D-backs Farm Rumblings: Vargas and Grotjohn among standouts
Jul 30, 2018, 7:38 AM
Reno Aces (Triple-A Pacific Coast League)
For the Week: 4-2
On the Season: 53-53
In the Standings: 2nd place in Pacific Northern Division; 9.0 games behind Fresno
Vargas still rolling – Reno infielder Ildemaro Vargas had hits Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 25 games. Vargas was called up to the big league club to fill a roster spot after Arizona landed Eduardo Escobar in a trade with Minnesota but was sent back down to Reno following Friday night’s win at San Diego. Vargas’ streak is the second-longest in Aces history. Jake Elmore had a 31-game binge in 2012. During the 25 games, the 27-year-old Vargas is batting .387 (43-for-11) with 10 doubles, 18 runs scored and 11 RBI.
The streak continues! Ildemaro Vargas is up to 25 consecutive games hit safely. pic.twitter.com/zR66kg9m71
— Reno Aces (@Aces) July 30, 2018
Working overtime in the Big Easy – Kevin Cron’s two-run double highlighted a four-run 10th inning for the Aces in an 11-8 win over New Orleans on Thursday night. Yasmany Tomas contributed a pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth inning for Reno, who had managed only one run in two games against New Orleans pitching in the first two games of the series before this explosion.
🚨 GRAND SLAM 🚨@eltanquetomas deposits a ⚾ over the right-center field wall for a pinch hit, go-ahead HR!
We lead 6️⃣-3️⃣ in the 6th! @Aces_Archie was not harmed in the making of this tweet* pic.twitter.com/XFr6RdNGjc
— Reno Aces (@Aces) July 27, 2018
Posting donuts – Taylor Clarke, Silvino Bracho and Jimmie Sherfy combined for a four-hit shutout in a 3-0 win over Round Rock on Friday night. Clarke blanked the Express over six innings, then handed off to Bracho, who struck out all six hitters he faced, throwing 31 pitches in the process. Sherfy then worked the ninth for his 13th save of the season.
Bases loaded. No outs. Silvino Bracho came in and struck out the side!! pic.twitter.com/bMH7iQOxYO
— Reno Aces (@Aces) July 28, 2018
Total domination – Reno’s pitching staff continued its dominance over Round Rock Sunday as Jake Buchanan combined with Jared Miller and Albert Suarez for a two-hit shutout in an 8-0 win. Cron led the offensive attack by going 5-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Christian Walker had four hits and two RBI while Tomas had three hits and three driven in.
Kevin Cron ties a career-best with five hits in an Aces victory! pic.twitter.com/TVRSBf3s14
— Reno Aces (@Aces) July 30, 2018
Jackson Generals (Double-A Southern League)
For the Week: 5-2
On the Season: 19-18 (2nd half)
In the Standings: 3rd place in North Division; 2.0 games behind Birmingham
Capping off a duel in style – Marty Herum’s one-out, ninth-inning single scored Jose Vinicio, giving the Generals a 2-1 walk-off win over Biloxi on Monday night. The hit was only Jackson’s third of the game, which was a classic pitchers’ duel between the two staffs. Jackson starter Taylor Widener, the D-backs’ fourth-best prospect, according to MLB.com, went 7.2 innings and allowed just three hits, one run and one walk while striking out nine. Reliever Tommy Eveld recorded the last four outs and picked up the win in his first-ever Double-A appearance.
Taylor Widener racked up nine more strikeouts for @jacksongenerals:
🔹 7.2 IP
🔹 3 H
🔹 1 R
🔹 1 BB
🔹 130 strikeouts (career high) in 101.1 innings this year
No. 4 on #Dbacks Top 30: https://t.co/QXr05IVtBq pic.twitter.com/9z4cJwwye1— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 24, 2018
Opening eyes – Right-hander Joel Payamps pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out eight as the Generals blanked Biloxi, 3-0. Eveld and Kevin Ginkel finished off the shutout for Jackson, their first since July 3, which happened to be another game Payamps started. The 24-year-old has been outstanding this season, going 9-3 with a 2.74 ERA, 92 strikeouts against only 15 walks and an impressive WHIP of 0.91.
