Mariners Minor League Game Action Recap for July 25
If you only count the domestic leagues, it was a sweep for the organization ... including the Big Club, of course!
AAA -- Tacoma 6, Tucson 5 [10 innings] -- Box
We know that Taijuan Walker (Talk40 #2) won't be able to defy the Laws of Time and Space every time out. Just mostly. So Thursday was a slight misfire: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.
But the offense bailed the Rainiers out.
Mostly Rich Poythress (26intheMix), who hit two clutch homers, including the game-winner in the 10th, and added a double and a walk. The Mayor was in dire jeopardy when he got sent down to Jackson as part of the Jesus Montero shuffle earlier in the year, but he seems to have got himself back in the conversation: .261/.346/.482. He's finally come around to the "drawing-walks-and-still-producing-.200-ISO" guy that we'd hoped he'd turn into.
Of course, he does it right when Justin Smoak is looking legit ahead of him and Ji-Man Choi (Talk40 #19) is rocketing up behind him.
Carter Capps pitched 2.0 IP of scoreless relief with two strikeouts.
AA -- Jackson 7, Chattanooga 4 -- Box
Triples for everyone!
Well, at least most of the guys we like on the Jackson roster:
- New Mariners Prospect Talk icon Chris Taylor (Talk40 #28) (also a walk)
- Our man the aforementioned Ji-Man
- Recently promoted Daniel Paolini (Talk40 #26) (also three walks)
- Struggling but slightly reviving Jack Marder (Talk40 #17) (also a single)
Marder now has a triple and two homers in his last eight games, but, bizarrely, hasn't drawn a walk since June 23.
In non-triple news, John Hicks (Talk40 #27) got his fourth homer and Ramon Morla went 3-for-3 (all singles).
Anthony Fernandez (Talk40 #23) was good enough: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.
High-A -- High Desert 6, Lake Elsinore 4 -- Box
Jamal Austin led the way for the Mavericks, nabbing a near-cycle with a single, a double and a triple.
The Twin-Jabari Attack was batting 5th and 6th, but only Jabari Blash (Watch List) reached base, getting a double and a single.
But inconsistency is Blash's hobgoblin as usual:
April/May ISO: .388 [!]
June/July ISO: .133
Low-A -- Clinton 5, Wisconsin 1 -- Box
Deeeeeeeej!
It was the first Midwest League home run for D.J. Peterson, and his seventh overall in 132 plate appearances. That's absolute "slugger" territory if he keeps up anything like that pace.
And Tyler Marlette (26intheMix) had a double and two singles.
Ketel Marte (26intheMix) and Timmy Lopes (Talk40 #20) have identical .264 batting averages after each got two hits Thursday. And both averages are similarly "empty" with Marte slugging .318 and Lopes slugging .305. Both of them are only 19, though.
Short Season-A -- Everett 6, Tri-City 0 -- Box
The Aqua Sox jumped out with six runs in the first two innings, and that was all the scoring.
Lars Huijer spun another Dutch Master! with a line of 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K.
In his first eight appearances, his ERA is 1.85 with a 0.87 WHIP, 2.3 BB/9 and 7.8 K/9.
He and Edwin Diaz (Talk40 #36) are winning the "most improved" awards.
Chantz Mack, who was promoted awhile back after a hot start in Arizona, had a single and a double.
Rookie -- Pulaski 2, Princeton 1 -- Box
And one more strong pitching performance, and another candidate for "most improved": Jose Flores.
The 20-year-old Venezuelan shut down the Rays: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K.
His overall line after six starts: 3.21 ERA | 1.07 WHIP | 3.2 BB/9 | 10.3 K/9.
Looking Ahead
More Tylers: Tyler Pike (Talk40 #14) for Clinton; Tyler Olson for Pulaski.