Minor League Report

Triple-A Reno:

 

RHP Kevin Mulvey – Aug. 18 – 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 9:2 K:BB, 6/1 GO/FO

RHP Matt Torra – Aug. 19 – 7 IP, 8 H, 2 R (2 ER), 6:0 K:BB, 1 HR, 6/8 GO/FO

Back to back quality starts for the Aces over the last two nights, a particularly impressive feat considering the fact that the Pacific Coast League is incredibly hitter-friendly and has been absolutely treacherous to guys like Bryan Augenstein and Wes Roemer in 2010. Nonetheless, Mulvey had an incredible night, keeping the ball planted on the ground and shutting out the Oklahoma City RedHawks, going pitch-for-pitch with rehabbing Texas right-hander Rich Harden in the process. Torra has a solid 4.07 ERA at Triple-A this year through 161 1/3 innings of work for the Aces, and has failed to pitch seven innings just three times in his last ten starts, throwing at least eight innings three times, pitching into the ninth twice and pitching a complete game.

 

 

Double-A Mobile:

 

SS Taylor Harbin – Aug. 18 – 3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 SF

Harbin has had a rough year overall with the bat, with an OPS a tick shy of .700, but Wednesday’s performance against Carolina was one to remember. Harbin hit two of Mobile’s five doubles in the game, both off of left-hander Joseph Krebs in the same inning — Mobile’s 7-run ninth (as a matter of fact, four of Mobile’s five doubles were hit off of Krebs in that inning). Mobile went on to win the game 13-5.

 

 

Hi-A Visalia:

 

RHP Eric Smith – Aug. 18 – 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R (0 ER), 10:2 K:BB, 0 HR, 3/3 GO/FO

It’s been pretty rough sailing for Smith ever since arriving at Visalia, despite breezing through the Midwest League at South Bend. But even though this outing only lowered Smith’s ERA to 7.01, there is a lot to like in this outing as the team starts looking forward to 2011. Smith missed a ton of bats with his polished sinker/slider combo, and his last two outings have been his best two outings of the season, allowing a combined two earned runs over 12 innings of work.

 

 

Low-A South Bend:

 

CF Keon Broxton – Last Two Games – 3-for-10, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 1 R

LHP Tyler Skaggs – Aug. 19 – 2 IP, 1 R (1 ER), 3:1 K:BB, 0 HR, 2/1 GO/FO

Broxton hit two more triples in his last two games for the SilverHawks, and is currently chasing the all-time single-season Midwest League record for triples, 19 set all the way back in 1954, currently sitting at 18 with 19 games remaining in the SilverHawks’ season.

 

Skaggs, the player-to-be-named-later and focal point of the package Arizona received in the Dan Haren trade, made his debut for South Bend after not taking the mound since July 23. He had been forced to sit out until he could be officially traded on Aug. 7, and then needed to stretch his arm back out in bullpen sessions prior to starting for South Bend. He worked just a pair of innings on Thursday night, but showed a very good curveball in striking out three against Lansing.

 

 

Short-Season-A Yakima:

 

SS Zachary Walters – Aug. 18 – 2-4, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R.

Walters continues to display some impressive power for the Bears this year, despite playing at a premium defensive position where power is typically considered an afterthought. On the year, Walters has collected 14 doubles, four triples, and four home runs amongst his 67 hits for a slugging percentage of .483, to go with an OPS of .837 while hitting in the heart of the Yakima lineup.

 

 

Rookie-level Missoula:

 

RHP J.R. Bradley – Aug. 18 – 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 4:1 K:BB, 0 HR, 7/4 GO/FO

RHP Robby Rowland – Aug. 19 – 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 5:3 K:BB, 0 HR, 8/0 GO/FO

The two highest draft picks of the D-backs’ 2010 crop put together solid performances on back-to-back nights for Missoula, with Bradley shutting down Idaho Falls en route to a 4-3 win, and Rowland taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning and earning the win in a 10-7 game, also against Idaho Falls. Both 18-year-olds have struggled a bit for Missoula, but the D-backs didn’t draft these two for their stuff right now, as both are highly projectable, younger than much of their opposition and figure to add velocity as they mature. Though they certainly won’t complain if they keeping like they did over the last two days.

 

 

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League:

 

OF Jeremia Gomez – Aug. 18 & 19 – 5-for-9, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 1:1 K:BB

After making a brief foray on the pitcher’s mound, Gomez has returned to the outfield, and despite getting off to a slow start, has been mashing as of late. Gomez is back in the heart of the DSL D-backs’ order, and has paced them to wins in their last two games, a 5-4 victory over the DSL Rockies on Wednesday and a 7-3 win over the DSL Twins on Thursday.

 

Others of note:

·         While Torra was dazzling on the mound for the Aces on Thursday, outfielder Doug Deeds provided the offensive spark, with a home run and three RBI.

·         Mobile third baseman/first baseman Bryan Byrne also hit two doubles in Mobile’s win in Wednesday’s win.

·         Third baseman Ryan Wheeler had a successful debut for the BayBears on Wednesday, going 1-for-4 but reaching base three times, collecting a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Wheeler also scored a pair of runs.

·         Coming into the game in relief of Smith, Visalia right-hander Chase Anderson threw three innings, striking out four and allowing just one run on three hits and no walks or home runs.

·         Outfielder Chris Jarrett had a fantastic debut for the SilverHawks, collecting three hits, including a triple, with two RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base.

·         First baseman Yazy Arbelo continued his power surge for Yakima on Wednesday, hitting his 14th home run of the season.

·         Coming up big in support of his younger brother, Richie Rowland had a pair of hits, including a double, and two RBI in support of Robbie Rowland on Thursday. Adam Eaton also collected three hits, including a home run.

·         DSL D-backs right-hander Berling Cruz came up big on Wednesday, throwing six innings and allowing just one earned run on nine hits and three strikeouts, with no walks or home runs. He did, however, allow a pair of unearned runs.

MiLB Transactions: Davidson, Wheeler, Augenstein promoted

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Bryan Augenstein – Photography: Jon Willey

By Dan Strittmatter

Signing 2010 draft picks hasn’t been the only thing keeping the D-backs’ organization busy.  The last two days have also seen a flurry of movement within the minors, with players moving across all full-season affiliates.  We’re here to break down all of the moving parts.

