BPKC Hitter of the Day: Brewer Hicklen 3-5 R, 2b, 3 RBI, 3 SB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Marcelo Martinez 6 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 6 K 8-1 GO-FO 95p/67k

Lexington Legends 6 Lakewood BlueClaws 5 F/10

Starter Charlie Neuweiler gave up four runs in just four and one-third innings as he lost a 3-0 lead that the offense had given him. It was a bunt that scored Brewer Hicklen that gave Lexington a 1-0 lead before his double down the line in the third pushed the advantage to 3-0. After a two-run blast off Neuweiler gave up the lead Lexington put up a pair on a Cristian Perez single and a throwing error that scored Cal Jones after his steal. The game went to extras after the Phillies farm club scored in the eighth but Hicklen drove in the free runner in the tenth with a single prior to Garrett Suchey working a scoreless tenth for the win.

Nick Pratto: 1-5 2R, 2K, SB (19)
Ricky Aracena: 2-2 R
Charlie Neuweiler: 4.1 IP 5 H 4 R 4 ER 2 BB 2 K HR 5-4 Go-FO 81p/53k

Down East Wood Ducks 5 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1

It’s nine in a row in the loss column for Wilmington after Monday’s loss. The Rocks offense let the team down on this night, going 0-8 with runners in scoring position to limit them to just a single run. The Rangers High-A club had plenty of baserunners with eight hits off Dan Tillo along with a pair of walks, scoring two runs in the second and another pair in the fifth to tag him with the loss.

Dan Tillo: 6 IP 8 H 4 R 4 ER 2 BB 2 K 8-2 GO-FO 94p/52k
Rudy Martin: 1-3 BB, K, 3 SB
Emmanuel Rivera: 1-2 2BB

Burlington Royals 2 Danville Braves 0

Marcelo Martinez had his stuff working on this night to give the Royals a quality start. The lefty worked six shutout innings with three singles and three walks allowed, only allowing a runner to get to second base with two outs in the sixth inning before retiring the Braves. That work was enough to earn the win after Michael Emodi drove in a run in the second and Freddy Fermin singled in another in the third to build the lead before the rain came and wiped out the final innings.

Michael Emodi: 1-3 2b, RBI
Montae Bradshaw: 1-2 2b
Freddy Fermin: 1-2 R, RBI, BB, CS

Monday Boxscores

BPKC Hitter of the Day Isaiah Henry 2-4 2R, 3b, RBI, BB, K

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Nolan Watson 6 IP 3 H 1 R 0 ER 0 BB 4 K 3-6 GO-FO 72p/49k

Gm1 Lakewood BlueClaws 3 Lexington Legends 2 F/10
Gm2 Lakewood BlueClaws 1 Lexington Legends 0 F/8

The Legends offense struggled in their two-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies Low-A club on Saturday night. With just eight combined hits in 18 innings of action the Legends normally potent offense managed just two runs in the two games with Nick Pratto connecting on his ninth home run in the first game and Cal Jones driving in the other run, both in the fourth inning of game one. With a lack of offense, Charlie Neuweiler took a no-decision despite setting a career high with nine strikeouts, allowing two runs in six innings with two runs allowed on four hits and a pair of walks. The Legends took a loss in the first game when their offense failed to score the free runner in the eighth and ninth innings, taking the loss in the ninth when Lakeland scored on a sac fly. During game two 1st round pick Jackson Kowar was more effective than he had been previously, working three and two-thirds innings without a run allowed. The right-hander worked primarily with his four-seam fastball that was registering 95-98 mph on the scoreboard (typically hot 1-2 mph) while mixing in approximately 10 other secondary offerings on his 67 pitches. The former Gators pitcher walked three hitters while striking out three against one hit allowed. Like the first game, this one went to extras where the Legends failed to score in the eighth and Lakewood walked it off with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Charlie Neuweiler 6 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 9 K 3-2 GO-FO 87p/56k
Jackson Kowar 3.2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 3 K  4-1 GO-FO 67p/39k
Nick Pratto 3-7 HR, RBI, K, CS

Gm 1 Frederick Keys 2 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1
Gm 2 Wilmington Blue Rocks 4 Frederick Keys 2

The Rocks Dan Tillo has struggled with his control recently, walking four or more five times since June 12th including six walks last start. With that trouble, Tillo quickened his pace and went more on the attack this time out instead of nibbling. With that, the lefty was able to toss six innings with just a run allowed on seven hits and a pair of walks. Despite Tillo’s work, Wilmington was tied through seven innings as the only run provided by the offense was via a D.J. Burt rbi single. The game went to extras where a double off Anthony Bender scored the free runner before the Rocks went scoreless to drop the game. Game two was a little different for Wilmington as the offense was a tad more lively with nine hits and four runs with four different Rocks driving in runs. Starter Nolan Watson gave his squad his fourth quality start in five tries with just an unearned run allowed in six innings. The right-hander gave up just a first-inning single before a pair of singles sandwiched around a wild pitch and a passed ball helped score an unearned run in the sixth for his only run allowed. Reliever Julio Pinto gave up a run in the ninth before getting the final out to secure the win. The Rocks have a three-game lead in the division at the end of play on Saturday.

Dan Tillo 6 IP 7 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 5 K 5-3 GO-FO 101p/63k
Brewer Hicklen 2-5 R, 2-2b, BB, SB
D.J. Burt 2-7 2 RBI, 3K

Saturday NW Arkansas Naturals 1 Springfield Cardinals 0

The Naturals won a pitching duel on Saturday behind a resurgent Foster Griffin. After carrying a near eight-run earned run average during May and June Griffin has found himself his last four starts out including this one. Matching Springfield starter Evan Kruczynski with scoreless inning the lefty was doing what he did last year, mixing and matching while creating groundball outs. Striking out six hitters with 61 strikes on 93 pitches the lefty worked around seven hits and a pair of walks over seven shutout innings. Scoreless into the Naturals put the only run on the board with a two-out triple by Jecksson Flores prior to a rbi single by Samir Duenez. That proved to be the winning run with Griffin and reliever Pedro Fernandez shutting out the Cardinals offense.

