Dbacks MiLB Round-Up, 7/29: Visalia finally lose

12-game streaks are kinda rare. If, in any game, you have a 50/50 chance of winning or losing, that's a one in 4,096 chance of winning (or losing) every contest of a 12-game run. What's remarkable is that the Rawhide have both won and lost 12 in a row - not just this season, but basically the past month. On June 27, they lost to San Jose, then their next 11 games as well, had a quick five-game breather, before starting this 12-game winning streak. Since the start of 2000, there have been only 13 such winning streaks in the majors, and the 2004 Rays are the only major-league team since at least WW2, with 12-game W + L streaks in the same year - albeit rather further apart.

Snake Stars
3 Stars: Lucas Harrell, Reno 6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 7 BB, 2 K, W (5-2)
2 Stars: Ronnie Cedeno, Reno 4 for 5, R, HR (1), 4 RBI
1 Star: Bradin Hagens, Mobile 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
0 Stars: Joe Paterson, Reno 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Triple-A Reno 7 @ Fresno 3. Seven walks isn't usually a recipe for success by a starting pitcher; and even rarer is it for a shutout appearance. But Lucas Harrell threw 6.2 innings without allowing a run for the Aces, despite a K:BB ratio of 2:7, as he held the Grizzlies to three hits, all singles. 2B Ronnie Cedeno led the offense with four hits, including his first home-run for Reno, driving in four runs; LF Garrett Weber and 3B Andy Marte both reached base safely three times, each with two hits and a walk, Joe Paterson was charged with three runs, two earned while retiring one batter, before Kevin Munson struck out the last two batters.

Double-A Mobile 2, Jackson 1 (11). 3B Ryan Court chose a good time for his first home-run as a BayBear [he has four for Visalia], going deep with one out in 11th to let Mobile walk this one off. It was a pitcher's duel through the first ten, with Bradin Hagens allowing one run over six innings, on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts, and the bullpen adding five zeroes, R.J. Hively working two innings of one-hit ball. CF Evan Marzilli was responsible for the other BayBears run, homering with one out in the second, his second for Mobile and 7th overall. 1B Tom Belza, C Dallas Tarleton and Court all had two hit games.

High-A Visalia 4 @ Bakersfield 6. The Rawhide saw their win streak snapped at 12, but made a fight of it in the ninth. They came in five behind, but scored three and had the tying on base before finally going down. They took the lead in the top of the first, as CF Breland Almadova had his first Visalia home-run (#7 overall). That was part of a three-hit night for him, and SS Ryan Gebhardt had a pair of knocks. Starter Andrew Barbosa lasted only 2.2 innings, giving up five runs on four hits and three walks, with a trio of strikeouts. Keith Hessler worked a pair of scoreless frames on three hits with three Ks.

A-ball South Bend 7, Bowling Green 8. An offensive night here, the sides combining for 29 hits. LF Fidel Pena had three of those for the Silver Hawks, driving in a pair, with 1B Daniel Palka getting two hits and a walk, and C Michael Perez notching a hit and two walks. Starter Johnny Omahen wobbled in and out of trouble, but it finally caught up with him during a four run seventh. He went 6.1 innings and was charged with six runs on 12 hits and a walk, with three strikeouts. South Bend scored four in the seventh to make it a one-run game, but weren't able to get that final tally, despite SS Andrew Velazquez being on third in the eighth with nobody out.

A short Hillsboro 2, Boise 11. Very ugly loss for the Hops, who were outhit 20-3 and made five errors, leading to five unearned runs. Starter Scott Schultz gave up eight hits in three innings, and reliever Mike Cetta went one better, allowing eight in two frames. CF Taylor Ratliff had a hit and a walk, but let's move rapidly on, shall we?

Rookie Missoula 5, Great Falls 4. A close game saw the Osprey come back from three runs down, then blow a lead of their own, before taking the lead in the seventh on 1B Trevor Mitsui's 11th home-run, in only his 39th game. SS Sergio Alcantara had a double and a single for Missoula, Dallas Newton took a no-decision, going five innings and scattering six hits and a walk with six strikeouts, all three runs allowed coming on a pair of home-runs. Jency Solis got the W for his two hitless innings of relief with three strikeouts, and Brody Greer closed things out in the ninth, protecting the one-run lead for his sixth save.