 

Monday’s action was focused in the upper minors, centered around right-hander Bryan Augenstein.  Augenstein had been removed from the 7-Day DL at Mobile on August 5, making three appearances for the BayBears in what functioned as a sort of “rehab assignment” for him.  His first and last outings for Mobile were his best.  In his first, Augenstein threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and a hit on Aug. 5.  In his last outing, Augenstein lasted 3 1/3 innings with one run allowed while scattering seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts on Aug. 12.

 

Augenstein will likely join the Aces’ rotation immediately, partially because right-hander Josh Collmenter, who had been in Reno’s rotation since July 19, was sent to Mobile, opening up a spot.  This was Collmenter’s second stint with the Aces in 2010, with mixed results.  Collmenter’s Reno debut, on April 30, was arguably his best start at the Triple-A level this year, when he went seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts and just three hits.  His last start would have likely been his best since that outing were it not for a pair of home runs – often Collmenter’s undoing in the thin air of the PCL – as he struck out nine and walked just two through six innings of work.

 

Also moving from Reno to Mobile was outfielder Chris Rahl, who had struggled in the first half of the year for Reno, but had ridden a scorching second-half of the season to an overall .813 OPS for the year at Triple-A.  Replacing Rahl in Reno is outfielder/first baseman Cyle Hankerd, joining Reno for the second time this year.  In six games for the Aces in early-May, Hankerd went 6-for-14 with three doubles, two walks and a strikeout, though he had struggled to a .708 OPS for Mobile in 78 games.

 

One final move from Monday was third baseman/first baseman Ryan Wheeler being promoted to Double-A Mobile from Hi-A Visalia.  Wheeler came into the year highly-regarded, having posted a 1.002 OPS in 2009, mostly at short-season Yakima, with eight games at Low-A South Bend as well.  This year hasn’t gone quite as planned, as Wheeler posted a .740 OPS at Visalia — though he did post an .820 OPS against right-handed pitching — in a lineup that featured star-quality performances from Marc Krauss and Paul Goldschmidt.  Nonetheless, it’s Wheeler who makes the jump to Double-A first.

 

If the Wheeler-to-Mobile move seemed a bit from left field on Monday, Tuesday’s big promotion cleared it up.  Top-prospect third baseman Matthew Davidson was promoted from Low-A South Bend to Hi-A Visalia to take over the everyday third baseman job there (and to give Bobby Borchering the everyday third baseman gig for South Bend).  Davidson has set the Midwest League on fire all season long, and boasted the sixth-highest OPS amongst MWL hitters with at least 2.7 plate appearances per team game with his .874 mark.

 

Aside from that OPS rank, Davidson was among the league leaders in many other major offensive categories at the time of his promotion — tied for sixth in home runs with 16, fourth in doubles with 35, second in RBI with 79 and sixth in slugging percentage with a .504 rate.  Also consider the fact that only one of the players ahead of Davidson on the MWL OPS leader-board, Mike Trout, was younger than Davidson, by about four months.  After Davidson, the next youngest on that list was Quad Cities third baseman Matthew Adams, who turns 22 years old on Aug. 31.

 

But that wasn’t the only action from Tuesday.  Collmenter’s addition to the Mobile rotation left the BayBears with six starting pitchers, as Augenstein had been throwing out of the bullpen for Mobile prior to his promotion to Reno.  So lefty Pat McAnaney, who had struggled for most of the season for Mobile, was sent to Visalia, where he began the season.

 

Also on Tuesday, two players were assigned to South Bend from Rookie-level Missoula — right-hander Derek Eitel, the D-backs’ 17th-round pick from the 2010 draft, and outfielder Chris Jarrett, the D-backs’ 42nd-round pick from the 2010 draft.  Eitel was in the Osprey rotation until David Holmberg was acquired from the White Sox in the trade that sent Edwin Jackson to Chicago and also brought Daniel Hudson to Arizona, then was moved to the ‘pen to open a rotation slot for Holmberg.  Jarrett had spent 46 games in the outfield for Missoula, mostly in center field.

 

Finally, right-hander Leo Rosales was assigned to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday to begin his rehab assignment after suffering a stress fracture in his foot.  He threw a perfect inning of relief for the Aces that night, striking out one.

 

Summary:

Triple-A Reno:

Added to Roster:

Aug. 17 – RHP Leo Rosales assigned to Reno for Rehab Assignment.

Aug. 16 – RHP Bryan Augenstein promoted to Reno from Double-A Mobile.

Aug. 16 – OF Cyle Hankerd promoted to Reno from Double-A Mobile.

 

Removed from Roster:

Aug. 16 – RHP Joshua Collmenter assigned to Mobile from Triple-A Reno.

Aug. 16 – OF Chris Rahl assigned to Mobile from Triple-A Reno.

 

Double-A Mobile:

Added to Roster:

Aug. 16 – RHP Joshua Collmenter assigned to Mobile from Triple-A Reno.

Aug. 16 – OF Chris Rahl assigned to Mobile from Triple-A Reno.

Aug. 16 – 3B Ryan Wheeler promoted to Mobile from Hi-A Visalia.

 

Removed from Roster:

Aug. 16 – RHP Bryan Augenstein promoted to Reno from Double-A Mobile.

Aug. 16 – OF Cyle Hankerd promoted to Reno from Double-A Mobile.

Aug. 17 – LHP Pat McAnaney assigned to Hi-A Visalia from Double-A Mobile.

 

Hi-A Visalia:

Added to Roster:

Aug. 17 – LHP Pat McAnaney assigned to Hi-A Visalia from Double-A Mobile.

Aug. 17 – 3B Matthew Davidson assigned to Hi-A Visalia from Low-A South Bend.

 

Removed from Roster:

Aug. 16 – 3B Ryan Wheeler promoted to Mobile from Hi-A Visalia.

 

Low-A South Bend:

Added to Roster:

Aug. 17 – RHP Derek Eitel assigned to Low-A South Bend from Rookie-level Missoula.

Aug. 17 – OF Chris Jarrett assigned to Low-A South Bend from Rookie-level Missoula.

 

Removed from Roster:

Aug. 17 – 3B Matthew Davidson assigned to Hi-A Visalia from Low-A South Bend.

 

Draft Deadline Day: D-backs sign Perry, Green and Linton

By Dan Strittmatter

 

Prior to yesterday’s 9:01 p.m. (Arizona time) deadline for signing draft picks from the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, the D-backs signed three more of their top fourteen selections – sixth-rounder Blake Perry, eighth-rounder James Green, and 14th-rounder Ty Linton.