Samir Duenez 1-3 RBI
Jecksson Flores 2-4 R, 3b, SB (19)
Pedro Fernandez 2 IP 0 H 0 R 1 BB 2 K 1-1 GO-FO 23p/12k

Salt Lake Bees 4 Omaha Storm Chasers 3

The Chasers struggled to score runners in scoring position, going 1 for 7 on Saturday night in a narrow loss. The Angels Triple-A squad didn’t do much better (2 for 7) but got some help with a Sam Selman wild pitch scoring a run in the eighth which ended up making the difference in the game. After pulling within a run and placing the tying run at third base with one out, Donnie Dewees grounded into a double play to end the rally and ultimately hand the Chasers a defeat after a 1-2-3 ninth.

Nicky Lopez 0-4 R, BB, 2K, CS
Frank Schwindel 2-4 R, 2b
Zach Lovvorn 6 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 3 BB 4 K 2-2 GO-FO 53p/33k

Idaho Falls Chukars 4 Grand Junction Rockies 3

Despite being limited to just four hits the Chukars were able to give J.C. Cloney his ninth win of the season thanks to a couple of errors by Grand Junction. The Pioneer League’s best pitcher lowered his ERA to 1.93 with six scoreless innings while scattering five hits and a walk over six innings. Idaho Falls scored a run in the first after a single by Tyler James, an errant pickoff moved him to second and a pair of groundouts brought him around. That score remained until the sixth when an error and a pair of wild pitches helped tack on an additional two runs following a triple and a rbi single by Kyle Kasser. Infielder Nathan Eaton walked, stole second and moved to third on an errant throw by the pitcher before scoring on a wild pitch. Reliever Stephen Greenlees struggled in the in the seventh, allowing three runs on three hits and walk before Jose Ramirez bailed him out and tossed the final two innings scoreless to secure the save.

J.C. Cloney 6 Ip 5 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 5 K 5-4 GO-FO 86p/58k
Tyler James 1-3 R
Andres Martin 2-3 R, 3b

Saturday Boxscores

After becoming one of only 64 prep-level players selected in the first ten rounds in last year’s draft, Neuweiler made his first pro start for the rookie-level Burlington Royals in the Appalachian League on June 19^th of last year. He went five solid innings vs. the Elizabethton Twins in an away game (4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K). His follow-up to that was a game to forget vs. the Danville Braves, as he gave up nine hits and five runs in his first home start for Burlington. Of note: he also struck out eight batters, nearly 1/3 of what he faced (25 total).

That would be it for Neuweiler in the Appy League, as the Royals bumped him up to the Lexington Legends in the South Atlantic League. He would make his first Class-A start at home vs. the Asheville Tourists, going another five strong innings, giving up no runs (3 H), walking three, and striking out four. Following this were four fairly-solid starts on the road in which he went a total of 21 1/3 innings, giving up eight earned runs (14 total), walking eight and striking out seventeen batters. He picked up his first professional win on July 23^rd at Asheville, where he gave up only three hits and two earned runs (4 total) while walking three and striking out four. His 2nd career win came right after that, as he went 5 2/3 vs. Rome at Lexington, giving up one run on four hits, walking three and striking out six.

After making his first pro appearance in June, Neuweiler has yet to throw fewer than 80 pitches in a game, and hasn’t yet recorded an appearance under five innings; worth noting, given his age (he turned 19 years old this past February).

On a roster that currently boasts 10 of Kansas City’s top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline (11, counting the injured Michael Gigliotti), a player like Neuweiler can get lost in the shuffle. However, don’t let those “Top 30” lists deceive you; Neuweiler demonstrates poise beyond his years, with an arsenal that matches up well against the Sally League batters.

Neuweiler starts with a fastball that sits around 91-92, touching 93 on occasion, and he throws both two-seam and four-seam varieties. He also deals a low-80s slider with tight spin and very good two-plane break. At its best, it is almost unrecognizable in its spin, and breaks about 6-8 feet in front of the batter. When last I saw him, he dealt at least two sliders in the 84-85 range. He will occasionally mix in a change-up at 80-83 with slightly more fade than sink that has potential to become at least ML-average.

His mechanics are simple and easily repeatable. He has bouts of inconsistency with his release point, as any young pitcher might. It seems to happen more so with off-speed pitches, but so far it seems to be a rare occurrence.

At 6’1”, 205, Neuweiler’s projection lies in refining his current arsenal and working to add a bit of velocity. He appears to be a sound #3 or #4 starter in the making, at the moment, but a move to the ‘pen could see a tick or two added to his fastball. That could make him a three-pitch reliever with a mid-90’s fastball and, possibly, a wipe-out slider, to go with a change that shows definite promise. Personally, I’d like to see him continue to develop in the rotation; he has good size and a foundation on which to build. I can see him adding 2 MPH on his fastball, as a starter, as he appears to have relatively low-stress mechanics, as well as youth and stamina on his side.

Give him a little time, and you’re likely to be hearing more of his name in the Legends recaps and Royals websites. Neuweiler’s classic starter profile gives him a good shot at climbing the rankings for Kansas City. Barring major setbacks, he could find himself in High-A Wilmington before the end of 2019. If not, a year or two at Lexington isn’t going to hurt his progress, in the long run.

