Monthly Archives: May 2021

JACKSON, KOCHANOWICZ LEAD 66ERS OVER GRIZZLIES

Posted on May 30, 2021 by | Comments Off on JACKSON, KOCHANOWICZ LEAD 66ERS OVER GRIZZLIES

Inland Empire SS Jeremiah Jackson belted a pair of two-run homeruns and Jack Kochanowicz went five strong innings to lead the Inland Empire 66ers’ 9-3 win over the Fresno Grizzlies Saturday night. The homestanding 66ers scored six times in the first inning and never looked back as they won their second straight in front of their home fans.

Jackson, the Angels’ #5 prospect, got the 66ers’ 13-hit attack going in the bottom of the first inning when he homered over the right-center field wall following a single by 3B Jeremy Arocho. The 66ers batted around with four more hits and an error behind Grizzlies starter RHP Mitchell Kilkenny. Only the two runs on Jackson’s homer were earned.

Kochanowicz (W, 1-1) went 5 innings and allowed 1R (0ER) on two hits with 0BB and 4Ks. The Angels #7 prospect threw 59 pitches, 39 for strikes in his best outing of the season to this point.

Jackson finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs and now has 4 HR on the season. Arocho had two hits, LF Edwin Yon had two hits and 2 RBIs and C Keinner Pina had two hits and scored twice. DH Caleb Scires had two singles and knocked in a run.

Kilkenny rebounded after the rough first inning to complete 4 IP with 2ER on 6H, no BB and 4Ks.

1B Grant Lavigne led the Grizzlies offense with two hits and two RBIs. LF Daniel Montano drove in a run with a single.

The 66ers look for a split in the series with Fresno taking three of the first five games. Inland Empire is in third place in the South division, two games out of first place and 1/2 game behind second-place Lake Elsinore. The Grizzies are now two games out of first place in the North division, trailing Modesto.

SCOREBOARD

LAKE ELSINORE – 1
SAN JOSE – 3
Box

VISALIA – 5
MODESTO – 16
Box

STOCKTON – 9
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 10
Box

 

 

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GRIZZLIES WIN PITCHERS DUEL WITH IE

Posted on May 28, 2021 by | Comments Off on GRIZZLIES WIN PITCHERS DUEL WITH IE

Thursday night’s pitching matchup in San Bernadino pitted two of the league’s top pitchers against one another and it didn’t disappoint. Fresno lefty Breiling Euesebio made his fifth start of the season and was opposed by Inland Empire’s Ryan Smith. Both delivered as Fresno’s 3-2 victory was decided late in the game after both had departed.

Fresno’s third straight win kept them a game back of Modesto in the North division.

The Grizzlies got single runs in the 6th, 8th and 9th innings to lead 3-0, then Inland Empire struck for two in the bottom of the 9th but came up just short.

Eusebio went 4 2/3 scoreless, allowing five hits and a walk against 7 Ks. Smith, the reigning Low-A West Pitcher of the Week, worked into the 7th allowing 1 run on 5 hits and no walks with 8 Ks. The one earned run came in on an Isaac Collins triple in the 6th to break the scoreless tie. 2B Mateo Gil knocked in a run in the 8th to double the advantage and C Colin Simpson tripled in the final Fresno run in the 9th for the 3-0 lead.

Fresno’s Fineas Del Bonta-Smith pitched a rocky 9th inning for the save, allowing  two runs  on three hits and a walk. RHP Keegan James (W, 2-0) and RHP Robinson Hernandez combined for 3 1/3 scoreless inning after Eusebio left the game.

SCOREBOARD

LAKE  ELSINORE – 2
SAN JOSE – 8
Box

STOCKTON – 5
RANCHO CUCAMONGA  –  3
Box

VISALIA – 3
MODESTO -9
Box

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FOUR-RUN 9TH LIFTS STORM OVER GIANTS

Posted on May 26, 2021 by | Comments Off on FOUR-RUN 9TH LIFTS STORM OVER GIANTS

The Lake Elsinore Storm overcame a three-run deficit in the ninth inning Tuesday night to win 8-7 in the series opener at San Jose. Trailing 7-4, the visitors put four runs on the board to take the lead and reliever Jose Garcia made it stand up as The Storm maintained its half-game lead in the South Division.

