Raimel Tapia had two hits in the Isotopes’ loss yesterday, a double and a single. The hits raise Tapia’s Triple-A batting line to .347/.407/.531. If we include last year’s stats, Tapia has a career Triple-A line of .346/.372/.503, which is quite good, even considering the hitting environment. Tapia is in a tough position right now. He’s demonstrated that he can hit in Triple-A. The unorthodox things he does at the plate work there. But his stints in the major-leagues have left a lot to be desired. Namely, extra base hits. He has 10 hits in his 48 major-league plate appearances, all of them singles. He hasn’t been able to barrel the ball like he does in the minors. The way for Tapia to adapt to big-league pitching is to hit against big-league pitchers. But the outfield is full.
The Rockies are in less of a tough position. They don’t have room for Tapia right now, and the team has been competitive enough that they might not want to risk on-job learning. Once David Dahl comes back, which should be within a couple of weeks, the outfield will be even more crowded. The bridge that Tapia must cross is clearer with each Triple-A hit, but getting there remains hazy.
Triple-A: Tacoma Rainers 5, Albuquerque Isotopes 3 | MiLB.com Box (MiLB.com)
Raimel Tapia (No. 4 PuRP): 2-5, 2B, K
Jordan Patterson (No. 13 PuRP): 1-4, 2B
Chad Qualls: 1 IP, H, 0 R, K
Shane Carle: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 K
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 3, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2 | MiLB.com Box (MiLB.com)
Ryan McMahon (No. 7 PuRP): 1-4
Dom Nunez (No. 14 PuRP): 1-3, HR, BB
Sam Howard (No. 20 PuRP): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K
Class A Advanced: Lake Elsinore Storm 8, Lancaster JetHawks 7 | MiLB.com Box (MiLB.com)
Forrest Wall (PuRP No. 15): 1-5
Brian Mundell: 1-3, BB, K
Hamlet Marte: 1-3, 2B, BB
Class A: Asheville Tourists 3, Charleston RiverDogs 0 | MiLB.com Box (MiLB.com)
Colton Welker (No. 19 PuRP): 0-4
José Gomez (No. 30 PuRP): 2-4
Erick Julio: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K
Today’s probables
Triple-A Albuquerque: Zach Jemiola
Double-A Hartford: Ryan Castellani (No. 9 PuRP)
Class A Advanced Lancaster: Colin Welmon
Class A Asheville: Antonio Santos