The Diamondbacks Minor League affiliates combined to a 1-2 record, with the only win going to Hillsboro. Notable pitching prospects that took the mound includes Luis Frias for Amarillo and Blake Walston for Hillsboro.
Top Pitching Performance: None
Top Hitting Performance: Hillsboro LF Dominic Canzone – 3 for 5, 2B, HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 R
AA: Amarillo Sod Poodles 6, San Antonio Missions (SDP) 7
This game featured plenty of lead changes, as neither team could execute with their pitching in the beginning and end of the game. Luis Frias continued to struggle in AA, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) in 3 1⁄3 innings off 7 hits, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Even with a poor outing from one of the organization’s top prospects, the team was still very much in the game thanks to some quality offense in the 2nd and 3rd inning.
With 1 out in the 2nd, Buddy Kennedy singled and Luis Alejandro Basabe drew a walk to put two on. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Amarillo would plate both on a sacrifice fly from Dominic Miroglio and a single by Geraldo Perdomo. In the 3rd, the were aggressive early in the count and squared up three baseballs to get two more runs. Doubles by Dominic Fletcher and Kennedy alongside a single by Stone Garrett sandwiched in between made it a 4-3 game at the time. However the lead did not last as Frias was chased in the 4th trailing 5-4.
The offensive barrage quieted down as both teams went to their bullpens in the 4th inning. Tyler Holton allowed just one hit and one walk over 2 2⁄3 scoreless relief and Blake Workman worked a scoreless 7th and 8th inning. Hillsboro would ultimately be down to its last strike before mounting a comeback attempt in the 9th. Garrett singled to put the potential tying run on base for Ryder Jones. Jones would fall behind 1-2 in the count before going oppo for a go-ahead home run that made it 6-5.
That lead would last all of two hitters as Workman gave up a double and a single to tie the game. With the winning run eventually reaching 3rd with one out, Amarillo decided to load the bases on intentional walks to set a potential force play at home. A foul out to 3B resulted in the second out, but then a single on a perfectly placed ground ball would plate the winning run.
LF Alek Thomas: 0 for 5, K
CF Dominic Fletcher: 1 for 5, 2B, R, K
SS Geraldo Perdomo: 1 for 4, BB, RBI
RHP Luis Frias: 3 1⁄3 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K
High A: Hillsboro Hops 9, Tri-City Dust Devils (LAA) 7
Blake Walston would allow 3 runs in the 3rd, but would ultimately go 5 innings with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. Hillsboro took some time to get their offense going, but put up 3 crooked numbers in the 5th, 7th, and 9th inning in order to outslug the Dust Devils. Dominic Canzone would open up the scoring for the road team, hitting a 2-run homer in the 5th to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Hops would take the lead in the 7th, putting up 4 runs to take a 6-3 lead.
In the 7th, a leadoff walk by Cam Coursey was followed by a double by Canzone and a single by Tristin English that tied the game at 3-3. A wild pitch would allow Hillsboro to take the lead. Blaze Alexander would then draw a walk before Axel Andueza singled home English and moved Alexander to 3rd. The final run would score when Andueza got caught in a rundown and distracted the defense long enough for Alexander to cross the plate before getting tagged for the final out of the inning. It still works in the low minors I suppose.
That 3-run lead quickly evaporated, as Kai-Wei Lin would allow 2 hits and a walk to load the bases before being lifted for Mailon Arroyo. Arroyo would allow a bases-clearing double with the batter advancing to 3rd on the relay attempt to home plate. It looked dire, but Arroyo would then only allow two shallow fly balls to keep Adams from scoring. The 8th inning was another situation that could have got out of hand, as the Dust Devils loaded the bases with no outs. Arroyo would then retire the next three hitters and limited the damage to just 1 run, but Hillsboro only had 3 outs to work with.
In the 9th, Hillsboro would hit into two quick outs and a comeback bid wasn’t looking likely. A pair of two out walks on a total of 9 pitches would put the go-ahead runs on base for Blaze Alexander. Alexander ultimately came through in a big way, launching his 3rd homer of the year into the night sky and giving the Hops a 9-7 lead. The bottom of the 9th featured no drama, as Yaramil Hiraldo came in and struck out the side in order, needing just 16 pitches to assert his dominance on the mound.
3B Tristin English: 1 for 4, BB, RBI, R, K
SS Blaze Alexander: 1 for 3, GW 3-R HR (3), 2 BB, 2 R, K
LHP Blake Walston: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 6 K
Low A: Visalia Rawhide 5, Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) 11
Visalia found themselves trailing 4-0 and their starter chased from the game after just 1 inning. Sloppy defense and bad pitching resulted in 11 runs (7 ER) and Visalia’s offense did not show up until it was too late. Angels pitching prospect Jack Kochanowicz completely dominated the Visalia lineup, his only true blemish being a Glenallen Hill Jr. solo home run in his 7th and final inning. They did have a bit of success against the bullpen, plating 3 runs in the 8th.
3B A.J. Vukovich: 1 for 5, R, 2 K
DH Jeferson Espinal: 0 for 3, SF, RBI, 3 K