 

Perry, the 181st overall pick, is an 18-year-old high school right-hander from Florida. He fits the term “projectable right-hander” — much like fellow 2010 picks, second-rounder J.R. Bradley and third-rounder Robby Rowland, high schoolers who signed earlier in the summer — as the team believes that as his body develops, he will add velocity on his fastball and refine his off-speed pitches. According to Aaron Fitt of Baseball America, the D-backs had to sign Perry away from a commitment to play baseball at the University of Kentucky, where his brother, Bryce, already plays. This college commitment kept Perry, a top-round talent, out of the upper rounds of the draft, as teams were worried about whether or not they would be able to sign Perry.

 

The 18-year-old Green was selected with the 241st pick out of high school in Texas. Committed to TCU, it also took the D-backs a significantly over-slot bonus to bring Green into the fold. According to Aaron Fitt, Green’s fastball has hit 95 MPH on the radar gun, and he uses a hard curveball as well. According to Interim General Manager Jerry Dipoto on Nick Piecoro’s blog, the D-backs felt Green was a top-100 talent in this draft, but fell due to concerns about whether or not he could be convinced to leave his commitment to TCU. (The full quotes from Dipoto on all three players signed yesterday can be found here, on Piecoro’s blog.)

 

Ty Linton

 

Nabbing the 19-year-old Linton was perhaps the most impressive signing from yesterday. Linton fell to the D-backs with the 421st-overall pick in the 14th round due to a strong two-sport commitment to the University of North Carolina, where he would have played baseball and football as a top-rated high school linebacker. To pry Linton away from this two-sport commitment, the D-backs gave him the highest bonus they gave out in the 2010 draft. All indications are that Linton is giving up football to focus solely on baseball.

 

On ESPN.com writer Keith Law’s top-100 prospect rankings from June 2, Linton was rated No. 75, and in Law’s prospect profile for Linton (available to ESPN Insiders only), Linton’s power tool grades out as solidly above average. Prior to the draft, MLB.com’s scouting staff had filed a video scouting report of Linton, available here, and touted that Linton’s power is “his best tool – he’s got well above average to plus raw power.”

 

 

A look at the high school numbers and honors of the three prep players can be found on the D-backs’ website, here.

 

Lending a Helping Hand

By Mike Crocker

The following story ran in the Aug. 17-22 issue of D-backs Insider

It’s Sunday morning and Brian Hommel is preparing for the first of his three services of the day. It’s 10:25 a.m. and his congregation starts to enter the conference room. Fifty
minutes later he closes the service with prayer and heads down the hall to lead two more services in two more different rooms before his day is over. There are no pews or stained glass windows for Hommel; he is the D-backs’ chaplain and his sanctuary is spread throughout the lower level of Chase Field.

The same scene takes place around the professional baseball landscape.

“What happens on a Sunday with Baseball Chapel is every Major and minor league team has a chaplain for their team,” Hommel said. “I’ll do a message for the
home team, visiting team and then I will go and meet with the umpires. It’s like doing three services for a small and unique group of people.”

He also teaches a midweek Bible study during homestands and performs other pastoral duties such as marriage counseling, discipleship and any other issues that come up in life.
A former left-handed pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers’ system from 1995-99, Hommel is employed by the baseball ministry Unlimited Potential, Inc. (UPI). He explained his transition
from being in uniform to his post-playing career.

“When I was playing, UPI took three to four baseball players on mission’s trips,” Hommel said. “We worked with missionaries and put on baseball clinics and used that to share about
Jesus. So in 1996 I went on a trip with UPI to Ireland. I loved it, so when I got done playing I told them that I would really like to come on staff with them and they hired me in 2001.”

Being a former player he can relate with the challenges of the game.

“It’s a game based on failure and whoever fails the least is the most successful but it is still failure,” he said. “There is a grind on that and I try to prepare
them mentally and try to give them a biblical approach on how to play the game. I try to help the guys to put the game in perspective because this is just a season in their
life. My job is to equip these guys with positive attitude and grow in the faith.”

One player that carries that attitude is relief pitcher Blaine Boyer, who spent 14 days in Triple-A Reno earlier this season.

“I came to the conclusion that I was taking a lot of things for granted,” Boyer said. “On the track of learning to pitch better, it was more of a God time for me. I came back rejuvenated not
only as a pitcher but as a man of Jesus.”

Although Hommel never recorded any official wins or saves in the Majors he is making a valuable contribution to the D-backs.

Minor League Report

By Dan Strittmatter


Triple-A Reno:

 

OF/1B
Jeff Bailey – Aug. 11 – 1-for-2, 1 2B, 1:1 K:BB, 1
HBP.

Despite facing off against Memphis
right-hander Kyle Lohse, on a rehab
assignment for the St. Louis Cardinals after posting a 3.78 ERA in 2008 and a
4.74 ERA in 2009, Bailey had no problems at the plate. He reached base three
times and whacked a double off of Lohse, bringing his batting average up to
.306 and OBP/SLG/OPS line up to .399/.494/.892 for the 2010 season.

 

 

Double-A Mobile:

 

RHP
Kyler Newby – Aug. 9 – 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 10:1
K:BB, 2 HR, 5/2 GO/FO.

This was a dominant start for Newby
that was skewed by a pair of solo home runs. Half of the balls put in the air
against Newby went out of the yard, which may be as much a factor of bad luck
as Newby making a pair of mistake pitches, and those two home runs were in fact
the only two hits Newby allowed in his start. He missed a ton of bats, striking
out 10, which made him the second BayBear to record double-digit strikeouts in a
start in 2010 (the other being Josh Collmenter). As a starter in 2010, Newby
has posted a 2.67 ERA in 27 innings of work, striking out 36 and walking just nine, with a phenomenal 1.93/1 GO/FO ratio.

 

 

Hi-A Visalia:

 

RHP
Yonata Ortega – Aug. 10 – 1 IP, 3 K, the rest
zeroes.

While it is unusual to see a relief
pitcher headlining a team’s report, not to mention a reliever who has made just
three appearances with his current affiliate, Ortega has simply been that
dominant for Visalia. Yesterday’s three-up, three-strikeout performance
provides a good indication of how phenomenal he has been. In a mere 3 2/3
innings, Ortega has allowed just two hits and a walk, while striking out nine and recording a win and two saves.
There have only been two batters who Ortega has retired without striking them
out, both via flyout in his first Visalia appearance.

 

 

Low-A South Bend:

 

1B
Ramon Castillo – Aug.  10 – 2-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1:0 K:BB.