Friday BPKC Hitter of the Day: Nicky Lopez 5-6 3R, 2b, RBI, BB
Saturday BPKC Hitter of the Day: Seuly Matias 3-4 HR, 2 RBI
Sunday Jose Caraballo: 3-6 3R, 2b, HR, 6 RBI, K, SB

Friday BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Richard Lovelady 2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 K 1-1 GO-FO 18p/15k
Saturday BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Gerson Garabito 6 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 3 K 5-3 GO-FO 103p/59k
Sunday BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Charlie Neuweiler 5.2 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 3 BB 6 K 2-3 GO-FO 96p/60k

Friday Rome Braves 7 Lexington Legends 3
Saturday Lexington Legends 4 Rome Braves 2
Sunday Lexington Legends 6 Rome Braves 5

The Legends kept their winning ways going with a weekend series win over the Braves Low-A squad. During Friday’s game, Carlos Hernandez made his return to the mound after missing a couple of starts and, despite striking out seven in five innings, wasn’t quite as sharp as he had been, giving up a home run and four runs. The bullpen struggled behind him while the offense couldn’t convert enough scoring opportunities in the loss. The next two games featured quality starting pitching and enough offense to get things done as Yefri Del Rosario earned his first win in the Royals organization on Saturday and Charlie Neuweiler followed him with a strong Sunday performance. Outfield Seuly Matias helped power the offense with this 30th home run during a weekend that saw him show a shorter swing and better contact. Catcher MJ Melendez finished the Sunday game by picking off the possible tying run at first base.

Seuly Matias: 6-11 3R, HR, 2 RBI, K, BB, SB
Kyle Isbel: 6-13 3R, 2b, 3b, 2 RBI, 2 SB
Charlie Neuweiler: 5.2 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 3 BB 6 K 2-3 GO-FO 96p/60k

Saturday Gm 1 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1 Buies Creek Astros 0 F/7
Saturday Gm 2 Buies Creek Astros 3 Wilmington Blue Rocks 0 F/7
Sunday Wilmington Blue Rocks 7 Buies Creek Astros 2

The Carolina League’s hottest team kept it going over the weekend with a pair of wins that positions themselves for a fourth consecutive series win with a victory on Monday. Starter Gerson Garabito gave the Rocks another quality start with the right-hander spinning six shutout innings while navigating four hits and three walks. The Rocks had just two hits in the game, but one of them was all it took with Rudy Martin’s third home run of the season making the difference. During the second game of the doubleheader, Dan Tillo struggled with his control once again, walking six in just two innings in which he gave up all three runs in the game. The offense had just one hit in the game. After a pair of games in which the offense struggled, things got going again on Sunday with 10 hits and five walks. Leadoff man Blake Perkins walked three times and scored two runs while Emmanuel Rivera and Meibrys Viloria each scored once and drove in another. Shortstop Angelo Castellanos struck the big blow with a three run double in the sixth that broke a 4-2 game open. Starter Nolan Watson improved his record to 5-1 with five innings of one-run ball in the game.

Nolan Watson: 5 IP 5 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K 4-3 GO-FO 92p/58k
Blake Perkins: 1-5 2R, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 CS
Emmanuel Rivera: 2-9 R, RBI, 2K

Friday NW Arkansas Naturals 10 Springfield Cardinals 0
Saturday Springfield Cardinals 7 NW Arkansas Naturals 6
Sunday Springfield Cardinals 5 NW Arkansas Naturals 4

The Naturals looked as if they were going to continue their winning ways on Saturday after a big Friday win only to watch the bullpen give the lead away. Starter Eric Skoglund struggled in the fifth inning himself with the rehabbing lefty allowing three runs in that frame to cut a 6-1 lead to 6-4. That lead stood up until the eighth when reliever Yunior Marte gave up a solo home run before Bryan Brickhouse was knocked around once again, giving up two runs (1 ER) on a solo home run and a double that scored on a Naturals error in the loss. The Friday game featured 14 hits including a pair of home runs by Xavier Fernandez and Kort Peterson that accounted for five of the ten runs. The Sunday game was more of the same with the Naturals taking a lead in the top of the ninth with a sac fly that scored Peterson. It didn’t last though when lefty Cristian Castillo gave up a pair of solo home runs including the two-out walk-off blast by Randy Arozarena that gave the Cardinals the win.

Samir Duenez: 7-11 3R, 4-2b, 4 RBI, 2 Bb, K
Kelvin Gutierrez: 5-13 R, 2b, 6 RBI, 2 SB
Scott Blewett: 5 IP 7 H 3 R 3 ER 1 BB 6 K 2-4 GO-FO 92p/58k

Friday Omaha Storm Chasers 15 Fresno Grizzlies 4
Saturday Fresno Grizzlies 3 Omaha Storm Chasers 2
Sunday Omaha Storm Chasers 5 Fresno Grizzlies 4 F/11

Omaha’s offense exploded for 23 hits on Friday during a lopsided win. In addition to the 23 hits, the Chasers walked eight times with Nicky Lopez leading the way with five hits and a walk while scoring three runs and driving in another. Sunday’s game featured considerably less offense with just four hits and a pair of runs early but starter Zach Lovvorn gave up single tallies in three different innings before the offense went silent in the loss. The Sunday game was a back and forth affair in which lefty Jake Kalish gave the Chasers another quality start, working six innings with three runs allowed on seven hits while striking out eight. It was Kalish’s sixth quality start in eight chances for the club. After Donnie Dewees’s fifth inning two run home run tied the game up earlier the Chasers were down again in the seventh when the club manufactured a run with a Elier Hernandez double moving Cam Gallagher to third where he would score from on Humberto Arteaga’s forceout. The club would take the lead in the tenth on a  Nicky Lopez rbi triple before Fresno struck back with a run off Jake Newberry but a sac fly in the eleventh scored Terrance Gore and Newberry was able to strikeout the final two hitters of the night to secure the win. The Chasers have won five of six on their seven game roadtrip and will send Trevor Oaks out Monday in an attempt to secure the series with Fresno.

Nicky Lopez 7-11 3R, 2-2b, 3b, 2 RBI, BB
Elier Hernandez 5-9 2R, 2b, 2 RBI, 2BB
Jake Kalish 6 IP 7 H 3 R 3 ER 0 BB 8 K 2-4 GO-FO 95p/68k

Friday Kingsport Mets 8 Burlington Royals 0
Saturday Burlington Royals 4 Kingsport Mets 3
Sunday Kingsport Mets 7 Burlington Royals 6

The Royals starters were unable to hold their own with even Austin Cox lasting just a couple innings during Saturday’s game. The best performance of the weekend came from Malcolm Van Buren in the group with seven strikeouts in five innings but the righty took the loss with three runs given up. Saturday’s game was led by Chris Hudgins with a two-run home run and another run scored by the catcher while the bullpen tossed seven-plus innings of one-run ball to earn the win. Starter Elvis Luciano gave up a pair of three run innings in his five and two-thirds innings as the right-hander walked two and gave up five hits. The offense came up one run short thanks to a 1 for 11 effort with runners in scoring position.

