D-backs Farm Report: Huge games for Guerrero, Leonora
Apr 18, 2016, 8:26 AM
Reno Aces
Last Week: 3-4; Overall: 5-5, 2nd place in PCL Pacific Northern Division
Who’s Hot: Shortstop Jack Reinheimer, whom the D-backs picked up last year from Seattle in the Mark Trumbo trade, is swinging a white-hot bat so far in 2016. The 23-year-old hit .462 (12-for-26) in six games and had three three-hit games during the week. He also leads all Arizona minor leaguers with nine RBI.
Who’s Not: Third baseman Carlos Rivero had a tough week at the plate, hitting .059 (1-for-17), but still managed to drive in four runs.
Archie ejected: Archie Bradley, who was outstanding in his first start of the season, didn’t stick around long in his second. Last Tuesday, the right-hander lasted just two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on three hits while walking two. Bradley had thrown 40 pitches and when manager Phil Nevin came to take him out of the game, he had words with home plate umpire Ronnie Teague. Both Bradley and Nevin were ejected and the Aces lost to the Albuquerque Isotopes, 3-2. Bradley was recalled by Arizona Sunday and will make his big-league season debut Monday night against the San Francisco Giants.
Two wins for Shipley: Right-hander Braden Shipley, the D-backs’ top prospect, picked up wins in his two starts last week. The right-hander threw six strong innings Monday, allowing two runs and five hits in a win over Albuquerque. Saturday, it was more of the same as Shipley allowed three earned runs and nine hits over 5.1 innings in a 13-5 clubbing of El Paso. Success in Reno is nothing new for Shipley. Before the D-backs made him a first-round draft choice (15th overall) in 2013, he starred at the University of Nevada, going 17-7 with a 2.79 ERA in three seasons with the Wolfpack.
Mobile BayBears
Last Week: 2-4, Overall: 4-6, 4th place in Southern League South Division
Silent Bats, For the Most Part: In their four losses last week, the BayBears scored a total of four runs, batting .159 (20-for-126) in the process.
Big Game: Outfielder Gabriel Guerrero, another player acquired in the Trumbo trade (how’s that working out, Seattle?), had a monster game last Wednesday against Biloxi, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in a 9-3 win.
Visalia Rawhide
Last Week: 5-2; Overall: 8-2, 1st place in California League North Division
Racking up Ks: Reliever Zac Curtis isn’t your prototypical strikeout pitcher. The lefty is only 5-foot-9 and weighs 179 pounds, but that doesn’t stop him from striking everyone out. Friday, Curtis struck out five of the six batters he faced in a 5-4, 11-inning win over Bakersfield. In six innings so far this season, Curtis has 12 Ks. In his minor league career, the 23-year old is averaging a whopping 13.34 strikeouts per nine innings.
Another big game: Former Yankees prospect Ericson Leonora inflicted a lot of damage in a 8-4 win over San Jose last Wednesday. The outfielder had two home runs and drove in seven with a three-run blast in the second inning and a grand slam in the fifth. Leonora had a two-homer game last June while playing for the Tampa Yankees.
Kane County Cougars
Last week: 6-1; Overall: 7-3, 1st place in Midwest League West Division
Not a lot of souvenirs: The Cougars are winning games, but they aren’t doing it by way of the long ball. Through ten games this season, Kane County hasn’t hit a home run — the only team in the Midwest League not to do so. On the flip side, Cougars pitchers aren’t giving up many home runs, either — they’ve allowed only one all season long.
Donatella dealing: Right-hander Justin Donatella is off to a great start for Kane County. In two starts last week, the former 15th-round pick out of UC San Diego didn’t allow an earned run or a walk in 12 innings on the mound.
Two-hitter: Carlos Hernandez, Jared Miller and Keegan Long combined on a two-hitter in a 4-1 win over Quad Cities on Friday.
In a MiLB first, the Cougars will wear a jersey displaying military portraits. Submit here: https://t.co/zG8sIYxyHf pic.twitter.com/lxnxSWY1Ff
— Kane County Cougars (@KCCougars) April 15, 2016