Amidst a poor overall offensive
performance for the SilverHawks on Tuesday was Castillo’s impressive day, in
which he drove in runs both with a solo home run in the fifth inning and an RBI
single in the seventh to score David
Nick. While Castillo has cooled down a bit from his scorching start to the
season, his line still stands at an impressive .348/.485/.833 on the year, good
for the team’s second-best OPS.

 

 

Short-Season-A Yakima:

 

INF
Michael Freeman – Aug. 9 – 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 SB.

The Bears had an off-day yesterday, and
Monday’s game was a 6-1 loss to Spokane, but Freeman’s performance was
nonetheless impressive. The 23-year-old shortstop has hit .333 for Yakima with
a .407 OBP after signing as an 11th-round pick in the 2010 draft out of
Clemson. Aside from his strong contact skills, Freeman has also put his speed
on display for Yakima, successful stealing 11 bases in 12 attempts.

 

 

Rookie-level Missoula:

 

LHP
David Holmberg – Aug. 9 – 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 6:2 K:BB,
7/4 GO/FO.

Holmberg, newly acquired from the
Chicago White Sox organization in the Edwin Jackson trade, was much better in
his second start for Missoula. Coincidentally, this start, just like his first
as a member of the Osprey, happened to be against his former team, the Great
Falls Voyagers. After being hit around a bit in his first outing against his
former mates, Holmberg struck back with six strikeouts in six shutout innings. The
lefty has now allowed just three earned runs through 11 innings of work for
Missoula.

 

 

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League:

 

LHP
Jose Jose – Aug. 9 – 4 IP, 7 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3:2
K:BB, 2/6 GO/FO.

While “Jose Squared” was never quite
able to harness his tremendous raw power at the plate for the DSL D-backs due
to the length of his swing, his power left arm is being put to good use on the
pitcher’s mound. Through 34 2/3 innings, “Jose x2” now has struck out 31
batters, and owns an impressive 2.86 ERA. Control is obviously an issue, as his
breaking-ball command is a work-in-progress, but there is certainly the
potential for a big-league reliever here.

 

Others
of note:

  • Right-hander Kevin Mulvey had a solid outing for the Aces yesterday, though he
    earned the loss as he was out-dueled by Lohse. Mulvey threw seven innings,
    allowing five hits, two runs (both earned) and four walks while striking out
    three. He recorded twelve groundball outs to keep Memphis under control.
  • ·        
    Double-A outfielder Ollie Linton has begun appearing fairly
    regularly in reports. In his last two games, Linton has reached base four times
    and swiped a bag, and is also consistently being slotted at the top of the
    lineup for the BayBears.
  • ·        
    Charles Brewer was
    phenomenal for Visalia once again yesterday, allowing just one run through six
    innings of work. He surrendered five hits and a walk while striking out five
    and recording eight groundball outs.
  • ·        
    Yesterday’s game featured a couple of
    offensive standouts for Visalia as well. Catcher Rossmel Perez reached base three times, and Ryan Wheeler drove in a pair of runs with a two-out double.
  • ·        
    South Bend 3B/DH Matt Davidson connected for his fifteenth home run of the 2010
    season on Monday against Lake County.
  • ·        
    Henry Zabala
    also reached base for Yakima three times on Monday, and recorded an outfield
    assist by throwing out Spokane first baseman Clark Murphy at third base from
    right field.
  • ·        
    Outfielder Javan Williams was impressive for Missoula, pacing the offensive
    with a pair of hits, including a two-run home run in the third inning.
  • ·        
    Right-hander Frank Santana recorded the save in the winning half of the
    doubleheader between the DSL D-backs and DSL Reds, and did so in dominating
    fashion by striking out all three batters he faced. Third baseman Jesus Abreu was also impressive in that
    game, going 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI, a run and a walk.

Introducing Tyler Skaggs

By Dan Strittmatter

Photo from Orange County Register 

 


If nothing else, Tyler Skaggs will bring phenomenal long-toss skills to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he may well be in the best shape of his life.

 

When the trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels went down in late July, bringing pitchers Joe Saunders, Rafael Rodriguez and Patrick Corbin to Arizona with a player to be named later, many media outlets quickly leaked that Skaggs was the D-backs’ target for the PTBNL.

 

However, Skaggs could not be traded until Aug. 7. Players are not allowed to be dealt until one year after signing their first professional baseball contract, and that was the date one year ago that Skaggs signed with the Angels after being taken 40th overall in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. So, after pitching on July 23 for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Angels’ Low-A affiliate in the Midwest League, Skaggs was effectively in limbo. 

 

The D-backs wanted him as the final piece in the trade, so (according to the Orange County Register) they asked the Angels to keep Skaggs from doing any impact activities — lifting weights, throwing a bullpen session, or, of course, pitching game for Cedar Rapids. He would show up to the park for the games, hang around the clubhouse, and be in the dugout, in uniform, for their games. But what activities could Skaggs do? Long-toss and running.

 

On Aug. 7, the trade was completed and Skaggs was sent to the D-backs’ Midwest League affiliate in South Bend. He became the youngest pitcher on the roster — a mere 10 days younger than Scottie Allen — and the youngest position player on the roster, shortstop Chris Owings, is almost a month younger than Skaggs.

 

The D-backs were very high on Skaggs going into last year’s draft. They had seven of the first 64 picks in the draft, and one of those was the 41st overall. The Angels, however, had pick No. 40 and they grabbed Skaggs just ahead of the D-backs.

 

It took them over a year, but the D-backs now have their man. And if the team liked Skaggs a year ago coming out of high school, his performances thus far in professional ball must have them infatuated.

 

Skaggs threw a handful of innings in Rookie-ball for the Angels in 2010, striking out 13 and walking just two in 10 innings of work.

 

But it’s Skaggs’ 2010 season that has to have the D-backs excited. Despite just turning 19 less than a month ago, Skaggs has been toxic to the Midwest League, striking out 82 batters in 82 1/3 innings of work with just 21 walks and six home runs allowed. Opponents are hitting a mere .252 against him and he does a good job of keeping the ball on the ground, with more than 50% of balls put in play against Skaggs are ground balls (according to minorleaguesplits.com).

 

To put these numbers in perspective, the average age of hitters in the Midwest League, according to Baseball-Reference.com, is 21.4 years. So Skaggs is pitching against guys who are, on average, more than two years older than him, and nonetheless the results have been dominant.

 

Skaggs currently sits in the low-90s with his fastball, though with his height (6-foot-4) and thin frame, there may be more velocity on that fastball as his body fills out and develops. He also features a curveball, his best out-pitch, and a developing change-up that may be the key to his success going forward.

