OMAHA STORM CHASERS

The Chasers had a down and up season, starting off 8-17 in April as the team’s offense struggled early in the season. From that point, the Chasers played one game above .500 the rest of the way. They did this despite an offense that finished second to last in OPS and a pitching staff that finished in the same spot with strikeouts. Why did the team succeed? Defense is likely the biggest reason. On any given night, the Chasers often fielded major league caliber shortstop defenders in at least three if not four spots around the infield and sometimes a spot in the outfield. All around, their defense was high quality and the pitching staff saw a benefit most nights, while the promotion of Nicky Lopez and the steady bat of Frank Schwindel carried the offense on most nights in the second half.

Position Player
Frank Schwindel – One year after being named the BPKC Minor League Player of the Year, Schwindel was nearly as good with a full season in Omaha. The 1B/DH led the Chasers in nearly every offensive statistic, setting a franchise record with 38 doubles while also leading the squad with 24 home runs and 93 RBI. All told, Schwindel led the team in hits, runs, home runs, doubles, and RBI while also leading in many advanced hitting categories among qualified hitters on the team. The average for Schwindel took a dip this year to no one’s surprise after an expected dip in BABIP, but he did a decent job countering with an increase in walk rate (2.9%-6.1%). Defensively, Schwindel remains somewhat rough at the position but he has shown improvement and completed the season without making an error in the field this year.

Pitcher of the Year
Richard Lovelady – For the second year in a row, a left-handed relief pitcher took the pitcher of the year award for the Chasers. This season it was reliever Richard Lovelady who, much like the team, got off to a slow start before hitting his stride and dominating much of the season. The reliever at the end of May had a 4.21 ERA with under a K per inning but from June 1st on, the lefty limited the PCL to a 0.82 WHIP, a 1.51 ERA and 9.5 K/9. The sidearmer dominated lefties as one would expect with a .157 average against, but more than held his own against right-handed hitters a .587 OPS against him for the season. These numbers helped Lovelady become the most consistent member of the bullpen for the Chasers, giving them 73 innings  while leading the team in saves.

NW ARKANSAS NATURALS

During both the first and second halves of the season, the Naturals put themselves in big holes with a bad month of baseball before turning it on only to fall just short of the postseason. The first half saw NW Arkansas tie Arkansas for first place only to lose in the difference-making game. To start the second half, the Naturals got off to a brutal 4-22 start which put them 15 games back of first place Tulsa. The pitching would get hot from that point leading the Naturals back to within three games before a few late season losses left them five games back and at .500 for the year.

Position Player
Jecksson Flores – This one was difficult as shortstop Nicky Lopez fit the criteria for playing with the Naturals for 73 games while leading the squad in OBP and dominating during May and June with a .363 average prior to his promotion to Triple-A. Even with those numbers, Flores is the player who stirred the drink more than any other on the Naturals roster. He became the first Naturals hitter to lead the Texas League in hitting since Clint Robinson in 2010. The most consistent member of the lineup, Flores led the team in hits, average and doubles while finishing second on the club in runs scored, stolen bases and OPS. In addition to offensive stats, Flores played all over the field defensively for the squad playing 44 at second base, 40 games at third, 22 at shortstop and 14 more in the outfield to prove the ultimate weapon all over the field.

Pitcher of the Year
Yunior Marte – The Naturals couldn’t find consistent starting pitching for much of the year and were led by relievers for much of the season. No reliever was put to use more often than Marte who finished second on the team in appearances while leading the bullpen with 80.1 innings thrown. Marte also led the bullpen in strikeouts (8.96 SO/9) and WHIP (1.22) while putting up a 2.91 ERA. The righty was able to do this by dominating opposite-side hitters, limiting lefties to a .186/.286/.291 slash line against him while holding his own against same-siders with a .241 BAA. The Dominican born Marte has proven to have a rubber arm in his career with the Royals and may get a look by another team in the Rule 5 draft this offseason.

WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS

The Rocks season was a bit uneven with the team finishing eight under .500 during the first half of the season due to a poor May that saw them go 9-20. The second half saw the club jump out to a lead in the division the with the addition of Blake Perkins before the offense went missing during the middle of August, leading to a 12 game losing streak that cost the club the second half title, finishing five games behind Lynchburg.

Position Player of the Year
Khalil Lee – This one was a difficult call with the usual lack of offense in Wilmington. At different times it seemed like D.J. Burt might get the call, but a rough August drove his numbers down, while an injury may have prevented Emmanuel Rivera from taking the award despite a late charge (.913 OPS in August). Both of those players finished just short of Lee however, as the outfielder played 71 games and led Rocks in qualified OPS by that standard. In his games with the Rocks he did a number of impressive things, but reaching base was the tops as he carried a .402 OBP despite turning 20 just this past June. Lee did this with a .270 average while also earning 41 free passes in his 71 games played. The numbers were relatively balanced for Lee with his .811 OPS balancing with a .804 road OPS, something that can be difficult to do for hitters in the spacious home park. In addition to the OBP, Lee was efficient on the bases, stealing 14 bases in 17 tries while scoring 42 runs and driving in 41. All of this was done while playing primarily in centerfield for Wilmington before his promotion to Double-A.

Pitcher of the Year
Gerson Garabito – Wilmington’s pitcher of the year Garabito led the Carolina League in ERA among starting pitchers while finishing third in innings and fifth in total strikeouts. That 142.1 innings was significantly higher than his previous career high (80.2 in ’16). The right-hander struggled with his walk rate (4.6 BB/9) but he was able to mitigate the damage with just 117 hits given up and finishing well with a 7.3 K/9 rate. These numbers would lead the team’s starters in starts, strikeouts, WHIP, wins, and innings pitched. Most of these numbers were compiled on a strong finish for Garabito which saw him go 6-1 with a 2.24 ERA over his final 14 starts, setting him up for a promotion to Double-A next season.

LEXINGTON LEGENDS

Easily the best team in the Royals farm system this past season was the Low-A Lexington Legends, with the club finishing 16 games over .500. The Legends finished tied for second in the first half of the season before winning the second half, despite starting that half with a six-game losing streak. They did this on the back of the league’s second-best offense while the pitching staff finished in the middle as a whole but looked quite dominant at times with many members of a talented starting staff.

