Tacoma Rainiers 11, Chihuahuas 9
Key Statistics: RF Tirso Ornelas 1-for-4, BB; C Luis Campusano 3-for-5; 1B Tim Locastro 1-for-3, HR (7), 4 RBI; CF Clay Dungan 2-for-5; 3B Ripken Reyes 2-for-4, 3B, RBI; RHP Logan Gillaspie (L, 1-2) 4.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, K; RHP Raul Brito 2.1 IP, H, ER, BB, K
Clay Dungan is one of the more versatile defensive players in the organization. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas fell behind early before mounting a comeback in the ninth. They scored six times and had the bases loaded, but in the end, Tacoma emerged victorious. … Luis Campusano had another nice night at the plate with three singles to raise his batting average to .330, second in the PCL and just six points back of the league lead. He is also the only qualified batter with an OPS over 1.000 (it currently sits at 1.045). Working behind the plate, he had a throwing error on an aggressive pickoff attempt at second base in the ninth, but he also made a strong tag play at the plate to help cut down a wrun. He could be a candidate to join the Padres when rosters expand on Monday. … Center fielder Clay Dungan had a nice day at the plate, notching a pair of singles to extend his hitting streak to seven games. The 29-year-old has had a nice August, hitting .303/.406/.449 with a pair of homers. He will be eligible for free agency this offseason, but his versatility could make him a candidate to be re-signed. … Righty Logan Gillaspie struggled and took his second loss of the season. He tossed 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on nine hits. He walked two and struck out one. The 28-year-old veteran has been a valuable innings-eater for the organization and spent some time on the big league roster this year. Working as a starter for the first time since 2019, Gillaspie’s results have been uninspiring. As a reliever, Gillaspie has a solid 3.71 ERA in 17 innings. As a starter, his ERA stands at 7.11 to go with a 1.92 WHIP.
Frisco RoughRiders 6, Missions 3
Key Statistics: 2B Marcos Castañon 1-for-3, 2 R, BB; 3B Devin Ortiz 2-for-4, RBI, SB (18); RHP Enmanuel Pinales 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K; RHP Garrett Hawkins 0.2 IP, H, BB; RHP Andrew Moore (L, 3-3) 0.2 IP, H, 3 ER, BB, K
Devin Ortiz makes a nice stop at third base. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Prospect Watch: The Missions offense had a quiet night, managing just four hits in a loss to Frisco. … Third baseman Devin Ortiz had a pair of singles and added his 18th stolen base of the year as the former Virginia infielder looked to snap out of a month-long struggle. Friday’s two-hit night was just his second multi-hit game this month. He is hitting a meager .164/.315/.233 in August. His .655 OPS this season is in line with the .651 mark he has posted since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2022. … While Ortiz has struggled, second baseman Marcos Castañon has thrived in August. The 26-year-old out of Rialto singled, drew a walk, and scored a pair of runs. He’s produced a .313/.389/.475 slash-line this month with four homers. San Antonio’s Wolff Stadium is known as a pitcher’s park, and Castañon has suffered from that. At home, he’s hitting .222/.317/.352. On the road, he’s hitting a terrific .310/.347/.486. He will be Rule 5 eligible this off-season, and while he’s already 26, his bat could make him an interesting option to an organization looking for depth at third and second. … Enmanuel Pinales pitched well but ultimately did not factor in the decision. He completed 5.2 innings and allowed a pair of runs on two hits. He walked three and struck out six. The 24-year-old has put together back-to-back solid outings after lasting just 2.2 innings in a start against Tulsa on August 16. The righty will finish August with a 4.07 ERA. Pinales only needs 3.2 innings over the next two weeks to set a new career-high in innings pitched.
Dayton Dragons 4, TinCaps 2
Key Statistics: DH Brendan Durfee 1-for-4; 2B Rosman Verdugo 1-for-3, BB; 2B Rosman Verdugo 1-for-3, BB; SS Jonathan Vastine 1-for-3, RBI; 1B Jack Costello 1-for-3, HR (9), RBI; RHP Maikel Miralles (L, 0-1) 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, BB, 5 K
Jack Costello connected on his ninth home run this season. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: Like the Missions, Fort Wayne notched just four hits and lost to Dayton on the last Saturday night game at Parkview Field this season. … First baseman Jack Costello connected on his ninth homer of the year and also drew a walk. After impressing in a late-season run with the Storm last season, Costello has struggled in his first full season as a pro. Overall, the 24-year-old has a wRC+ of 80, and his walk rate has hovered around six percent. He’s also been victimized by the fifth-lowest BABIP (.245) in the league, although the quality of his contact hasn’t been as good as it was last year. The former USD infielder was a senior sign last summer. … Rosman Verdugo singled and drew a walk in the loss. The 20-year-old infielder has hit a career-high 12 homers this year, but he’s struggled mightily down the stretch. Through the season’s first free months, the Ensanada native hit .216/.364/.432 – good for production, 28 percent above league average. Since July 1, he’s hitting only .196/.310/.250 with just two homers. Verdugo has intriguing power for an up-the-middle player, but with a strikeout rate north of 30%, there are major concerns about whether it will play in the upper minors. … Maikel Miralles made his High-A debut and earned a quality start but wore the loss. He tied a career-high by pitching six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out five. The 20-year-old had a strong July with the Storm, but he struggled in August, failing to last five innings in any of his four outings. Miralles should get one more start this season.
Storm 6, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5
Key Statistics: LF Alex McCoy 3-for-4, BB, 2 RBI, SB (13); 2B Dylan Grego 2-for-4, R; RF George Bilecki 1-for-3, BB, RBI; RHP Winyer Chourio 4 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 6 K; RHP Kleiber Olmedo (W, 5-6) 3 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K; RHP Adam Conrad (S, 4) IP, BB, 2 K
Prospect Watch: John Conniff finished up his visit to Lake Elsinore and has the game story here.
