D-backs Farm Rumblings: Chisholm gets hot, Carroll debuts

Jun 24, 2019, 7:17 AM

Arizona Sports

All nine Arizona Diamondbacks minor league teams are in full swing — either beginning their short seasons or kicking off the second half of their schedules.

There was plenty of good news this week for the D-backs. Top prospect Jazz Chisholm, a shortstop at Double-A Jackson, got hot. Really hot. Chisholm batted .538 (7-for-13) with two home runs and six RBI. His 1.611 OPS topped all Arizona minor leaguers.

Outfielder Corbin Carroll, the 16th overall pick in June’s draft, signed his deal and got to work in the Arizona League.

Here’s a look at everything going on in the D-backs’ chain.

Reno Aces (Triple-A Pacific Coast League)

For the Week: 3-3
For the Season: 32-43 (4th place in the Pacific Northern Division; 7.5 games behind Fresno)

Veteran right-hander Ricky Nolasco didn’t do much to further his campaign to join the D-backs’ starting rotation — if there was such a campaign in the first place. Monday night, Nolasco got shelled for eight runs over 2.2 innings in an 8-4 loss to San Antonio. The performance, just Nolasco’s second start for Reno, ballooned his ERA to 14.21. He got another turn on Sunday, but lasted only seven pitches before exiting the game with an injury during an 8-6 loss to Albuquerque.

The pitching struggles continued Tuesday for Reno’s staff. Right-hander Matt Koch got the start and allowed eight runs on nine hits over 1.1 innings in an outing that set the tone for the rest of the evening. San Antonio belted out 22 hits in a 19-1 win over the Aces. Reliever Anthony Vasquez allowed six earned runs over 1.1 innings, while Joey Krehbiel allowed three runs and four walks in just two-thirds of an inning. The trio of Cory Spangenberg, Tyler Saladino and Jacob Nottingham combined to go 12-for-17 with 15 RBI for the Missions.

After an off day, the Aces returned to Reno and apparently enjoyed some home cooking in a 6-4 win over Albuquerque that snapped a four-game losing streak. Trailing 4-2, the Aces rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth for the win. Cody Decker led off the inning with a solo home run. Later, Andy Young, who was playing just his fifth game in a Reno uniform, emptied the bases with a three-run triple that scored Abraham Almonte, Yasmany Tomas and Travis Snider. Reliever Jimmie Sherfy walked two batters in the ninth, but also struck out Garrett Hampton and Dom Nunez to end the threat and preserve the ‘W’.

clutch
/kləCH/
adjective
1. (in sport) denoting or occurring in a critical situation in which the outcome of a game or competition is at stake.
2. Andy Young pic.twitter.com/Tes3IyG9pl

— Reno Aces (@Aces) June 21, 2019

Right-hander Braden Shipley had his best start in a while, going 6.1 innings and allowing only one run as Reno beat Albuquerque for the second straight night, 5-1, on Friday. John Ryan Murphy had a three-run homer to fuel the offense. The win was Shipley’s first since April 27, although the 27-year-old has turned a corner as of late. In his last three outings, Shipley has logged a 2.33 ERA over 19.1 innings with 13 strikeouts and only four walks.

Five Reno pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout while second baseman Wyatt Mathisen provided the game’s only offense with a solo home run in the second inning as the Aces topped Albuquerque 1-0 Saturday night. Lefty Alex Young started, but pitched only two innings before giving way to right-hander Braden Hagens, who went the next four. Krehbiel, Lucas Luetge and Ben Taylor combined on three innings of perfect relief to close the door on the Isotopes. It was only the second shutout for the Reno staff this year, and the first since May 1.

📜Today's Stat Of The Day presented by @EideBaillyLLP 📜 pic.twitter.com/FQXcZaCLoT

— Reno Aces (@Aces) June 23, 2019

Jackson Generals (Double-A Southern League)

For the Week: 2-2
For the Season: 2-2 (3rd place in North Division; 1.0 game behind Chattanooga and Montgomery in the second half)

Several Generals represented their squad at the Southern League All-Star Game Tuesday night in Biloxi. Daulton Varsho, Drew Ellis, Jeffrey Baez, Jamie Westbrook, Riley Smith and Bo Takahashi all saw action for the North All-Stars, who earned a 7-3 win over the South. Varsho collected two singles, scored twice and knocked in a run, while Ellis also singled and scored. Smith got the nod as the North’s starting pitcher and threw a scoreless inning, while Takahashi came in and pitched one-third of an inning out of the bullpen. Reliever Lucas Luetge also earned a spot on the roster, but didn’t play because he was promoted to Triple-A Reno earlier this month.

