Salt Lake Bees 8, Chihuahuas 7
Key Statistics: 1B Tim Locastro 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI; DH Luis Campusano 2-for-4, 2B, RBI; C Rodolfo Durán 2-for-4, 2 R; 3B Marcos Castañon 1-for-3, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI; LHP JP Sears 3.2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 5 K; RHP Bryan Hoeing 1.1 IP, 2 H, ER, K; RHP Francis Peña (L, 4-3) IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K
Rodofo Durán has been red hot for over a month. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: El Paso jumped out to a 7-1 lead, but the Bees scored seven unanswered runs to defeat the Chihuahuas. … Rodolfo Durán started behind the dish and chipped in with a pair of hits. The 27-year-old backstop has been otherworldly the last six weeks. He had eight homers in 74 at-bats in August, and he’s hit safely in three of his first four games this month. After hitting .186 through the first two months of the season, he’s on track to finish with his best offensive year since he was in the complex league way back in 2016 … Luis Campusano had a single and an RBI double as part of yet another multi-hit night. Campusano raised his average to .333, just three points behind the league lead. Campusano’s 1.042 is nearly 100 points higher than the next qualified hitter – a testament to how much he has dominated the PCL. With the big league club struggling offensively, one has to wonder if the right-handed slugger gets one more shot down the stretch. He seems like a likely non-tender candidate this off-season. … Marcos Castañon connected on his first career Triple-A homer – a two-run shot in the third inning. The 26-year-old has been a solid contributor at the Double-A level the last two-plus seasons and is finally getting an opportunity in the PCL. He is 3-for-10 in his first three games as a Chihuahua. … JP Sears was effective in a brief outing, allowing just a run on two hits in 3.2 innings. He walked one and struck out five. After spending all season in the A’s rotation, Sears has twice been hit hard for the Padres and then sent to El Paso. He has a 3.72 ERA in three starts for the Chihuahuas.
Missions 7, Corpus Christi Hooks 1
Key Statistics: RF Braedon Karpathios 2-for-5, 2B, R; 1B Romeo Sanabria 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI; 3B Devin Ortiz 2-for-4, 3 R, BB, SB (19); SS Francisco Acuña 2-for-2, 2 BB, 2 SB (23); RHP Victor Lizarraga (W, 4-10) 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 4 K; RHP Cole Paplham IP, K; LHP Harry Gustin IP, H, 2 K
Braedon Karpathios has a solid combination of on-base skill and power. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Prospect Watch: The Missions pulled away late, scoring five times in the final two innings to defeat the Hooks at home. … Braedon Karpathios had a single, a double, and scored a run as part of a multi-hit night. The 22-year-old had a solid run through Fort Wayne, earning a promotion for the final four weeks of the Missions’ season. While his .229 batting average isn’t impressive, he’s slugging a solid .458 in 13 games for San Antonio. … Romeo Sanabria also had two hits, and drove in a run. Sanabria has put together back-to-back multi-hit games for the Missions – a welcome sign after struggling for three months. From June 1 to August 30, Sanabria hit a paltry .221/.273/.313, 29 percent below the league average. Sanabria has typically been an outstanding performer during his time in the system, but this season has been a disappointment. He is Rule 5 eligible this winter, though seems an unlikely target. … Victor Lizarraga turned in a nice outing, earning his fourth win of the season. He allowed a run on two hits over five innings, walking three and striking out four. The 21-year-old has looked better down the stretch, as he has allowed one run or less in three of his last four starts. With one more week in the Double-A season, Lizarraga will likely come up just short of the 100 inning threshold for the fourth straight year. Through 91.1 frames this year, Lizarraga has a 6.23 ERA with a concerning decrease in strikeouts and jump in walks.
TinCaps 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 1
Key Statistics: CF Kasen Wells 2-for-4, R, BB, RBI; 1B Luke Cantwell 2-for-3, 2 R, BB, HR (1); SS Jonathan Vastine 1-for-3, HR (1), 4 RBI, BB; RHP Maikel Miralles (W, 1-1) 6.2 IP, 5 H, 6 K; RHP Nick Wissman IP, H
Jonathan Vastine. (Photo: Courtesy of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps got loud contributions from the final two players the Padres selected in this year’s draft to defeat the Whitecaps. … The big swing came off the bat of shortstop Jonathan Vastine, who clobbered a grand slam to right field for his first professional homer. The former Vanderbilt infielder was the Padres’ 19th-rounder in July. The 22-year-old got the aggressive assignment to High-A to start his career, and he’s held his own. In 21 games for Fort Wayne, the Florida native is hitting .242/.329/.318. … First baseman Luke Cantwell reached base three times with a walk, a single, and his first professional homer. The 22-year-old was the Padres’ final selection out of Pittsburgh in July. In 55 games for the Panthers, he delivered a .995 OPS. Cantwell is 3-for-12 in three games since joining Fort Wayne this week. … Righty Maikel Miralles earned his first win as a TinCap with a brilliant outing. Miralles tossed 6.2 shutout innings, allowing just five hits. He struck out six and didn’t allow a walk. The 20-year-old pitcher has pitched at least six innings in both of his starts since his promotion to the TinCaps. Miralles dominated with the Storm in July before struggling in August. Since joining Fort Wayne, he’s issued just one walk in 12.2 innings while striking out 11.
Inland Empire 66ers 6, Storm 4
Key Statistics: DH Alex McCoy 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB; CF Ryan Wideman 3-for-4, R, 2 RBI; 1B Truitt Madonna 1-for-3, BB, RBI; RHP Winyer Chourio 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K; RHP Kleiber Olmedo (L, 5-7) 3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K
Ryan Wideman is looking to finish his draft year strong. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Prospect Watch: The Storm led at two different points in this one, but the 66ers scored three times in the fifth to pull away. … Center fielder Ryan Wideman had his first three-hit night since his pro debut on August 6. The former Western Kentucky star singled three times and drove in a pair of runs. Wideman hasn’t hit much in his brief time with the Storm, but he’s flashed his tremendous speed while playing well defensively. In 24 games, Wideman has a .608 OPS. … Alex McCoy doubled and drew a walk in the Storm loss. The former Hofstra star has enjoyed a tremendous campaign for Lake Elsinore in his first full season. The 23-year-old is hitting .311 with an .892 OPS in 52 games. … Righty Winyer Chourio made the start and completed four innings before being lifted. He allowed three runs on four hits, walking one and striking out two. The 20-year-old has appeared in nine games (two starts for the Storm), pitching to a 6.30 in 20 innings.
