D-backs Farm Rumblings: Yasmany Tomas is raking in Reno
Jul 22, 2019, 7:18 AM
In 1991, musician Marc Cohn burst upon the American music scene with a single called “Walking in Memphis,” a song which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped Cohn win a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1992.
If Yasmany Tomas was to record a song right now, it might be called “Raking in Reno.” The slugger continues to terrorize PCL pitching, and this past week was no exception.
Here in D-backs Farm Rumblings, you’ll get all the info on Tomas, as well as updates on some of Arizona’s top prospects.
Reno Aces (Triple-A Pacific Coast League)
For the week: 2-6
For the season: 42-58 (4th place in Pacific Northern Division; 11.0 games behind Sacramento)
Tomas, somewhat fresh off his Triple-A Home Run Derby victory, continued to mash the ball in Reno. Tomas clubbed a three-run shot, his 27th of the season, in helping the Aces score a 9-2 win over El Paso Monday. Two nights later, he added his 28th — this one a solo shot — in a 9-7 loss to the Chihuahuas. Tomas’ 28 round-trippers are the second most in the Pacific Coast League behind only teammate Kevin Cron’s 29.
📜Today's Stat Of The Day presented by @EideBaillyLLP 📜 pic.twitter.com/nS9GKqbMhQ
— Reno Aces (@Aces) July 18, 2019
Tomas batted .345 (10-for-29) on the week, with two home runs and nine RBI. He’s just three homers away from tying his own personal-best season of 31 in 2016 when he was a member of the Diamondbacks.
While Tomas was fueling Reno’s week-starting win over El Paso, right-hander Matt Koch was pitching his best game of the season. Koch went eight innings, allowing just six hits and one earned run while fanning three in picking up his second win of the season. Koch threw a season-high 108 pitches, 68 of which were for strikes. He’s thrown at least 104 pitches in three of his last five starts.
Jackson Generals (Double-A Southern League)
For the week: 2-2
For the season: 16-11 (3rd place in North Division; 1.5 games behind Montgomery)
First baseman Pavin Smith started out his week the way everyone should, by collecting a weekly Southern League award.
NEWS: We are happy to announce our latest pair of Weekly Award winners!
Player of the Week – @PavinSmith, @jacksongenerals
Pitcher of the Week – @KRosenberg22, @BiscuitBaseball
DETAILS: https://t.co/3Tkt6hf781 pic.twitter.com/vOv4xLtyvT
— The Southern League (@SLeagueBaseball) July 15, 2019
Mother Nature tried to slow down the red-hot Generals, but eventually the rain had to stop. It did Thursday night when Jackson notched its ninth straight win, a 6-4 triumph over Montgomery. Daulton Varsho and Jamie Westbrook each homered and combined for five RBI while Emilio Vargas pitched five solid innings, allowing just two unearned runs in the victory. It was the Generals’ first action since July 13, as inclement weather affected play in the Southern League for several days.
Final | JXN 6, MTG 4@MichaelKohn58 locks up his eighth save of the year, and the Generals have won their 9th game in a row! @jdonatella9 gets the W; Varsho, Westbrook & Ramon Hernandez all with multi-hit nights. #RattleOn pic.twitter.com/HYi8bbSLDE
— Jackson Generals (@jacksongenerals) July 19, 2019
The good times wouldn’t extend to Friday. The Generals managed just four hits in a 4-1 loss to Montgomery, snapping their winning streak at nine.
The next night, however, things were back to “normal” as Jackson exploded for six runs in the top of the ninth inning to top the Biscuits 9-6. Galli Cribbs Jr. knocked a three-run homer to give the Generals a 6-5 lead. Jackson would tack on three more runs to enter the bottom of the frame with a 9-5 lead. Montgomery managed a run off of closer West Tunnell, but the right-hander recovered in time to preserve the three-run win in his 2019 Double-A debut. The 25-year-old Phoenix native was downright nasty in Visalia to start this season, posting a 1.27 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, 45 strikeouts in just 28.1 innings and converting 13 of 14 save opportunities.
Visalia Rawhide (High-A California League)
For the week: 3-3
For the season: 18-13 (1st place in North Division; 3.0 games ahead of San Jose and Stockton)
D-backs outfielder Blake Swihart started his minor league rehab assignment Wednesday night for Visalia and went 2-for-4 with a double in a 3-2 loss to Inland Empire. Swihart, acquired from the Boston Red Sox early in the season, has been on the Injured List since early June with a strained right oblique.