Eric Cole: 4-10 R, 2-2b, RBI, 2BB, 3 SB
Juan Carlos Negret: 1-10 2 BB, 3 K
Malcolm Van Buren: 5 IP 3 H 3 R 3 ER 3 BB 7 K 4-2 GO-FO 82p/50k

Friday Orem Owls 13 Idaho Falls Chukars 12
Saturday Ogden Raptors 13 Idaho Falls Chukars 3
Sunday Ogden Raptors 20 Idaho Falls Chukars 19

Wow, that’s some horrible pitching this weekend for the Chukars with 13 runs or more given up in each game. All three starters gave up at least six runs with Jon Heasley giving up 10 on Sunday. The bullpen didn’t fare any better and the offense scored plenty in Friday and Sunday’s games if not for the atrocious pitching.

Jose Caraballo: 5-16 5R, 2-2b, 3b, HR, 8 RBI, 3K
Chase Vallot: 6-14 3R, 2-2b, HR, 6 RBI, 7K
Reed Rohlman: 6-11 5R, 2-2b, 2 RBI, 5 BB, CS

Friday Boxscores
Saturday Boxscores
Sunday Boxscores

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Meibrys Viloria 4-5, 2R, HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Nolan Watson 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 3-7 GO-FO, 77p/48k

Lexington Legends 7, Asheville Tourists 5

The Legends put six runs up in the first frame and then held on for the win. The first four hitters all reached with Kyle Isbel’s leadoff double starting the game off, scoring on a Nick Pratto single before an Asheville error scored a pair and helped the Legends toward the big inning. A pair of errors dented Charlie Neuweiler’s line, with the right-hander yielding two unearned runs on his four-run line after giving up three hits and three walks while striking out four. With a 7-4 lead, Asheville loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, but Danny Hrbek finagled a way out of the jam with a pop out and a double play. Again in the eighth, the Tourists put a couple in scoring position with no outs before reliever Tad Ratliff struck out two before ending the inning by inducing a groundout before giving up a run in the ninth and securing the win.

Kyle Isbel: 1-5, R, 2b
Seuly Matias: 0-3, R, HBP
Charlie Neuweiler: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 5-6 GO-FO, 94p/55k

Gm 1 – Wilmington Blue Rocks 8, Frederick Keys 0 – F/7
Gm 2 – Wilmington Blue Rocks 7, Frederick Keys 6 – F/7

Wilmington finished off a 6-1 roadtrip with a doubleheader sweep of the Orioles High-A squad Monday afternoon. The first game featured big days at the plate by Gabriel Cancel and catcher Meibrys Viloria with the duo each hitting a home run and driving in three runs apiece. That was more than enough for Nolan Watson who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before finishing off the shortened game with his third consecutive seven-inning start. In game two, Dan Tillo lost his way in the third inning, giving up four runs on four singles and three walks, forcing the bullpen to take over. The four runs allowed evened the game after Wilmington had built a 4-0 lead after four singles scored runs in the second. Three more singles in the sixth inning scored a pair before D.J. Burt scored on an errant throw after he stole second base. Reliever Julio Pinto gave up a run in the final inning before securing the win.

Gabriel Cancel: 2-7, HR, 3 RBI, 2K
Brewer Hicklen: 3-8, 3R, K
Emmanuel Rivera: 1-3, 2R, RBI, BB

NW Arkansas Naturals 4, Arkansas Travelers 2

Royals lefty Eric Skoglund made his Double-A rehab appearance with NW Arkansas, going four innings with just an unearned run allowed. Working on a limited pitch count, Skoglund tossed 29 strikes on 42 pitches while giving up three hits and striking out two. The offense got on the board in the third inning with a Jecksson Flores RBI double and an RBI groundout by Erick Mejia that scored Khalil Lee. In relief, Scott Blewett gave up a run over three innings to even the game up at 2-2. In the late innings, a pair of doubles helped towards two more runs for NW Arkansas,: Nick Dini’s leadoff double put him in position to score on a Lee single in the seventh, and Kelvin Gutierrez’s double in the eighth brought home Samir Duenez to push the advantage to two runs. Reliever Franco Terrero earned his fourth save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning.

Khalil Lee: 3-4, R, RBI
Kelvin Gutierrez: 2-4, 2-2b, RBI
Eric Skoglund: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 4-6 GO-FO, 42p/29k

Greeneville Reds 5, Burlington Royals 3

The Royals right-hander Elvis Luciano yielded two runs in five innings during the team’s loss. The young starter acquired in the Jon Jay trade gave up five hits including three for extra bases while striking out six against one walk. Strikes weren’t a problem on this night as Luciano tossed 51 strikes on 73 pitches. With the game tied 2-2 after five, the Royals scored just one run in the seventh while the Reds squad scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth off relievers Ismael Maldonado and Kyle Hinton.

Jackson Lueck: 2-4, 2b
Eric Cole: 1-4, RBI
Elvis Luciano: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 5-1 GO-FO, 73p/51k

Idaho Falls Chukars 8, Missoula Osprey 3

Another quality start for J.C. Cloney as the lefty worked 6.2 frames with three runs allowed. In typical fashion for the Chukars top starter, he pounded the zone with 67 strikes on 96 pitches while allowing three runs on nine hits. The offense scored eight runs on 14 hits and five walks, with Jose Caraballo hitting a two-run home run and driving in a third run to lead the way for the Idaho Falls offense. Reliever Robert Garcia tossed the final 2.1 innings scoreless to secure the save.