Giants C Ricardo Genoves started the scoring with a solo homer in the second inning but Lake Elsinore came back with two runs in the top of the third. The Giants took the lead right back in bottom of the third, 3-2, and a four-run sixth gave the home team a 7-3 advantage. RHP Brooks Crawford came  out of the Giants bullpen and the Storm pushed across an eighth-inning run on a Matthew Acosta RBI double to cut the deficit to 7-4.

Lake Elsinore got to reliever Justin Crump in the ninth to take the 8-7 lead. 1B Jack Stronach, C Brandon Valenzuela and 2B Euribiel Angeles all knocked in runs and Garcia (W, 1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win. Crump only got one out and allowed four runs on three hits and a walk with one strikeout. RHP Austin Reich came in with a one-run lead but gave up the two-RBI single to Angeles.

Giants 2B Brett Auerbach went 4-for-5 from the leadoff spot with a double and two RBIs.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

STOCKTON – 4
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 5
Box

VISALIA – 6
MODESTO  – 9
Box

FRESNO – 1
INLAND EMPIRE – 0
Box

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QUAKES’ LAO, 66ERS’ SMITH EARN WEEKLY HONORS

Posted on May 25, 2021 by | Comments Off on QUAKES’ LAO, 66ERS’ SMITH EARN WEEKLY HONORS

MiLB.com has honored Rancho Cucamonga 1b and Inland Empire LHP Ryan Smith as Low-A West player and pitcher of the week.

SAURYN LAO – Rancho Cucamonga’s first baseman went  11-for-25 with four doubles, a triple, and a homer against Lake Elsinore last week. Lao drove in four runs and scored seven. He  started the six-game series batting .088/.139/.118,  and finished with a slash line of .237/.308/.407

RYAN SMITH – In his May 21 start vs. Modesto, Smith went 6 shutout innings,  allowing three base hits and one walk against 13 strikeouts. Over 15 innings this season Smith has a WHIP of .085 and has struck out 29 batters with just six walks.

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BACK AT IT TONIGHT

Posted on May 25, 2021 by | Comments Off on BACK AT IT TONIGHT

After three weeks of play the Modesto Nuts have the best record in the Low-A West at 13-5. The Nuts went 4-2 last week at Inland Empire and hold a 2-game lead over the Fresno Grizzlies (11-7) in the North division. This week they’ll be hosting the Visalia Rawhide.

Modesto is at or near the top of the league in many offensive categories: AVG .263 (1st), OBP .351 (2nd), OPS .762 (2nd) Runs Scored 106 (2nd), Hits 165 (1st).

SS Noelvi Marte has been leading the charge, batting .347/.427/.569 with 4 HR and 17 runs scored. OF Cade Marlowe is slashing .317/.434/.633 with 4 HR and 14 walks. Both are tied for second in HRs and Marte leads the league with 25 base hits. Marlowe’s 14 BBs are third in the league.

The pitching staff has thrown two shutouts and has only allowed eight homers, both league bests. Opponents’ batting average is .222 (3rd), team ERA 3.06 (2nd) and they have struck out a league-best 243 batters.

RHP Taylor Dollard is tied for  the league lead in strikeouts with 29 over 13 2/3 IP. RHP Adam Macko is right behind him with 27 Ks over 13 1/3 IP. RHP Connor Phillips has gone 2-1 with 9 hits allowed over 13 1/3 IP along with 22 Ks.

Coming in from the Modesto bullpen, RHP Luis Curvelo has gone 2-0 in five relief appearances with 4 hits allowed over 9 2/3 IP, walking 1 and striking out 15. RHP Leon Hunter is also 2-0 and has allowed five hits over 9IP with 4 BBs and 14 Ks. Neither has allowed an earned run.