Position Player
Brewer Hicklen – Another difficult call on this one with Seuly Matias hitting 31 home runs in just 94 games alongside MJ Melendez and his 54 extra base hits. Despite those numbers, the most well-balanced player on the offense was outfielder Brewer Hicklen. The former UAB football recruit led the Legends in OPS with his .930 while also leading the team with his 29 stolen bases. He did this despite playing in just 82 games and not getting regular playing time with the team until the start of May. What Hicklen did best this past season was dominate southpaws, hitting .315/.389/.649 with 18 of his 43 extra base hits coming off of them. In all, it was an impressive season showcasing the power and speed tools that Hicklen possesses in his 6’2, 208 lbs frame.

Pitcher of the Year
Carlos Hernandez – The Legends had a number of pitchers who had quality seasons for the club whether it was Andres Sotillet, who earned a promotion to Wilmington, or Yefri Del Rosario and his strong finish to lead their qualified starters in ERA. Just missing the cut was Daniel Lynch who made nine starts while also being limited in innings after his college season. Even with those quality candidates, Hernandez was a step above the qualified group with his team-best WHIP and K/9 while his 3.29 ERA trailed only Del Rosario’s. The powerful right-hander finished with an outstanding flurry in his final six starts, tossing four starts of seven innings with an ERA of 1.41 against a WHIP below 1.00. A family issue slowed Hernandez out of the gate, not getting his first start until early May before an injury stopped his season short in August. In between though, he showed his powerful fastball, improving breaking ball and feel for a change can dominate hitters at times.

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Richard Lovelady photo by Minda Haas Kuhlmann.

They face off against the Rome Braves (71-62 overall, 40-29 in the first half), the first-half champion of the Southern Division in the South Atlantic League. The Legends (76-60 overall, 39-29 in the second half) finished the year as the Southern Division second-half champs, clinching in the first game of a four-game series at Greenville to end the regular season.

Both the Legends and the Braves are young teams, with the average age of each team’s batters under 21 years old. The Legends finished first in the league in runs scored (682; 4.98 R/G), fourth in hits (1151), second in homers (137), first in steals (164), third in team average (.258), and second in OPS (.733). Rome finished seventh in runs scored (578), third in hits (1176), sixth in homers (89), eleventh in steals (78), third in team average (.258; tied with Lexington), and fifth in OPS (.699).

Lexington’s pitchers finished seventh in team ERA (3.62), sixth in hits allowed (1119), second in most HR allowed (129), eleventh in fewest BB allowed (349), and sixth in strikeouts (1147). Overall, Rome finished in ninth in team ERA (3.74), seventh in hits allowed (1085), eighth in HR allowed (86), first in fewest walks allowed (422), and seventh in strikeouts (1143).

By now, the overall talent level on this Lexington roster is no secret, and they took on even more prospects in the last couple of months of the season. Their pitching staff received a significant boost. The loss of RHP Carlos Hernandez (6-5, 3.29 ERA in 79 1/3 IP, 82 K, 3.57 K/BB ratio) might have been felt more acutely had the Legends not added pitchers like LHP Daniel Lynch (5-1, 1.58 ERA in 40 IP, 47 K, 6 BB), RHP Jackson Kowar (3.42 ERA in 26 1/3 IP, 12 BB, 22 K), and LHP JC Cloney (2.73 ERA in 29 2/3 IP, 9 BB, 18 K) was like adding nitrous to an engine that was slowly, but consistently, revving faster as the season came to a close.

Starting Game One will be RHP and 2018 1st-round pick Jackson Kowar, who has made nine short appearances for the Legends this year. Over 26 1/3 innings, Kowar racked up 22 strikeouts against 12 walks. His 19 hits allowed, even over this short sample size, is evidence of his ability to command a plus fastball in the low-to-mid 90s along with a plus change-up in the low-80s that shows good tail and sink, and is delivered with precisely the same arm speed, slot, and release as his fastball when it’s at its best. He mixes in a slurvy breaking ball that is solid enough for a third pitch, but his command with it is still somewhat inconsistent. The Royals have kept his time on the mound short as a precautionary measure against overwork, so a four-inning start is a definite possibility.

He will face off against RHP Alan Rangel (4.09 ERA, 125 1/3 IP, 31 BB, 105 K), who posted a sterling 2.12 ERA in six starts over the month of August, but got knocked around in away games (3.14 ERA at home, 5.05 ERA on the road), and gave up six runs (five earned) and two homers over five innings in his only appearance at Whitaker Bank Ballpark. Perhaps also of note, he allowed a .810 OPS vs. RHH, while lefties had a tougher time (.668 over 57 PA).

RHP Tad Ratliff (1.68 ERA, 48 1/3 IP, 53 K, 10 BB, 10 SV) has been outstanding out of the pen, this year, and is the de facto closer. RHP Janser Lara (3.41 ERA, 23 appearances, 8 starts, 66 IP, 28 BB, 75 K) has steadily improved over the last few months, and can give the Legends a long stint in relief or start the game, though he has been outstanding as a reliever (1.98 ERA in 36 1/3 relief innings; 5.91 ERA in 35 innings as a starter). He brings a fastball that sits 94-95 and a tight slider around 83-84 with good tilt. Lara struck out 25 batters in 18 relief innings in August, so he ended on a high note. 2017’s 26th-round selection RHP Garrett Suchey (1.36 ERA in 21 appearances, 33 IP, 4 BB, 30 K) was a lock-down arm in his professional debut season. A 15th-round pick last year, LHP Robert Garcia (13 appearances, 24 IP, 31 K, 11 BB) and RHP Daniel Duarte (6 appearances, 11 2/3 IP, 11 K, 5 BB) show early signs of promise.

This is a quick look at some of the key batters heading into the first round of the SAL Playoffs.