Getting sideways – We usually highlight the good in Farm Rumblings, but sometimes things go so wrong, they need to be pointed out. That describes Jackson’s ninth inning Friday night. With Biloxi batting and leading 6-4, reliever Brian Ellington took over and had one of those innings he’ll probably want to forget. Ellington walked three, hit three batters, threw two wild pitches and allowed a three-run homer. He left with two outs and the bases loaded when manager Shelley Duncan brought in catcher Jose Queliz to finish things off. Except Queliz served up a grand slam to Biloxi’s Corey Ray. In all, the Shuckers scored nine runs in the inning to win 15-7.
Visalia Rawhide (High-A California League)
For the Week: 2-5
On the Season: 15-23 (2nd half)
In the Standings: 2nd place in North Division; 3.0 games behind Stockton
Slugfest – Jasrado Chisholm, Renae Martinez and Adam Walton all homered while Ramon Hernandez had four hits and five RBI as the Rawhide outlasted Lancaster 11-9 Friday night. Chisholm had a big week for the Rawhide, hitting .333 (8-for-24) with three home runs, a double, a triple and four RBI.
#Dbacks No. 3 prospect Jasrado Chisholm raked at two levels to earn a spot on the Team of the Week. He went 5-for-6 with 2 HR & 5 RBI in his final game for the @KCCougars before continuing to mash for the @VisaliaRawhide: https://t.co/OATF8FlBIj pic.twitter.com/4PIhfZwMqn
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 23, 2018
Quite a night – Left fielder Mark Karaviotis went 5-for-5 in a 5-4 loss to Lancaster Sunday night. The 19th-round pick out of Oregon in 2016 had three singles, a double and a home run in the game. It was Karaviotis’ second career five-hit game; the first came on July 1, 2017, when he was a member of the Kane County Cougars.
Hitting leadoff for @VisaliaRawhide apparently becomes @Dbacks outfield prospect Mark Karaviotis. He had a perfect night at the plate Sunday. https://t.co/gqw6MRN7e7 pic.twitter.com/ZkQPpqHvid
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 30, 2018
Kane County Cougars (Single-A Midwest League)
For the Week: 4-2
On the Season: 17-18 (2nd half)
In the Standings: Tied for 5th place in Western Division; 7.5 games behind Cedar Rapids
Bittersweet – Right-hander Brian Shaffer picked up his fifth straight win after a five-inning outing during which he yielded just three hits, one run and one walk in an 8-5 win over South Bend Monday night. Shaffer only struck out two but notched his seventh win of the season. Over his last six starts, the 21-year-old is 5-0 with a 1.28 ERA, 39 strikeouts and three walks over 35 innings. Shaffer was traded along with catcher Michael Perez to Tampa Bay in exchange for reliever Matt Andriese on Wednesday.
A rare gem – Right-hander Jayson McKinley did something no other pitcher had done for the Cougars all season: throw a complete game shutout. The 24-year-old allowed just two singles while striking out seven in Kane County’s 6-0 win over Beloit on Wednesday night. McKinley was in command all night and needed to throw only 104 pitches to complete his shutout.
After two of @KCCougars‘ top pitchers got promoted earlier today, #Dbacks prospect Jayson McKinley stepped up with a career-best seven strikeouts in a nine-inning shutout. https://t.co/3LjsSfA7FG pic.twitter.com/uuqg5tWygH
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 25, 2018
One big night – Ryan Grotjohn, a 10th-round pick out of Cal State Bakersfield in 2017, had a night for the ages in a 13-6 win over Beloit on Friday. Grotjohn had a sac fly that scored Luis Silverio to tie the score at 4-4 in the fifth inning. In the seventh, Grotjohn had an RBI double that plated Silverio and broke a 5-5 tie. In the ninth, the 23-year-old clubbed a grand slam to break the game open. Grotjohn finished the night with seven RBI.
