Chihuahuas 11, Las Vegas Aviators 4
Key Statistics: CF Bryce Johnson, 2-for-5, HBP, SB (20); SS Eguy Rosario, 2-for-3, 2 R; LF Cal Mitchell, 3-for-4, 2 R, HR (21), 4 RBI; 3B Matthew Batten, 2-for-4, 2 R, SB (22); 1B Kevin Plawecki, 1-for-3, R, HR (11), 3 RBI; C Brett Sullivan, 1-for-4, R, HR (17), RBI; RHP Randy Vásquez (W, 2-6) 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K; RHP Francis Pena, IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K
Randy Vásquez finished strong for El Paso. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: Don’t look now, but the Chihuahuas are the hottest team in professional baseball. El Paso blew out the Aviators to win their ninth straight game. … Calvin Mitchell continued his incredible late-season run with a three-hit game, including another home run. Mitchell has homered four times in the series, including a multi-homer effort on Thursday. The former Rancho Bernardo High star has seven round-tripers in September and a career-high 21 for the season – his first in the organization. Overall, Mitchell is hitting .275/.359/.508 this year. While he’s limited to the corners defensively, the 25-year-old former second-rounder is likely playing his way into a 40-player roster opportunity this offseason, whether with his home-town club or another organization. … Center fielder Bryce Johnson singled twice and stole his 20th base of the season. The 28-year-old played in the big leagues for the third consecutive season, logging a career-high 47 games with the Padres, mostly as a defensive replacement. While he struggled offensively with San Diego, he’s enjoyed a very good season in El Paso, hitting .293/.413/.439. His .852 OPS in Triple-A, good for a 121 wRC+, represents a career-high. … Righty Randy Vásquez turned in a solid start for the Chihuahuas, allowing two runs over five to earn his second straight victory. After a disastrous outing on September 4, when he surrendered 10 earned runs, Vásquez has turned in back-to-back strong efforts outings. On Friday, he recorded four strikeouts without allowing a walk while showing off his mix of six pitches. Only two balls were put in play over 90 mph off the bat. Over his last 11 innings, Vasquez has allowed just two earned runs while striking out 12. The 25-year-old started 19 games for the Padres this season, pitching to a 5.18 ERA. In El Paso, Vásquez has an 8.21 ERA in 10 starts, though his underlying numbers on the high-offense circuit are much better than that. … Francis Pena capped a stellar season by striking out the side in his 44th appearance of the year. The righty, whose sinker and four-seamer both sat at 97 on Friday, did give up a run on a pair of hits but induced seven whiffs on 12 swings. The 23-year-old got hit more frequently in Triple-A but had a great campaign overall after opening the year in High-A. Across three levels, he punched out 62 batters in as many innings while inducing a groundball rate of over 55%.
