Sunday Pebble Report: Christian Bergman Now Leads All of Minors in Wins

AAA Colorado Springs - W 3-1, (51-48, W3, 2nd, 8.0 GB)

HM PuRP Nick Schmidt (2012, trade), who was the trade return for Huston Street in the off-season, had struggled mightily in three starts with the Sky Sox after posting a 3.29 ERA in 14 starts for AA Tulsa. Schmidt finally showed Sky Sox fans why he earned the promotion, tossing six shutout innings against the Tacoma Rainiers in Colorado Springs. Schmidt struck out six and allowed just one single. HM PuRP Matt McBride (2011, tradr) stayed hot, stroking a double and two singles.

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AA Tulsa - L 1-3, (12-16, L3, 3rd, 7.5 GB)

Angels prospect Orangel Arenas faced just 28 Drillers batters in a complete game win. Of those 28, 24 put the ball in play, with just one of those 24 falling for a hit - an Angelys Nina double. The other four included a Nina walk and strikeouts of #14 PuRP Corey Dickerson (2010, 8th round) and Warren Schaeffer (2007, 38th round). Dickerson provided the only offense for Tulsa by hitting his sixth home run in AA, 15th on the year. #29 PuRP Parker Frazier (2007, 8th round) allowed three runs in six innings for the loss. He's used to poor run support, as the effort ballooned his ERA to 3.80 and saddled him with a 4-11 record.

High-A Modesto - W 14-0, (18-12, W1, 1st)

Christian Bergman (2010, 24th round) was a pitcher we outlined as a guy to watch in the California League to start the season, and he has surpassed even the most optimistic expectations. He doesn't possess fantastic stuff, but he throws strikes, and that has translated well. Bergman tossed six scoreless innings, striking out six and allowing four singles. He now leads the entire minor leagues with 13 wins and is 2nd in the California League with a 2.70 ERA. Next year will be an interesting test for Bergman in AA, as the Texas League has slowed comparable pitching prospects in the past like Brandon Hynick and Dan Houston.

Recently promoted Josh Mueller (2010, 13th round) worked the final three innings for the shutout, earning a save. The game occurred at Lake Elsinore, the best pitcher's park in the CAL. It didn't seem to bother the Nuts offense though, as Modesto pummeled the storm for 14 runs on 14 hits. #12 PuRP Rafael Ortega (2008, VZ)smacked two doubles, #10 PuRP Kyle Parker (2010, 1st round) had three hits, and four different players drove in three runs: #20 PuRP Cristhian Adames (2007, DR) , Jayson Langfels (2011, 16th round), Juan Crousset (2006, DR), and Ortega.

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Low-A Asheville - L 1-3, (16-13, L1, t-2nd, 0.5 GB)

The Tourists were shut down by Charlie Lowell, who struck out 9 in 7 shutout no-hit innings. Lowell only had a 6/5 GO/AO, which means the OOTP scouting report is unsurprisingly quite wrong. #3 PuRP Trevor Story (2011, sandwich pick), #13 PuRP Will Swanner (2010, 15th round) and Tyler Massey (2008, 14th round) combined for an 0-for-12 line with 6 strikeouts from the top of the order. Vianney Mayo (2007, DR) allowed three runs in seven innings for a quality start for the loss. Taylor Featherston (2011, 5th round) doubled and scored on a Brian Humphries (2011, 14th round) triple for the lone run.

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Short-season A Tri City - W 5-4, (17-19, W3, 2nd, 3.0 GB)

There were high dramatics in Pasco, Washington last night. Neither team scored in the first six innings, in large part to Shane Broyles (2012, 14th round) striking out nine in six shutout innings to lower his pro ERA to 1.45. Ryan Arrowood (2012, 28th round) gave up an extra base hit and a single in the seventh to give Salem-Keizer a 1-0 lead, then the Dust Devils followed the same script in the eighth. Michael Wolford (2011, 26th round) allowed three unearned runs in the ninth due to a Yafistel Roja (2008, DR) error, a walk and three singles.

So the Dust Devils followed suit, scoring three unearned runes in the bottom half, with three walks, two singles and an error. Roja delivered a big 2-out single, and #16 PuRP Rosell Herrera (2009, DR)walked with the bases loaded and two outs to tie the game. Alec Mehrten (2012, 25th round), who singled home a run in the 9th, delivered the walk-off single in the 10th to drive in Francisco Sosa (2007, DR), who doubled.

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Rookie Grand Junction - W 7-5, (17-15, W3, 2nd, 1.0 GB)

Todd Helton (1995, 1st round) rounded into a 4-6-3 double play, lined out to left field, and served an RBI single into left field, scoring David Dahl (2012, 1st round), who had tripled. Reliever Patrick Johnson (2011, 25th round) came in with a 1.98 ERA, but the Missoula Osprey plated four runs against him in 1.2 innings. Wilfredo Rodriguez (2012, 7th round) rescued Johnson with a clutch 2-run double with two outs in the eighth to turn a one run deficit into a one run lead. Scott Oberg (2012, 15th round) struck out two in a perfect ninth for his sixth save. After allowing a run in his pro debut, Oberg has thrown 8.1 scoreless innings, with 14 K's, 2 BB's, and just three hits.

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DSL Rockies - W 5-3, (24-18, W1, 2nd, 1.5 GB)

Angel Lezama didn't have the best defense behind him, but he managed to avoid allowing any earned runs in his five innings of work to lower his ERA to 2.56. Yonathan Daza had three hits and Henry Garcia doubled home a run.