The #AllStar2019Biloxi final:

North 7
South 3@DaultonVarsho25 & @drewellis10 (3 runs & 3 hits combined) have shown well. @rileywade2013 threw a scoreless first inning, and @BoTakahashi induced a fly out (1 BF). Jackson should had a big hand in a North Division win! #RattleOn

— Jackson Generals (@jacksongenerals) June 19, 2019

Baez, the night prior, won the Southern League Home Run Derby, blasting 26 long balls to beat out his teammate Westbrook in the final round.”I just tried to put some balls in the air and see what would happen,” Baez told MiLB.com. “I know on this field that the ball carries a lot to left field, so I just wanted to do that.”

Your 2019 Southern League Home Run Derby winner…

From the @jacksongenerals, Jeffrey Baez!

He hit 26 💣's total to bring home the hardware! pic.twitter.com/70C6RigSgu

— The Southern League (@SLeagueBaseball) June 18, 2019

After the Southern League All-Star break, the Generals came out on fire with the bats Thursday night, beating Mobile 13-2. Jackson sent 14 men to the plate in a nine-run fourth inning that featured five straight singles at one point. Drew Ellis, who walked and scored in the massive fourth inning, homered in the sixth and added an RBI-double in the ninth. Right-hander Matt Peacock went six innings and allowed just one hit and one run while striking out four in picking up his third win of the year.

Maybe Jazz Chisholm just needed a few days off? The D-backs’ top prospect homered and singled Friday night in a 9-7 loss to Mobile. The 21-year-old shortstop from the Bahamas launched a three-run home run in the top of the first to help give the Generals a 4-0 lead early. Chisholm added a leadoff single in the fourth and scored on a home run by Mark Karaviotis. Chisholm had another big day Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a home run in a 9-1 win over Mobile.

All that Jazzzzz 🎶

Jazz Chisholm, the #Dbacks' top prospect, is 2-for-2 so far for the @jacksongenerals with his second homer in his past 3 games.

Live @Dbacks prospect stats: https://t.co/SyltjfkMqE pic.twitter.com/Jj43X3Pesh

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 23, 2019

Takahashi was dominant in that Sunday win as well, striking out seven over seven scoreless innings to push his season record to 5-3.

Visalia Rawhide (High-A California League)

For the Week: 3-1
For the Season: 3-1 (Tied with Stockton for 1st place in North Division; 2.0 games ahead of Modesto and San Jose)

Outfielder Mark Karaviotis went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI to lead the North Division to a 7-1 win over the South Division Tuesday night in the California League All-Star Game held in San Bernardino, Calif. For his efforts, Karaviotis was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. “It’s an honor. It’s my first All-Star recognition as a professional,” he told MiLB.com, “and I’ve got about 10 or 11 family members who flew out from Hawaii last night to be here tonight, so just to be able to have a good game, a successful game in front of them — my friends, family, loved ones — it’s an awesome night.” And to top things off, the next morning, Karaviotis hopped a plane to join the Jackson Generals after a Double-A call-up.

Before #Dbacks prospect Mark Karaviotis heads to Double-A Jackson, he made one last memory in the California League, capturing MVP honors in last night's All-Star Game.

🏆: https://t.co/muX6h4XXaN pic.twitter.com/u8zKUvDHO7

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 19, 2019

Mark Karaviotis of @VisaliaRawhide was named our BUSH’S ® All-Star MVP, last night! Let @BushsBeans be the MVP of your next cookout. #ASG19 #MVP #BushsBeans pic.twitter.com/MPLLRxSe9D

— Inland Empire 66ers (@66ersBaseball) June 19, 2019

Jancarlos Cintron, Renae Martinez, Camden Duzenack, Yoel Yanqui, Jeff Bain and West Tunnell also represented Visalia in the contest.

Jake McCarthy’s RBI single scored Jancarlos Cintron with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Visalia a 2-1 walk-off win over Modesto Thursday night in their first game back from the All-Star break. The Rawhide got great pitching from the trio of Josh Green, Mack Lemieux and Luis Castillo. Green started and went five innings, allowing just a single run in the second inning. Lemieux, a 22-year-old left-hander who has been outstanding all year, came in and hurled three shutout innings, lowering his season ERA to 0.63. Castillo then worked the last two innings and picked up the win. The 24-year-old Dominican right-hander is now 7-0 on the season, with all seven wins coming out of the bullpen.

The ‘Hide walked it off again Friday night when Jorge Perez singled in Alex King, who led off the ninth with a triple, to provide a 4-3 win over the Nuts. First baseman Yoel Yanqui homered (his fourth of the season) and right-hander Cole Stapler pitched seven strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out seven.

Visalia’s heroics came a little earlier Saturday night. Martinez connected on a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Tunnell came in and walked two in the ninth, but managed to strike out the side for his league-leading 12th save of the year.

Kane County Cougars (Single-A Midwest League)

For the Week: 3-1
For the Season: 3-1 (Tied for 1st place in Western Division with Wisconsin; 0.5 game ahead of Quad Cities)

Alek Thomas, Buddy Kennedy, Blaze Alexander and Blake Workman represented the Cougars in the Midwest League All-Star Game Tuesday night in South Bend, Ind. The quartet played for the Western Division All-Stars, who tied the Eastern Division stars 3-3. Thomas and Alexander both earned starts, while Kennedy came in off the bench and Workman pitched out of the bullpen.

