Alek Jacob has been dominant the past month. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Chihuahuas 8, Round Rock Express 6 (10 innings)
Key Stats: RHP Logan Gillaspie 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 K, BB; LHP Kyle Hart IP, H, 2 K; RHP Sean Reynolds 0.2 IP, 2 BB, K; RHP Alek Jacob 1.2 IP, 4 K; CF Brandon Lockridge 1-for-3, R, 2 BB, SB (7); RF Yonathan Perlaza 2-for-6, R, RBI; C Luis Campusano 1-for-5, RBI, BB; SS Mason McCoy 2-for-4, RBI, BB, SB (12); DH Rodolfo Durán 3-for-5, 2B, HR (5), 3 R, 2 RBI
Prospect Watch: El Paso scored three in the 10th inning to complete the comeback. After Rodolfo Durán doubled to plate the go-ahead run, Luis Campusano, who was facing off against Craig Kimbrel for the first time, hit a swinging bunt that the third baseman threw away to allow two runs to score. The erstwhile catcher still has a blistering .965 OPS in Triple-A to go along with his .222 OPS in the majors. … Durán had already had a big hit by the time he came up in extra innings. The backstop, who was in the lineup at designated hitter, tied the game in the eighth with his fifth home run of the season. The 27-year-old backup catcher is hitting .282/.349/.487 in July. … While the El Paso pen is filled with guys who throw in the upper 90s, Alek Jacob has been the most dominant Chihuahuas reliever over the last month. Jacob entered the game with two on and one out in the eighth inning and struck out the next four batters he faced. Including his two-inning stint with the Padres, Jacob has not allowed a run in nine innings. He has given up two hits, walked two, and struck out 14. … Kyle Hart pitched a scoreless inning of relief in his first game action since being sent down. He walked one and struck out two. After working to a 6.00 ERA in the Padres rotation to open the year and a 4.67 mark as a starter for El Paso, the lefty has put up a 2.63 ERA shuttling between the El Paso and San Diego bullpens this month.
Tyson Neighbors has been very effective in his first professional campaign. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Missions 7, Frisco RoughRiders 4
Key Stats: RHP Enmanuel Pinales 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 3 K; RHP Tyson Neighbors 1.1 IP, K; 3B Devin Ortiz 3-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, SB (13); RF Moisés Gómez 1-for-5, HR (6), 2 RBI; C Brandon Valenzuela 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB, SB (6); DH Marcos Castañon 2-for-5, R, RBI; 2B Ripken Reyes 2-for-3, 2 R, BB
Prospect Watch: After enduring a few rough starts, Enmanuel Pinales has turned in solid starts in his last two outings. Pinales allowed two earned runs over six innings, giving him his first quality start since his final start with the TinCaps on May 2. The 24-year-old’s strikeout rate has fallen off significantly to 21.1% since his promotion, but with a velocity spike from last year, he is getting more soft contact. After a one-out homer in the first, Pinales cruised through the first four innings without much issue. In the fifth, though, he gave up three singles and a walk, but thanks to a caught stealing and a nice play by Brandon Valenzuela to cut down another baserunner on a wild pitch, he limited the damage to two earned runs. Pinales came back out and worked a clean sixth inning to help the Missions to a much-needed win. … Tyson Neighbors tossed 1.1 perfect innings to earn his first Double-A save. The 22-year-old could be one of the more intriguing trade pieces AJ Preller has on deadline day. Neighbors has yet to allow an earned run in 13 innings this month, a stretch in which opponents have hit only .098 against him. After posting huge strikeout rates earlier in the year, the righty has punched out 13, against six walks, in July. In 43.2 innings across two levels this season, Neighbors has a 1.85 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 37.6% strikeout rate. … Devin Ortiz set the tone for the Missions offense out of the leadoff spot, collecting three hits, including a double, and driving in a pair. Over his last four games, the 26-year-old has gone 8-for-15, with a pair of doubles, a homer and two walks.
Garrett Hawkins has found a home as a lockdown reliever. (Photo: Fort Wayne TinCaps)
TinCaps 4, Great Lakes Loons 3 (10 innings)
Key Statistics: Leo De Vries 1-for-4, 2B, R, BB; CF Brandon Butterworth 3-for-5, R, RBI; 2B Rosman Verdugo 2-for-4, R, RBI; C Oswaldo Linares 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI; RHP Clark Candiotti 2 IP, BB, 2 K; RHP Garrett Hawkins 2 IP, 2 K
Prospect Watch: After scoring three runs in the final three innings to tie the game, walked if off with a win in the 10th. Brandon Butterworth knocked in the winning run to cap a three hit night at the plate. The 22-year-old, who also plated the tying run in the eighth, was playing just his fourth ever game in center field. He has looked solid in the efforts to build his versatility. The three hits give him eight over his last four games as part of a terrific .313/.347/.552 line for July. … Butterworth drove in Leo De Vries, who had a hit and a walk for the third straight game. In the third inning, he hit a missile that he thought was gone, but the ball bounced high off the 12-foot wall in right. Despite watching it at first, De Vries still had the speed to make it safely into second. He sports a strong a .836 OPS in July. … After the TinCaps tied the game in the eighth and were in a situation where they couldn’t afford to allow a run, they turned to human cheat code Garrett Hawkins. Hawkins retired the side in order in the ninth, then, when the TinCaps failed to score, pitched around the Manfred Man by striking out the Dodgers number two prospect, Zyhir Hope in his second inning of work to set up the TinCaps walk-off. With the win Hawkins improves to 8-1 on the season, and extends his scoreless innings streak to 34 innings. Hawkins hasn’t allowed a baserunner in his last seven innings, while striking out 10. … Clark Candiotti made his second start after coming off the IL and extended out to two scoreless innings. He did not allow a hit while striking out two. The effectiveness is a positive sign for last year’s senior sign, who struggled mightily over the first two months of the season.
Inland Empire 66ers 5, Storm 4 (10 innings)
Key Statistics: LHP Kash Mayfield 4 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 5 K; RHP Tanner Smith 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), K, BB; SS Cobb Hightower 1-for-5, R; CF Kasen Wells 2-for-4, 2B, HR (2), 3 RBI, BB, SB (27); 1B Lamar King Jr 2-for-5
Prospect Watch: An inside-the-park two-run home run in the tenth inning was not enough as the Storm fell in extras and dropped two behind Inland Empire in the second-half playoff hunt. With one out and down by three, Kasen Wells lined a ball down the line which caromed past the left fielder, allowing the speedster to come around without a throw. It was just the second homer of the year for Wells, who also doubled and now has 12 extra-base hits in 223 trips to the plate for Lake Elsinore. Last year’s 16th-round pick also walked, and stole a base for the second straight game. Despite missing two months on the IL, Wells’ 27 steals lead the team and rank sixth in the league. He is the only player with 20+ steals in the Cal League to be caught only once. … Kash Mayfield looked good as he threw four innings for the first time since May 6, as the Padres have been very strict with his pitch count. The club’s first round pick last year allowed three of the first four runners to reach base, giving up a run, but then induced a double play to end the inning. He then settled down, striking out five and never allowing more than one baserunner in an inning as he tossed 39 of his 62 pitches for strikes. Mayfield now has 60 strikeouts in 40.1 innings this season. … While Cobb Hightower was not able to extend his multi-hit game streak to five, he did notch one hit . After having a .550 OPS through his first two months in Lake Elsinore, the 20-year-old has turned it on in July, hitting .272 with a .730 OPS.
