That's a good word to describe the all-around performance from the Hi-A Visalia Rawhide on Sunday as they took on the Bakersfield Blaze: dominant. Their starting pitcher - one of the top prospects in the system, mind you - had the best outing of his pro career, and a struggling, power-laden bat cranked a pair of home runs to lead the offense. Even one of the team's high-upside lottery ticket types had a good day at the dish, perhaps showing signs of polishing his tools.
Snakelet of the Day:
David Holmberg (Hi-A): 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 9:0 K:BB, 6:4 GO:FO
Bobby Borchering (Hi-A): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, K
Triple-A: Reno 9, Oklahoma City 10. (22-22) Right-hander Charles Brewer continues to have a tough stint in the PCL - hardly an unusual occurrence - allowing eight runs in just four innings this time out. Still, just four of those runs were earned, and Brewer struck out six while giving up six hits - three of which were home runs - and five walks. The Aces tried to rally against the RedHawks' bullpen, pulling the game to within one run both in the fifth and in the ninth, though ultimately faltering both times. David Winfree and Ryan Budde each homered for the Aces, while Winfree and A.J. Pollock - back in action for the first time since being optioned to Reno - each had three-hit days. Pollock wasted little time re-acclimating himself to the PCL, doubling in his first plate appearance of the game.
Double-A: Tyler Skaggs' outing was rained-out, his fourth straight outing to be postponed a day because of rain.
Hi-A: Visalia 8, Bakersfield 0. (23-21) This game was dominated from the get-go by the Rawhide, with Visalia getting a pair of runs in the second off of a two-run home run from Bobby Borchering, three more in the third off of another Borchering two-run bomb and an RBI single from Jonathan Griffin. Meanwhile, left-hander David Holmberg only had the best outing of his pro career, fanning nine batters with no walks over seven scoreless, one-hit innings on the bump. Kyle Winkler used two groundouts and a popout to breeze through the eighth, and Diogenes Rosario fanned two in the ninth to end things. Also starring on the offensive end for Visalia was center fielder Keon Broxton, who homered and doubled in four at-bats, continuing a strong week-and-a-half stretch that includes more than just a few High Desert-aided outbursts.
Low-A: South Bend 4, West Michigan 5. (23-21) Left-hander John Pedrotty struck out seven over his 6.1 innings on the hill, but seven hits, including a homer, and a pair of walks conspired to produce four runs for the Whitecaps offense. Things were knotted at four when both starters were out of the game after the seventh, but, unfortunately, South Bend's Kable Hogben surrendered a run while the Whitecaps bullpen did not. Leading the offense for South Bend was second baseman Fidel Pena with a pair of doubles and a pair of singles, while Matt Helm singled three times, and Gerson Montilla and Josh Parr each doubled.