The Nuts return home tonight after two weeks on the road where they went 9-3 at Rancho Cucamonga and Inland Empire. They will face the Visalia Rawhide who have a record of 4-14, but are coming off a split at home with Stockton and have won three of their last five.

Elsewhere this week:

LAKE ELSINORE at SAN JOSE

STOCKTON at RANCHO CUCAMONGA

FRESNO at INLAND EMPIRE

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BUTLER BLASTS LEAD PORTS OVER RAWHIDE

Posted on May 22, 2021 by | Comments Off on BUTLER BLASTS LEAD PORTS OVER RAWHIDE

The Stockton Ports put up three first-inning runs in Visalia, led by 1B Lawrence Butler‘s leadoff homerun (2), and starter Jake Walkinshaw held the Rawhide to just one hit over six innings in a 7-2 Stockton win Friday night. Butler added another solo shot (3) in the ninth and went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and  3 runs  scored.

Walkinshaw (W, 1-0) held the Rawhide hitless through five before giving up an infield single to Visalia SS Jose Curpa in the sixth. Moments later Curpa was erased on an inning-ending double play liner to Butler who stepped on the bag at 1st. Walkinshaw went 6IP with 1H, 4BB, 5Ks and threw 72 pitches, 44 for strikes.

Stockton’s 13-hit attack featured Butler’s three hits as wells as multi hit games from  C Tyler Soderstrom (A’s #1 prospect) who went 3-for-4, RF Danny Bautista (2-for-4, 2RBI) and #13 prospect CF Brayan Buelvas (2-for-4). Soderstrom now has a six-game hitting streak over which he has gone 10-for-24.

Rawhide starter Brandon Pfaadt (L, 0-1) rebounded quickly after getting a mound visit four batters into the game. Butler led off with a homer, followed by a walk and a groundout and Bautista’s RBI double. Following a conference on the mound, a fielder’s choice grounder brought in the third run before Pfaadt struck out Buelvas and 2B Gavin Jones swinging.

Pfaadt was steady the rest of the way, only facing two batters over the minimum before coming  out after five. His line was 5IP, 4H, 3ER, 2BB, 7K, 84 pitches, 55 strikes. After three starts, Pfaadt has gone 15 innings and allowed 10 hits and 7ER (4.20 ERA) with 3 BBs and  21 Ks. His WHIP of 0.87 would be third in the Low-A West if he had one more inning to qualify.

The Ports’ record now stands at 7-9 and they are five games out of first place in the North division, two games behind San Jose for third. Visalia drops to 2-14. Stockton has won three of the four games in the series.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

SAN JOSE – 0
FRESNO – 10
Box

LHP Breiling Eusebio (W, 2-0) threw six shutout innings and the Fresno bats jumped on San Jose for five first-inning runs. RHP Dugan Darnell (2IP) and RHP Stephen Jones (1IP) locked down the shutout and the Grizzlies got homers from DH Mateo Gil (1) and C Drew Romo (1). Fresno (11-5) moved to within 1 game of first-place Modesto in the North division while San Jose (9-7) remained in third place, 3 games out.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 2
LAKE ELSINORE – 0
Box

Four Quakes pitchers shut out the Storm on six hits as SS Jorbit Vivas and DH Johnny Deluca knocked in runs. Rancho (7-8) stayed tied with Inland Empire for second place in the South division. Lake Elsinore (8-8) saw its first-place lead shrink to 1/2 game.

MODESTO – 2
INLAND EMPIRE – 3
Box

The 66ers got six shutout innings from starter Ryan Smith (W, 2-0) and 2B Kyren Paris (Angels #6 prospect) doubled, tripled and knocked in two runs. Smith has now pitched 15 1/3 innings this season, allowing 3ER on 7H with 6BB and 29Ks. He lowered his WHIP to 0.85. C Keinner Pina extended his hitting streak to six games with a 3-for-4 night. Pina is 11 for his last 20 and is now batting .343/465/.400.

Modesto SS Noelvi Marte (Mariners #7 prospect) had another multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 and is now slashing .391/.466/.641.

