Diamondbacks Minor League Recap 5/17/19

The Diamondbacks Minor League affiliates combined to go 2-2 last night.

Here are the stars from the games:

☆☆☆ Reno 1B Kevin Cron 3 for 4, 2 2B, HR (18), BB, 5 RBI, 2 R
☆☆ Visalia RHP Cole Stapler 7 IP, 8 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 11 K
☆ Kane County RHP Justin Lewis 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K

(AAA) Reno Aces 7, Tacoma Rainiers 6: Kevin Cron’s 5 RBI game was enough to propel the Aces to victory. They would need them all as Braden Shipley served up 6 runs in 3 innings, but a solid bullpen effort kept Tacoma off the scoreboard for the rest of the game while Cron went to work on the deficit. Cron’s second double off Mariners prospect Justus Sheffield would score two before ultimately tying up the game with a 3-run homer in the 7th. The Aces would small ball their way to the walkoff win: Tim Locastro lead off the 9th with a HBP, stole 2nd, then advanced to 3rd on a ground ball to the right side. Tacoma had enough of Cron at this point, so they gave him the free pass. Juniel Querecuto would proceed to hit a fly ball into shallow center, but was deep enough to score the speedy Locastro from 3rd with the SS having to catch the ball with his momentum moving away from home.

(AA) Jackson Generals 2, Tennessee Smokies 6: Bryan Valdez took the spot start in this game and allowed 4 runs in 4 ²⁄₃ innings. Andy Young and Ramon Hernandez would both hit solo homers in the 4th to make it a 3-2 game, but the Jackson offense could not build any innings as they only had 4 chances with RISP and left 5 on base.

(A+) Visalia Rawhide 4, Lancaster JetHawks 3 (F/14): Cole Stapler pitched an excellent game, striking out 11 in 7 innings of 2-run ball. The Visalia offense showed up early and late, but not between. Jancarlos Cintron opened up the scoring in the 1st with a 1-out solo homer. Mark Karaviotis added an RBI single in the 3rd to give Visalia an early 2-0 lead. Stapler would cough up a pair of runs in the 5th, which tied the game all the way until the 12th. Both teams were able to score on an errant throw on a stolen base attempt of 3rd, Yoel Yanqui, who actually entered the game as a pinch runner in that situation, being the beneficiary of that play to tie the game at 3-3. Two innings later, Yanqui ended the game with a double to score the free runner from 2nd.

(A) Kane County Cougars 0, Beloit Snappers 1: Kane County pitchers struck out 10 hitters vs. no walks and allowed only 3 hits, all singles, but the lack of offense doomed them in the game. Kane County left 9 runners on base in the game and went 0 for 5 with RISP. That set up what will ultimately be the worst defensive series of plays in the bottom of the 9th. With one out, as Kane County committed 3 errors (two fielding errors, 1 errant pickoff throw) in a 2 batter span to literally give away the winning run.