J.C. Cloney: 6.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 4-3 GO-FO, 96p/67k
Jose Caraballo: 3-4, HR, 3 RBI
Nate Eaton: 2-4, R, 2b, BB

Monday Boxscores

Tuesday Probables

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Kyle Isbel 4-5 3R, 2b, 2 HR, 4 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Holden Capps 3 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 6 K 3-0 GO-FO 43p/32k

Lexington Legends 7 Greenville Drive 5

Starter Charlie Neuweiler had a rough second inning due to some rough defense behind him but settled himself down and gave his squad time to make a comeback. After Ricky Aracena singled in a run in the second inning, Greenville scored five runs (2 ER) in the home half, getting four hits and a pair of errors from the Lexington defense to put the five runs on the board. The fourth inning saw Marten Gasparini get his big offensive night jump started with an RBI single. After the second, Neuweiler found a groove, working around a leadoff error in the third inning to retire the final nine hitters he would face. In the sixth, the offense would bail him out of the loss with a rbi triple by Manny Olloque to cut the lead to two before Gasparini went deep to tie things up at 5-5. Lefty reliever Holden Capps tossed three consecutive shutout innings to keep the game tied and Gasparini would be back at it, doubling to lead off the ninth to help set up a two-run inning that would complete the comeback and ultimately give the Legends the win.

Marten Gasparini: 3-3 2R, 2b, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Cristian Perez: 2-5 RBI
MJ Melendez: 0-4 BB

Wilmington Blue Rocks 5 Salem Red Sox 2

Starting pitcher Nolan Watson had one of his best outings of the season in leading the way for a Wilmington win Monday night. The former 1st round pick worked seven innings for the second consecutive start, working efficiently with 59 strikes on 89 pitches with his High-A high seven strikeouts. The Red Sox used sacrifice flies in both the second and third innings to plate runs versus Watson but could do more against him or the bullpen. The Rocks trailed 2-1 through five but took the lead back with a pair of runs in the sixth, scoring on a wild pitch and a single by Nick Heath. An eighth inning RBI single by D.J. Burt and a run-scoring double by Gabe Cancel added a pair of insurance runs which were more than enough with reliever Tyler Zuber tossing a scoreless ninth frame.

Gabe Cancel: 1-4 2b, RBI
Nick Heath: 1-4 R, 2 RBI, SB (29)
D.J. Burt: 2-4 R, RBI, SB (23)

Springfield Cardinals 10 NW Arkansas Naturals 6 F/10

The two teams exchanged five runs in the first six innings to push the game into extra innings after a pair of scoreless innings by Walker Sheller. The Naturals took the lead in the tenth with a two-out single by Nick Dini to score their free baserunner but that lead wouldn’t last long. Struggling reliever Bryan Brickhouse got two outs in the tenth but tossed a pair of wild pitches that allowed the Cardinals free baserunner to score before Victor Roache connected on his second home run of the game to walk things off, giving Brickhouse his fourth loss in just eight Double-A appearances.

Jecksson Flores: 3-5 2b, 2 RBI, SB (14)
Nick Dini: 2-4 R, RBI
Jace Vines: 4.2 IP 6 H 4 R 4 ER 5 BB 3 K 2 HR HBP 5-2 GO-FO 104p/53k

Nashville Sounds 5 Omaha Storm Chasers 4 F/11

The Sounds overcame the Storm Chasers scoring their free baserunner in both the tenth and eleventh innings before walking the game off in the eleventh. In a spot start, Arnaldo Hernandez struggled with his control, walking five against five strikeouts. The right-hander worked five innings, giving up a pair of runs with three hits allowed leaving the game with runners on that scored to tie it up with Richard Lovelady on the mound. The game stayed knotted at 2-2 until the tenth when Nicky Lopez walked with the bases loaded to give Omaha the lead. The Sounds tied it up in the bottom half with no outs and then connected with a pair of singles in the eleventh to tie the game up and take the win home against reliever Kevin Lenik.

Nicky Lopez: 1-3 BB, CS
Ryan O’Hearn: 1-5 R, 2b
Arnaldo Hernandez: 5 IP 3 H 2 R 2 ER 5 BB 5 K 4-4 GO-FO 99p/56k

Burlington Royals 6 Johnson City Cardinals 5

A four-run ninth led to a walk-off win for Burlington over the Cardinals rookie squad. The Johnson City lineup plated a pair of runs on four hits against rehabbing right-hander Janser Lara despite four strikeouts from him in his two innings of work. Catcher Freddy Fermin homered to cut the lead in half in the second but after the two teams exchanged runs in the next two innings the Cards tacked on a pair in the seventh. With things looking gloom for the home team the Royals got off to a quick start with a leadoff walk to Fermin and a double by Brhet Bewley to put a pair of runners in scoring position. A pair of groundouts would put the game on the edge but a Jeison Guzman two-run single kept things alive while putting the tying run on base. That tying run would come on home when second baseman Jose Marquez blasted a 1-0 pitch out to right for a walk-off home run to win things for the Royals.

Jose Marquez: 2-5 HR 2 RBI
Freddy Fermin: 1-3 2R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Juan Carlos Negret: 1-3 R, BB

Idaho Falls Chukars 9 Missoula Osprey 0

After Missoula shut down the Chukars offense for two games in a row, the Idaho Falls pitching staff returned the favor on Monday night. Starter J.C. Cloney spun six innings of shutout ball with just four hits allowed before turning things to the pen which kept the shutout going until the end. While the pitching staff kept things quiet, the offense did the opposite, connecting on 18 hits with a pair of hitters collecting four apiece. 2018 draftee Kyle Isbel led the way driving four runs in with a double and two home runs as the offense scored nine runs in the convincing win.

Reed Rohlman: 4-5 R
Tyler James: 1-3 R, 2b
Angel Medina: 3-4 R, CS

Monday Boxscores

Tuesday Probables
Omaha – Zach Lovvorn 5-5 5.10 ERA 1.46 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Emilio Ogando 5-6 7.15 ERA 2.22 WHIP
Lexington – Jackson Kowar

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Blake Perkins 4-7 2R, HR, 3 RBI, SB 

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Charlie Neuweiler 6 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 5 K 7-3 GO-FO 85p/54k

PCL All Star Game – Frank Schwindel 2-5 2R, 2b also won the Situational Hitting Challenge 
Trevor Oaks 1 IP 1 H 0 R 1 BB 0 K

Augusta GreenJackets 3 Lexington Legends 2

The Legends bats struggled on this night, collecting just five hits and going 2 for 7 with runners in scoring position to take a loss in Augusta. The lack of offense ruined a quality start for Neuweiler who worked six innings while spreading out four singles and a pair of walks to limit the GreenJackets to just one run. Reliever Andrew Beckwith gave up runs in the seventh and eighth to take the loss.

