Oklahoma City Baseball Club 5, Chihuahuas 0
Key Statistics: SS Mason McCoy, 2-for-3, 2B; 1B Nate Mondou, 1-for-4; RHP Jhony Brito, 5 IP, 3 H, 5 K; RHP Kevin Kopps (L, 0-2) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB
Mason McCoy. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: The El Paso offense was cold on Thursday, as they managed just four hits in a loss to Oklahoma City. … After a pair of brutal starts, Jhony Brito pitched well Thursday as he stretched out to five innings and allowed just three hits. He didn’t walk a batter and punched out five as he landed 52 of his 70 pitches for strikes. Both his sinker and four-seamer sat at 96-97 mph, and he got 11 whiffs on his 24 offspeed offerings as he dominated the Dodgers’ top affiliate. The five shutout innings lowered Brito’s PCL ERA to 8.10 after he made it through just five innings combined in his first two starts with El Paso. As Brito continues to stretch out as a starter, he could play a pivotal role for a big league roster that has struggled to find enough depth. … Offensively, shortstop Mason McCoy had two of the club’s four hits, including a double. The 29-year-old has given El Paso modest production this season, notching a .663 OPS. He has been solid on the basepaths, stealing 16 bases. McCoy got into six games last season with the Blue Jays, although he has just one at-bat to his credit.
Amarillo Sod Poodles 9, Missions 3
Key Statistics: CF Robert Perez Jr., 3-for-4, BB; 2B Michael De La Cruz, 1-for-4, 2 RBI; 1B Robbie Tenerowicz, 1-for-3, R, BB; LHP Austin Krob, 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 10 K; RHP Raul Brito (L, 2-2) 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K
Austin Krob has found his groove in San Antonio. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Prospect Watch: This was a tight one until the Soddies exploded with a five-run ninth inning to pull away from the Missions. … Center fielder Robert Perez Jr. singled three times and drew a walk in the loss. The 24-year-old has been very streaky this season. He looked to be putting things together after a solid May but crashed back down to Earth in June, hitting just .167/.298/.269. He’s been hot in July thus far, hitting .368/.536/.368. He is currently riding a five-game hitting streak. … While the score wasn’t close, the Missions received another solid outing from Austin Krob, who is really putting things together. Krob worked six innings and allowed just two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out 10 as he reached double-digits for the second time in four starts. The 24-year-old lefty has been red-hot over that stretch, which came on the heels of his worst outing as a professional. Over his last 25 innings, Krob has a 1.80 ERA with 35 strikeouts and seven walks. The hot stretch has lowered Krob’s season ERA from 6.14 to 4.78.
Game One: Great Lakes Loons 4, TinCaps 1 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: SS Jay Beshears, 1-for-2, R, BB; C Anthony Vilar, 2-for-3; LHP Jagger Haynes (L, 2-5) 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB; RHP Joan Gonzalez, IP, K
Game Two: TinCaps 3, Great Lakes Loons 2 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: C Ethan Salas, 1-for-3, R, SB (8); 3B Devin Ortiz, 1-for-3, R, RBI; RF Kai Murphy, 1-for-3; RHP Sam Whiting, 3.1 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K; LHP Fernando Sanchez (W, 2-4) 2 IP, H, ER, BB; RHP Manuel Castro (S, 6) 1.2 IP, H, 4 K
Manuel Castro is giving the TinCaps strong innings at the back of the pen. (Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: After having their game washed away on Wednesday, the TinCaps played two on Thursday, splitting the doubleheader at the Loons. … Anthony Vilar had a pair of hits in the first game, both singles. The 25-year-old has hit safely in five straight games and is hitting .375/.412/.656 in July. The Miami native has evolved from a backup catcher who played sparingly behind Ethan Salas to an integral part of the TinCaps’ lineup while moving around the field. Overall, Vilar has an excellent wRC+ of 120 this season. … In the first game, lefty Jagger Haynes took the loss, as he clearly did not have his best stuff. Haynes battled through five innings but he walked four without tallying a strikeout. His outing also ended a streak of four straight in which he allowed two runs or less. Despite the setback on Thursday, Haynes has a 2.93 ERA since May 1. He’s thrown five or more innings in nine of his last 11 starts. … In the nightcap, Sam Whiting pitched well again, allowing just a run on four hits in 3.1 innings. He walked two and struck out six batters. The former UC Santa Barbara hurler was pitching in the Storm rotation where he stretched out to five innings on June 6. He was promoted to Fort Wayne a few weeks ago and worked as a reliever. He’s made three starts since, with Thursday’s outing being his longest as a TinCap. In 17.1 innings for Fort Wayne, Whiting has pitched to a 1.56 ERA. … Manuel Castro recorded the final five outs in the TinCaps’ win, notching his sixth save in the process. He struck out four batters and allowed just one hit. The hard-throwing righty has hit his stride since June. Over his last 13 innings, he’s allowed just two earned runs. He walked four batters and struck out 13 over that stretch. He’s held the opposition scoreless in nine of his last 10 outings.