 

It will take a while for Skaggs to take the field for South Bend, as he now has to throw short bullpen sessions to begin stretching out his arm after being inactive for a couple weeks. But Skaggs, who instantly becomes one of the elite prospects in the D-backs’ system, is likely glad to be pitching again, in any capacity.

 

After all, it’s got to be better than long-toss and running.

 

Minor League Report

By Dan Strittmatter

 

Triple-A Reno:

 

1B Brandon Allen – Last Seven Games – 9-for-23, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 6:6 K:BB, 2 SB (0 CS).

Yep, Brandon Allen is on yet another tear. Allen’s numbers on the year: 80-296 (.270), 16 doubles, three triples, 21 home runs, a 75:68 K:BB ratio and 10-14 in stolen base attempts. All of this amounts to an OBP/SLG/OPS line of .415/.557/.973 and wOBA of .417. And with those numbers being as incredible as they are, it’s easy to forget how the year started for Allen. In 21 games before going on the disabled list with a shoulder injury on April 30, Allen was hitting just 16-74 (.216), with a line of .356/.405/.761 and a wOBA of .343. The fact that he’s played so well since that time that his overall season numbers look so impressive is, well, impressive.

 

 

Double-A Mobile:

 

OF Ollie Linton – Aug. 7 – 4-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 0:1 K:BB, 1 SB (0 CS).

Mobile beat Jacksonville 7-4 on Saturday, and Linton’s spectacular game was a big reason why. Not known for having much of a power tool, Linton hit just his second home run of the year, but a two-hit game on Sunday gave him 100 hits on the year with a .316 batting average. His OBP/SLG/OPS line is .426/.389/.816, an improvement on the .794 OPS he posted last year at Visalia. From a center fielder known for having a plus glove and great closing speed, that type of on-base skill is impressive. Further, Linton is now 7-for-10 in stolen base attempts since the All-Star break.

 

 

Hi-A Visalia:

 

RHP Ryan Cook – Aug. 8 – 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 9:1 K:BB, 5/2 GO/FO.

Cook was dominant on Sunday night against Modesto, though he did not record the win for his efforts, as the bullpen blew his lead before Yonata Ortega restored order, recording all four of his outs via strikeout, and got the win. Cook has been one of the least-heralded starters for the Rawhide despite his stellar performance on the year, with 93 strikeouts and 34 walks in 102 1/3 innings for Visalia and a fabulous 2.47 GO/FO ratio.

 

 

Paul Goldschmidt:

 

Aug. 7: 2-4, 1 3B, 2 R.

Goldschmidt may still be stuck on 31 home runs, but the big fella chugged around the bases on Saturday to record his second triple of the season. The player tied with Goldschmidt for first place in minor league baseball for home runs, J.P. Arencibia of Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate, was promoted to the major leagues (where he has already homered twice), so Goldschmidt now has an opportunity to put himself in the lead.

 

 

Low-A South Bend:

 

RHP Andrew Wolcott – Aug. 7 – 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4:2 K:BB, 9/6 GO/FO.

RHP Scottie Allen – Aug. 8 – 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4:0 K:BB, 12/4 GO/FO.

South Bend has seen some nice starting pitching performances the past two days against Lake County, beginning with Wolcott’s stellar performance. Wolcott has had an interesting year, being bounced around from affiliate to affiliate. He began the year at Visalia, but was transferred to Yakima when their season began. After dominating the Northwest League, Wolcott was finally promoted to South Bend, where he has stuck. Saturday’s game was the second time Wolcott has thrown seven innings for the Silver Hawks, and Wolcott now boasts a 64:24 K:BB ratio in 94 2/3 innings spread across the three affiliates (strangely enough, his worst affiliate K:BB ratio was at Yakima, 16:8).

 

Allen’s performance is rather unusual for a couple of reasons. On one hand, a 68:21 K:BB ratio in 66 innings of work foreshadows a lot of success for a pitcher, but Allen currently sits on a 5.05 ERA despite being able to miss so many bats. So to see Allen strikeout only four, yet simultaneously put in one of his best efforts of the season, is a strange bit of coincidence. And for those looking to find an explanation for that unappealing ERA, take into consideration the fact that Allen’s BABIP in 2010 is a staggeringly-high .585 — possibly the definition of unsustainable. Allen’s FIP at South Bend is a fantastic 2.82. And he just turned 19 years old.

 

 

Short-Season-A Yakima:

 

CF Westley Moss – Aug. 6 – 4-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI.

Hitting in the back of Yakima’s lineup, Moss had a fantastic game last Friday, collecting four hits and a double as well as stealing his 14th base of the year in 19 attempts. This was the second game in the last 10 days in which Moss has reached base four times, the other coming on July 31, when he recorded three hits, a walk and four stolen bases.

 

 

Rookie-level Missoula:

 

RHP Robby Rowland – Aug. 7 – 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 4:0 K:BB, 0 HR, 5/5 GO/FO.

Rowland followed up his worst outing of the season (1/3 IP, 4 ER on Aug. 2) with his best outing of the season. The D-backs’ third-round pick in 2010 missed bats and limited free passes en route to recording his first win in his professional baseball career in a 5-1 game against Billings.

 

 

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League:

 

1B Wilmer Santana – Last Four Games – 4-for-9, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2:2 K:BB.

Santana, an 18-year-old left-handed-hitting first baseman, has had some success over the last few days in getting on base for the DSL D-backs, and he isn’t the only one. The DSL D-backs have recorded 15 hits in each of their last two games, scoring 23 runs in a pair of victories, first over one of the DSL Orioles teams, and then against one of the DSL Cubs teams.

 

Others of note:

·         Oh, what a difference an All-Star Break makes for Reno second baseman Mark Hallberg. Always known for his stellar defense in the infield, Hallberg limped along to a .588 OPS going into the break, and the former-top-prospect had been struggling with the stick ever since arriving to Double-A in 2009. But something clicked at the plate after the break for Hallberg, and in an 18 games since the break, Hallberg has hit 19-for-52 with eight doubles, a triple and a home run, all while collecting more walks (12) than strikeouts (9). The end result has been a fantastic OPS of 1.100 since the break, raising his season OPS almost a hundred points, to .678. It’s a small sample of games, but an encouraging sign for Hallberg.

·         Mobile right-hander Bryan Henry‘s ERA keeps going lower as a starter. He threw six innings of work on Saturday, surrendering just an unearned run on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts. As a starter, his ERA is now 1.98. On the season, his ERA is 2.78.