Seuly Matias: 0-3 BB
Brewer Hicklen: 0-3 R, BB
Nick Pratto: 1-4 SB

Wilmington Blue Rocks 12 Frederick Keys 11 F/12

It’s rare that two offenses go wild in the Carolina League but that’s what happened on Wednesday night as Frederick and Wilmington combined for 34 hits and 23 runs in a 12 inning affair. Newcomer Blake Perkins led the way early for the Rocks, collecting four hits including his first home run with the team while scoring two runs and driving in three. Starter Dan Tillo tossed five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth, allowing four runs with a pair of walks, a leadoff single and a double before Carter Hope came in to replace him, giving up another double which pushed the fourth run across. The Rocks lost an 8-6 lead in the ninth and then exchanged five runs over the next two innings with Frederick before finally getting an RBI single by Gabe Cancel to score the lead run in the twelfth prior to Justin Camp working a scoreless final half inning to earn the win.

Gabe Cancel: 3-6 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Emmanuel Rivera: 3-7 R, RBI
Dan Tillo: 5.2 IP 7 H 4 R 4 ER 3 BB 2 K 8-2 GO-FO 99p/54k

NW Arkansas Naturals 9 Tulsa Drillers 4

A seven-run fourth inning by the Naturals overcame a four-run first by Tulsa and earned Arnaldo Hernandez his first Double-A win. The right-hander gave up four hits including a pair of doubles around a walk in the first inning, quickly falling behind 4-0. From there he settled to toss four scoreless innings with six strikeouts to give his offense a chance. That work was rewarded with the club coming through with a huge inning in the fourth, batting around with seven hits including a leadoff home run by Alex Liddi prior to RBI doubles from Jecksson Flores and Elier Hernandez. Three innings later Hernandez doubled again prior to Kelvin Gutierrez’s first double with the club as the Naturals tacked on another couple of runs to take home the win.

Elier Hernandez: 4-4 R, 2-2b, 2 RBI
Khalil Lee: 1-3 R, RBI, 2 BB
Arnaldo Hernandez: 5 IP 7 H 4 R 4 ER 1 BB 9 K 4-3 GO-FO 85p/55k

Danville Braves 6 Burlington Royals 2

Royals pitching struggled with Bryar Johnson giving up four runs in just three and one-third innings prior to Kelvin Gonzalez allowing two runs in two and one-third frames. The offense didn’t fare much better, going 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position while the middle of the order hitters struggled to go 0-11. Newcomer Eric Cole went 2-4 with a double in his first game with the organization.

Eric Cole: 2-4 2b
Juan Carlos Negret: 0-4 2K
Michael Emodi: 2-3 2R, 2b, BB

Helena Brewers 12 Idaho Falls Chukars 2

The Chukars got blasted thanks to five defensive errors and 10 hits by Helena. Starter C.J. Eldred took his first loss with a pair of home runs allowed during a nine run (6 ER) six inning start. The Idaho Falls usual high octane offense couldn’t keep up as they struggled with opportunities with runners in scoring position.

Kyle Isbel: 2-3 BB, CS (3)
Reed Rohlman: 1-3 2R, 2b
Stephen Greenlees: 2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 Bb 5 K 1-0 GO-FO 30p/16k

Wednesday Boxscores

Thursday Probables
Omaha – TBD
NW Arkansas – Emilio Ogando 5-5 6.23 ERA 2.14 WHIP
Wilmington – Jace Vines 2-8 5.11 ERA 1.60 WHIP
Lexington – TBD
Burlington – Marcelo Martinez 0-2 1.59 ERA 0.76 WHIP
Idaho Falls – TBD

HR Roll Call: Alfredo Escalera (7), Joe Dudek (8)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Travis Jones 5-5, 3R, 2-2b, 2 RBI, SB (11)

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Charlie Neuweiler 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 6-6 GO-FO

Royals sign C.J. Eldred
The Royals signed C.J. Eldred, son of Cal Eldred, to a minor league contract this week. The former Iowa Hawkeye underwent Tommy John surgery during the season, after one quality start during his junior year. The pitcher started his career at Indiana before transferring to Iowa, his father’s alma mater, where he had a solid sophomore season putting up a 3.43 ERA in 16 games (14 starts) for a team that reached the Big 10 tournament championship game. The right-handed pitcher has started to throw some already and has an outside shot of being able to pitch some during instructs. Terms were undisclosed.

AZL Royals 5, AZL A’s 4

The Royals built a five-run lead thanks to 10 hits; then hung onto a win. Starter and 2017 draft pick Charlie Neuweiler tossed five scoreless innings, allowing two hits. This was a nice bounce-back start after allowing his most hits in his brief stint in Arizona.

The battery partner for Neuweiler, catcher MJ Melendez, had two of the squad’s 10 hits while scoring twice to help pace the team in the win.

Mervyl Melendez one of the better players at the complex level. Can hit, will receive. Athlete. Competitor. Potential first division type

— Chris Kusiolek (@CaliKusiolek) August 7, 2017

Boxscore Link

MJ Melendez 2-4, 2R
Charlie Neuweiler 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 6-6 GO-FO
Nick Pratto 1-5, 3b

Game 1 – Greeneville Astros 6, Burlington Royals 5
Game 2 – Burlington Royals 3, Greeneville Astros 1

The Royals split a doubleheader with the Astros rookie squad on Tuesday. In game one, reliever Luis Alcantara couldn’t close the door, allowing a two-run home run in the sixth inning after Burlington had claimed the lead on a sac fly by Seuly Matias.

