Snake Stars:
3 Stars: Visalia RHP Sam Lewis 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 11 K, GS 74, L (0-1)
2 Stars: AZL Dbacks 2B Didimo Bracho 3 for 4, 3B, HR (2), RBI, R
1 Star: AZL Dbacks LHP Kenny Hernandez 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, GS 66, W (2-1)
0 Stars: Hillsboro RHP Luis Madero 3 1⁄3 IP, 9 H, 9 R (9 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, GS 7, L (1-1)
Pavin Smith: 0 for 4
Reno Aces 6, Memphis Redbirds 4: Eric Jokisch allowed 2 runs in the top of the first inning, but settled in to allow nothing more for the next 4 innings of the game, giving the Aces a chance to score. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Aces countered with a 2-run inning as Willians Astudillo scored on a wild pitch and John Ryan Murphy lined an RBI single to score Jack Reinheimer. The Aces tacked on 2 more runs in the 3rd, grabbing a 4-2 lead and holding it until the 8th inning when Erik Davis allowed 2 runs to score. The Aces rallied for 2 more runs in the bottom half of the inning and Jimmie Sherfy struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced to close the game out.
Jackson Generals 2, Mobile Baybears 4: Taylor Clarke allowed 3 runs in 6 innings, although control was an issue with 4 walks in the game. The Generals offense struggled to pick up their starting pitcher as they were only able to collect 6 hits and 3 walks for the game. Kelly Dugan went 2 for 3 with an RBI. In another note, relief prospect Mason McCullough struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced to continue his breakout season.
Visalia Rawhide 0, Lake Elsinore Storm 3: The Rawhide offense got shut down as they were unable to support starter Sam Lewis, who put up a dominant start over 6 innings in his Cal League debut. Keegan Long allowed 2 runs in the 7th, but Colin Poche struck out 4 of the 7 hitters he faced to limit the damage.
Kane County Cougars 9, Quad Cities River Bandits 10: This game features strong offenses taking apart shaky pitching. The River Bandits scored 3 runs in the first before the Cougars responded with 5 runs over the first two innings. Neither team could avoid the big inning as they were unable to bear down with runners in scoring position. The Cougars at one point took a 9-4 lead, but the bullpen was very shaky in this game. Mitchell Aker allowed 4 runs in the 6th and Anfernee Benitez allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score in the 8th. The Cougars lineup drew 10 walks and got 11 hits take advantage of the free passes. Luis Silverio, Anfernee Grier, Ramon Hernandez, and Adam Walton recorded multi-hit games.
Hillsboro Hops 1, Eugene Emeralds 9: Luis Madero couldn’t avoid the big innings, as he allowed 9 runs in 3 1⁄3 innings before being lifted for Matt Peacock. A first inning grand slam combined with poor situational pitching put the Hops in a 9-0 deficit after 4 innings. They were able to scratch a run across in the 5th when sloppy Emeralds defense allowed Ryan Dobson to score. However, the offense was only able to pick up 3 hits for the game.
Missoula Osprey 1, Helena Brewers 8: The Osprey struggled to find offense with only 5 hits in the game and the pitching was terrible. Brady Muller allowed 4 runs (3 earned) over 5 innings of work. The Osprey scratched across a run in the 6th to make it 4-1, but couldn’t find the bats in the subsequent innings. Pierce Romero allowed 4 runs in the 9th to increase the margin of defeat.
AZL Dbacks 6, AZL Brewers 2: Kenny Hernandez allowed 2 unearned runs over 6 innings, striking out 4 and walking none. Middle of the order came through for the Dbacks as the 2-6 hitters combined for 8 hits, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, and 4 runs. Didimo Bracho, Alexis Olmeda, and Buddy Kennedy recorded multi-hit games, while Bracho ended up a triple short of the cycle in the game. The Dbacks bullpen delivered 3 hitless innings to close things out, with the Brewers not even threatening to score.