Dbacks MiLB Round-Up 4/17: Shipley sets sail

Braden Shipley was the 15th overall pick in the draft last June, and spent most of his time last summer with the Hillsboro Hops. His ERA was an unimpressive 7.58, but he struck out 24 in 19.1 innings, and was promoted to South Bend in mid-August. The results there were much better, Shipley making four starts and posting a 2.61 ERA. He remained there to start the 2014 campaign, and will be looking to improve on his overall 2013 ERA, which was just a hair below five. This evening's showing was certainly a step in the right direction.

Snake Stars
3 Stars: Garrett Weber, Mobile 5 for 5, 2 R, 1 DBL, 3 RBI
2 Stars: Braden Shipley, South Bend 5 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 4 K, W (1-0)
1 Star: Jose Jose, South Bend 3 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 6 K
0 Stars: Bo Schultz, Reno 5 IP, 8 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 5 ER, L (1-2)

Triple A: Reno 0, Las Vegas 6. No sign of Cody Ross, so I suspect he headed to LA to join the major-league team on their road-trip. He didn't miss much, Reno being blanked for five innings by former D-back Dana Eveland [one start for us in 2007!] The Aces loaded the bases in the third, but came up empty, and were 0-for-7 with RISP; CF Ender Inciarte had two of their five hits. Bo Schultz was tagged for five runs in five innings on eight hits, and had one bad inning. After being perfect through three, the first six 51's hitters in the fourth got four singles, a double and a home-run. Must admit, intrigued by this line in the game log: "Flores triples on a line drive to shortstop Gregorius"...

Double A: Mobile 11, Alabama 7. Mobile used a clutch of crooked numbers by the offense to power their way to victory. A four-spot in the first got them going, led by DH Jon Griffin's three-run homer. After the Barons had come back to 4-3 in the fifth, the BayBears added three more there, on one of 2B Garrett Weber's five hits tonight. And finally, a four-run seventh capped their night, with RF Jordan Parraz delivering a two-run single. Griffin had two hits and four RBI, while CF Justin Greene had a hit, two walks and scored three runs. Michael Lee got the win for Mobile, scattering eight hits and two walks over six innings, with four strikeouts.

Class A Advanced: Visalia 5, Rancho Cucamonga 3. Phew. I felt sure I was in for another 18-inning slog, but RF Socrates Brito delivered a walk-off homer, his third HR of the year, with one out in the ninth to save me from a late night. That completed a comeback for the Rawhide, who trailed 3-0 in the sixth, but tied things up there, two runs scoring on a key error by the Quakes 3B.Brito had two hits and a walk, and CF Evan Marzilli went 3-for-4. Jesse Darrah allowed seven hits and two walks over seven innings, with two walks and five strikeouts, and Jimmy Sherfy got the win, for his perfect ninth with two K's.

Class A: South Bend 5 @ Quad Cities 0. Braden Shipley, Jose Jose and Kyle Schepel combined on a five-hitter, as the Silver Hawks blanked the River Bandits. Shipley worked five innings, allowing five hits and a walk, with four strikeouts, though got help from the defense, LF Chuck Taylor throwing a runner out at home. Jose and Schepel faced the minimum thereafter, the only baserunner a ninth inning walk, erased on a game-ending double-play. Jose struck out six in three perfect innings of relief. DH Jose Queliz went 3-for-4 with two doubles, and SS Andrew Velazquez also had three hits, and drove in three runs.