Chihuahuas 5, Oklahoma City Comets 5 (Suspended 5)
Bryce Johnson locks in on a pitch for the Chihuahuas. (Photo: El Paso Chihuahuas)
Key Stats: CF Bryce Johnson 2-for-2, 2B, 2 R; C Anthony Vilar 2-for-2, 2B; Marcos Castañon 1-for-1, 2B, BB; LHP Luis Gutierrez 3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 2 BB
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas and Comets traded runs back-and-forth through four innings before the rain arrived Thursday night. The umpires tried to wait it out for nearly an our before suspending the game. Play will resume Friday night to complete the final five innings before the already-scheduled contest is played as a seven-inning contest. … Luis Gutierrez drew his second PCL start of the year, but OKC tagged him for five runs on seven hits over just three innings. The lefty gave up three extra-base hits and walked two while striking out a pair. Gutierrez missed three months of his final season before he reaches minor-league free agency, but put up solid numbers when he was able to take the mound. Over just 33 innings of work, he yielded a 3.27 ERA with a 30.4% strikeout rate and just two homers allowed. The 23-year-old may not be ready to compete for a big-league rotation spot next year, but, like Jagger Haynes, he would need to either agree to a successor contract or be added to the 40-man roster by five days after the World Series ends if the organization wants to retain him. … El Paso jumped the Comets for seven hits, including four doubles. Bryce Johnson collected one of them as part of a 2-for-2 night and scored twice. The 30-year-old is finishing out the year strong, batting .355/.429/.548 this month. … Miguel Andujar went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts, but did collect a sacrifice fly. He has now logged 33 plate appearances on his rehab assignment and should be ready to return to the big league club.
Roster Move: The Padres and outfielder Jake Cunningham have agreed to a new minor league contract that will keep him in the system next year. The 24-year-old put up big numbers in his first season after signing with the Padres as a minor league free agent. He posted a .283/.359/.516 line between Fort Wayne and San Antonio while blasting 19 home runs to more than double the total he put together in 182 games in the Orioles system.
