a paltry 9-for-87 (.103 average) with 50 strikeouts. The organization will hope Wednesday was the start of a turn-around for the big man from Washington state.
Modesto Nuts 7, Storm 1
Jay Beshears.(Photo: Duke University Athletics)
Key Statistics: RF Nick Vogt, 2-for-3, R, HR (7), RBI; 2B Jay Beshears, 2-for-4, 2B; RHP Jose Luis Reyes (L, 0-1) 5 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Nick Thwaits, 2 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K
Prospect Watch: The Storm managed just five hits and made four errors as they lost in front of a crowd of 587 in Modesto. … Nick Vogt supplied all of the Storm offense by himself, as he connected on his seventh homer of the year. For the first time as a professional, Vogt has homered in back-to-back games. Vogt has been lost in the shuffle a bit for the Storm but since joining the team out of extended spring training, he’s been a solid contributor offensively. He has a .792 OPS and 14 stolen bases. … Jay Beshears had a pair of hits, including a double. It was his second multi-hit game as a professional. He was drafted in the sixth round last month out of Duke University. … Jose Luis Reyes made the start and completed five innings but ended up taking the loss. The 20-year-old from Mexicali allowed six runs, though three were unearned because of the team’s sloppy defense. The righty, originally signed in late 2020 and debuted in the desert in 2021. He missed much of last season on the IL, and was back in extended spring training and the ACL to open this year. In three appearances since joining the Storm last month, He has a 4.26 ERA in three appearances.
The ACL Padres had Wednesday night off.
