According to Nick Piecoro, Trevor Cahill was sent to Visalia, because the Aces are in Nashville, and Kevin Towers didn't want to send him all the way over there for a start. The expectation this afternoon was that it would be a "one and done" thing, but safe to say Cahill's first game had a bumpy start. He got the first out, but it then went HBP, SB, RBI double, HBP, three-run homer. Cahill then regrouped, retiring the next five batters - four by strikeout - but was charged with four runs in two innings, on two hits and no walks (but two HBP), with four strikeouts. Visalia's Donny Baarns said Cahill "definitely looked like a guy trying to find his release point."
Snake Stars
3 Stars: Mike Freeman, Reno 3 for 3, BB, R, 2 RBI, DBL, HR (1)
2 Stars: Spencer Arroyo, Visalia 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
1 Star: Daniel Palka, South Bend 2 for 4, R, 2 RBI, DBL, HR (10)
0 Stars: Lucas Harell, Reno 2 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, L (3-1)
Triple-A Reno 6 @ Nashville 12. Lucas Harrell served up a stinker, taking his first loss after facing 17 batters in only two innings, with 11 reaching and nine scoring, on nine hits (including three HR) and a pair of walks. That more or less ended this as a contest, but after falling 11-0 down after six, the Aces put a respectable face on the score with a two-run seventh and four-run eighth. 2B Mike Freeman was a triple short of the cycle, reaching base four times, and C Bobby Wilson had three hits and scored twice. SS Nick Ahmed went 2-for-5 and drove in a pair. Credit Justin Van Grouw, who worked three scoreless innings of relief, striking out three.
Double-A Mobile 6, Pensacola 3. All the scoring here was over by the end of the fourth, with the Bay Bears scoring four times in the bottom of that inning, to take the lead for good. CF Evan Marzillia had a two-run double to highlight that inning, and later singled. SS Sean Jamieson also had a double and single, while LF Tom Belza reached three times on two hits and a walk. 3B Jake Lamb had his 10th homer, a solo shot in the third, walked twice and added a sacrifice fly. Michael Lee worked six innings, allowing three runs, but only one earned, on three hits and four walks. Jake Barrett picked up his 12th save, striking out one and giving up a hit in the ninth.
High-A Visalia 2 @ Inland Empire 4. We already discussed Cahill's first inning contribution, but those four runs were all the offense the 66'ers would get or need this evening. Cahill left after two, and Spencer Arroyo then took the ball the rest of the way, throwing six shutout innings on three hits and three walks, with five strikeouts. Unfortunately, there wasn't much in the way of support, outside of CF Socrates Brito doubling and tripling, and DH Steve McQuail hitting his first home-run of the season for Visalia; C Ronnie Freeman also had a pair of singles. The Rawhide got the tying run to the plate in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings, but couldn't pull any closer.
Class-A South Bend 6, Lake County 13. Locked at four after three innings, the Captains blew this open, sending 12 to the plate in the fifth, scoring nine on eight hits, a walk and a hit batter off starter John Omahen and reliever Tom Jameson. Omahen was charged with eight runs in three innings; Jameson five in his three frames; John Shuttleworth mopped up with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball, fanning four. 1B Daniel Palka had a two-run homer in the seventh for the Silver Hawks, his 10th of the season, and also doubled; C Michael Perez tripled and singled.
DSL D-backs 1, White Sox 4. The Domincan-backs were held to only three hits, all singles, finally scratching across a run in the ninth, a hit batter eventually scoring there on a throwing error with two outs. SS Melvin Mezquita had one of the hits and a walk, while DH Gerson Jimenez had a pair of walks. Merkis Montero had a strong start, throwing six innings and giving up one run on five hits, with no walks and six strikeouts. The D-backs went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position here.