Colorado Springs: W 5-2
Christian Colonel went two for five witha double and a homerun for the Sky Sox. It was Colonel's third homerun in the last ten days and suddenly his line looks a lot less batting average dependent than it did two weeks ago. A .174 ISO is actually not too bad for a utility corner player. The one in eight K rate also bodes well for an MLB bench guy, as does the lack of ground balls. It's just a question of how he'd be able to fit in as the Rockies already have plenty of bench options. It's just a matter of finding legit starters. Mark Redman's return to the Rockies seems more and more inevitable with each solid start. Yesterday's five innings with only two runs allowed is probably no exception.
Tulsa: W 4-0
Xavier Cedeno pitched seven and two-thirds of shutout baseball, allowing just six singles and no walks. Eric Young Jr was instrumental in Tulsa's first three runs, walking in the first and breaking up a double play on Corey WImberly's force out. Wimberly would then steal second and score on a Dexter Fowler single. Then in the second, Young tripled in Justin Nelson and David Parrish. Fowler scored the fourth run after doubling and being hit home by Jeff Kindel in the fifth inning. After that the team just sat back and let Cedeno and Edward Valdez take the game home.
Modesto: L 3-4
Anthony Jackson went four four five and Simon Ferrer had a solid eight inning effort, but it wasn't enough as the remaining cast for Modesto just didn't seem ready or willing to produce at the plate.
Asheville: L 12-13
The Tourists were down 10-2 in the seventh before taking off for ten runs in the last three innings, and they had a 12-10 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Randall Taylor ran into some trouble and allowed two Greenville Drive players on with one out before being pulled for Craig Baker. Baker quickly proved that decision an error, as he gave up a three run walk off blast to the first batter he faced, Che-Hsuan Lin, to end the game.
Sheng An Kuo lasted only two-thirds of an inning, getting shelled for six runs. Offensively, Everth Cabrera's five for six day (including a homerun and double) was the major contribution, but Jeff Cunningham also had a much needed breakthrough, as he went four for five with two doubles in an effort to end his slump.
Tri-City: L 0-1
This soccer score had to go well into the penalty kick phase before somebody mercifully decided to end it in the bottom of the thirteenth. Parker Frazier had an excellent start, allowing just three hits in six innings and striking out four. He also had an 11-3 GB-FB rate on his outs off contact. This was Frazier's second quality start out of three so far, and he's been doing it for the most apart against more experienced competition, albeit the two doubles he allowed yesterday were to players in his own age group. It's not quite eye-popping dominance, but tit's certainly a start to take notice of for the nineteen year old.
I haven't talked about Michael Marbry at all before, but the Dust Devils relief pitcher was an infielder in the Braves organization and is trying to make it as a pitcher now in a system that likes to give second chances in that regard. At any rate, he hasn't allowed a run in eight innings, and while his peripherals aren't outstanding (yesterday's six baserunners in two and a third drag them down further than they had been) he is nonetheless doing a pretty good job of keeping the contact off of him on the ground.
Scot Robinson was the only Tri-City player with multiple hits, he had two singles. Josh Banda singled and walked.
Casper: W 10-4, W 7-4
Casper's double header sweep of the Owlz* allowed the Ghosts to tie Orem for the division lead. Kane Simmons had seven RBI over the two seven inning games, with two doubles and a triple. Chad Jacobsen and Orlando Sandoval each homered in the first game, while Kurt Yacko's perfection was disrupted when he allowed two hits in the seventh inning of game two, but he got out of it without a run in earning his fifth save of the season. After fourteen games, Casper's success should be considered a good sign for the system. Carlos Martinez and Wilin Rosario are looking like high quality propsects, and there are a few solid sleepers in the system as well.
*- The z gives them street cred, which is just like money in Orem.