Jarrod Parker made his long-awaited minor-league debut for Mobile this afternoon, as his rehab from Tommy John surgery continues. If you want a quick summary of the results, let's just say, "Work in progress," and move rapidly on, shall we? There were a couple of decent starts elsewhere in the organization, and it's from there that we draw today's:
Snakelet of the Day:
Derek Eitel (High-A): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Derek Eitel (High-A): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Triple-A: Reno 9, Colorado Springs 1. Matt Torra had a solid game for the Aces, throwing six innings and allowing only one run - worth remembering the Sky Sox park is 6,531 feet up, the highest pro park in the US (more than 1,200 feet above Coors). Reno scored six in the second, with LF Wily Mo Pena delivering the big blow again, a three-run homer. 2B Tony Abreu had three hits, driving in a couple, while CF Cole Gillespie reached three times, on a pair of triples and a walk. Daniel Stange threw two scoreless innings, and Esmerling Vasquez posted a zero in the ninth.
Double-A: Mobile 4, Carolina 10. Jarrod Parker made his debut for the Bay Bears, but it's one he'll want to forget. Our first-round pick had control issues, walking three batters and hitting back-to-back men in the seven-run fourth inning, setting the stage for a grand slam that ended Parker's day: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 8 R, 7 ER, 5 K. CF A.J. Pollock went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, while RF Evan Frey, 1B Paul Goldschmidt and 2B Mark Hallberg each had a couple of hits.
High-A: Visalia 5, Stockton 1. 17th-round draft pick last year, Derek Eitel, made an immediate first impression for the Rawhide, throwing five shutout innings today. The 23-year old right-hander held the Ports batters to three hits, all singles, and struck out two while walking three. The Rawhide got two hits and a walk from CF Adam Eaton; 2B David Nick and C Rosmel Perez each added a couple of knocks, as Visalia broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the sixth. That made a winner of reliever Taylor Sinclair, who threw two hitless frames.
A-ball: South Bend 8, Lansing 9. The Silver Hawks' rally fell just short in the ninth, as they pulled within one and put the tying run on base. 1B Yazy Arbelo had three hits and a walk, while DH Zachary Walters also produced three hits, including a homer and a double: both men drove in two runs. C Raywilly Gomez got two knocks and a walk. J.R. Bradley took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) in 3.2 frames, on six hits and two walks, but did strike out five. Wildness seemed in the air, as four Lugnut batters were hit over the final three frames.