Complete Prospect Report: June 23

With short-season and rookie league teams starting their seasons recently – meaning there’s a total of seven minor league affiliates playing on any given night – I’ve changed the format a bit for the minor league breakdowns.

Vancouver, Bluefield, and the GCL Jays have all been added (team previews/introductions on all of those teams will be coming in the next few days), clicking any team’s logo will now open their official site in a new tab, and clicking a team’s division beneath their logo will take you right to that team’s standings page. Information of the winning/losing pitcher and who got the save (if applicable) has been added to the already existing team records, win/loss streaks, and division places as well.

Six affiliates (excluding the Dominican Summer League) were in action yesterday, going 3-3 overall. Highlights include a start by Brett Cecil in Vegas, a brutal walk-off loss for Bluefield, and unbelievable pitching with a strong offensively display for Lansing.

Wins/Losses: 41-34 | Streak: L1 | 2nd in PCL Pacific South (7.0 GB)

Reno Aces 8, Las Vegas 51s 7 (LP: Farquhar)

Las Vegas managed to hit three home runs, but the 51s were ultimately doomed by a late Reno rally, falling to the Aces 8-7 on Thursday night.

Hitting:

The 51s broke out with five runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a sacrifice fly and a Jason Lane grand slam, and held the lead until the eighth, but Reno scored two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to finally take the lead at an inopportune time for the 51s.

David Cooper went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two RBIs, Ramon Vasquez hit a triple, and Adam Loewen went 2-for-4. Chris Woodward also hit a solo home run, in a 1-for-2 night with a pair of walks.

Pitching:

Starter Brett Cecil had another iffy outing, as he lasted six innings but allowed five earned runs on eight hits with a pair of walks and just three strikeouts. He was pulled in favor of Wil Ledezma in the seventh after giving up a leadoff double, but Ledezma allowed the runner to score after a wild pitch and a double of his own.

Ledezma managed to record just one out and gave up an earned run of his own before being pulled in favor of Winston Abreu, who closed out the inning. Danny Farquhar took the loss after giving up the game-tying, and go-ahead runs off three hits in the eighth inning.

Wins/Losses: 43-27 | Streak: W2 | 1st in EAS Eastern (0.0 GB)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2, Altoona Curve 0 (WP: Beck)

Despite only managing three hits, the Fisher Cats were able to squeak out a 2-0 victory against the Altoona Curve on Thursday night. It was the first game of a supposed doubleheader so it only lasted seven innings, but the second game got postponed.

Hitting:

Mike McDade and Travis d’Arnaud supplied all of the offense with a pair of solo home runs, one to center and one to left field. Adeiny Hechavarria notched New Hampshire’s only other hit of the game, and managed to steal second base as well. Anthony Gose got on base with a walk and stole second base, his 30^th of the season already, but was caught stealing third right after.

Pitching:

Starter Jesse Litsch, making a rehab appearance, pitched 3.2 scoreless frames and allowed four hits with three strikeouts, and Chad Beck earned the win by pitching the remaining 3.1 innings without allowing a hit. He struck out five and walked two.

Wins/Losses: 0-1 | Streak: L1 | 5th in FSL North (1.0 GB)

Tampa Yankees 8, Dunedin Blue Jays 1 (LP: Tepera)

The D-Jays were held off the score sheet until the fifth inning, when they managed to score their only run of the game, unsurprisingly falling to the Tampa Yankees 8-1 on Thursday night.

Hitting:

Canadian Brad McElroy had a nice 2-for-2 night with a walk and an outfield assist, Jon Talley went 2-for-4 with a double, and leadoff hitter Ryan Schimpf went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, and Dunedin’s lone RBI.

Pitching:

Starter Ryan Tepera didn’t have his best stuff, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in just five innings of work, with a pair of walks, two wild pitches, and seven strikeouts. Dumas Garcia pitched two perfect innings, and Steve Turnbull pitched the eighth inning, allowed three earned runs on four hits and a walk.

Wins/Losses: 38-29 | Streak: W2 | 2nd in MID Eastern (1.5GB)

*Clinched Playoff Spot*

Off-day

Wins/Losses: 5-2 | Streak: W1 | T-1st in NOR West (0.0 GB)

Vancouver Canadians 9, Everett AquaSox 3 (WP: Longpre)

Even though they committed four errors, the Canadians hammered out nine runs on 13 hits to topple the Everett AquaSox on Thursday night.

Hitting:

Nine hitter Shane Opitz led the charge with a 4-for-4 night with a pair of RBIs, and the only time he didn’t reach base resulted in a sacrifice fly. Stephen McQuail had a 3-for-5 night, including his second home run of the season, and Nicholas Baligod went 2-for-4 with an RBI and his first double of the season.

Pitching:

Starter Jesse Hernandez pitched 4.1 scoreless frames, allowing just four hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. Reliever Philip Brua gave up the game’s three runs (two earned) in the sixth inning on three hits, including a home run.

Bryan Longpre earned the win after pitching two perfect frames with four strikeouts, and Drew Permison pitched a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout.

Wins/Losses: 2-1 | Streak: L1 | 3rd in APP East (1.0 GB)

Elizabethton Twins 6, Bluefield Blue Jays 5 (LP: Williams)

After holding the lead for the entire game, the B-Jays (?) lost a heartbreaker when the Elizabethton Twins scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with the win.

Hitting:

Leadoff hitter Andy Fermin and third baseman Kellen Sweeney both went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks, and Art Charles hit his second home run of the season, a two-out, two-run blast in the third inning. Cleanup hitter Yudelmis Hernandez went 2-for-5, and Chris Hawkins hit his first double in a Bluefield uniform.

Pitching:

Reliever Drew Elliott was the only pitcher that didn’t allow a hit on an otherwise dismal night for Bluefield pitchers. Elliott pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, while starter Jose Vargas and relievers Kenllie Santana and Les Williams combined to throw the remaining seven innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on 11 hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

Wins/Losses: 2-2 | Streak: W1 | 4th in GCL North (1.0 GB)

GCL Blue Jays 3, GCL Yankees 2 (WP: Carmona | S: Navarette)

In a close but shortened game, the Jays’ pitching was the story as they were able to topple the GCL Yankees 3-2 on Thursday.

Hitting:

Santiago Nessy hit his second home run of the season, a two-run, two-out shot in the fifth inning, and Sony Javier added a pair of singles and two stolen bases. Both teams only managed five hits, with Dickie Thon and Kevin Patterson supplying the other singles for the GCL Jays.

Pitching:

Starter Andrew Liebel pitched four innings of three-hit ball, allowing just one earned run and walking none while striking out six. Julio Carmona pitched two dominant innings as well, as he did not allow a hit and struck out four. He allowed an unearned run thanks to his own throwing error and a wild pitch, though. Jorge Navarette pitched a scoreless eighth to earn his first save of the season in makeshift fashion.

-JM

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