2021 #2 overall pick Jack Leiter got a hard lesson of how homer happy Hodgetown can get.

The Diamondbacks Minor League affiliates combined for a 2-2 record

Top Prospect Performances

Amarillo CF Corbin Carroll: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, CS
Amarillo LHP Blake Walston: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 85 pitches (51 strikes)
Reno RHP Drey Jameson: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 84 pitches (52 strikes)

Rehab Assignments

RHP Luke Weaver: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 60 pitches (40 strikes)
C Carson Kelly: 3-5, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R, 7 innings defensively

AAA: Reno Aces 13, Sacramento River Cats 4

Statcast

Reno (30-25) busted out the whooping sticks, quickly taking control of this game by the 3rd inning and got relatively solid pitching to have it hold up. Luke Weaver would get the start, ultimately being able to stretch out to 4 innings and 60 pitches in the game with promising numbers as he allowed just a solo home run with a K/BB of 3/0. With the current rotation situation, they may stretch him out back to a starter again when the team travels to Philadelphia to start on Saturday. The velocity was way up compared to his last outing, with the fastball averaging 94 and topping at 96 in a starter setting, and it yielded positive effects in this outing.

With the game tied at 1-1 going into the 3rd inning, Reno would put up a 5-spot off River Cats starter Tristan Beck. Reno would load the bases with 2 outs and get a trio of run scoring hits from Drew Ellis (2-R 2B), Dominic Canzone (2-R 1B), and Grayson Greiner (RBI 1B) to take a 6-1 lead. Carson Kelly, in his second rehab start behind the plate, would flirt with the cycle for the second consecutive game in his 5 trips to the plate before getting lifted for Juan Centeño in the 8th. His homer in the 4th inning would push the lead to 7-1.

I’d say he’s ready to join a struggling offense that just recently managed to break an ominous streak of offensive futility and get Daulton Varsho back in the outfield, where he belongs.

Reno would continue to pad the lead, now with Drey Jameson on the mound. Jameson would finish off the game with 3 runs over 5 innings with a K/BB of 4/0, 6 ground ball outs, and touching 100 on both of his main fastballs. Every Reno hitter, except for Cole Tucker who played the role of a good teammate, recorded a hit in this game with the two catchers combining for 4 hits, 2 homers, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored.

AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles 7, Frisco RoughRiders 4

The RoughRiders started Jack Leiter, who went #2 overall in last year’s draft, which would normally be a tough challenge. However this game was not one of those days, as Amarillo (25-27) made it tough on him to get outs as Leiter had to labor to go 5 innings. The Sod Poodles used the long ball to deal the damage, with Andy Yerzy hitting a second inning grand slam just inside the right field pole and Drew Stankiewicz giving the fans free Chick-Fil-A by hitting the pole.

On the other side, Amarillo was also sending out a former first round selection in Blake Walston. Walston turned in his best start with Amarillo, blanking Frisco for 6 innings with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks. Here’s him throwing an absolutely filthy backfoot slider for one of those strikeouts.

The bullpen would be handed a 7-0 and they would make the game interesting late. Austin Pope, the recently promoted Liu Fuenmayor, and Jeff Bain would get tagged in the final three innings of the game but the outcome wasn’t too much in doubt.

High A: Hillsboro Hops 1, Everett Aqua Sox 7

Scott Randall got lit up in this game, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits (2 home runs) over 3 ²⁄₃ innings and took one in the wallet on a comebacker for one of his outs. The bullpen didn’t provide much relief as Jose Santamaria, Bobby Ay, and Marcos Tineo each allowed a run in their respective appearances. The Hillsboro (26-24) lineup would only plate one run, an Adrian Del Castillo solo homer in the 6th inning.

Low A: Visalia Rawhide 7, Fresno Grizzlies 8

Big innings would be how both teams got on the scoreboard, as Fresno opened up the scoring with 6 runs off Diomedes Sierra in the 2nd followed by Visalia (16-36) scoring 5 in the top of the 3rd. An error and a walk put two on for Sheng-Ping Chen, who tripled to left to score two. Junior Franco would single home Chen and Deyvison De Los Santos walked right before J.J. D’Orazio’s 2-run double. The Rawhide would take the lead in the 7th, taking advantage of another Fresno error with a Franco driving in another run with a sacrifice fly to tie and De Los Santos singling home the go-ahead run. With the lead, Visalia was hoping that Miguel Gil would put together a couple more donuts on the scoreboard, but the bottom of the 7th saw Fresno retake the lead on a pair of solo home runs and hold off the Rawhide for two more innings.