1B Nick Pratto (.280 BA, .786 OPS 33 2B, 14 HR, 62 RBI, 22 SB in 127 games) is still a month away from his 20^th birthday. That alone says a lot about Pratto’s talent. While he hit the wall in June (.225 BA, .589 OPS in 25 games), he slowly picked up steam in July (.258, .717 OPS in 25 games) and caught fire in August (.358, 1.005 OPS, 20 RBI in 28 games). The steals were a little surprise, but he runs well enough, especially for his position.

C MJ Melendez made a lot of noise this year, becoming the single-season leader in home runs for teen-aged Class-A catchers. Sounds like a lot to say, but 19-year-old catchers don’t typically push 20 homers in their full-season debut. Melendez finished with 26 doubles, nine triples, and 19 homers, driving in 73 runs (.251 BA, .814 OPS in 111 games). In 73 games behind the dish, he threw out 42 percent of base thieves, a dramatic increase from 2017’s 26 percent, though last year he made only thirty appearances at catcher. While he did commit 13 errors (w/ 8 passed balls), there’s no reason for concern there; Melendez’s calling card is his agility, arm strength and glove work, and his defense will improve over time. He’s highly athletic, moves very well (not only for his position), and is an above-average base-runner. By all appearances, Melendez is a safe bet to make it to Kauffman, perhaps by 2021.

OF Brewer Hicklen (.307, 18 doubles, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 29 SB in 82 games at Lexington) returned to the Legends after a 22-game stint in High-A Wilmington that didn’t pan out for him (.211, .573 OPS in 22 games), and the timing could not have been better. With RF Seuly Matias going to the DL because of a thumb laceration, incurred while moving his bags from the baggage compartment on the team bus, the team was going to need that boost to the offense. Hicklen does a lot of things well; he covers lots of ground in the outfield with sure-handed glove work (71 games in OF, 2 errors, 1.87 RF/9), he squares up the ball frequently and has shown a great deal of pop (18 doubles, 3 triples, 17 homers), and he steals bags fearlessly. It seemed that, once he swiped second, he was almost a lock to try for (likely successfully) third immediately afterward. Isbel was a similar runner, in terms of style and aggression. Hicklen also brings added energy to this lineup, though it’s not as if they lack for it. At 22 years old, with his current tool profile, it’s safe to say that his performance at Wilmington is no concern.

SS Cristian Perez (.278, 14 doubles, 37 RBI, 10 SB) isn’t a power bat, but makes a lot of contact and shows a very good eye at the plate. Perez has struck out a total of 94 times over his 194 career games (784 PA), only 43 this year, and while he isn’t likely to walk much (53 BB, career; 11 in 2018), he doesn’t need to. He puts the ball in play with regularity, and aside from a .221 BA/.566 OPS in 24 games in July, Perez has been one of them more consistent hitters on this team. A .348 BA/.756 OPS in June certainly made an impression, during which he struck out only six times in 91 plate appearances. Yet another nineteen-year-old player on this Legends roster, Perez had little difficulty adjusting to Class-A competition. A .252 average vs. RHP (.354 in 92 PA vs. LHP) is acceptable, and should improve in 2019. Making 14 appearances at third base after the loss of Dennicher Carrasco, Perez sometimes struggled with the throw to first, but he also made some low throws from short (10 errors in 69 games at SS, 3 errors in 14 games at 3B). Second base may be in his future, though he could certainly gain arm strength over the next year or two.

Speaking of second base, Ricky Aracena (.261 BA, 10 doubles, 40 RBI, 17 steals in 95 games) is slowly building on the promise that led some international scouts to label him the next Rafael Furcal. With almost no present power of which to speak, Aracena’s value lies primarily in his glove. Coming into 2018, he already had 30 games at short with Lexington, and has been learning second base on the fly since SS Jeison Guzman has been getting the bulk of the time at Aracena’s old position. He is taking reasonably well to the keystone (94 games at 2B, 16 errors, 4.21 RF/9), and has the quickness and footwork to settle in permanently. Listed at 5’8”, which may be generous, there is still room for added strength.

CF Kyle Isbel made his Class-A debut on July 19^th and promptly made his presence known. Isbel batted .342 (.984 OPS) over 10 July games, with five extra-base hits and six steals. He also struck out only four times in his 44 plate appearances. August was more of the same, with a dip in Isbel’s average (.286) and OPS (.750), but he tacked on nine doubles, two homers, ten RBI and six more steals. His strikeouts spiked (36 in 121 PA), even though his pitch selection appeared to be advanced for Low-A. Also intriguing was his lack of a platoon split vs. LHP (.354 between Idaho Falls and Lexington in 89 PA, .314 in 204 PA vs. RHP). He demolished rookie-league pitching to the tune of a 1.063 OPS in 119 PA over 25 games.

UT Manny Olloque made his return to Lexington after starting the year in Triple-A Omaha (.544 OPS in 9 games), then heading to the Pioneer League and the Idaho Falls Chukars, where he performed well enough (.317 BA, 1.006 OPS in 11 games). Olloque’s power seems to have improved since last year, as he popped 21 XBH in 48 games with the Legends. The BB/K ratio is atrocious (7 BB, 67 K), but he did seem more comfortable at the plate this year. He definitely slowed down in August, with his OPS dropping 181 points from July (.690 in August, .871 in July), but he finished on the upswing, tallying a .787 OPS in his final 10 games (3 XBH, 10 RBI).

C Sebastian Rivero (.258, 16 doubles, 7 HR, 34 RBI, .692 OPS in 77 games) had a June to forget (.167 BA, .406 OPS in 17 games), but ranged in OPS between .597 (August) and .898 (July) the rest of the year. In 60 appearances behind the plate, Rivero threw out 35% of base-runners, and made only five errors in that time-span (8 passed balls). He took well to the backup role, but certainly could progress further than that in the coming years.

This is bound to be an exciting series. Lexington hasn’t seen playoff baseball in a very long time, and the team is running half a dozen promotions for this series opener, so the place will likely be packed to the gills. More to come after the completion of Game One.