The Royals scored a pair of late inning runs with a bases-loaded walk and a groundout by Cal Jones to plate Michael Gigliotti. Reliever Tyler Zuber continued his stellar work with a strikeout in the final inning to save his fifth game. The former Arkansas State pitcher has now struck out 33 hitters in just 20.1 innings for Burlington.

Boxscore G1
Boxscore G2

Seuly Matias 0-6, R, RBI, BB
Michael Gigliotti 2-7, R, BB
Cal Jones 3-6, R, 2b, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Idaho Falls Chukars 10, Billings Mustangs 7

The Chukars plated quite a few runs early and hung on late for another win over Billings. Things got rolling in the second when outfielder Travis Jones got his big night started with a run-scoring double. That opened a five-run inning that gave Idaho Falls a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The pitching staff did enough while the offense continued to pile on with 10 runs total. Jones scored three and drove in two more as part of his 5 for 5 night that also included a great catch in the outfield.

The best performance for a 2017 draftee definitely belongs to Jones thus far, with the outfielder hitting .426/.486/.591 in his three different stops and 32 games of rookie ball.

Boxscore Link

Travis Jones 5-5, 3R, 2-2b, 2 RBI, SB (11)
Amalani Fukofuka 1-5, SB (27), CS (5)

Asheville Tourists 10, Lexington Legends 7

The Legends jumped out to a 7-1 lead on Asheville with a string of five singles in the fourth inning that followed a two-run home run by Joe Dudek. Starter Ofreidy Gomez couldn’t get away from trouble in the fifth, after allowing a pair of runs in the fourth inning. The righty allowed five runs including a three-run home run that handed Asheville the lead they wouldn’t give up the rest the night.

Boxscore Link

Khalil Lee 3-4, R, RBI
Emmanuel Rivera 2-5, 2 RBI
Gabe Cancel 1-3, 2R, BB

Down East Wood Ducks 11, Wilmington Blue Rocks 3

The Blue Rocks had one more opportunity to score than Down East but couldn’t take advantage of the Rangers affiliate on this night. Wilmington went just 4 for 15 with runners in scoring position while Down East connected on 8 of 14 opportunities to keep the pressure on the Rocks pitching staff.

Starter Cristian Castillo’s struggles continued with five runs allowed in 4.1 innings. The lefty could be tiring down the stretch with an 8.65 ERA in his last five starts. Prior to that run, Castillo had put up a 2.61 ERA in his first 17 starts of the year.

Boxscore Link

Cristian Castillo 4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 76p/44k, 3-2 GO-FO
Nick Heath 4-5, R, SB (16)
Chris DeVito 2-3, 2 BB

NW Arkansas Naturals 11, Midland RockHounds 5

Outfielder Alfredo Escalera’s three-run home run in the seventh paved the way to a win for the Naturals over Midland. The Naturals plated three more runs in the eighth to tack on, and the bullpen shut things over the last three innings to claim the win.

Boxscore Link

Richard Lovelady 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 38p/27k
Paulo Orlando 2-3, 2R, BB
Samir Duenez 0-4, R, BB
Donnie Dewees 1-3, R, 2b, CS (7)
Nicky Lopez 1-4, R, BB

Game 1 – Memphis Redbirds 3, Omaha Storm Chasers 1
Game 2 – Memphis Redbirds 4, Omaha Storm Chasers 2

Two games were played with each having a similar blueprint for Omaha on Tuesday. In both games of the doubleheader, the Chasers took leads to the latter innings only to give up the advantage and fall. In the first game, the Chasers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a Logan Moon double, but four straight Memphis hits in the fifth scored three runs.

The second game had a similar feel for the Chasers. After an error gave Omaha two runs on a sacrifice fly by Frank Schwindel, the Chasers bullpen let the game get away. Usually reliable reliever Eric Stout gave up three runs as his control wavered. He walked the bases loaded before a bases clearing double by Gabriel Lino gave Memphis a 4-2 lead and the eventual win.

Boxscore Link G1
Boxscore Link G2

Eric Stout 1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 38p/16k
Emilio Ogando 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 87p/50k
Frank Schwindel 2-4, RBI, BB
Jorge Soler 1-4, R, 2BB
Raul Mondesi 0-3, 2k

Wednesday Probables
Omaha – Christian Binford 5-8 7.93 ERA
NW Arkansas – Jake Kalish 0-7 3.41 ERA
Wilmington – Colin Rodgers 2-3 3.66 ERA
Lexington – Garrett Davila 7-6 5.59 ERA vs local product Riley Pint
Idaho Falls – Dillon Drabble 0-1 0.93 ERA
Burlington – Dan Tillo 1-0 2.45 ERA

5th Rd Pick #150 Overall
Charlie Neuweiler RHP
6’1 205 lbs Msgr McClancy Memorial HS
DOB 2/8/99
Slot Value $329,800

The “halo” effect took place with Neuweiler as it often does during the draft when scouts come in to watch one player and get impressed by another enough to decide to draft him. In Charlie’s case, team personnel was in to see teammate Quentin Holmes and came away liking the developing right-hander.

The high schooler presents a low-90s fastball that he can run up to 92-93 mph with decent control at the high school ranks with a spike low-80s curveball that looked plus on some days. The spike curveball is a pitch of controversy, as most times players have difficulty controlling the pitch and manipulating it with regularity and are forced to change it in the pro ranks. This could be the case for Neuweiler. As with any high schooler, the changeup is in its infancy stages and will need to come forward to become a true prospect.

Analysis – The control profile from the limited video I saw didn’t look great and with the curveball possibility needing some tweaks, the Royals development staff could have their hands full in trying to create a prospect.

6th Rd Pick #180 Overall
Tyler Zuber RHP
5’11 190 lbs Arkansas St. Univ.
DOB 6/16/95
Slot Value $251,700

Zuber is a power right-handed pitcher who features two plus pitches according to his coach at Arkansas State. Featuring a fastball that works up to 96 mph next to his power two plane slider from his whip motion that is short and quick. The slider comes from the same tunnel as the fastball making it unrecognizable to hitters and his ability to backfoot hitters or sweep it away makes the combination incredibly difficult to deal with as evidenced in his 80 strikeouts in 52.1 innings and sub-1.00 WHIP this season.

