Dbacks MiLB Round-Up 9/4: Chafin tosses complete game

The Arizona Diamondbacks named Short Season-A Hillsboro outfielder Stewart Ijames and Single-A Advanced Visalia right-handed pitcher Brandon Sinnery the organization's Minor League Player- and Pitcher-of-the-Month for August, respectively.

Ijames, 26, combined to hit .312 (29-for-93) with 3 doubles, 9 home runs and 28 RBI in 27 games in August between Rookie Advanced Missoula and Hillsboro. He ranked among all Short-Season League players in home runs (1st), walks (T-1st, 21), RBI (2nd), runs scored (T-2nd, 24) and total bases (4th, 59). Ijames recorded 5-straight multi-hit games from Aug. 26-29, going 11-for-21, along with a 2-homer (1 grand slam) and career-high 6 RBI game on Aug. 27 vs. Helena. A native of Owensboro, Ky., he was signed by the D-backs as a Minor League free agent on July 19. The University of Louisville product played the 2013 season with the independent Frontier League's Washington Wild Things.

Sinnery, 24, went 5-1 with a 2.35 ERA (10 ER in 38.1 IP) in 6 starts in August for the Rawhide. He tied for the Minor League-lead in wins during the month (with 9 others) and ranked third among all Single-A affiliates in innings. Sinnery tossed 14.0-scoreless innings from Aug. 22-28, which included a 4-hit shutout on Aug. 22 @ San Jose, and carries a 4-game winning streak into postseason play. The Orange, N.J. native was signed by the D-backs as a Minor League free agent on Feb. 17, 2013, after graduating from the University of Michigan.

Below is a list of the players nominated by each affiliate for Player and Pitcher of the Month.

Snake Stars
3 stars: Andrew Chafin, Reno 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W (1-0)
2 stars: Dallas Newton, Missoula 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, W (4-5)
1 star: Nick Ahmed, Reno 3-for-5, 2 R, HR (1), RBI
0 stars: Kaleb Fleck, Mobile 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, BS, L (0-1)

Triple-A Reno 6 Las Vegas 0

This one was nearly over by the time the first out was recorded, as the Aces started of the game by going single, walk, walk, grand-slam, double. 1B Mike Jacobs had the big blow, continuing his insanely hot streak. Over the last eight games, he is 13-for-31 with six home-runs and 14 RBI. Nick Ahmed added a solo shot in the fourth, one of his three hits on the night, and that was more than enough for Andrew Chafin, who tossed a complete-game four hitter, with no walks and five strikeouts. That gave the Aces a split in Las Vegas, leveling the series at one apiece, with the next game scheduled for Reno tomorrow night.

Double-A Mobile 4, Jacksonville 5

The BayBears will be kicking themselves, letting a four-run lead slip away, with the Suns scoring twice when down to their final out, to snatch victory in the best-of-five opening game. Archie Bradley started for Mobile, and looked strong early, while the offense scored two in the first and two more in the second. But Jacksonville chipped away, getting a run in each of the next three innings: Bradley went six, allowing eight hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. LF Dustin Martin homered and singled, while 2B Nate Samson had a pair of hits and a walk, but the two-run homer allowed by Kaleb Fleck when one out from a win in the ninth was decisive.

High-A Visalia 2 Stockton 1

The Rawhide took the lead in the fifth on an RBI single by 2B Kevin Medrano in the fifth, and doubled that lead on Rudy Flores's second HR of the post-season the next time up. However, the Ports got one back in the bottom of the sixth, as they chased starter Andrew Barbosa: he went 5.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk, with eight strikeouts. Kyle Schephel and Joey Krehbiel held the lead until the ninth, where Enrique Burgos loaded the bases with nobody out, but escaped on a force out at home, an infield pop-up and a K. Flores and RF Socrates Brito each had two hits, as the Rawhide move on, starting a best of five series in Bakersfield on Saturday.

Class-A South Bend 2, Lake County 7

The Silver Hawks got the bum-rush out of the playoffs, swept by the Captains with a combined score of 13-4 over the two games. South Bend did have hope after getting on the board first, on an RBI single by RF Justin Williams in the third. However, it proved short-lived as back-to-back homers off Blake Perry with one out in the fourth gave Lake County the lead for good, and a five-run fifth for them blew this open. Perry gave up five hits, two walks and four runs in 4.1 innings, with six K's. Williams reached base safely four times with half of South Bend's four hits, as well as a pair of walks.

Missoula 4 @ Great Falls 0. In non-playoff action, the Osprey finished their regular season in grand style, Dallas Newton and three relievers combining for a one-hitter. Newton went six innings, and the only hit was an infield one to lead off the sixth. He walked one and struck out eight before Will Landsheft, Jency Solis and Cody Clark each pitched a hitless inning: Osprey pitchers combined for 13 hits on the night. 1B Taylor Ard had a two-run homer as part of a four-run first, that gave Missoula all the offense they would need. He, LF Gerard Hernandez and DH Bennie Robinson each had two hits.