Trevor Bauer got the start tonight for Reno on the road at the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, home to the infamous Launching Pad, and he felt its effects. But he didn't feel them as much as his Colorado counterpart and fellow top prospect Drew Pomeranz did in what promised to be a possible pitching duel and was anything but. Bauer only made it through 5 innings in surrendering 10 hits, 2 walks, a home run and 4 earned runs. It actually wasn't a terrible outing and on a side note he faced the rehabbing Troy Tulowitzki twice...who homered and singled in those two at bats before leaving the game early. Mobile lost in extra innings when relief prospect Matt Gorgen couldn't convert a save opportunity. Visalia lost to Modesto again as Ray Hernandez and three relievers couldn't make a 2-run lead hold up. And South Bend witnessed the professional debut of ASU's Jake Barrett just a week after being drafted in a 5-4 win.
Snake Stars
3 Stars: A.J. Pollock, Reno 3 for 6, 2 R, 5 RBI, 1 SB (9)
2 Stars: Matt Davidson 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 TPL, 1 HR (15), 1 RBI
1 Star: Ryan Wheeler, Reno 3 for 5, 3 RBI (61), 1 BB
0 Stars: Mark Krauss, Mobile 0 for 5, 3 K
Game summaries after the break.
Triple A: Reno 13 @ Colorado 5. The anticipated Bauer-Pomeranz pitching match-up had to be taken with a grain of salt considering the location. Bauer got a taste of the Launching Pad in the very first inning when after a fly ball out and a walk he had to face Troy Tulowitzki, down on a rehab assignment, who promptly homered to left field. Bauer gave up two more doubles in the inning to put himself and Reno in a 3-0 hole. Bauer settled after that allowing just 1 more run before leaving after 5 having thrown 92 pitches with just 2 Ks. The Reno bats exploded in the 4th through 7th innings by plating 13 unanswered runs, led by A.J. Pollock's 3 hits and 5 RBI. Ryan Wheeler also had 3 hits and 3 RBI to up his PCL league-leading total to 61. Pomeranz (who beat the Diamondbacks earlier in the year) allowed 8 runs (6 earned) on 10 hits and a walk. Some pitcher's duel. Drew sat for the second consecutive game. He's expected to play back-to-back games next.
Double A: Mobile 3 @ Pensacola. 4 The starters in this game were solid and turned the game into a battle of the bullpens in the end. With Mobile clinging to a slim 3-2 lead Pensacola scored 1 in the 8th off rising reliever Matt Gorgen to tie it. They eventually scored another in the bottom of the 11th to win it 4-3. Mobile starter Gaby Hernandez had a solid night going 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and a walk. He struck out 3. Matt Davidson thought he may have hit the game-winning home run in the 7th with a solo blast (his 15th) to break a 2-2 tie. He also tripled in the game and notched 2 RBI. Dan Kaczrowski had 3 singles in five tries and Rosmel Perez had two hits including a double.
High A: Visalia 6 Modesto 9. Visalia has had about enough of Modesto in losing another to them in a back-and-forth affair. Ray Hernandez allowed 4 runs through the first 3 innings, but the Rawhide battled back with a 5-spot in the 4th to take a 6-4 lead. The lead wouldn't hold up however as Hernandez and a trio of relievers surrendered 4 runs from the 6th to the 8th innings. Michael Freeman was the hitting star going 3 for 5 with a rare home run, his first of the year. Top SS prospect Chris Owings played in his first game since June 1st, going 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Low A: South Bend 5 @ Lake County 4. The story in this game was the professional debut of Jake Barrett, Arizona's 3rd round pick out of ASU, just a week after being drafted. More importantly it was in a high-leverage situation when the hard-throwing reliever was called upon to start the 8th with South Bend holding a slim 1-run lead. He performed admirably by inducing 2 fly balls to center and a swinging strikeout. One of the flyouts was by former ASU teammate Zach MacPhee. Kable Hogben escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 9th with 1-out to preserve the victory. Matt Helm hit a 2-run homer in the first while Gerson Montilla and Ender Inciarte each collected a pair of singles.