An odd day on the farm Saturday, with two games completed early due to what I would guess were weather conditions stopping play, and an all-around odd line from one of the club's best prospects. However, in the midst of the zaniness was a line from a D-backs starter that may have been not just the best in the system, but perhaps the best in the minor leagues. Check out this impressive box score line:
Snakelet of the Day:
Michael Bolsinger (Hi-A): 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 10:1 K:BB, 4:2 GO:FO
Triple-A (six innings): Reno 5, Nashville 6. (19-18) This game was called in the middle of the sixth inning, giving Reno starter Joe Martinez a "complete game" five-inning loss. The right-hander missed bats and limited free passes, with five whiffs and a single walk, but surrendered a home run and six hits in his stint, also succumbing to some defensive wobbles behind him to allow six runs, four of them earned. On the offensive end, Ryan Wheeler cranked his fifth home run of the year for the Aces, while Josh Bell doubled. Wheeler and Adam Eaton each had two-hit days, to boot, but the rest of the lineup managed just two singles and a walk, leaving Reno just a bit short.
Double-A: Mobile 1, Chattanooga 6. (23-14) Southpaw Tyler Skaggs was off, absolutely laboring through his three innings on the hill, allowing three runs on four hits, three walks, and a homer while striking out three. Skaggs faced just 16 batters, yet required 70 pitches, with the high pitch-per-inning counts likely playing a role in Skaggs' quick hook. For those wondering whether or not Skaggs might be injured, it appears that he did tweak something, but it's nothing arm-related, and by the sound of this tweet, it's not serious, either:
The Lakers winning made my night so much better rough out and my arm is fine just tweaked my Lat! Back at it tomorrow
— Tyler Skaggs (@TylerSkaggs23) May 13, 2012
The BayBears bats were stymied by Lookouts starter Matt Magill, plating just a single run off of the Chattanooga starter despite drawing five free passes over 5.2 innings, as the BayBears managed just two hits in that span. Things didn't improve off the Lookouts bullpen, as the BayBears couldn't manage a single run off of Chattanooga's relief corps. Rossmel Perez doubled and scored Mobile's only run of the game, driven in by Matt Davidson, who singled twice.
Hi-A: Visalia 0, San Jose 1. (18-19) As detailed already, Michael Bolsinger was phenomenal for the Rawhide, putting together his second double-digit strikeout performance of the year as well as his second scoreless appearance of the year - impressive feats for the hitter-friendly Cal League. On the season, Bolsinger has now struck out 49 and walked 13 in 38 innings on the hill, posting a phenomenal 2.37 ERA. Unfortunately for Bolsinger, he was matched pitch-for-pitch (though not K-for-K) by San Jose starter Shawn Sanford, and left the game with the score knotted at zero. Even more unfortunate was that the Rawhide would go on to lose this one, with the offense unable to do anything against the Giants bullpen and Eric Smith allowing a run in his two innings of relief work for Visalia. Carter Bell had a double and Jonathan Griffin had two hits to lead the stagnant Visalia bats.
Low-A (six innings): South Bend 3, Bowling Green 4. (20-16) It was a rough outing on the mound for right-hander J.R. Bradley in this one, with the 2010 second-round pick giving up four runs in his five innings on the bump, striking out two and walking one. J.R. has been pretty good at keeping the ball on the ground for most of the year, but was relatively fly-ball prone in this one, posting a 2:5 GO:FO ratio and allowing a home run to 2010 first-round pick Josh Sale. The Silver Hawks received a scoreless inning of relief from Tyler Green, but their sixth-inning rally came up a run short, and the game was called early. Matt Helm doubled and stole a base, while Fidel Pena had two hits and two stolen bases.