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Alex Liddi 2-4 2 HR, 3 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Carlos Hernandez 7 IP 4 H 1 R 0 ER 2 BB 12 K 4-1 GO-FO 104p/72k

Lexington Legends 2 Greensboro Grasshoppers 1

For the third straight start, Carlos Hernandez looked outstanding, tossing seven innings once again. The 6’5 Venezuelan allowed an unearned run in the second inning after a Seuly Matias misplay in the outfield but was dominant besides that. Using 104 pitches, he attacked the zone with 72 strikes, striking out a career-high 12, limiting the opponent to just four hits and two walks. The Legends rewarded their pitcher with a win thanks to a solo home run by Brewer Hicklen and a steal of home by Marten Gasparini.

Brewer Hicklen: 1-3 HR
Nick Pratto: 0-3 2K
MJ Melendez: 0-3 3-3 CS-Att, 1 PO

Frederick Keys 4 Wilmington Blue Rocks 2

The Rocks connected on back to back home runs in the fourth inning when D.J. Burt left the yard for the first time of the year before Emmanuel Rivera hit his fourth of the season. Starter Gerson Garabito gave up a two out RBI double the next inning which allowed Frederick to tie things up. From there Wilmington’s offense couldn’t drive in a run, going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position while the Keys got a run in the sixth and the seventh innings to put the game out of reach for the Rocks.

Emmanuel Rivera: 2-4 HR
D.J. Burt: 1-4 HR
Gerson Garabito: 5 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 3 BB 5 K 4-1 GO-FO 97p/62k

Corpus Christi Hooks 15 NW Arkansas Naturals 6

New addition Dallas Beeler was knocked around over three and two-thirds innings of his first start, giving up nine hits and seven runs. The Astros Double-A squad connected on 19 hits and 15 runs to finish off the three-game sweep while scoring against five different Naturals pitchers. The Hooks catcher Lorenzo Quintana connected on three home runs which one-upped Alex Liddi’s two home run night.

Anderson Miller: 1-3 2b, BB
Khalil Lee: 1-3 2BB
Nick Dini: 1-4 HR, 2 RBI

Greeneville Reds 4 Burlington Royals 2

The Royals struggled to cash in on their nine hits, going just 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position. After starter Elvis Luciano allowed two runs (1 ER) reliever Josh Dye allowed two runs in his three innings to take the loss.

Juan Carlos Negret: 2-4 2b
Jeison Guzman: 3-5 R, RBI, SB
Elvis Luciano: 4.2 IP 8 H 2R 1 ER 2 BB 4 K 7-0 GO-FO 78p/51k

Monday Boxscores

Tuesday Probables
Wilmington – Nolan Watson 5-7 5.77 ERA 1.81 WHIP
Burlington – Randy Acevedo 0-1 5.82 ERA 1.59 WHIP
Idaho Falls – TBD

BPKC Hitter of the Day Nicky Lopez 4-5 3R, 2b, HR, 2 RBI, SB 

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Carlos Hernandez 7 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 3 Bb 3 K 12-4 90p/59k

Lexington Legends 1 Kannapolis Intimidators 0 F/11

The Legends and Intimidators locked up in a true pitching duel on Friday with the two teams going scoreless for the first ten innings of the night. Starter Carlos Hernandez gave the Legends his best outing in over a month, tossing seven scoreless with just two hits and three walks allowed. While recording just three strikeouts on the night the right-hander was creating plenty of worm burners with his 12 groundouts created on the night. The two teams stayed scoreless into the eleventh with both team’s working around the free baserunner in the tenth before Brewer Hicklen came through with a rbi single in the eleventh frame. That one run would be all Lexington would need with Andrew Beckwith working the final two innings hitless with four strikeouts to earn the win.

Nick Pratto 1-4 2b, 2K, SB (10)
Seuly Matias 0-3 BB, 2K
MJ Melendez 1-4 BB

Wilmington Blue Rocks 3 Lynchburg Hillcats 0

The Wilmington pitchers used the usual recipe for success in a 2-0 win Friday, walking 10 hitters in their shutout. Starter Nolan Watson went six and two-thirds innings scoreless despite five walks and zero strikeouts on the night thanks in part to four different double plays turned by the defense on the night. The Rocks offense scored a run in the first inning on a wild pitch that plated D.J. Burt before Gabriel Cancel unloaded on a two-run home run in the eighth to push the advantage to 3-0. That lead would be plenty with the bullpen working around five additional walks to earn the win.

Nolan Watson 6.2 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 5 BB 0 K 9-7 GO-FO 93p/48k
Gabe Cancel 2-4 HR, 2 RBI
D.J. Burt 2-2 2R, 2BB

San Antonio Missions 4 NW Arkansas Naturals 3 F/10

The Naturals lost a pitching showdown in extra innings against San Antonio. With outfielder Khalil Lee and pitcher Arnaldo Hernandez making their Double-A debut. Both made their presence shown in the outing with Hernandez striking out seven over five and one-third innings with two runs allowed in that time while Lee scored a run and reached base a pair of times in his debut. The game stayed 2-2 until the tenth inning when Bryan Brickhouse allowed the free baserunner to score on a single and then walked the bases loaded before giving up a rbi groundout for a second run allowed. The Naturals could counter with just one run in extras to drop the game.

Khalil Lee 1-2 R, BB, K, CS, Sac
Kelvin Gutierrez 1-4 K
Arnaldo Hernandez 5.1 IP 6 H 2 R 2 ER 1 BB 7 K 4-2 GO-FO 92p/58k

Omaha Storm Chasers 10 Nashville Sounds 1

Not often does one player shine so much in a game that features five home runs by five different players but that was the case in Omaha’s return to Werner Park Friday. Former Creighton alum Nicky Lopez put on a show for the hometown faithful with an effort that featured a little bit of everything as he played his usual flawless defense, stole his first Triple-A base and hit his first Triple-A home run while going 4-5 on the night. His teammates pitched in plenty as well with Triple-A All-Star starter Trevor Oaks allowing just one run over six innings to continue his outstanding season. Not to be outdone by Lopez and Oaks the rest of the lineup connected on 10 additional hits while four others hit home runs with Frank Schwindel and Ryan O’Hearn each connecting on home runs while Cam Gallagher and Ramon Torres chipped in longballs during the lopsided effort.