While he didn’t get a hit until the seventh inning, #Dbacks prospect @Ryan_Grotjohn managed to tally SEVEN RBIs for @KCCougars. https://t.co/bBdf4JcbqQ pic.twitter.com/23HmkrQH1p
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 28, 2018
Hillsboro Hops (Short Season-A Northwest League)
For the Week: 5-2
On the Season: 4-2 (2nd half)
In the Standings: 1st place in South Division; 1.5 games ahead of Salem-Keizer
Walkin’ it off – Playing in his first game with the Hops and only his 13th pro game ever, shortstop L.T. Tolbert delivered a two-out, two-run single that scored Keshawn Lynch and Jorge Perez in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving Hillsboro a 5-4 walk-off win over Boise. Tolbert, a 13th-round draft pick out of South Carolina in June, batted .244 with the Arizona League D-backs before earning his promotion to the Northwest League.
.@LtTolbert1 caught a plane from Arizona to Hillsboro this morning at 7, debuted for the Hops hitting second, THEN CAME THROUGH WITH THE WALKOFF SINGLE TO CENTER TO WIN IT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 10TH! WHAT A WAY TO MAKE FRIENDS IN THE LOCKER ROOM!#AllHoppedUp pic.twitter.com/O5Iz1uy8iW
— Hillsboro Hops (@HillsboroHops) July 26, 2018
Missoula Osprey (Rookie Pioneer League)
For the Week: 2-4
On the Season: 1-3 (2nd half)
In the Standings: Tied for 3rd place in North Division; 2.0 games behind Billings
DSL D-backs 1 (Rookie Dominican Summer League)
For the Week: 5-1
On the Season: 33-14
In the Standings: 1st place in Baseball City Division; 4.5 games ahead of Orioles
Can’t hit him – Right-hander Francis Beriguete allowed just two hits over five shutout innings with three strikeouts for the D-backs in an 8-4 win over the Blue Jays Monday night. Beriguete has been lights-out in his last three starts. The 18-year-old is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA while allowing only nine hits and three walks with 14 strikeouts over 19 innings.
Power surge – Right fielder Osvaldo Santilien clubbed three home runs for the D-backs in a 15-7 thrashing of the Reds Wednesday. The 19-year-old led off the third with a solo shot and was just getting started. Santilien also started the eighth with a homer and added a three-run shot in the ninth to close the D-backs’ scoring. In his other three at-bats, he struck out. Interestingly enough, Santilien had only two home runs in his first 116 career games in the Dominican Summer League, where he started playing in 2016.
DSL D-backs 2 (Rookie Dominican Summer League)
For the Week: 0-6
On the Season:
In the Standings: 7th place in San Pedro Division; 16.5 games behind Rangers
AZL D-backs (Arizona Rookie League)
For the Week: 3-3
On the Season: 2-3 (2nd half)
In the Standings: Tied for 4th place in East Division; 1.0 games behind Cubs1
A near no-no – Antonio Cardenas, Joshua Javier and Raibel Custodio combined on a one-hitter in a 4-1 win over the A’s Wednesday night at Salt River Fields. The A’s managed an unearned run off of Cardenas in the fourth and their only hit came an inning later — a one-out single by George Bell off of Javier that led to nothing.
An onslaught – Kristian Robinson and Kevin Watson Jr. each drove in four runs as the D-backs racked up 19 hits in a 16-2 pasting of the Giants Orange on Friday night at Scottsdale Stadium. The D-backs exploded for 10 runs in the fifth inning, during which they sent 15 batters to the plate. Blaze Alexander had two doubles in the fifth alone, while Robinson homered and singled, driving in all four of his runs on the night.
Getting healthy – Daulton Varsho, the D-backs’ fifth-best prospect, according to MLB.com, started an Arizona League rehab assignment in impressive fashion Saturday night. Varsho went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored in the Diamondbacks’ 2-1 loss to the Cubs2 at Salt River Fields. Varsho, who started the season at High-A Visalia, had been out of action for six weeks with a fractured hamate bone.
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