Sugar Land Space Cowboys 8, Chihuahuas 1
Brett Sullivan continues to produce for the Chihuahuas. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Key Statistics: RHP Matt Waldron (L, 2-9) 5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; SS Matthew Batten 1-for-4, R; C Brett Sullivan 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas had just four hits in a game that they trailed 6-0 halfway through the third inning. El Paso scored their only run in the bottom of the ninth, well after it was decided, when shortstop Matthew Batten singled and Brett Sullivan doubled him home. Since being sent down a second time by the Padres, Sullivan is hitting .350/.381/.550. In 49 games total with El Paso, the 29-year-old is hitting .332/.404/.535. He posted a .482 OPS across 21 games with the Padres. … Righty Matt Waldron looked fantastic in the first, striking out the side and throwing only one ball. The greatness was short-lived. In a span of four pitches in the second inning, Waldron gave up two hard-hit doubles and a home run. In the next inning, five of the first six hitters reached base as the Astros affiliate added on three more runs. The part-time knuckleballer did manage to work through two more innings without further damage. Since being sent down from the big league club, Waldron has allowed 17 earned runs over 16.2 innings.
Missions rained out
Wednesday’s game in Springfield was postponed. The clubs will play a doubleheader Friday.
TinCaps 9, Lansing Lugnuts 5
Key Stats: RHP Michel Baez (W, 1-0) 1.1 IP, 2 H, ER, K; CF Jakob Marsee 2-for-5, 2B, SB (37), RS, RBI; C Ethan Salas 1-for-5, R; 2B Nerwilian Cedeño 2-for-5, 2B, R; 3B Graham Pauley 2-for-4, HR (13), R, 4 RBI; SS Kervin Pichardo 1-for-3, HR (4), 2 R, 3 RBI
Graham Pauley has had plenty of opportunity to bust out his home run trot for the TinCaps. (Photo: Fort Wayne TinCaps)
Prospect Watch: Another day, another Graham Pauley home run. This one was especially impressive as he came to the plate with the TinCaps down 5-2 and demolished a grand slam to give them a lead they would not relinquish. Certainly, 13 home runs in 35 games is a remarkable pace for any player in any league, but it is even more impressive in the Midwest League, which is known for suppressing home runs. Despite playing in his first game for Fort Wayne on June 29, he is tied for ninth in the league for the year. The 22-year-old is now three off the league lead shared by TinCaps first baseman Nathan Martorella and two others. No player above him on the leaderboard has played fewer than 76 games. His ISO is .333 and he sports a 162 wRC+ with Fort Wayne. … Center fielder Jakob Marsee went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to five games and his on-base streak to 14. The TinCaps stolen base leader (third in the league) stole his 37th base of the season. So far in August, Marsee has hit a tremendous .360/.568/.560 with 10 walks against three strikeouts. He leads the league with a .404 OBP for the season. … Three batters after Pauley hit the go-ahead grand slam, shortstop Kervin Pichardo hit a three-run shot to give the TinCaps a 9-5 lead. Pichardo has quietly been one of the best bats on the team since rejoining the TinCaps when Jackson Merrill was promoted to San Antonio. After failing to reach base in his first two games, Pichardo has reached safely in 16 straight, which includes an 11-game hitting streak. Over the last week, Pichardo is hitting .364/.417/.636. … In his first game with the TinCaps, catching phenom Ethan Salas collected his first knock as part of a 1-for-5 day. He becomes the youngest player to record a hit in High-A since the Rangers rushed Michael De León all the way up to Double-A back in 2014.
Storm 2, Visalia Rawhide 1
Sammy Zavala has made his leg kick work in the Cal League. (Photo: Gail Verderico/IG @baseball_gail)
Key Statistics: RHP Jose Luis Reyes 5.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 9 K; RHP Ruben Galindo (W, 1-1) 2 IP, 2 H, K; LF Homer Bush Jr 0-for-3, SB (2); CF Samuel Zavala 1-for-2, RS, RBI, BB; DH Jay Beshears 1-for-4, RBI
Prospect Watch: The Storm managed just two hits in the game but that was all they needed to win. They scored their first run without the benefit of a hit, as Visalia pitching hit two batters and walk the bases full for Samuel Zavala, who already led the league (by a wide margin) in walks. Not surprisingly, he walked to force in the first run. In the sixth, Zavala singled to break up the no-hitter, but was promptly picked off. The 19-year-old reached again in the ninth, this time on a hit-by-pitch. He moved to second and third on successive sacrifice bunts before scoring the game-winning, walk-off run, on a bloop single over the first baseman’s head by Jay Beshears. … Right-handed reliever Ruben Galindo got the win for Elsinore with two scoreless innings. The 22-year-old has been nothing short of fantastic since being sent down from Fort Wayne. After giving up 16 runs in 15.1 innings for the Storm, Galindo has allowed just three over 30.2 innings in Elsinore, good for a 0.88 ERA. Galindo is working on eight straight scoreless innings, and only one earned run in his last 16.1 innings. … While Jose Luis Reyes didn’t get enough support to pick up the win, he set a new career high with nine strikeouts. The 20-year-old from Mexicali had his best outing since joining the Storm in mid-July. The one run and three hits allowed were also new bests since his promotion. The Padres signed the righty out of Mexico late in 2020. He missed almost all of 2022 on the injured list
The ACL Padres had Wednesday off.