·         While Linton was the big source of offense on Saturday, three more BayBears stepped up on Sunday to provide the punch in the lineup. Third baseman Bryan Byrne went 1-for-2 with a double and a pair of walks, shortstop Taylor Harbin went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, and first baseman Sean Coughlin went 3-for-3 with a home run.

·         Since being promoted to Hi-A Visalia, RHP Yonata Ortega has been fantastic in a pair of appearances, striking out six and walking one in 2 2/3 innings. He has allowed a pair of hits and no runs, and even has recorded a save for the Rawhide, his 23rd on the season. Ortega had 41 strikeouts to 15 walks in 41 2/3 innings at South Bend prior to the promotion.

·         The D-backs finally announced their player to be named later from the Dan Haren trade, left-handed pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs will join South Bend, though he’ll need a few days to get stretched out again before he can join the Silver Hawks rotation, as he has not pitched in a game since the trade was made in late July to make sure he did not suffer an injury.

·         It’s been an up-and-down season for South Bend second baseman David Nick, but Sunday’s game was certainly one of the “ups.” Nick went 3-for-4 with solo home run to help South Bend beat Lake County 5-2.

·         Yakima shortstop Zachary Walters saw his hitting streak end at 16 games.

·         Missoula lefty Patrick Schuster followed up Rowland’s five-inning, one-run performance with one of his own. Schuster allowed five hits while striking out three, walking two and recording seven ground-ball outs.

 

·         Movement around the minors:

o    RHP Kasey Olenberger was picked up by the D-backs and assigned to Triple-A Reno.

o    C Alex Herrnberger (from Short-Season Yakima) and IF Daniel Kaczrowski (from Hi-A Visalia) were assigned to Double-A Mobile, SS Jake Wald was released, and RHP Bryan Augenstein was activated off of the 7-Day DL.

o    As mentioned above, Tyler Skaggs was assigned to South Bend.

o    A pair of players, DH Evan Button and RHP Michael Bolsinger, were both assigned to Yakima, though both were also immediately put on the 7-Day disabled list.

Luis Gonzalez Press Conference

Saturday was a special night at Chase Field, with Chris Young providing the in-game fireworks after Luis Gonzalez provided them before it.

The D-backs retired Gonzo’s No .20, which now hangs next to Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 on the right-field facade above the Arizona Baseball Club.

After a stirring pre-game ceremony, Gonzalez met with the media. Here is the press conference in its entirety.

 

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13969291&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=8f001a&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

Minor League Report

By Dan Strittmatter

 

Triple-A Reno:

 

RHP Cesar Valdez – Aug. 4 – 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 9:0 K:BB, 0 HR, 7/2 GO/FO

RHP Kris Benson – Aug. 4 – 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R ( 1 ER), 1:0 K:BB, 0 HR, 5/2 GO/FO

The Aces received a dominant two-man performance on the mound yesterday, with Benson starting the game on his rehab assignment, throwing 39 pitches in an efficient and effective outing as he begins to rebuild strength in his arm. This is the second straight rehab outing for Benson in which he’s thrown three innings and surrendered just a single earned run.

Benson was followed by Valdez, who came in from the ‘pen to throw a mere 62 pitches in shutting down the Nashville lineup in six frames. Valdez appears to be regaining his dominant form at Reno from the start of the season, as he has now gone at least six innings while giving up one run or fewer for the third time in his last four appearances.

 

 

Double-A Mobile:

 

LHP Wade Miley – Aug. 3 – 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2:3 K:BB, 0 HR, 9/2 GO/FO

RHP Kyler Newby – Aug. 4 – 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 7:2 K:BB, 4/3 GO/FO

Just add another 10 innings with one earned run at the bottom of the list of incredible starting pitching performances for the BayBears over the last couple weeks. While Miley’s strikeout and walk rates may not have been as superb as he’s shown us in the past, he continues to force Southern League hitters to pound the ball into the ground. Anytime you give up one earned run in five innings of work and your ERA rises (to 1.61), you’re having a darn good season.

 

On the other hand, strikeout and walk rates were certainly not an issue for Newby. In his fifth start in the Mobile rotation filling in for Barry Enright, Newby missed a ton of bats and also did an admirable job keeping the ball on the ground. Allowing fewer than one baserunner per inning is pretty impressive however you look at it. On the season, Newby’s ERA is now an impressive 3.40, and in those five starts, it’s an even more impressive 2.57 (3.89 out of the ‘pen).

 

 

Hi-A Visalia:

 

RHP Charles Brewer – 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 4:0 K:BB, 1 HR, 9/5 GO/FO

Since his first start for Visalia (3 1/3 innings, 6 ER), Brewer has been phenomenal for the Rawhide, allowing just 12 earned runs in 44 1/3 innings of work (2.44 ERA) with 35 strikeouts, 11 walks and three home runs allowed. Also in that span, Brewer has induced 60 ground ball outs as opposed to just 33 outs in the air. Add those numbers to a 1.83 ERA in 69 innings at South Bend before his promotion to Visalia, and you’ve got a ridiculous first full season in the pros.

 

 

Low-A South Bend:

 

3B Bobby Borchering – Last Five Games (Aug. 1 – Aug. 5) – 14-for-23, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R, 3:0 K:BB, 1 HBP

 

3B Matt Davidson – Last Six Games (July 31 – Aug. 5) – 12-for-22, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 6:4 K:BB, 1 SF

Bobby Borchering’s bat came alive for the month of August in a way that is reminiscent of some of Brandon Allen‘s explosions at Triple-A Reno. He has collected 25 total bases in 23 at-bats, (1.087 SLG), and an absolutely ludicrous August OPS of 1.712. Arguably his best game of the month came yesterday, when he went 2-3 with a solo home run — his second in two days and 11th of the season — three runs scored, and a hit-by-pitch while not striking out. We’ve been expecting this power surge all season long from Bobby, and it seems that batting practice power is turning into in-game power.

 

Not to be outdone, Matt Davidson has been equally impressive over the past week. His best game of the stretch (no “arguably” necessary on this one…) came on Aug. 3 against Bowling Green, when he went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, five RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a strikeout. Davidson now has 30 doubles, three triples and 14 home runs amongst his 112 hits in 2010, and has an OBP/SLG/OPS line of .382/.509/.892 on the year, the best OPS on the Silver Hawks and third best OPS of all current Midwest League batters. To add to how impressive he’s been, both of the players ahead of Davidson on that list are 22 years old. Davidson, on the other hand, turned 19 last March.

