Reno Aces 12, Chihuahuas 10
Jayvien Sandridge continues to work to harness his dominant repertoire. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Key Stats: SS Mason McCoy 4-for-5, 4 2B; LF Jose Azocar 2-for-5, 2B, 2 SB (16); 1B Kevin Plawecki 1-for-1, HR (7); PH/1B Tirso Ornelas 2-for-4, 2B; RHP Nabil Crismatt 2 IP, 8 H, 9 ER, 2 K, 2 BB; LHP Paul Fry 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K, 1 BB; LHP Jayvien Sandridge 2 IP, H, 4 K; RHP Ethan Routzahn 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER
Prospect Watch: After falling behind 9-0 early, El Paso rallied to pull ahead by the sixth inning, but gave up three late runs to drop the game and get swept at home. They are tied for the worst record in the PCL on the year. … Righty Nabil Crismatt got pounded for the second straight outing, allowing nine runs on eight hits in just two innings. The big league vet now has a 7.39 ERA in nine appearances since signing with the Padres in June, higher than his mark at either of the other PCL stops he’s made this year. … The Chihuahuas offense got a chance to climb back in the game thanks to a pair of scoreless innings each from Paul Fry and Jayvien Sandridge. Sandridge has now given up only three earned runs over his last 19 innings of work going back to the start of July despite issuing 20 walks. When he’s in the strike zone, he has been able to dominate the opposition, striking out 26 while holding them to a .150 average during this stretch. … Shortstop Mason McCoy continued his scorching August with four doubles in five trips to the plate. The 29-year-old shortstop has hit in six straight and now sports a .446/.475/.696 line for the month. … Tirso Ornelas pinch hit and entered the game at first base after Kevin Plawecki took a line drive off his left wrist in the third inning. Ornelas had a pair of hits, including his 20th double of the year. After a torrid stretch through June and July, he’s hitting just .211/.313/.421 this month, though he continues to control his strikeouts and draw plenty of walks. … Speaking of potential big league contributors working at a new position and struggling offensively this month, Eguy Rosario was back in right field. He made one very nice running catch in the gap and made a couple of solid throws in his limited action. His 0-for-4 at the plate left him in a 4-for-41 slump.
Amarillo Sod Poodles 5, Missions 3
Austin Krob delivered a quality start, but it wasn’t enough for San Antonio. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Key Stats: RF Robert Perez Jr. 1-for-3, HR (8), 3 RBI; DH Marcos Castañon 2-for-4; LHP Austin Krob 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 5 K, BB; RHP Bradgley Rodriguez 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, K, 2 BB; RHP David Morgan 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Prospect Watch: Robert Perez Jr. gave the Missions an early 3-0 lead, but the club managed just three more singles the rest of the game and had to settle for a series split. For Perez, it was his second homer of the series. Signed as a minor league free agent last winter to add pop to the San Antonio lineup, the 24-year-old who averaged nearly 20 home runs per season over the last three years has only connected on eight this year. … Lefty Austin Krob did his part to make the support hold up, tossing six innings of one-run ball to continue his best month of the year. The 24-year-old struck out five and issued only one walk. He owns a 3.20 ERA with a 16:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 19 innings across four starts this month. He crossed the 100 inning threshold for the second straight year since the Padres selected him in the 12th round in 2022 after an injury-filled campaign for Texas Christian University. … Krob turned the lead over to Bradgley Rodriguez, who has been stellar since joining the Missions bullpen, but the flamethrowing righty walked the first two batters he faced on nine total pitches. After bouncing back for a swinging strikeout, he gave up a two-run double and gave way having recorded just one out. It was the first time he’s allowed runs since June 27.
Dayton Dragons 7 TinCaps 1
Braden Nett worked hard on Sunday. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Key Stats: Nerwilian Cedeño 1-for-3, 3B, Sac; C Addison Kopack 2-for-4, 2 2B; RHP Braden Nett 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 6 K, 3 BB; LHP Fernando Sanchez 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 3 BB
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps actually outhit their opponents, but they walked eight and played some shoddy defense in a game that was never especially close. Starter Braden Nett needed 68 pitches to labor through three innings. While he struck out six, he walked three and gave up a pair of doubles among the three hits he allowed. The 22-year-old has shown a dynamic mix of four pitches this year, but has walked 27 in 45.1 innings to limit his success. He’s gotten better results of late, allowing just five earned runs over his last 24.2 frames. Part of the reason Nett ran into trouble Sunday was just missing at the top of the strike zone on several key pitches. When TinCaps third baseman Rosman Verdugo was called out on a pitch in the same location in the bottom of the third, TinCaps manager Mike Daly took exception and was ultimately ejected from the game. As he continued to vent his frustration at the home plate umpire, Jagger Haynes was also tossed for evidently saying something from the dugout. … Ethan Salas singled and drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 12 games. The top prospect hasn’t been able to get his season average up over .200, but his .739 OPS this month is his best of the year. … Addison Kopack, who spent much of the year in the Arizona Complex League, collected his first two High-A hits with a pair of doubles. The University of Rhode Island product, who signed as an undrafted free agent last summer, has logged time at catcher, both infield corners, and right field this year.
Storm 10, Inland Empire 66ers 4
Key Stats: DH Braedon Karpathios 3-for-3, 2 2B, 2 BB; 3B Jack Costello 1-for-3, HR (4), 2 BB; RF Colton Vincent 2-for-5, 2 2B; SS Brendan Butterworth 1-for-3, 2 BB, SB (5); RHP Johan Moreno 4 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 K, 2 BB; RHP Bernard Jose 2 IP, H, 2 K; RHP Braian Salazar 2 IP, 3 K
Prospect Watch: The Storm sent 15 batters to the plate against three Inland Empire pitchers in a nine-run, 30 minute bottom of the sixth inning to run away with this one. Colton Vincent had two RBI doubles during the rally as he pushed his OPS to .831 in nine games since joining the Storm. The 24-year-old out of Florida State posted an .827 OPS in the ACL this summer while working to add the outfield to his defensive portfolio along with catching. … Braedon Karpathios also collected two doubles in the contest as he reached base in all five of his trips to the plate. The athletic outfielder has been on fire this month, posting a .404/.492/.673 line in 14 games. His strikeout rate for the month remains below 20% after he punched out in nearly a third of his plate appearances in the first two months of the year. In a system that has been virtually emptied of outfield depth, the 21-year-old offers a tantalizing combination of speed, power, and pitch recognition. … University of San Diego alum Jack Costello continued his stellar professional debut, connecting on his fourth homer in 54 plate appearances. The Southern California native, who is already 23, has only struck out three times on his way to a 1.081 OPS out of the gate. … After a spotty start from Johan Moreno, the Storm bullpen worked five scoreless innings. Braian Salazar tossed two frames while striking out three. After spending much of the year working back from a shoulder issue that limited him to three appearances in the ACL last year, the 19-year-old lefty has punched out 12 in his first 6.1 innings with Lake Elsinore. Though he’s only allowed two hits and walked three, he has already hit four batters.
Injury filled for AK?? He was out a small part of one year. Cmon.
Fair. Probably ‘injury-shortened’ would have been more appropriate. The general consensus from the folks we talked to at the time was that the missed time likely explained why he was still available on day three.