Trevor Oaks 6 IP 6 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 4 K 10-2 GO-FO 87p/58k
Ryan O’Hearn 3-4 HR,2b, 3 RBI, BB
Cam Gallagher 1-3 HR, 2 RBI, BB

Burlington Royals 2 Pulaski Yankees 0

The two teams combined for a 1 for 19 effort with runners in scoring position while striking out a combined 31 times but the Royals did just enough to earn the win on Friday. Royals 1st round pick Daniel Lynch made his second start working three and two-thirds innings with just a hit and walk allowed while striking out six. The Royals connected on a pair of doubles by Juan Carlos Negret and Freddy Fermin in the third frame to score the games only runs while Lynch, Bryar Johnson, and Kyle Hinton combined to strikeout 17 Yankees in the shutout win.

Daniel Lynch 3.2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 6 K 4-1 GO-FO 31p/26k
Juan Carlos Negret 1-5 R, 2b, RBI, 3 K
Bryar Johnson 3.1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 7 K 1-1 GO-FO 59p/31k

Idaho Falls Chukars 7 Grand Junction Rockies 6

The Chukars had to tie the game in the tenth and navigate free runners in the eleventh and twelfth inning before walking off for a win Friday night. The Chukars fell behind 4-0 after four innings but the middle of the lineup carried the load towards a comeback with the 2-5 hitters in the lineup combining for all 11 hits while driving in five and scoring six of the seven runs for the Chukars. Reliever Jordan Floyd navigated Grand Junction’s free baserunner in the final inning before Kyle Isbel walked things off with a single to left to drive in Tyler James.

Kyle Isbel 3-6 R, RBI, SB (4)
Nate Eaton 4-5 3R, 2b, RBI
Reed Rohlman 2-4 2-2b, 3 RBI, BB

Featured Photo Property of Minda Haas Kuhlmann

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Brewer Hicklen 2-5 2 HR, 5 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Tad Ratliff 3 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 Bb 3 K 4-2 GO-FO 45p/33k

Lexington Legends 8 Asheville Tourists 4

A day after the Legends watched Asheville power up with a win against them, they used the long ball to their advantage to overcome an early deficit. Starter Carlos Hernandez struggled with control early in this one, walking a pair and allowing a three-run home run by Chad Spanberger in the first inning to put his squad behind. A long second frame that included a run-scoring double to push the advantage to 4-0 ended the Lexington pitcher’s day at 60 pitches and just two innings completed. Fortunately for Hernandez, the Lexington bats would come alive to save him from the loss getting a three-run blast from Brewer Hicklen in the third inning to trim the deficit to one run. An inning later, a run-scoring groundout from Sebastian Rivero scored Seuly Matias to tie it up after he led the inning off with a double. With the game knotted up and the bullpen tossing up zeroes the bats of Hicklen and Cal Jones put the game away, hitting a pair of two-run home runs to put the game in hand.

Seuly Matias: 1-4 R, 2b
Cristian Perez: 3-5 2R, SB (3), CS (4)
Nick Pratto: 0-5 hitting .147 in June

Frederick Keys 2 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1 F/5

The Rocks lost a rain-shortened game Sunday when Arnaldo Hernandez gave up a pair of RBI hits to Ryan McKenna and Preston Palmeiro in the fifth frame to fall behind 2-1. After the Rocks went three up three down in the bottom of the fifth the rain washed away the afternoon and the series to give Frederick the win. The Rocks lone run came in the second frame on a wild pitch that scored Kort Peterson.

Khalil Lee: 1-1 BB
Kort Peterson: 1-2 R
Chase Vallot: 1-1 2b, BB

Arkansas Travelers 11 NW Arkansas Naturals 5

All five Naturals pitchers that entered in this one gave up at least one run while Latin products Andres Machado and Franco Terrero gave up four each in defeat. For Terrero it was a difficult four runs allowed on three hits with just one retired as he and Grant Gavin struggled in the eighth to turn what was a 6-5 deficit into an 11-5 loss. The Naturals had overcome Machado’s four runs in five innings, taking a brief seventh-inning lead with Nicky Lopez scoring three of the runs with a single and two walks in the game. The loss put the Naturals two games behind Arkansas with eight to play in the first half.

Nicky Lopez: 1-3 3R, 2 BB
Elier Hernandez: 2-3 R, 2b, RBI
Jecksson Flores: 1-3 R, RBI

Albuquerque Isotopes 8 Omaha Storm Chasers 6

The Chasers used the hot and windy conditions to their advantage early before the conditions turned on them late. Starter Glenn Sparkman struggled to put away hitters in the first couple of innings which drove his pitch count up as he yielded a run on six hits. Most of the wear came in the second frame as he saw multiple hitters go into long at-bats while giving up a run on an Elliot Soto two-out single. After a long Omaha second frame which saw four runs cross on five hits, Sparkman found enough stuff to get through five innings. A pair of wind-aided solo home runs from Parker Morin and Frank Schwindel pushed the lead to 6-1 before the Chasers bullpen factored in. The Chasers missed out on a chance to put a real grip on the game in the fifth when Adalberto Mondesi grounded into a double play with the bases loaded. Struggling reliever Justin Grimm continued his tough season in the sixth inning, walking in a run after allowing a pair of hits and another walk. Omaha had another opportunity in the seventh inning to put a grip on the game with hot tossing Richard Lovelady entering but he would also struggle, giving up a pair of hits to the first two he faced including a double by Anthony Bemboom. An error by Humberto Arteaga scored a run and allowed Raimel Tapia to reach before a sac fly and a RBI single brought the game within a run. Despite all that trouble in the previous frame, Lovelady was brought back in the eighth where Pat Valaika would jump all over a pitch that got too much of the plate, hitting it deep to left-center to tie it up. Reliever Michael Mariot replaced Lovelady in the ninth without much effectiveness either, giving up a single and a two-run home run to Tom Murphy to fall behind and lose 8-6.