 

 

Short-Season-A Yakima:

 

SS Zachary Walters – 15-Game Hitting Streak – 26-for-65, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 16 R, 14:3 K:BB, 5 SB (0 CS)

RHP Jake Hale – 2010 season – 17 games, 28 1/3 IP, 17 H, 2 R (1 ER), 29:5 K:BB, 0 HR, 1.50/1 GO/FO, 0.32 ERA

While the 15-game streak is extremely impressive, the numbers from Walters’ last ten games are even better – 20-for-42, five doubles, a triple, a home run, 12 RBI, 12 runs scored, three stolen bases and a 6:2 K:BB. He struggled earlier in the year with strikeouts and getting on-base, but while he still isn’t the most patient hitter, he’s certainly making a lot better contact as of late, and he’s got a lot of pop in his bat for a middle-infielder, particularly a shortstop. His batting average is up to .317 on the year with this streak, and his line of .333/.455/.788 is good for the third-best OPS on the Bears.

 

As for Hale, it’s about time he received some recognition here for being absolutely dominant all year long. While he’s old (24) for his level, the 2009 draft pick is poised to start rocketing up the system, as he has been almost completely unhittable in 2010. He was even dominant in the outing in which he allowed his one earned run of the year — he struck out three in two innings of work on July 15, but a series of balls put in play found holes in the defense, as four hits brought a run across the plate.

 

 

Rookie-level Missoula:

 

SS Raul Navarro – Last Three Games – 7-for-16, 3 R, 3:0 K:BB.

Navarro, the 18-year-old shortstop who spent 2009 in the DSL, has impressed in 2010 with Missoula hitting .299 with a line of .340/.438/.777 through 37 games. While the power hasn’t been there over the last three games, he’s making good contact, is playing a premium defensive position and his .139 ISO shows that he does have some pop in his bat.

 

 

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League:

 

OF Wagner Mateo – Last Three Games – 5-for-12, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 3:0 K:BB, 1 SB (0 CS).

Widely regarded as the top prospect on the DSL D-backs, Mateo has been impressive recently, with a two-homer, six-RBI game on Wednesday against the DSL Padres followed by three more hits, including a double, in a doubleheader yesterday against the DSL White Sox. Mateo’s OPS on the year now sits at .811, 21st-best in the DSL. For a 17-year-old in a pitcher-friendly league made up almost entirely of players older than him, that number is very impressive.

 

Others of note:

·         While the great pitching of Wednesday night’s Triple-A Reno game was really nice to see, as Benson and Valdez are looking to re-establish themselves as Major League contributors, it would be a shame to overlook the Aces’ offensive explosion, as they scored 12 runs off of Nashville. Leading the way (once again) was Brandon Allen, who collected two hits, including a two-run homer, three RBI, and a hit-by-pitch. Ryan Roberts also homered and walked.

·         Right-hander Kevin Mulvey followed the strong performances of Benson and Valdez with a strong outing of his own on Thursday night, throwing seven innings, scattering eight hits and surrendering just a pair of runs. He gave up a homer and recorded a pair of strikeouts.

·         After a strong start was followed by a breakdown in the Major Leagues, Daniel Stange is piecing his command, and his season, back together at Double-A Mobile. His last nine appearances have been scoreless, spanning 10 2/3 innings.

·         Lefty Patrick Corbin made his second start for Visalia since being acquired in the Dan Haren deal. His innings are being limited, but he threw three scoreless frames, allowing just a pair of hits and striking out four with no walks.

·         Keon Broxton has also been dangerous at the top of the Silver Hawks’ lineup as of late, currently riding a seven-game hitting streak that includes a pair of three-hit games. One of those three-hit games came on Wednesday night, when Broxton also collected a double, a home run, and a walk.

·         19-year-old South Bend right-hander Scottie Allen struck out eight batters in just four innings of work on Tuesday night, but, unfortunately, every ball that was put in play seemed to fall for a hit against him, as he surrendered six earned runs. This has actually been an unfortunate trend of Allen’s for the entire 2010 season. His batting average on balls in play is an astounding, unsustainable .655.

·         On Tuesday, Yakima pitchers Andrea Pizziconi, Rashad Tucker, Keith Cantwell, Hale, and Corey Davisson combined for a shutout of the Eugene Emeralds, allowing just five hits, striking out nine and walking nobody.

·         David Holmberg, the left-hander acquired from the White Sox in the Edwin Jackson trade, made his debut for the Rookie-level Missoula Osprey on Wednesday. He threw five innings, allowing seven hits and six runs, though just three of those runs were earned. He struck out three, walked a pair and didn’t allow a home run.

·         Another lefty from Missoula, Patrick Schuster, had a good outing on Tuesday. Schuster went five innings, giving up seven hits and a pair of unearned runs while striking out five and walking just one.

·         DSL D-backs outfielder Socrates Brito has already jumped out to a .375 OBP in his first seven games with the team.

·         Some shifting around in the minor league system:

o    INF Tony Abreu was sent to Triple-A Reno as the D-backs recalled RHP Rafael Rodriguez, who was acquired in the Dan Haren trade.

o    Ed Easley was promoted to Triple-A Reno to give the Aces a second catcher after John Hester was called up by the D-backs to replace the traded Chris Snyder.

o    Double-A RHP Bryan Augenstein was activated from the 7-Day DL. He threw two innings of scoreless relief last night, striking out a pair and allowing a hit.

o    Back on Monday, RHP’s Casey Upperman and Rashad Tucker were promoted to Short-Season Yakima from Rookie-level Missoula.

Minor League Report

benson.JPG

Kris Benson – Photography: Jon Willey

 

By Dan Strittmatter

 

Triple-A Reno:

 

RHP Kris Benson – July 30 – 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0:1 K:BB, 5/3 GO/AO.

Benson is progressing through his second attempt at rehabbing from his shoulder injury, and had a solid outing for the Aces on Friday. He threw 32 pitches, 18 of them for strikes, and kept the ball on the ground effectively. Unfortunately, the Aces didn’t pitch very well in relief of Benson, coughing up eleven runs and handing a 12-9 victory to the Las Vegas 51’s.

 

LHP Zach Kroenke – Aug. 2 – 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5:3 K:BB, 6/4 GO/AO.

Unusual as it may be for two pitchers to be featured in the Triple-A section due to the immense hitter-friendliness of the Pacific Coast League, Kroenke was also deserving of notice for his five no-hit innings of work, making a spot-start for Reno. Perhaps even more impressive was that Kroenke pitched well enough to record the win in a matchup with Tacoma Rainiers’ phenom Michael Pineda, the 21-year-old Mariners prospect who breezed through Double-A and sports a 3.52 ERA at Triple-A.

