Sorry for the lack of recap for Thursdays games, so I’ll give everyone a 2 for 1 special instead.

Thursday June 10th

The Diamondbacks Minor League affiliates combined for a 2-2 record. Reno and Visalia picked up wins while Hillsboro and Amarillo had tough luck loses. Bryce Jarvis, Justin Martinez, and Corbin Martin were the top pitching prospects on the mound Thursday.

Best Pitching Performance: Visalia RHP Justin Martinez - 5 ²⁄₃ IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 8 K, W (1-3)
Best Hitting Performance: Amarillo RF Alek Thomas: 3 for 5, 2B, HR (4), RBI, 3 R, 1 K

AAA: Reno Aces 7, Las Vegas Aviators (OAK) 5

Corbin Martin struggled in this start, walking 4 and allowing 5 hits over 3 innings. He was lucky to only give up 3 runs, thanks to getting outs with traffic on the bases. On the other hand, the bullpen was outstanding as they collectively allowed 2 runs on 4 hits with 5 walks and 4 strikeouts to allow the offense to go to work. In your typical dry air climate game, Reno busted out the whooping sticks with a total of five home runs with all 7 of their runs scoring on them.

Reno would claw their way back in this game. Andrew Young led off the 4th with a single and scored when Daulton Varsho sent the next pitch out to right center. In the 6th, a Drew Ellis double preceded Seth Beer’s 4th homer of the year that tied the game. The 7th would see them take the lead, as a leadoff walk came before back-to-back jacks by Josh VanMeter and Young. Seems like the players that couldn’t get it done in the majors want to have another crack at it if this game has any impact. Miguel Aguilar was greeted with a home run in the 9th, but recorded the final 3 outs to save it.

LF Andrew Young: 2 for 5, solo HR (4), 2 K
C Daulton Varsho: 1 for 4, 2-R HR (3), 2 K
1B Seth Beer: 2 for 4, 2B, HR (4), 2 RBI, R
RHP Corbin Martin: 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), 4 BB, 4 K

AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles 5, Corpus Christi Hooks (HOU) 6

The story of the game was early and late offense, as 8 of the 11 runs came across in the 1st and 9th innings. Ryan Weiss had a mediocre start, as he went 4 ²⁄₃ innings with 4 runs on 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Amarillo actually picked up a 3-2 lead after 1. Three straight singles opened up the game to make it 2-2 then Dominic Fletcher would go the other way foor Amarillo’s 3rd run of the inning. Corpus Christi would take the lead in the top of the 5th with a 2-run double, but Amarillo would answer in the bottom half when Alek Thomas doubled to left to open the frame and scored on a single by Luis Alejandro Basabe.

The game remained tied going into the 9th. Brandyn Sittinger would open the inning with a walk and surrender a 2-run homer to give the Hooks a 6-4 lead. Alek Thomas would try to answer with a home run of his own, his 4th of the year, but that was all Amarillo could muster in the bottom half of the 9th for a heart-breaking loss. After getting hit with the Snake Pit curse, it appears that Thomas has found his stroke once again.

RF Alek Thomas: 3 for 5, 2B, HR (4), RBI, 3 R, 1 K
CF Dominic Fletcher: 2 for 4, RBI
SS Geraldo Perdomo: 0 for 4

High A: Hillsboro Hops 0, Tri-City Dust Devils (LAA) 6

Bryce Jarvis didn’t have great stuff, but was able to put up zeros for the first five innings. Things fell apart in the 6th, as Jarvis was only able to retire 1 of 6 batters although certainly got let down by his defense. All five runners that reached on him scored, thanks to Hunter Haworth having a very poor outing on the mound. Equally as poor was the offensive attack that Hillsboro displayed as the team only had 2 singles, a hit by pitch, and a walk in this game.

3B Tristin English: 1 for 4, 2 K
RHP Bryce Jarvis: 5 ¹⁄₃ IP, 7 H, 5 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, L (1-2)

Low A: Visalia Rawhide 4, Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) 2

Justin Martinez turned in his best start of the year, being effectively wild over the course of 5 ²⁄₃ shutout innings. Visalia would scratch across runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th inning to take a 3-0 lead in support of Martinez, who walked 5 and struck out 8. Glenallen Hill would single home a run in the 2nd, Neyfy Castillo would hit his 7th homer of the year in the 3rd and Sheng-Ping Chen reached on a fielding error by the 1B for their first three runs. The 66ers would scored on a passed ball in the 7th, but Jorge Barrosa would drive in a 4th run with a groundout in the 7th.