Adalberto Mondesi: 1-5 RBI, 2K
Frank Schwindel: 2-4 2R, 2b, HR
Ryan O’Hearn: 1-4

Sunday Boxscores

Monday Probables
Omaha – TBD
NW Arkansas – Foster Griffin 2-6 6.25 ERA 1.67 WHIP
Wilmington – Dan Tillo 2-2 3.77 ERA 1.18 WHIP
Lexington – TBD

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Travis Jones 2-5 HR, 4 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jacob Condra-Bogan 2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 K 0-4 GO-FO 22p/15k

Lexington Legends 12 West Virginia Power 6

Legends starter Carlos Hernandez couldn’t match his effort the last three times on the hill, but the offense picked him up in a win. Following a pair of runs allowed in the second inning by Hernandez, the Legends piled on six runs from the second through the fourth, getting a solo home run by Seuly Matias, a two-run shot by Travis Jones and three runs in the fourth after an error following two singles helped Lexington out. In a good position to earn the win, Hernandez was unable to finish the fifth, giving up five hits and four runs before reliever Tad Ratliff had to replace him. Despite the game being tied, Lexington’s offense didn’t cool down, scoring three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings with six hits in that time including three doubles. Infielder Ricky Aracena was in the mix of both innings, getting on after being hit by a pitch and scoring in the sixth before doubling in a run in the seventh as part of a two-run, two rbi night. Relievers Ratliff and Jacob Condra- Bogan worked the final four and one-third innings scoreless to secure Lexington’s fourth straight win.

MJ Melendez: 2-5 RBI, SB (2)
Seuly Matias: 2-4 2R, HR, 2b
Brewer Hicklen: 3-4 2R, 2b

Frederick Keys 2 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1

The Rocks offense couldn’t get any offense going outside a Chase Vallot home run while a two-run home run by Frederick did them in. Back from Arizona, Chase Vallot took a 3-2 pitch out to left in his return to Wilmington and to the catching position as part of a two-hit night that gave Wilmington an early 1-0 lead. That lead held up until the fourth inning when the Keys took a 2-1 lead when Gerson Garabito gave up two-run job to Collin Woody. Despite Wilmington getting two hits in each inning from the fifth through the eighth, they were unable to tie the game, losing possibly their best chance in the eighth when Frederick tossed Vallot out at the plate after a two-out single by Angelo Castellanos, killing that rally and the chances for Wilmington in this game.

Chase Vallot: 2-4 HR
Khalil Lee: 1-4 2K
Gerson Garabito: 7 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 3 BB 1 K 8-7 GO-FO 88p/53k\

NW Arkansas Naturals 10 Frisco RoughRiders 5

The Naturals continued to do what they have been lately, flooding the bases with runners after hits and scoring in bunches; this time with the help of some poor Frisco defense. All nine hitters in the lineup had at least one hit with the top of the lineup helping to plate four runs in the third inning with Erick Mejia driving in two runs on a triple and Nicky Lopez bringing him in with a single to put NW Arkansas up 4-1. After Frisco had pulled within a run, NW Arkansas put the game away late, getting a pair of runs in the eighth with a pair of singles and a couple of walks before putting the game well in hand in the ninth on home runs by Alex Liddi and Nick Dini. The win pulled the Naturals within a game of .500 and two games back of first place.

Nicky Lopez: 1-5 RBI, SB (9)
Donnie Dewees: 1-3 R, 2b, RBI, 2 BB
Yunior Marte: 3 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 1 K 4-2 GO-FO 35p/25k

Tuesday Boxscores

Wednesday Probables
Omaha – Glenn Sparkman 5-2 2.96 ERA 1.06 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Andres Machado 0-6 6.86 ERA 2.02 WHIP
Wilmington = Arnaldo Hernandez 5-2 3.64 ERA 1.43 WHIP
Lexington – Garrett Davila 3-1 3.50 ERA 1.31 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Nicky Lopez 4-5, 2R, 2b, RBI, BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Yunior Marte 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2-3 GO-FO, 40p/30k 

Rome Braves 4, Lexington Legends 1

Lexington starter Carlos Hernandez gave his teammates a quality start, tying a career high with seven innings completed for just the second time in his brief two-year career. The right-hander was hit a little harder than he had been the last two times out, giving up five hits including a solo home run in the fourth that accounted for the second run against him. Despite the five hits, Hernandez did an outstanding job of attacking the zone with 70 strikes on 97 pitches thrown. The Legends scored their only run in the third inning on a fielder’s choice following a leadoff double by Marten Gasparini. The Braves starter Odalvi Javier controlled the Lexington offense with ten strikeouts and just two hits allowed in six innings before their bullpen finished off the Legends over the final three innings.

MJ Melendez: 1-4, 3K
Carlos Hernandez: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 3-5 GO-FO, 97p/70k
Marten Gasparini: 2-3, R, 2b

Potomac Nationals 6, Wilmington Blue Rocks 5 

The Rocks were given eight free passes Wednesday night but they couldn’t do enough with them to secure a win over Potomac. The Nationals starter Joan Baez gave six of those free passes away in his 4.1 innings, but the Rocks were unable to cash any of those free passes in, scoring their only run with a DJ Burt single in front of a Khalil Lee triple. Wilmington starter Ofreidy Gomez fell behind after allowing three runs in six innings on five hits, including a first inning two-run home run. That deficit lasted until the eighth when the Rocks scored three runs to tie things up, the big hit coming via Gabe Cancel’s two-run double. Potomac took the lead back in the eighth before Wilmington tied it again in their half of the ninth only to see a sacrifice fly walk things off for Potomac.

Khalil Lee: 3-4, R, 3b, 2 RBI, BB
D.J. Burt: 2-4, 2R, 3b, BB, SB (10)
Gabe Cancel: 1-2, 2b, 2 RBI, 3 BB

NW Arkansas Naturals 7, Frisco RoughRiders 6 – F/10

The Nationals fell behind early but received outstanding bullpen work which provided the offense time to catch up and eventually take a win away from Frisco. Starter Emilio Ogando surrendered two home runs and six total runs in just four innings of work before handing the game over. Those six runs stood up until the ninth inning when the Naturals evened the game up with a sac fly by Alex Liddi that brought home Erick Mejia. In extras, NW Arkansas worked around the free baserunner while Nicky Lopez doubled home Mejia to secure their fifth consecutive series win, a NW Arkansas record.