Storm 10, Fresno Grizzlies 4
Key Statistics: SS Leo De Vries, 1-for-5, R; 2B Xander Bogaerts, 2-for-3, 2 R, BB, RBI; 3B Rosman Verdugo, 3-for-5, R, RBI; 1B Ethan Long, 2-for-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI; C J.D. Gonzalez, 2-for-4, RBI; RHP Eric Yost (W, 3-2) 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; LHP Harry Gustin, 2 IP, BB, K
Rosman Verdugo generates solid batspeed from a compact swing. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: The Storm went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position to beat Fresno at home. The Storm have won two of the first three in the final series before the all-star break. … Leo De Vries singled and scored a run. The single extended De Vries’ hitting streak to nine games. The 17-year-old is hitting .382/.475/.794 with four homers in July. … Rehabbing Xander Bogaerts had a pair of singles and drew a walk in his four plate appearances. It will be interesting to see if the big league club activates the four-time all-star without having had him play a full game in the field. … Rosman Verdugo continued his hot hitting with three more hits, all singles. Verdugo has played in eight games in July, collecting a two-hit game, a three-hit game, a four-hit game, and a five-hit game. Overall, the 19-year-old has a remarkable slash-line of .516/.568/.871 this month. He has struggled defensively, committing two more errors on Thursday as he returned to third base after several games at DH. He hasn’t looked comfortable at third, as he has played mostly second and short during his time as a professional. … Righty Eric Yost notched his third win of the season, pitching five solid innings as his curve continues to overmatch Low-A hitters. The former Northeastern hurler allowed two runs on five hits, walking two and striking out two. The righty has provided stability for the Storm rotation over the last six weeks, pitching to a 2.43 ERA and going at least five innings in five of his last six outings. During his hot stretch, Yost has lowered his ERA from 6.47 to 4.95. … Lefty Harry Gustin took over for Yost and tossed a pair of scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out one. The former University of Hawaii ace has hit his stride working in shorter outings. Earlier in the season, he functioned as more of a piggyback starter, generally taking over for Yost. After a miserable start to the season, the 22-year-old has allowed just two earned runs over his last 17.2 innings pitched, punching out 26 batters during that stretch.
ACL Athletics 5, ACL Padres 4 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: SS Yendry Rojas, 2-for-4, 2 3B, R, RBI; RF Colton Vincent, 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI; 2B Lucas Dunn, 1-for-1, R, 2 BB, 2 SB (1, 2); RHP Abraham Parra, 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 5 K; RHP Igor Gil (L, 0-1) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K
Yendry Rojas has shown better actions at third this year. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: The ACL Padres let a late lead slip away, losing to the ACL A’s. … Yendry Rojas, who has seen most of his time at third base this year, started at shortstop collected his first two triples of the season. He also scored a run and had an RBI. The infielder from Cuba is in his second stint in the ACL where he has put up remarkably similar numbers to last year. In 44 games last season, the now-19-year-old infielder had a .678 OPS. This season, he has produced a .658 OPS. He has connected on just one homer as a pro and that came last season. … Colton Vincent seems to be biding time until his next opportunity at a full-season affiliate. The catcher-turned-outfielder had two more hits, including a pair of doubles. The former Florida State backstop is tied for the league lead with 13 doubles. He leads the ACL club with a .923 OPS. … Lucas Dunn continued his rehab assignment Thursday, reaching base in all three of his plate appearances. He had a single, two walks, and a pair of stolen bases. The 25-year-old was on the Fort Wayne roster before hitting the injured list.
