Reno Aces 11, El Paso Chihuahuas 6
Randy Vásquez has had a rough go in the PCL. (Photo:: Jorge Salgado)
Key Stats: DH Brett Sullivan 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, HR (15); 1B Brandon Valenzuela 3-for-5; RF Tirso Ornelas 1-for-5, HR (20); SS Clay Dungan 2-for-5, HR (7); RHP Randy Vásquez 4 IP, 12 H, 10 ER, 5 K, 4 HR; RHP Gabe Mosser 3 IP, 3 H, 2 K
Prospect Watch: Randy Vásquez gave up four homers en route to surrendering a season-high 10 runs over four innings as Reno ran away with this one early. El Paso dropped the final two games to lose the series. Vásquez, making his first appearance since getting tagged for nine runs for the Padres in Tampa on August 31, yielded 12 hits and struck out five without a walk. His ERA in eight starts in the PCL this year is 10.57, slightly more than double the mark he’s produced in 92 innings for San Diego. While he had his typical high-spin curve working, Reno hit him hard all day, averaging 92.3 mph off the bat on 19 balls in play. … Brett Sullivan, in the lineup as the designated hitter, was a single short of the cycle and scored three runs. The 30-year-old backstop owns a .489 slugging percentage on the year for El Paso, but was just 3-for-17 in his time with the big league club. When the season ends, he will have exhausted his final option year. … Brandon Valenzuela collected three singles in his first multi-hit game since joining El Paso a month ago. The switch-hitting catcher, who played first base Sunday, got off to a brutal start in his first taste of Triple-A, but he’s gone 7-for-16 with four walks over his last six games. … Tirso Ornelas connected on a two-strike homer to center, extending his career-best season total to 19. After a torrid stretch from May through July, he’s hit just .230 since the start of August.
Missions 6, Tulsa Drillers 4
Key Stats: SS Ripken Reyes 2-for-4, HR (4), BB; 1B Romeo Sanabria 2-for-4, 2B; C Juan Zabala 1-for-3, 2B, BB; LHP Miguel Cienfuegos 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 K, 2 BB; LHP Jackson Wolf 3 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K, BB; RHP Bradgley Rodriguez IP, H, ER, 3 K, BB
Romeo Sanabria has made plenty of contact for San Antonio. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Prospect Watch: Batting out of the leadoff spot, Ripken Reyes sparked the Missions offense with a two-hit game including his fourth homer of the year and second of the series. The 27-year-old switch-hitter has hit in eight of his last 11 games, raising his slugging percentage to .320, the highest it’s been since mid-April. … Romeo Sanabria snapped out of a 2-for-27 slump with a pair of hits, including his third Texas League double. In 27 games with San Antonio, he’s reached base at a .400 clip, but has only four extra-base hits. The big first baseman heads into the final week of the season with an .839 OPS with healthy 21% strikeout and 15% walk rates across 525 plate appearances at three levels this season. … Miguel Cienfuegos worked five innings, allowing a pair of solo homers but no other runs as he picked up the win. The lefty from Quebec bounced back nicely from a rough outing to open the series, when he was charged with five earned runs. In his second year of affiliated baseball, he’s posted a 5.10 ERA while eating an organization-best 121.2 innings across three levels. … Bradgley Rodriguez had an eventful inning while picking up the save. The righty gave up a walk, a single, and a hit batter in the process of allowing a run, but also struck out the side. He needed 30 pitches – only 16 of which were strikes – to get through the ninth. In 12.2 innings of work since joining San Antonio, the 20-year-old has struck out 21 and held opponents to a .149 average, but allowed five earned runs in part because of seven free passes.
South Bend Cubs 3, TinCaps 1
Ethan Salas will have plenty more opportunities to sport the brown and gold. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Key Stats: C Ethan Salas 1-for-4; LF Addison Kopack 1-for-2, BB; RHP Isaiah Lowe 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K; LHP Harry Gustin IP, H; RHP Will Varmette IP, 2 K
Prospect Watch: Fort Wayne dropped the season’s final game at home to finish with the Midwest League’s worst record. As happened far too often this year, the offense was held in check, managing just three singles. Ethan Salas picked up one of the hits in four at-bats, finishing the year with a disappointing .206/.288/.311 line across 469 plate appearances. He managed a respectable 20.9% strikeout rate and walked in 10% of his plate appearances, but simply didn’t impact the ball especially well all year. The 18-year-old backstop is likely headed to the Arizona Fall League, and then will get a shorter offseason to recover and build mass. … Isaiah Lowe threw four innings of one-run ball to finish a strong campaign after missing most of 2022 with shoulder issues. The 21-year-old righty struck out three without issuing a walk, showing progress after an untenable 15:15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first month of High-A. He finished the year with a 3.33 ERA and 111 strikeouts across 105.1 innings split between Lake Elsinore and Fort Wayne. … Lefty Harry Gustin, an 18th-round pick out of the University of Hawaii last year, worked a scoreless inning, finishing out his month in the Midwest League with a 2.16 ERA.
Storm Game Cancelled
Sunday afternoon’s torrential rain in southern San Bernardino County left the field at San Manuel Stadium unplayable, cutting the regular season short by one game. The Storm finish the year with the Cal League’s best record in the second half and as the South Division champs in both halves. They’ll open the playoffs in Visalia Tuesday, returning to The Diamond on Thursday and, if needed, Friday.
