Hooray! A full slate of game for our minor-league teams today, with a total of six contests, since Reno and Bakersfield enjoyed double-headers. Much like at Chase Field, it was definitely a day for the offenses, three of the six games seeing the D-backs affiliate score 11 or more runs, highlighted by South Bend's nineteen-run outburst. That was all the more remarkable, having scored just two runs over the last three games against the same opponents.
Snakelet of the Day:
Wily Mo Peña (AAA): 3-for-5, 2 BB, HR, 2B, 4 RBI
Wily Mo Peña (AAA): 3-for-5, 2 BB, HR, 2B, 4 RBI
Triple-A. Reno 3/8, Salt Lake 2/3. Josh Collmenter allowed one earned run over six innings to lead the Aces to victory in the opener against the Bees; he held them to two hits and two walks, while striking out seven. Reno managed only five hits themselves, 1B Andy Tracy the only one to reach base more than once, with a double and a walk. Wily Mo Peña hit a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning, which set up Jordan Norberto to get the save, despite walking two men in the final frame - due to the double-header, both games were seven innings in length.
DH Peña also played a key role in the night-cap, as his three-run homer in the fifth broke a 2-2 tie, putting the Aces ahead to stay, on their way to a sweep of the day's contests. He reached base all four times he was up, on two hits and two walks. RF Cole Gillespie had three hits, and SS Josh Wilson a pair of doubles. Left-handed starter Zach Kroenke got the W, scattering nine hits but no walks over 5.1 innings, striking out three. Rafael Rodriguez got the final five outs for Reno, three of them also by the K.
Double-A. Mobile 11, Carolina 3. The BayBears improved to 4-0 with 1B Paul Goldschmidt hitting his fourth homer of the series (yawn!), and blew the doors open with a five-run fifth. C Josh Ford drove in two runs with three hits, including a pair of doubles; SS Taylor Harbin also had three hits and two RBI, while Goldschmidt, LF Marc Krauss and 2B Jacob Elmore all reached safely three times. Left-handed starter Patrick Corbin made his Double-A debut for Mobile, but had control issues, walking three and hitting two batters, leading to three runs in 2.2 innings. Billy Spottiswood got the win, allowing one hit in 3.1 relief frames.
High-A. Visalia 7/7, Bakersfield 13/5. The opening game of the double-header got away from the Rawhide early, with the Blaze scoring four before the home-team got to bat. The sixth was the only frame of the (seven-inning) contest in which they didn't cross home-plate, as starter Eric Smith was roughed up to the tune of 15 hits and ten earned runs in 4.1 IP. 1B Kyle Greene had a pair of doubles for Visalia, who got home-runs off the bat of 3B Bobby Borchering, LF Brent Greer and RF Justin Hilt.
In the night-cap, the Rawhide snagged a split, taking advantage of four errors by the Blaze - only two of the seven runs scored were earned. We tied the game back up in the sixth on a throwing error by Bakersfield's pitcher, and two bases-loaded walks later in the same inning then provided the margin of victory. CF Adam Eaton had a two-run homer in the fifth to tie the game there, also delivering another hit and a walk. LF Justin Hilt homered and had a walk, and Kevin Munson got the win, finishing the game off with two innings of one-run ball.
A-ball. South Bend 19, Fort Wayne 4. The Silver Hawks poured it on late: they were only ahead by one run at the end of the sixth, leading 5-4 before pouring on 14 runs in the final three frames, including a seven-run eighth - and still managed to strand eleven men on base! Six different starters had three or more hits, and only one man failed to reach base safely three times. The offense were led by 3B Matt Helm who went 4-for-5 with a walk and four RBI, while CF Keon Broxton also had four knocks. Bradin Hagens made his first start, after pitching out of the Hawks bullpen, and allowed four runs in 4.1 innings. Dan Taylor got the win for 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, fanning four.