AAA Colorado Springs - L 4-5 in 11 innings (6-4)
The Sky Sox lost to the 51's on a walkoff hit in the 11th inning in Las Vegas on Sunday. Zack Wheeler was tough on the Sky Sox, allowing only three earned runs and striking out eight. Only half of the Springs players were able to garner a hit, as Nolan Arenado (#2 PuRP), Corey Dickerson (#7 PuRP), Ben Paulsen and Tyler Colvin had multiple hits against the Mets' top-ranked pitcher. Colvin had an especially strong day with two home runs, one a no-doubter to right field. Nolan drove a Wheeler breaking ball off the left field wall for a double, and later in the sixth inning chased Zack from the game with a single off a 95 mph fastball. Corey Dickerson tripled and singled in front of Arenado. He is hitting .389 on the season.
Starter Nick Schmidt pitched well enough to keep the Sky Sox in the game, allowing only four hits, but also issued five walks. He earned three strikeouts, but one of them was on a 66 mph Eephus pitch against 51's starter Zack Wheeler. Coty Woods came on in the 10th and nearly gave up the winning run on a base hit to right field only to have Tim Wheeler gun down the runner at home plate.
AA Tulsa - W 6-3 (4-6)
The Drillers won on Sunday, 6-3, against Astros affiliate Corpus Christi in Tulsa. Tyler Matzek (#10 PuRP) and Joe Gardner (#19 PuRP) combined to allow only one earned run on four hits in seven innings pitched. Matzek threw 86 pitches through 4.2 innings with six strikeouts and four free passes. His ERA now stands at 2.08 on the season. Michael Solbach pitched in the ninth and earned his first save.
First baseman Kiel Roling was the sparkplug for club going 2-for-4 with a home run, triple and two RBI. Outfielder Kyle Parker (#4 PuRP) had an RBI triple in the game, the eighth triple of his minor league career, but only the second outside of John Thurman field in Modesto. Henry Wrigley also homered and after starting the season 0-for-12 is now riding a five game hit streak.
High-A Modesto - L 1-6 (5-6)
The Nuts lost 1-6 to the Astros affiliate Lancaster on Sunday in Modesto. Tyler Anderson (#8 PuRP) pitched a quality game, allowing only four hits and a solo home run. He walked one batter, but struck out six in the contest and his ERA sits at 2.08 this season. Nelson Gonzalez imploded in the eighth, allowing five earned runs in 0.1 innings pitched.
Strikeouts were the theme as Harold Riggins (#20 PuRP), Will Swanner (#5 PuRP) and Brian Humphries each struck out three times. Trevor Story (#3 PuRP) had an RBI double, scoring David Kandilas (HM PuRP) for the Nuts' lone run. Kandilas went 1-for-3 with a walk and is hitting .317 on the season.
Low-A Asheville - L 7-12 (6-5)
Asheville lost 12-7 against the Pirates affiliate the West Virginia Power in Asheville on Sunday. In Eddie Butler's (#13 PuRP) toughest game of the season, he gave up four hits in five innings pitched and four earned runs. Eddie only struck out three batters and walked four, his ERA sitting at 2.20 after Sunday's game. Butler was able to limit damage in the fifth when he found himself with the bases loaded and only one out after a walk. A ground out and a sacrifice fly ended up scoring three runs in the inning. Four relievers were ineffective in relief of Butler as each pitcher gave up at least two runs.
Derek Jones has had a terrific campaign since replacing David Dahl in Asheville. The eighth round pick in 2012 out of Washington State went 3-for-5 with a double and home run to raise his average to .310 on the season. Outfielder Julian Yan (#26 PuRP) added a solo home run in the fifth inning, his first of the year.