Right-hander Jon Duplantier, on a rehab assignment as he recovers from injury, started and pitched three shutout innings which set the tone for the Rawhide in an 8-0 win over Inland Empire Thursday night. Duplantier, who has been on the injured list since June 12 with shoulder inflammation, allowed two hits and struck out three before handing things off to Justin Lewis, who struck out six over four scoreless frames. Mack Lemieux and Tyler Mark finished things off for Visalia, which got its first shutout win since July 5.
#Diamondbacks RHP Jon Duplantier looked sharp in MLB Injury Rehab start w/ @VisaliaRawhide vs @66ersBaseball at San Manuel Stadium: 3IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 3K. 33 pitches, 22 strikes. FB 92-93, topped 94. Visalia leads 5-0 in the fourth.
— Steve Wendt (@steve_wendt) July 19, 2019
Shortstop Camden Duzenack went 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBI in pushing the Rawhide to a 9-2 win over Inland Empire Friday night. Duzenack, a ninth-round pick out of Dallas Baptist in 2017, came into this season with only seven home runs in 154 minor league games. His two-run shot Friday was his 16th of the season, which puts him just outside the top five among California League leaders. Right-hander Jeff Bain was stellar on the mound for Visalia, going seven innings and allowing only five hits and two runs while striking out seven on an efficient 87 pitches. Righty reliever Jayson McKinley threw two perfect innings of relief to close out the win.
Duzenack homered again Sunday in a 6-2 win over Lake Elsinore, and ended the week with three round-trippers and 10 RBI, both enough to lead all D-backs’ minor leaguers.
Kane County Cougars (Single-A Midwest League)
For the week: 4-2
For the season: 19-10 (2nd place in Western Division; 1.0 game behind Clinton)
Dominic Fletcher, a competitive balance round pick out of Arkansas last month, homered as part of a three-hit night in leading Kane County to an easy 9-1 win over West Michigan last Monday night. The 21-year-old Fletcher, fresh off a solid season during which he was named an All-SEC Second-Team selection for the Razorbacks has transitioned nicely to pro ball. He would homer again Sunday — this one a two-run shot — in an 8-5 win over Dayton. Fletcher batted .316 (6-for-19) with two home runs and six RBI on the week.
Joey Rose’s sac fly with one out in the bottom of the ninth scored Alek Thomas and gave the Cougars a 6-5 walk-off win over Bowling Green Wednesday night. Rose had two hits and two RBI on the night, while Thomas, the D-backs’ No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, went 3-for-4 with a triple, three runs scored and two RBI for the Cougars.
Ryan Weiss, Kenny Hernandez and Jose Cuas combined on a seven-hit shutout of Bowling Green in a 6-0 win Thursday night. Weiss, a 22-year-old right-hander who was selected in the fourth round out of Wright State in 2018, yielded five hits and struck out seven in five innings. He is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA over his last three starts, which have covered 17 innings. Hernandez mowed down the Hot Rods over the next three innings before Cuas came in and retired Bowling Green in order in the ninth.
Right-hander Jackson Goddard was outstanding in his most recent start Saturday, giving up just one hit over six shutout innings against Dayton. The only problem was that his opposition was better. Dayton’s Andy Fisher and Connor Curlis combined on a one-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts in a 1-0 decision. Goddard, a third-round pick out of Kansas in 2018, has had back-to-back scoreless six-inning stints and has lowered his season ERA to 2.55.
Pretty cool feature on Cougars third baseman Buddy Kennedy, and how he’s learned from the best player in the sport.
#Dbacks prospect Buddy Kennedy (@KennedyBuddy) is using lessons learned during offseason workouts with superstar Mike Trout to his advantage with Kane County: https://t.co/sb3QaMVOvs pic.twitter.com/4TjEph1p7n
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 18, 2019
Hillsboro Hops (Short Season-A Northwest League)
For the week: 4-3
For the season: 23-14 (2nd place in South Division; 2.0 games behind Salem-Keizer)
The Hops built an early five-run lead and then hung on for a 5-4 win over the Eugene Emeralds Friday night. Center fielder Jorge Barrosa led off the game by taking the second pitch of the contest deep to center. It was Barrosa’s first home run of the season. Hillsboro added three in the second inning when Jesus Marriaga singled in David Garza and Barrosa. Kristian Robinson followed with an RBI double that plated Steven Leyton. Ryan January would score on a wild pitch in the third. Eugene rallied for two runs each in the fourth and fifth, but that’s all they’d manage. Right-hander Erin Baldwin and right-hander Bryan Menendez combined on three innings of scoreless relief to slam the door shut and allow the Hops to snap a three-game skid.
