The Diamondbacks Minor League affiliates combined for a 2-1 record. Reno’s game was postponed due to rain and will be made up as a 7-inning doubleheader. Recent roster moves in the system include shortstop prospect, and #2 overall on the team, Jordan Lawlar, placed on the 7-Day Injured List and catcher/first baseman Shane Muntz, a 15th round pick out of Wake Forest in last year’s draft, getting promoted to High A Hillsboro.

Top Prospect Performances

Amarillo CF Corbin Carroll: 1 for 4, 3B, R
Amarillo RHP Brandon Pfaadt: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K, 91 pitches (68 strikes)

AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles 2, Arkansas Travelers 0

Brandon Pfaadt and two relievers combined for a 6-hit shutout of the Travelers, combining for 10 strikeouts and 0 walks, as the former had arguably his best start of his pro career to date. Pfaadt didn’t walk a batter and struck out 9 hitters, which pushed his strikeout rate of the season well above 30%. While the ERA hasn’t looked great, the peripherals for Pfaadt are well enough that a midseason promotion to Reno is possible.

Not much to speak of offensively as Arkansas starter Taylor Dollard, selected 12 picks before Pfaadt in the 2020 Draft, held Amarillo (19-21) to one run over 7 innings. That run came in the 4th inning, when Corbin Carroll hit a deep fly ball to right that the right fielder broke the wrong way on (first two steps were in) that resulted in a triple. Mr. DeLoach should have read Carroll’s prospect report before the game, that Carroll has tremendous pull power for a 5’10” guy and any fly ball or line drive contact hit to his pull field is more likely to sail over his head than drop in front. Two batters later, Eduardo Diaz singled home Carroll to give Amarillo a 1-0 lead that would hold since they were playing in the hitter’s paradise known as Hodgetown.

After Pfaadt was done toying with Arkansas’ lineup, lefty Junior Garcia came in for the 8th. Garcia allowed a leadoff single, but would strand that runner at 2nd after retiring the next three hitters. Amarillo hitters came up with a critical insurance run in the top half of the 9th, as Leandro Cedeño led off the frame with a walk. Pinch runner Dairon Cuevas would steal 2nd, advance to 3rd on a foul fly ball to right field, then score on a line drive single off the bat of Blaze Alexander. Blake Rogers would get the bottom half of the inning for the Sod Poodles and pitched around a 2-out single to close it out.

High A: Hillsboro Hops 12, Vancouver Canadians 8

Hillsboro (20-19) busted out the whooping sticks early, as they scored 9 runs in the first two innings and the first 12 runs of the game. Collectively the Hops were able to capitalize on 7 walks and 13 hits, with 5 of them coming with runners in scoring position, to score that high a run total. 3-run homers were the theme early in the game as Tristin English socked one out in the first before Spencer Brickhouse did the trick in the 2nd inning. Armed with the early lead, Scott Randall delivered 3.2 scoreless innings with 4 hits allowed, no walks, and 4 strikeouts. He left the game in the 4th inning after 64 pitches but no injuries to speak of. Given the case they had a 9-run lead, perhaps it was a case of saving pitches for later.

Jose Santamaria would get the final out of the 4th before pitching a scoreless 5th inning. While he was tagged for a 2-run homer in the 6th, the Hops had a 12-0 lead going in and he got them 7 outs so I don’t consider it a poor outing. The wheels came off after the 6th, in which Hillsboro had a 12-2 lead. Julio Frias walked 4 and hit a batter while recording no outs before getting relieved by Liu Fuenmayor. Fuenmayor would allow 2 more runs to score to make it 12-6 before coughing up a run himself in the 8th. Hugh Fisher would surrender a 9th inning run thanks to committing an error in the field to make things closer but would get the final out of the game.

Low A: Visalia Rawhide 3, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 10

A rough day for Visalia (11-30), now without their best player, as they fell behind 7-0 after 4 innings. Josh Swales would allow 7 runs over 3-plus innings, allowing 7 hits, walking 4, and recording just 1 strikeout. Listher Sosa also struggled in this game, allowing 2 inherited runners to score before coughing up 3 more of his own. Offensively the Rawhide were paced by the middle of the order, with the 3-6 hitters combining for 4 walks and 7 hits. Somehow that only translated to three runs despite having plenty of baserunners between those four hitters alone. Deyvison De Los Santos provided a little excitement in the 6th withn a 2-run homer, but the offense was unable to really chip into the Quakes lead.