Modesto Nuts 2, Storm 1 (Modesto wins best-of-three series, 2-1)
Miguel Mendez generates big velocity from a small frame. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Key Statistics: RHP Miguel Mendez 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K; RHP Xavier Ruiz 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 K, BB; RHP Tyson Neighbors IP, 2 K; 2B Chase Valentine 2-for-3; LF Braedon Karpathios 1-for-4, 2B, R; SS Brandon Butterworth, 1-for-3 BB
Prospect Watch: It was a heartbreaking loss for the Storm, who came up a game short of their second Cal League championship in three years. Miguel Mendez, one of the Storm’s most consistent pitchers who missed just one turn in the rotation all year, fought his command from the outset Wednesday night. The 22-year-old pitched out of trouble in each of the first four innings, with a huge assist from catcher Oswaldo Linares who gunned down three would-be base-stealers. Mendez carried a shutout into the fifth inning, but with one out, issued three straight full-count walks. He gave way to Xavier Ruiz, who promptly walked in a run before getting a pop out. Modesto then got a crucial two-out hit to push in the go-ahead run. When shortstop Brandon Butterworth made a stellar diving play in the left field grass to knock the ball down, he was able to gun down Tai Peete trying to score from second to keep the deficit to one. Mendez, who matched a career-high with six walks in 4.1 innings was ultimately charged with two runs to give him a 3.66 ERA in 91 innings across the regular season and playoffs. He’ll need to reduce the 15% walk rate next year, but the righty has explosive stuff. … The Storm managed only five hits, with the only multi-hit game belonging to Chase Valentine. The 22-year-old had his best season since joining the club as an NDFA in 2022. He hit .252/.356/.360 for Lake Elsinore.. … Butterworth, the Padres’ 12th round pick, was the only other player to reach base multiple times safely. After a quick start, Butterworth cooled down in the California desert. An 0-for-11 stretch at the end of the season was enough to lower his OPS by nearly 70 points. However, Butterworth played well in the Storm’s playoff run which included a three-run triple in the first game of the series that briefly gave the Storm a late lead. … Righty Tyson Neighbors pitched a scoreless inning, striking out a pair of hitters in the process. Neighbors,drafted in the fourth round in July racked up an impressive 13 strikeouts in his brief 7.2 inning run in the Cal League thanks to a devastating three-pitch mix, but he also allowed 13 baserunners as he worked to figure out sequencing to get professional hitters out.
Luis Campusano is back in the red and black. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Chihuahuas 7, Las Vegas Aviators 6 (11 innings)
Key Stats: RHP Nabil Crismatt 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K; LHP Omar Cruz 0.2 IP, H, 3 ER, K, 2 BB; LHP Tom Cosgrove 1.1 IP, 2 H; RHP Logan Gillaspie 2 IP, 2 H 1 R (0 ER), 2 K; DH Luis Campusano 4-for-5, HR (1), 2 R, 4 RBI; CF Tirso Ornelas 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI; C Brett Sullivan 1-for-4, HR (16), 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
Prospect Watch: After pedestrian results in his first four games back with the Chihuahuas, Luis Campusano broke out with a 4-for-5 night that included a 418-foot home run and drove in four of the team’s seven runs on the night. It was Campusano’s first four-hit game since last August 7, when he hit two home runs and had four RBI against the Dodgers. In five games since his demotion, Campusano has a .847 OPS. … The only El Paso run in regulation Campusano didn’t account came courtesy of a Brett Sullivan game-tying home run in the ninth. The blast was just the latest part of Brett Sullivan’s late-season hot streak. After hitting well to start the year, Sullivan posted a sub-.640 OPS in July and August. However, in September, Sullivan is hitting .365/.441/.577. He has extended a career high with 16 home runs. … While Tirso Ornelas hasn’t struggled the last month, he has cooled off considerably. The 25-year-old had his third multi-hit game in 13 contests. The power surge has also died down, as he has three extra-base hits in September. Still, Ornelas has had a fantastic year posting a .300 batting average and a .861 OPS. … Lefty Omar Cruz came off a brief seven-day IL stint, but struggled when he came on after five solid innings from Nabil Crismatt. Cruz walked the first batter he faced an ultimately loaded the bases on a single and another free pass before giving way with two outs. Tom Cosgrove came on and allowed a bases-clearing double to that gave Las Vegas a lead. The rough end to the season comes after a stellar campaign for Cruz. After being selected in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft last winter, he is a candidate for the 40-player roster this offseason to protect him in the major league phase of the draft.