Erick Mejia: 2-3, 3R, SB (12)
Elier Hernandez: 3-5, R, 2-2b, RBI
Donnie Dewees: 1-6, SB (6)

Omaha Storm Chasers 5, New Orleans Baby Cakes 4

A pitching duel for six innings saw both starters pitching an early gem with a bunch of zeroes on the board. Those zeroes lasted until the bottom of the sixth when Omaha’s Humberto Arteaga doubled and scored to give the Chasers a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, that lead didn’t last long as Scott Barlow struggled to finish off his start, giving up a pair of singles to start the seventh before an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. A mound visit didn’t settle Barlow down as the right-hander gave up a wall-scraping grand slam just over the 310-foot mark in left field to put the Baby Cakes up 4-1. The Chasers would answer though with a four-run frame of their own two innings later with an RBI groundout by Aldaberto Mondesi, a two-run single by Frank Schwindel and an RBI single by Cam Gallagher that scored Schwindel. Reliever Brandon Maurer would run into some trouble in the ninth, loading the bases but getting the final strikeout to secure the win.

Adalberto Mondesi: 0-4,RBI, K
Cam Gallagher: 2-4, 2b, RBI
Scott Barlow: 7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR, 10-4 GO-FO, 95p/62k

Grayson Rodriguez – Not many prep arms were flying up draft boards as quickly as this big Texas arm was early in the mock season. At 6’5, 230 lbs Rodriguez definitely looks the part of a major league pitcher from that frame and would compare to current Royals prospect Carlos Hernandez in terms of size. Where he might differ from Hernandez is in his ability to throw the breaking ball, with Grayson tossing both a curve and a slider that look to be future major league average or both above that. MLB Pipeline rates the future slider a tick above average where Baseball America likes the future of the curveball more. A feel for spin is a plus for any pitcher and a major plus with the Royals considering some of their pitchers in the past have struggled to refine their breaking balls along the way.

It’s likely the Royals would want him to lean heavier on his slow mid-70s curve as they favor a pitch that can come across multiple planes as opposed to a harder late biting two plane slider. Still, he would have both in his back pocket with a slight feel for a changeup that would need more reps to turn into an average pitch. Of course, all of the pitches are thrown off a fastball that sits 92-95 mph while regularly hitting 98 mph with hard late movement. The pitch is above major league average currently and could result in a future 70 offering if he can command it up to capability. There is some athleticism and ability to repeat his mechanics, leading one to believe that he could have a tick better than average future control with average command. With all the hard-throwing prep arms who are maxing out, there is the possibility of his stuff backing up resulting in a 90-93 mph fastball instead of the current variety. That is where the breaking ball mix comes in handy for this pitcher’s future as well as his ability to continue to work with Evans.

Adam Kloffenstein – While Rodriguez could be maxed out, a second Texas big pitcher could have some future projection despite a 6-5, 220 lbs frame. That skinny body looks like it could put on more strength, and his age at just 17 years old until August which makes him one of the few that isn’t well past his 18th birthday at the time of the draft. Playing alongside Jordan Groshans at Magnolia HS, Kloffenstein has had plenty of opportunities to throw in front of scouts there and in the Perfect Game circuit that he’s pitched in since his 13th birthday. The fastball works in the low 91-94 mph range with sinking action that allows him to generate plenty of groundball contact against the best of the best prospects during the summer circuit and in high school.

Next to that fastball is a low-80s slider that he shows an excellent feel for and can use to generate groundball contact or earn a swing and miss. In the past it was more of a curveball shape but morphed into a slider, this could possibly be worked more into a downer curve which is likely something the Royals organization would prefer. Like his teammate Groshans, he’s a strong student and has feel for the game, inputting that intelligence onto the field where he can mix and match his stuff to keep hitters off balance. The changeup shows some feel but is more of a firm offering and will need reps to turn into a better pitch. The future upside on Kloffenstein may match that of Rodriguez and the other prep right-handers in this draft even if his current stock isn’t quite as high.

Both prospects would be excellent additions for the Royals and I hope are being heavily considered with one of their selections.

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BPKC Hitter of the Day MJ Melendez 3-5 2b, 2HR, 5 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Carlos Hernandez 5 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 5 K 6-5 GO-FO 87p/57k

Lexington Legends 6 West Virginia Power 0

The battery combination the Legends put on the field Friday night dominated the early innings on the way to a win over the Pirates Low-A squad. Starting pitcher Carlos Hernandez backed up a one hit five-inning performance last time out with another five-inning shutout effort in this one. The 6’5 right-hander didn’t allow a hit in that time while striking out five hitters and three walks while avoiding problems most of the time while on the hill. His battery mate MJ Melendez staked Hernandez with plenty of run support, homering in the first to put Lexington up 2-0, driving in a run in the third with a double and homering again in fifth to drive in his four and fifth runs of the night. The 2017 2nd round pick has 18 extra base hits among his 28 while moving up to 3rd in the league in OPS with his .955 to date. Lefty Holden Capps would follow Hernandez, working the next three innings while working around three hits before turning it over to Sal Biasi who tossed a scoreless ninth.

Travis Jones 3-4 3R, 2b, RBI
Cal Jones 1-3 BB
Holden Capps 3 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER

NW Arkansas Naturals 4 Springfield Cardinals 2

The Naturals going into this one had lost fifteen consecutive games at Springfield’s Hammons field so when they were shutout for five straight innings it wasn’t looking great to snap that skid. Fortunately starter Emilio Ogando was able to match that effort and take a tad further, shutting out Springfield for seven innings despite just one strikeout. A sac fly by Donnie Dewees after a leadoff triple by Corey Toups gave the Naturals a 1-0 lead in the sixth. An inning later Corey Toups got ahold of an opposite field home run with a runner on to push the advantage to 3-0 and finally, Erick Mejia’s solo home run in the eighth ran the advantage to four. A scoreless eighth for Yunior Marte ran into trouble in the ninth but newfound closer Luis Vasquez entered to shut things down with a pair of strikeouts.

