The Diamondbacks Minor League affiliates combined for a 4-0 record with all four affiliates playing, a rare feat in this challenging year. The most notable accomplishment came from Visalia shortstop Ryan Bliss, who hit for the cycle in Visalia’s win over Rancho Cucamonga.
AAA: Reno Aces 7, Salt Lake Bees 2
Reno would score early and often in this game, using the long ball to put up 4 runs in the 2nd inning. Christian Lopes, Stuart Fairchild, and Alek Thomas each left the yard during the inning. Edgar Arredondo started the bullpen game with 3 innings, followed by Ryan Weiss going 2 innings. Four relievers each pitched an inning afterwards to close it out. Reno would add 3 more runs in the game to make sure that Salt Lake couldn’t make a comeback bid.
AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles 6, Frisco RoughRiders 1
Amarillo had control from this game from start to end. Bryce Jarvis pitched 4 1⁄3 scoreless in this game while the offense went to work. Buddy Kennedy led off the 4th with a home run to take a 1-0 as part of a 4-run 4th inning. Stone Garrett would boost the lead to 6-0 with a pair of solo home runs to give Amarillo a nice cushion. The bullpen pitched solid, allowing just 1 run in 4 2⁄3 innings between Justin Lewis and Tyler Jones.
High A: Hillsboro Hops 4, Vancouver Canadians 2
Another bullpen outing in this game, with Jake Rice getting the start and allowing just 1 run in 3 innings. Kai-Wei Lin went the next two and would pick up the win. A pair of 2-run innings was enough for Hillsboro to support their solid pitching. In both scoring barrages, Tristin English, Blaze Alexander, and Nick Dalesandro were in the middle of the scoring. The bullpen was able to finish things out, allowing just 1 run in the final 4 innings and racking up plenty of strikeouts.
Low A: Visalia Rawhide 7, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 3
A 4-run 6th inning made all the difference in this game, as that allowed Visalia to break a 2-2 tie and take a commanding lead in this game. Ryan Bliss and Deyvison De Los Santos had monster games for Visalia, with the former hitting for the cycle in 5 trips to the plate and the latter driving in 3 runs. Both players would leave the yard. Avery Short would allow 2 runs in 5 innings while John Carver would allow just an unearned run in the final four innings.
Bliss cycle: 1st inning HR, 3rd inning 2B, 6th inning 3B, 9th inning 1B