Colorado Springs, L 10-4 (45-39)
Parker Frazier lasted just one-third of an inning on Tuesday night and allowed seven unearned runs on six hits and a walk. The seventh run of the inning crossed when Michael Solbach, who relieved Frazier, threw a wild pitch.
Hisanori Takahashi struck out three over two innings.
Catcher Jose Gonzalez hit his first home run for Colorado Springs, which gave the Sky Sox a 1-0 in the top of the third. Greg Golson and Drew Garcia each added an RBI later in the game.
Modesto, L 11-3 (41-42)
Tyler Gagnon struggled through five innings, surrendering six runs on eight hits (including two solo home runs in the fifth), but playing with a short bullpen has hamstrung the Nuts. As manager Lenn Sakata said after the game (via the Modesto Bee's Brian VanderBeek:
"The shortage of pitching is catching up to us," Sakata said. "Our bullpen is light. I'm managing the game to save bullets because I don't have a full pen, and the guys we have down there have limits to how often they can pitch."
VanderBeek later adds that Rockies officials are in the area.
Offensively, Tyler Massey, Brian Humphries, Jared Simon and Jose Rivera each had two hits.
Asheville, W 5-3 in 9 innings (43-37)
Shortstop Rosell Herrera broke out the big bat in the bottom of the ninth inning when he hit the game-winning two-run home run to be break the 3-3 tie. That's his 14th homer of the season and was part of a 3-for-4, three-RBI night. The other RBI came on a first-inning single.
Matt Flemer pitched 5⅔ innings, allowed three runs (one on a double, two on a sacrifice fly), and struck out seven.
Asheville, W 3-2 in 7 innings (44-37)
Rosell Herrera played a key role in the second game of the doubleheader, as his RBI single in the bottom of the sixth tied the game at two. He wound up getting caught attempting a steal of second later in the inning, but Derek Jones drove in the go-ahead run.
T.J. Oakes started, allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk in 5⅓ innings, and struck out five. Michael Mason pitched the remainder of the game and struck out three.
Tri-City, L 6-4 (6-13)
Tri-City's Ryan Warner allowed a triple and a sacrifice fly to the first two batters of the game, but he settled down after that for the next five innings. He hit some trouble in the sixth inning when allowed two additional runs and was unable to complete the frame. He finished the night with 5⅔ innings pitched, three runs allowed on eight hits, and four strikeouts.
Matt Pierpont let a 4-3 lead slip away in the eighth inning into a 6-4 deficit, from which the Dust Devils couldn't overcome. Three of the Dust Devils' four runs came in the fifth inning. Chris O'Dowd sparked things with a leadoff triple and scored on a single two batters later. Alec Mehrten drove in the other two runs on a single, but Wilfredo Rodriguez followed with an inning-ending double play.
Grand Junction, W 16-3 (9-4)
Drew Creasman attended last night's Grand Junction game. Here is his write-up:
Helmis Rodriguez was phenomenal, going 5 innings giving up only a soft liner into center field as his only hit and allowing zero runs. He cruised until the top of the 5th when (even with GJ up double digits) his command seem to leave him for a moment. He would work a couple of outs around 2 walks and hitting a batter.He was noticeably frustrated with himself knowing that he created an unnecessary scoring opportunity without giving up a hit. He managed to work out of it without giving up a run though. Still obviously frustrated as he left the field at the end of the inning (perhaps knowing he was done for the night) third baseman Ryan McMahon put his arm around his young pitcher on the way off the field and surely offered a few words of encouragement and praise for a very promising start.It was nice to see that kind of leadership from McMahon who really exudes that kind of attitude in every aspect of his game. GJ brought the live bats to the stadium last night They got the scoring going in the first with a line drive single off the bat of Emerson Jimenez. Nunez would hit into a fielder's choice but hustle to second base on an errant relay throw. Jose Briceno then took the first pitch he saw in the game (after going 4-5 the previous night with 3 doubles and a HR) deep over the left field fence for another no doubt line drive home run.My notes for the bottom of the second read thusly; Tapia oppo line drive single, McLure hit n run single to right field, Norton RBI single, Nunez sac fly (deep CF) Briceno opposite field gap double that one hopped the wall on a fastball up and away from him.Ryan McMahon would lead off the next inning by pulling a rocket shot down the right field line on the first pitch he saw that one hopped the fence for a double. He would be brought in by a Terry McLure double over the left fielders head that hit about half way up on the wall. McLure can really fly, and would prove if tracking down a few balls in center field. But he ended the inning getting thrown out trying to steal 3rd baseGJ would hit around in the next inning thanks mostly to 3 walks the first of which was by Dom Nunez who hasn't necessarily hit well since I've been here, but I'm also not certain he has swung at a single ball. His plate discipline is excellent and he confirmed with me after the game that it is an aspect of his game he is consciously working on. Ryan McMahon came up with the bases loaded and was first pitch swinging again and just barely missed hitting a grand slam, instead having to settle for a deep sac fly that would move all the runners up.Nunez would walk in his next at-bat before finally hitting a screaming high line drive deep into the night, a three run shot that put the final exclamation point on the game for Grand Junction. "That one felt really good." he told me after the game. It didn't look too bad ether.Stay tuned to Purple Row the next few days for my conversations with Dom Nunez, Ryan McMahon, Jordan Patterson, Zach Jemiola, Johnathan Gray, Assistant GM Mike Ruvolo, and a quick word from Dan O'Dowd who just happened to be in the neighborhood.
DSL Rockies, W 5-2 (15-12)
Eighteen-year-old righty Antonio Senzatela has continued his hot start, allowing two runs on seven hits in eight innings and striking out four. He finished with an 11-3 GO-FO.
Designated hitter Hamlet Marte went 4-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored. Shortstop Luis Jean, catcher Joel Diaz, second baseman Jonathan Piron, and left fielder Yonathan Daza drove in the runs.