That’s a wrap on the MWL All-Star game!

The West fell in a sudden death home ran derby to the East, but #YourCougars were well represented by these four. Congrats guys! pic.twitter.com/5g1oDgsuUI

— Kane County Cougars (@KCCougars) June 19, 2019

Zack Shannon clubbed a two-run home run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to lift Kane County to a 2-1 win over Burlington Thursday night in the Cougars’ first game back from the All-Star break. Kane County couldn’t get anything going offensively all night. In fact, Burlington pitchers had combined on no-hit baseball for 8.1 innings before Jose Herrera broke up the bid with a one-out single off of Bees closer Luke Lind in the ninth. Two batters later, Shannon provided the lead. Kai-Wei Lin came in and struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save, which was his first of the season.

After having Friday’s game washed away, the Cougars swept a seven-inning double-header over Burlington Saturday. Kennedy connected on a two-run homer in the third inning of the opener, a 3-2 win. Then catcher Zachery Almond supplied the power in the nightcap with a two-run blast of his own — this one in the seventh inning that broke up a 2-2 tie to give Kane County a 4-2 win.

Oh yeah, there’s this little bit of team identity news…

Introducing the Kane County Atomic Pork Chops! We'll be taking on a new identity for select games throughout the remainder of the season beginning July 19.

Read more about how the Atomic Pork Chops came to life at https://t.co/4tnjTZZCmX pic.twitter.com/y7hocJ1WO0

— Kane County Cougars (@KCCougars) June 20, 2019

Hillsboro Hops (Short-Season-A Northwest League)

For the Week: 4-3
For the Season: 5-4 (Tied for 2nd place in South Division; 1.0 game behind Salem-Keizer)

Daniel Wasinger, a 31st-round pick out of Southeastern Louisiana last summer, doubled in Joe Robbins with two outs in the top of the 10th inning to provide the winning margin for Hillsboro Tuesday night.

Right-hander Adrian Del Moral had a second straight strong start for the Hops Saturday night. The 20-year-old Mexican native went five innings while allowing only five hits, one earned run and struck out seven in a 3-1 over Vancouver. Justin Garcia, Erin Baldwin, Trevor McKenna and Jose Cuas combined on four innings of relief of Del Moral, who has a 0.90 ERA through his first 10 innings of work this season.

Adrian Del Moral.
5-IP
7K.
1 run.

Have yourself a night. Tonight’s Extra Mile Effort goes to Mr. Del Moral. #AllHoppedUp pic.twitter.com/iRM4eYQ45S

— Hillsboro Hops (@HillsboroHops) June 23, 2019

Missoula Osprey (Rookie Pioneer League)

For the Week: 2-4
For the Season: 4-5 (Tied for 2nd place in North Division; 5.0 games behind Idaho Falls)

First baseman Francis Martinez had himself a night on Wednesday. The 21-year-old Dominican native went 5-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, two home runs and five RBI. Unfortunately for him, that stat line came in an 8-7 loss to Idaho Falls. Martinez, who signed with the D-backs in 2013 as a 16-year-old, bested his career mark of four hits in a game, which he accomplished in July of 2014 in the Dominican Summer League.

Heart breaker, and it’s not even Valentine’s Day – Francis Martinez’s monster night isn’t enough as the O’s fall in the 9th.

Boys are officially back in town on Friday! Join us for Opening Day!#DefendTheNest #MissoulaOsprey #MiLB pic.twitter.com/87kUgOmacY

— Missoula Osprey (@ospreybaseball) June 20, 2019

Kevin Watson had three hits, including a three-run home run in the second inning and the Osprey rallied for three runs in the eighth to put away Great Falls, 7-4, on Friday night.

D-backs (Rookie Arizona League)

For the Week: 5-1
For the Season:5-1 (1st place in East Division; 0.5 game ahead of Athletics Gold)

Corbin Carroll, the D-backs’ top draft pick out of Lakeside High School in Seattle earlier this month, made his pro debut Saturday night. Carroll went 2-for-3, stole a base and scored a run in the D-backs’ 3-2 win over the Brewers Blue squad at Salt River Fields. Fellow draftee Glenallen Hill Jr., a fourth-round selection, had his first pro home run in the game.

First hit? May as well make it memorable.

Glenallen Hill Jr., the #Dbacks' fourth-round #MLBDraft pick, homered in the AZL for his first professional hit.

Live stats for all 2019 @MLBDraft picks: https://t.co/1ZmJuQ77I6 pic.twitter.com/kFH3HPWel2

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 23, 2019

Wilderd Patino, a 17-year-old Venezuelan outfielder, is off to a great start in the Arizona League. In six games last week, Patino batted .458 (11-for-24) with three doubles, two triples and seven RBI for the D-backs.