The Diamondbacks Minor League affiliates combined for a 2-2 record. For a programming note, I found out today that there is Statcast Data for the Pacific Coast League so I will include that in future installments of these recaps.

Top Prospect Performances

Amarillo (AA) RF Corbin Carroll: 2 for 4
Amarillo (AA) RHP Brandon Pfaadt: 4 IP, 8 H, 6 R (5 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, 84 pitches (57 strikes)
Visalia (A) SS Jordan Lawlar: 2 for 4, 3B, BB, 2 R, SB

AAA: Reno Aces 12, Las Vegas Aviators 4

Statcast Game Feed

Reno’s winning streak improves to 4 games, thanks to a shutdown bullpen and Reno (20-18) hitters putting up a 7 spot in the 6th inning. Tommy Henry delivered 5 innings, but surrendered 4 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Reno’s first two runs came via the long ball with Jake McCarthy (5th/101.6 MPH/23°/365’) and Camden Duzenack (5th/96.2 MPH/28°).

Trailing 4-2 in the 7th, the Aces barreled up quite a few balls to put up that monster inning. Camden Duzenack led off the inning with a rocket single up the middle (111.6 MPH). Stone Garrett would draw a walk and Seth Beer blooped in a single to load the bases. Drew Ellis was the next hitter and he smashed a tape measure grand slam (3rd/106.5 MPH/32°/436’) to give Reno a 6-4 lead. Buddy Kennedy drew a walk, which chased Aviators starter Collin Wiles. It didn’t matter who pitched as Dominic Canzone and Yadiel Rivera hit home runs, with no batted ball figures to share, in the inning to push the lead to 9-4.

With the big lead, the Aces bullpen delivered 4 shutout innings with just 1 hit allowed. Humberto Mejia delivered 2 scoreless for the win, followed by scoreless innings by Caleb Baragar and Kevin Ginkel.

AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles 2, Tulsa Drillers 9

Brandon Pfaadt got hammered in this start, coughing up 6 runs on 8 hits, 0 walks, and 4 strikeouts. It wasn’t helped that the defenders behind him made 4 errors in the game, which led to 4 unearned runs. On the other side Amarillo (17-18) hitters were unable to get any offense off Gavin Stone, who was making his first AA start. The Dodgers 5th round pick held the Sod Poodles to no runs on 5 hits and struck out 8.

Amarillo wouldn’t score their first run until the 6th. Corbin Carroll tripled off reliever Nick Robertson and would score on a wild pitch to make it 6-1. That wouldn’t matter as the Drillers took advantage of the bad defense as two errors, fielding errors by 3B Ti’Quan Forbes and LF Eduardo Diaz, in the inning allowed for more baserunners and ultimately 3 runs to score off Josh Green. Ironically enough that same sloppy play allowed Amarillo to score their second run when Jorge Barrosa reached on a two-base throwing error by Drillers 3B Kody Hoese, moved up to 3rd on a balk, then scored on a Blaze Alexander groundout.

High A: Hillsboro Hops 2, Everett AquaSox 3

An anemic day on offense followed by a disappointing 7th inning would sink the Hops (18-15) in this game. The Hops picked up just two hits, although they got a big one in the 7th on a Lyle Lin double that led to their 2 runs scoring and the bullpen unable to record the final out of the inning until too late. Kyle Backhus allowed a pair of 2-out RBI hits, with both runs charged to Julio Frias, before getting the final out of the inning. Things would get interesting in the 9th, when a pair of walks put the tying and go-ahead runs on base but a botched double steal followed by a bad strikeout and a lineout would result in a wasted opportunity.

Low A: Visalia Rawhide 7, Lake Elsinore Storm 10

Despite getting pounded for 7 runs in the first two innings, Visalia (10-25) was able to rally back to tie things in the 8th. Unfortunately this team would find another way to lose, as 3 runs off Junior Mieses would seal their fate. Josh Swales gave up 7 runs in an inning-plus, retiring only 3 of the 12 hitters he’d face to put them behind big. Visalia continued to chip away at the lead, immediately putting up 3 in the first two innings before scratching a run across in the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th innings to tie. Jordan Lawlar and Wilderd Patino had huge games at the top of the order, the former going 2 for 4 with a triple and a stolen base and the latter going 3 for 5 with 3 steals and 2 RBI.