Corey Toups 2-4 2R, 3b, HR, 2 RBI
Nicky Lopez 1-3 2b, BB
Emilio Ogando 7 IP 7 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K 9-4 GO-FO 95p/64k

Omaha Storm Chasers 8 Iowa Cubs 6 

The Chasers offense woke up in Des Moines with six extra-base hits and fifteen total hits. First baseman Ryan O’Hearn who entered this game in the midst of a difficult hitting month (.189/.306/.226) connected on a run-scoring double in the first as part of a two-run inning. That lead held up until the third inning when starter Scott Barlow gave up a pair of home runs to fall behind, 3-2. The Chasers would score again before falling behind 4-3 entering the sixth when they would break out for a big inning that would pave them towards the win. Catcher Cam Gallagher opened the inning with a solo home run an was quickly followed by a pair of rbi doubles by Humberto Arteaga and Billy Burns to give Omaha a 7-4 lead. An inning late O’Hearn connected on his second home run of the season to push the advantage to four runs which the Cubs would cut in half before Eric Stout entered to get the final out.

Ryan O’Hearn 2-4 2b, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Humberto Arteaga 3-4 R, 2-2b, 2 RBI
Richard Lovelady 2.1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 2 K 3-1 GO-FO 40p/25k

Friday Boxscores

Saturday Probables
Omaha – Glenn Sparkman 4-2 2.72 ERA 1.06 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Andres Machado 0-5 8.40 ERA 2.23 WHIP
Wilmington – Gerson Garabito 1-2 2.34 ERA 1.33 WHIP
Lexington – Garrett Davila 2-1 3.28 ERA 1.35 WHIP

BPKC Hitter of the Day Elier Hernandez 4-5 4R, HR, 2b, 4 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Carlos Hernandez 5 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 9 K 4-1 GO-FO 62p/42k

Lexington Legends 6 Greenville Drive 0

The Legends received outstanding pitching from start to finish while the offense powered up in the first game of their series with Greenville. Starter Carlos Hernandez was efficient and dominant in his second start, overpowering hitters for nine strikeouts over five innings. The only hitter to reach versus Hernandez was Victor Acosta with his second-inning single before getting thrown out at second on an attempted steal. An error allowed Acosta to reach in the fifth but Hernandez had no problems throughout, going one over the minimum while he attacked the zone with 42 strikes on 62 pitches, something he struggled with mightily in his first start. The offense backed him with four runs in the first three innings including a rbi single by Sebastian Rivero in the first inning as part of a 2-4 day that included his third home run of the season. Power hitting Seuly Matias connected on his eleventh home run in the seventh to push the advantage to 6-0 before the bullpen shut things down.

Seuly Matias 1-3 2R, HR, 2BB
Sebastian Rivero 2-4 HR, 2 RBI, CS 1-1
Brewer Hicklen 2-4 BB

Carolina Mudcats 5 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1

Wilmington’s offense was dormant for much of Saturday’s game, getting just two Khalil Lee hits through the first eight innings. This left starter Arnaldo Hernandez behind after allowing a pair of second-inning hits that led to a run. Two more runs off Hernandez in the sixth and a couple of newly promoted Josh Mitchell in the seventh left Wilmington behind 5-0. The Rocks only run in the game came in the ninth with a pair of doubles by Emmanuel Rivera and Kort Peterson.

Emmanuel Rivera 1-4 R
Khalil Lee 2-4 2b, 2K
Kort Peterson 1-3 2b, RBI

NW Arkansas Naturals 10 Tulsa Drillers 9

The Naturals trailed for much of the night Saturday but finally caught the Drillers in the ninth before getting some help to walk off the game. A huge night from the Naturals 3-4-5 hitters did most of the damage for them with Samir Duenez and Elier Hernandez driving in seven of the ten runs. Starter Scott Blewett couldn’t take advantage of the Naturals runs, giving up five runs in four innings while allowing seven hits and three walks in that time. Trailing 8-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth the top four hitters in the lineup each reached base with three singles by Donnie Dewees, Nicky Lopez and Elier Hernandez sandwiched around a walk to Erick Mejia, Hernandez drove in Dewees before a sac fly by Samir Duenez, a wild pitch and a double by Brandon Downes scored the other three in the frame to pull within 8-7. The Drillers added a run in the sixth before the Naturals pulled within a run in the seventh and quickly put the tying run on third in the ninth with a Nicky Lopez triple, his fourth hit of the night. A single by Hernandez, also his fourth hit, scored Lopez before he advanced to second on wild pitch and moved to third on a Duenez groundout. With the winning run on third and two down the Drillers third baseman threw wide of first base on a groundball hit by Downes which allowed Hernandez to come home for the walk-off winner for NW Arkansas.

Nicky Lopez 4-5 3R, 3b currently hitting .320/.408/.375 this season
Samir Duenez 2-4 3 RBI
Yunior Marte 2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 2 BB 3 K 1-1 GO-FO 33p/18k

New Orleans Baby Cakes 5 Omaha Storm Chasers 0

The Chasers offense is in full struggle mode, last in the PCL in multiple categories and shutout for the fourth time this season. Starter Scott Barlow struggled with the zone, tossing just 57% strikes on 79 pitches while walking three hitters in just three and two-thirds innings. In addition to the three walks, he allowed four hits including a three-run home run to Chad Wallach in the fourth that did most of the damage to his line. New Orleans starter Trevor Richards went six innings before handing things over to Justin Turner for the final three frames in to finish the shutout.

Hunter Dozier 2-4
Scott Barlow 3.2 IP 4 H 4 R 4 ER 3 BB 4 K 2-4 GO-FO 79p/45k
Ryan O’Hearn 0-4 2K

Saturday Boxscores

Sunday Probables
Omaha – Glenn Sparkman 3-2 2.94 ERA 1.07 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Emilio Ogando (lhp) 2-2 5.56 ERA 1.94 WHIP
Wilmington – Cristian Castillo (lhp) 1-4 7.71 ERA 1.74 WHIP
Lexington – TBD