Robinson delivered a two-run homer in the top of the first Saturday night and it stood up for the rest of the game as the Hops took down Eugene 2-1 on Saturday. Arizona’s No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline went 2-for-3 on the night and raised his batting average to .328 on the season, good for fourth-best in the Northwest League.
Kristian Robinson didn't take the easy route on this one. 💪💪
The @Dbacks' No. 5 prospect went yard deep to center for @HillsboroHops, his sixth of the season, to open the scoring: https://t.co/J6rGI182MWpic.twitter.com/1z5x70q0Aq
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 21, 2019
Leyton showed some flashy work in the field Saturday night as well.
UPDATE!
We have a new #ExtraMileExtraEffort play of the game ALSO by Steven Leyton. This guy is making a push for the All Star Game!#TodosSomosSoñadores pic.twitter.com/svcAb2wcep— Hillsboro Hops (@HillsboroHops) July 21, 2019
Today’s #ExtraMileExtraEffort play of the game, (so far) comes to us courtesy of Steven Leyton! His defensive effort saves a few runs. Up 2-1 in the 4th!#TodosSomosSoñadores pic.twitter.com/5DN5sxryVF
— Hillsboro Hops (@HillsboroHops) July 21, 2019
Missoula Osprey (Rookie Pioneer League)
For the week: 3-3
For the season: 18-16 (2nd place in North Division; 1.0 game behind Idaho Falls)
The Osprey rallied for five runs in the top of the ninth inning to steal a 6-5 win on the road at Great Falls in the opener of a three-game series Friday night. Liover Peguero’s three-run homer followed RBI singles by Axel Andueza and Tristen Carranza to give Missoula the improbable win and terminate a five-game losing streak. Right-hander Mailon Arroyo worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his sixth save in seven opportunities this season.
Lights-out Liover: Osprey teen has been pitcher's nightmare, but O's struggling against Ogden. @pioneer_league @ospreybaseball https://t.co/tp9z9ghKYW
— Bill Speltz (@billspeltz) July 17, 2019
Nice feature on right-hander Tyler Poulin, a 29th-round draft pick of the D-backs out of Quinnipiac.
D-backs (Rookie Arizona League)
For the week: 1-5
For the season: 13-15 (4th place in East Division; 9.5 games behind Giants Orange)
Outfielder Corbin Carroll, Arizona’s top selection in last month’s draft, had two hits including a two-run homer, but it wasn’t enough as the D-backs lost 5-3 to the Athletics Green squad in Arizona League play Monday night. Carroll was recently named as the No. 24 prospect in all of baseball by ESPN’s Keith Law, and the top prospect in the Diamondbacks’ organization.
Carroll had himself a productive week, batting .429 (9-for-21) with a home run and seven RBI. He also drew seven walks, giving him an on base percentage of .552.
Same two teams the next night, but a far different result. Abraham Almonte, on a rehab assignment from Triple-A Reno, went 2-for-7 with two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI in leading the D-backs to an 18-3 romp over the A’s at the Lew Wolff Training Complex Tuesday. The D-backs won by that margin despite leaving 15 runners on base and batting just 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position. Right-hander Eric Mendez, a 19-year-old from Aruba, pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief while striking out five to pick up his second straight win. Mendez has racked up 20 Ks in just 14.2 innings of work out of the D-backs’ bullpen in 2019.
D-backs1 (Rookie Dominican Summer League)
For the week: 4-2
For the season: 19-23 (4th place in Baseball City Division; 11.0 games behind Reds)
D-backs2 (Rookie Dominican Summer League)
For the week: 2-4
For the season: 24-18 (3rd place in San Pedro Division; 3.0 games behind Cubs2)
Arturo Roque, an 18-year-old right-hander from Mexico, was stellar in his last start for the D-backs2. Roque pitched five shutout innings while allowing just two hits and registering seven strikeouts in a 7-5 win over the Phillies White squad Saturday.