Liu Fuenmayor would get the final out of the 6th before turning the ball over to Junior Mieses. Mieses would allow 2 runs but got Visalia into the 9th inning before giving up a pair of walks and a double to make it 4-2 and the tying runs on base. Mailon Arroyo would come in and finish the game off despite allowing another runner to reach via walk with no further damage.

RHP Justin Martinez: 5 ²⁄₃ IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 8 K, W (1-3)

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Friday June 11th

The Diamondbacks Minor League affiliates combined for a 1-3 record on Friday. Visalia was the only team to win. Taking the mound were Slade Cecconi, Brandon Pfaadt, and Matt Tabor.

Best Pitching Performance: Hillsboro RHP Slade Cecconi - 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, L (0-2)
Best Hitting Performance: 3B A.J. Vukovich - 2 for 4, HR (5)

AAA: Reno Aces 3, Las Vegas Aviators 8

Reno scored first, as a Daulton Varsho home run would give them a 1-0 in the 1st. Unfortunately that was pretty much most of their offense this year. There could have been more runs, but 4 double plays limited the impact of what Reno could do offensively. Tyler Gilbert would run into trouble in the 4th, as both he and Jeremy Rhoades would allow 4 runs in the 4th. As Reno battled back in this game to make it 5-3, the Aviators hit a back-breaking 3-run homer off Nick Gardewine in the 8th.

2B Andrew Young: 0 for 4, HBP, 2 GIDP, 1 K
C Daulton Varsho: 1 for 5, solo HR (4), 1 K
1B Seth Beer: 0 for 3, HBP

AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles 3, Corpus Christi Hooks (HOU) 8

Amarillo would actually score first in this game, plating two in the 2nd inning after a single by Michael De La Cruz and a walk to Dominic Miroglio set the stage. The first run came across on a wild pitch then Jancarlos Cintron went the other way for an RBI single. Unfortunately Matt Tabor did not pitch well with the lead, as the wheels fell off in the 3rd. Tabor would allow the first 4 hitters to reach base, including back-to-back homers to cap that little bad stretch. He would finish out the inning, but that was it for his day on the mound.

The bullpen would not provide much help either, as every Poodles pitcher was tagged for a run in this game. Justin Lewis would allow 2 runs in the 5th before needing Jeff Bain to get the final out. Bain and Brill would each allow 1 run for the final margin of the score. The inability to stop the bleeding prevented any comeback bid from happening. A sacrifice fly by Jose Herrera would result in Amarillo’s 3rd run.

CF Alek Thomas: 1 for 4, BB, K
RF Jake McCarthy: 0 for 5, 2 K
RHP Matt Tabor: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 5 K, L (0-1)

High A: Hillsboro Hops 2, Tri-City Dust Devils (LAA) 4

Slade Cecconi was outstanding in this game, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts over 6 innings. Unfortunately no offense or bullpen support doomed him to a tough loss. Justin Vernia came in and let the Devils lead balloon up to 4-0 before the offense finally woke up in the 9th. A single and a double to open the inning set up 2 on and no out, before Tristin English would drop a ball into right for a 2-run single. That was pretty much all the offense for the night.

SS Blaze Alexader 1 for 4, 2B, 3 K, R
DH Tristin English: 1 for 4, 2 RBI
RHP Slade Cecconi: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, L (0-2)

Low A: Visalia Rawhide 6, Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) 4

Brandon Pfaadt got knocked around a bit in the 4th inning, but was able to provide 6 innings and struck out 12. Visalia was able to sustain the pressure offensively, knocking out 3 home runs in this game starting with a solo shot from Elian Miranda in the 2nd. After falling behind 4-3 in the 4th, Neyfy Castillo connected on his 8th homer of the year to get the lead back. A.J. Vukovich would add a solo homer in the 7th to provide a much-needed insurance run. The bullpen was able to close it out, with scoreless innings from Harrison Francis, Enmanuel Acosta, and Liu Fuenmayor.

3B A.J. Vukovich: 2 for 4, HR (5), RBI, 2 R, 1 K
RHP Brandon Pfaadt: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 12 K, W (2-2)