 

 

Double-A Mobile:

 

Starting Pitching – Since July 24: Last Eight Games (LHP Tom Layne twice, LHP Patrick McAnaney twice, RHP Bryan Henry twice, LHP Wade Miley once, and RHP Kyler Newby once) – 48 IP, 35 H, 6 R (6 ER), 33:11 K:BB, 2 HR, 52/41 GO/AO, 1.13 ERA.

 

We’ve mentioned Mobile’s spectacular starting pitching many times in these reports, but viewing the consistent dominance of the BayBears’ rotation over the past week and a half really gives you an idea of how good these guys have been. Henry (15 1/3 innings, 3 ER, 8:0 K:BB, 1 HR, 1.76 ERA) has pitched like the Southern League-equivalent of a staff ace, and McAnaney (12 2/3 innings, 3 ER, 8:3 K:BB, 1 HR, 2.13 ERA) is starting to really turn around a disappointing season. Further, Newby was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Week after his scoreless five-inning, seven-strikeout spot start. Miley pitches again tonight to try to follow up an impressive five-inning performance that was detailed in the previous Minor League Report.

 

 

Hi-A Visalia:

 

LHP Patrick Corbin – July 30 – 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 8:2 K:BB, 4/2 GO/AO.

We set the stage for Corbin’s debut in the previous Minor League Report, and Corbin did not fail to impress. Lake Elsinore hitters had a hard time putting the ball in play off of Corbin, and when they managed to make contact, the ball typically remained on the ground. The organization is being careful with the 21-year-old Corbin’s innings workload, but more outings like this from the young left-hander should keep him rocketing up the system.

 

 

Paul Goldschmidt:

 

July 31: 1-4, 1 HR (#30), 2 RBI, 1 R. Aug. 1: 2-4, 1 HR (#31), 3 RBI, 1 R.

The Rawhide’s official website now features a Paul Goldschmidt home run counter on its front page, so here at the D-blog, we felt it appropriate to follow suit and devote a section of our Minor League Reports to Goldschmidt’s continued destruction of the Cal League. Prior to yesterday’s off-day, Goldschmidt had clobbered his 30th and 31st homers in back-to-back games against Lake Elsinore to move into a tie with Triple-A Las Vegas’ J.P. Arencibia for the minor-league baseball home run lead.

 

 

Low-A South Bend:

 

3B Bobby Borchering – July 31, Aug. 1, & Aug. 2 – 7-for-13, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1:1 K:BB.

Borchering has spent the last few days spraying singles all over the place, and whacked a double on Sunday. Perhaps most importantly, Borchering has been making contact, striking out just once in the last three games despite his 93 whiffs in 101 games this year. The raw power is undeniable in Borchering, so the lack of extra bases isn’t too concerning — those extra bases will come along as he starts getting the barrel of the bat on the ball.

 

1B Ramon Castillo – Aug. 1 & Aug. 2 – 5-for-8, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 1:2 K:BB.

Despite being 5-foot-11, hitting the ball with authority is Castillo’s specialty. He now has 11 doubles and six home runs in just 37 games for South Bend, for a team-leading .507 slugging percentage. Further, his OPS of .860 is just one point behind team-leader Matt Davidson‘s .861 mark. Castillo also has an impressive understanding of the strike zone, with just 17 K’s in 138 at-bats.

 

 

Short-Season-A Yakima:

 

CF Westley Moss – July 31 – 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1:1 K:BB, 4 SB (0 CS).

Moss was unstoppable on Saturday, both in getting on-base in four of his six plate appearances and on the basepaths, stealing four bases without being caught. He nabbed second base three times, twice off of Salem-Keizer starter Edward Concepcion and once off of reliever Matthew Graham, and also took third base once off of Concepcion. The outing gave Moss eleven stolen bases on the year, and he has been caught just five times.

 

 

Rookie-level Missoula:

 

1B Bobby Stone – Last Four Games – 7-for-15, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 R, 5:1 K:BB.

Stone has been mashing for Missoula in the cleanup spot lately, with four homers and three doubles in his last nine games. Further, he has been superb in getting runs across the plate, with a staggering 16 RBI’s in those nine games. Stone’s performance yesterday was especially impressive – he went 3-for-4 with a home run and four runs driven in.

 

 

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League:

LHP Diony Santana – Aug. 2 – 6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1:0 K:BB, 8/7 GO/AO.

The 19-year-old Dominican southpaw rebounded from his worst outing of the season on July 27 (which had followed an eight-inning, one-earned-run outing) to continue his impressive campaign for the DSL D-backs, lowering his ERA to 2.16 with his solid outing against the DSL Rockies. Santana has now struck out 28 on the year while walking just nine in 41 2/3 innings of work. On the negative side, Santana has allowed 12 unearned runs, though much of this is attributable to the often-shady defensive play in the DSL.

 

Others of note:

·         Reno right-hander Carlos Rosa has been particularly impressive as of late, throwing four scoreless innings in his last four outings out of the Aces bullpen.

·         Double-A outfielders Evan Frey and Ollie Linton each put together good outings at the plate in the marathon July 31 game and on Aug. 1. In those two games combined, Frey went 5-for-11 with a pair of doubles and a pair of walks, while Linton went 6-for-12 with a triple and a walk.

·         Yonata Ortega, promoted to Visalia from South Bend on July 31, made his debut for the Rawhide on Aug. 1, striking out two and recording a pair of fly-outs in 1 1/3 innings with no hits or walks.

·         South Bend right-hander Kevin Munson has continued his dominance for the Silver Hawks, throwing a pair of innings on July 31 and another two innings on Aug. 2, allowing just one hit, no walks and no runs while striking out five. He has yet to allow a run, and has conceded just two hits, in 8 1/3 innings of work.

·         Yakima reliever Jake Hale earned Northwest League Pitcher of the Week honors by throwing five shutout innings in three appearances over the last seven days. Hale struck out five, walked nobody, gave up just three hits, recorded a pair of wins and collected a save.

·         Matt Helm wasted no time getting acclimated to the Pioneer League, going 4-for-8 in his first three games for Missoula. The young third baseman has doubled twice, driven in three runs, scored once, struck out three times and walked.

·         Missoula outfielder Roberto Rodriguez tore apart Billings last Friday, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and a walk, starting a small four-game hitting streak that is still active.

·         Highly-regarded 17-year-old outfielder Socrates Brito debuted for the DSL D-backs on Friday, going 1-for-2 with an RBI and a strikeout.