Friday Pebble Report: Gonzalez breaks out, Deduno struggles, pests help Tourists

Colorado Springs (5-2): W 10-4

Carlos Gonzalez

#5 / Center Field / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Oct 17, 1985

photo courtesy milb.com

Carlos Gonzalez showed signs that his bat may be starting to wake up, hitting two doubles, walking twice and scoring three runs in the Sky Sox' victory. Matt Miller and Matt Murton each had three hits apiece and the Sox bullpen shut down Reno for five innings after starter Josh Fogg left having surrendered four runs in four frames. Matt Daley (see, I noticed him) registered K's for three of his four outs and now has a 11/1 K/BB ratio on the season in five and two thirds innings.

Tulsa (3-4): L 15-4

Samuel Deduno couldn't find the magic he had last Friday at Corpus Christi for the Drillers home opener, as the Hooks hung Tulsa out to dry. Michael McKenry had three hits, including his first homerun of the season. Darin Holcomb also had a pair of hits in the loss. 

Modesto (6-2) : L 2-1

Top Diamondbacks prospect Jarrod Parker effectively shut down the Nuts offense and despite a valiant effort by Modesto pitchers to keep up, they ultimately succumbed on an eighth inning HR by Collin Cowgill (remember him DbacksSkins?). It was the first run surrendered by the Nuts bullpen since the second game of the season last Saturday. Charlie Blackmon had two hits and a walk and scored the Nuts only run and Jason Van Kooten also collected a pair of hits. 

Asheville (3-5): W 13-6

Scott Robinson and Patrick Rose had four hits apiece and Jordan Pacheco became the first Tourist to hit a homerun this season as Asheville romped at McCormick Field. Robinson's definitely liking his new home yard, as he collected 10 hits in 17 AB's in the opening four game set against Greensboro. I like him as a prospect a lot, but his current .462 BABIP seems to go above what I'd expect from him even in a breakout year, so I'm guessing he'll come back to earth soon. It could start happening tonight against Texas Ranger affiliate Hickory, a team loaded with pitching prospects this year.

Rose has collected a hit in every game he's played in this season, and he and fellow infielder Thomas Field continue to show impressive contact plus discipline skills at the plate. The Rockies seem to be looking for a David Eckstein type of player with these two 2008 draftees. So far Field probably has a bit of an advantage thanks to his being a year and a half younger, but the ceiling on this type of player is low enough to mitigate that. You aren't going to get projection or an incredibly high upside on either, and more often than not these guys will hit a wall at Modesto, but so far they've been everything the franchise could have asked for.

The A-CT Tourists blog has some photos of Thirsty Thursday. I don't know if they quite convey the frat party atmosphere that I picked up last season when I went. There are definitely plenty of people who seem to purchase their tickets for the sole purpose of downing cheap beer and never seem to find their way to their seats.