Via Perfect Game – Smaller-framed and a reliever-only, Zuber fits the mold of a quality senior sign who should advance quickly through the lowest levels of the minors. He gets up to 94-95 mph with his fastball at times though he’s more 91-93 mph consistently, and his quick arm helps him spin a decent breaking ball as well. He’s also lauded for being an above average athlete on the mound.

Analysis – The Royals have excelled in the past at finding power armed relief pitchers and this one looks like a possible steal along those same lines.

Brewer Hicklen (VASHA HUNT)

7th Rd Pick #210 Overall
Brewer Hicklen OF
6’2 208 lbs Alabama-Birmingham
DOB 2/09/96
Slot Value $196,900

Every year, the Royals love to take a former football guy it seems in the first few rounds, and that guy this year is Hicklen who went to UAB with the idea of playing both before the program stopped its football program for a couple years. A legit 70 runner, Hicklen ran the 40 in 4.53 seconds as a senior in high school. Able to concentrate on baseball without the football program, he improved his hit tool in college and despite a broken hand the last half of this past year was able to put together a 19-game hitting streak to go along with a 40-game on-base streak while hitting .328/422/.586 for the year.

Baseball America – He’s strong and fast at a listed 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, with 70-grade speed that helps make him a legitimate future plus defender. He has an average arm and above-average raw power. He got more aggressive at the plate this year, resulting in more strikeouts but also a jump from three to eight home runs. Hicklen’s feel for hitting is raw as he needs more reps due to the development time he has missed due to football. He’s a charismatic leader and excellent teammate who plays with intensity. Hicklen would have to be bought out of football, which may be the best argument UAB has to keep him.

Analysis – The Royals have yet to hit on one of these lottery tickets but one would think they will eventually hit their target. A center fielder with developing power and an improved hit tool along with a plus work ethic and good attitude is always a good addition to an organization in the minor league ranks.

8th Rd Pick #240 Overall
Holden Capps LHP
6’2 195 lbs Univ. of Central Oklahoma
DOB 3/24/95
Slot Value $158,900

According to Coach Martin, this left-handed pitcher works 89-93 mph as a starter which could see another tick in velocity as a relief pitcher. Working from a 3/4 arm angle, Capps has the ability to drop his arm angle if needed to create deception against hitters. The two-seamer from the lefty features plenty of downward movement or he can run the four-seam up with more velocity.  A curveball and morphed slider/slurve go along with the fastball for Capps with the ability to manipulate the spin and speed on the pitches. A changeup lags behind the fastball/breaking ball combination currently while the statistics and high walk totals indicate a pitcher that needs to be moved into a one-inning relief role.

Baseball America – Capps transferred from UNC Charlotte to Central Oklahoma for his senior year. He pitches in the upper 80s with his fastball and can touch as high as 92 mph. He’s skinny and has some room to add strength to his frame. His performance for Central Oklahoma was unspectacular; while he struck out 92 batters in 96.1 innings, he also had a 4.39 ERA and walked 40 batters.

Analysis- Capps appears ticketed for a LOOGY relief role that you add to the system at a below slot value in hopes that you can tighten the control profile to turn into a fast moving lefty reliever.

9th Rd Pick #270 Overall
JC Cloney LHP
6’1 226 lbs Univ. of Arizona
DOB 8/03/94
Slot Value $$141,900

Those who are familiar with the College World Series should be familiar with Cloney after his 16 scoreless innings in last year’s tournament. A senior sign, Cloney is a low-velocity lefty who works his fastball in the mid*80s while topping out at 88 mph. The plus command profile baffles hitters along with his crossfire delivery and ability to manipulate the four pitches in his arsenal. The fastball features arm side run as well as an ability to sink the pitch, change speeds and work both sides of the plate.

Next, to the fastball, Cloney likes to use his 2/7 slider that works well with the fastball that he works away with run from righties then comes back with the slider, back footing the opposite side hitters with a good two-plane break in the low 80s. The lefty also can manipulate the slider into a cutter and pair it up with his armside fading changeup. That change, like all his other pitches, is a solid average offering that he throws in the low 80s while featuring some armside fade to it. The sum of all the parts here is greater than any one with Cloney’s knowledge of his stuff and hitters tendencies to take advantage of them despite average tools.

MLB.com – He’s not the type of pitcher who will overpower you with his fastball, but he doesn’t need the velocity of other hurlers to be successful. The left-hander has a fastball that can reach the upper 80s with solid run and sink, working the corners of the plate well. His command and overall feel for pitching are evident with his slider and changeup, too.

Analysis – As a senior sign, one doesn’t expect a whole lot here but maybe his pitching IQ and the mix is so great that you luck into a backend starter. Likely scenario is an inning eating organizational starter.

10th Rd Pick #300 Overall
Jordan Floyd LHP
6’3 255 lbs Kansas State
DOB 2/23/95
Slot Value $133,700

The big bodied lefty works with sink on his low-90s two-seam fastball that tops out at 94 mph that goes along with a swing and miss slider. Despite the two pitches that should work well together, Floyd was able to get hit quite a bit in college, giving up an average of 10 hits per nine throughout his 91 appearance career at Kansas State. The big but still athletic Floyd also features a usable changeup with all of his pitches featuring late life from his 3/4 delivery.

Perfect Game – Floyd may have been the most unique prospect in the Alaska Baseball League. His frame is 6-foot-2 and 250-pounds, yet he is an outstanding athlete who was a high school point guard. He is also a high school draft pick (New York Yankees in 2013, 25th round) who will be back for his senior year of college. Most importantly though, Floyd used his heavy sinking fastball in the 89-91 mph range to utterly dominate the ABL this summer. In this breakout performance, Floyd led the league in both ERA (0.45) and saves (9).

Analysis – Floyd is a big body senior sign who you can count on to give your minor league squad relief innings.