Nuts RHP Taylor Dollard (L, 1-1) went 4 2/3 IP and allowed 3R on 6H and 3BB while striking out 11.

Modesto (12-4)remains in first place in the North division, 1 game ahead of second-place Fresno. Inland Empire (7-8) is tied with Rancho Cucamonga for second place, 1/2 game behind  Lake Elsinore.

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MODESTO WINS 8TH STRAIGHT

Posted on May 21, 2021 by | Comments Off on MODESTO WINS 8TH STRAIGHT

The Modesto Nuts stayed hot Thursday night with a 10-7 win over Inland Empire to go to a league best 12-3. The eighth straight win along with Fresno’s loss to San Jose put the Nuts two games up in the North division.

Modesto’s 11-hit attack got going early with a solo homerun from SS Noelvi Marte (Mariners #7) in the top of the first inning. Inland Empire pushed across two runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by Kyren Paris‘ RBI triple.

The top of Modesto’s order was back at it in the third with a two-RBI double by Marte to make it a 3-2 game. Paris (Angels #6) doubled in a run in the bottom of the third and  scored the go-ahead run  later in the  inning. But that would be the last lead the 66ers would hold as Modesto scored twice in the fourth, twice in the fifth and three times in the seventh.

Leadoff hitter Victor Labrada went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of doubles for Modesto. His counterpart with IE, CF Elijah Greene, went 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot with three runs scored.

SCOREBOARD

 

STOCKTON – 4
VISALIA – 3
Box

SAN JOSE – 3
FRESNO – 2
Box

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 6
LAKE ELSINORE – 7
Box

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VUKOVICH KNOCKS IN WINNER FOR RAWHIDE

Posted on May 20, 2021 by | Comments Off on VUKOVICH KNOCKS IN WINNER FOR RAWHIDE

The Visalia Rawhide got back in the win column on Wednesday night with a 6-5 win over the Stockton Ports at Valley Strong Ballpark. DH A.J. Vukovich singled in 1B Lyle Lin from third to break up the tie and send the home crowd home happy.

The game went back and forth in the middle innings with the Rawhide scoring in three straight innings to match Stockton at 5-5 after the fifth.  It was all zeroes on the scoreboard until the walk-off game winner.

Vukovich, the Diamondbacks’ #18 prospect, went  2-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs while hitting safely in his fourth straight game. After opening the season with a 3-for-34 skid, Vukovich has gone 6 for his last 18.

#5 prospect LHP Blake Walston went 4 2/3 IP for the Rawhide allowing five runs on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.

SCOREBOARD

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 8
LAKE  ELSINORE – 2

Box

SAN JOSE – 4
FRESNO – 5

Box

MODESTO  – 4
INLAND EMPIRE – 1

Box

 

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66ERS MOVE PAST STORM FOR 1ST PLACE

Posted on May 16, 2021 by | Comments Off on 66ERS MOVE PAST STORM FOR 1ST PLACE

A five-run second innings put the Inland Empire 66ers on top for good in a 9-3 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm Saturday night. The homestanding Storm yielded first place in the South division as IE has won four of the first five games of the series.

3B Jeremy Arocho started the scoring  for the visiting 66ers with a 2-RBI single. 2B Jeremiah Jackson (Los Angeles Angels’ #6 prospect) doubled  in three more runs to make it a five spot for the  66ers.

The Storm came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second. LF Matthew Acosta tripled in two runs followed by an RBI groundout by C Gilberto Vizcarra.

The Storm were done scoring but the 66ers were not.

Inland Empire got three more runs in the seventh inning and tacked on another in the ninth for a final of 9-3. The win moved IE (6-4) into first place, 1/2 game ahead of Lake Elsinore (6-5).

RHP Justin Courtney (1-0) went three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win. Courtney allowed three hits and no walks while striking out six.

SCOREBOARD

MODESTO – 9
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 7
Box

The Modesto Nuts stayed hot with their fourth straight win over Rancho Cucamonga to keep pace with Fresno atop the North division. LF Cade Marlowe had a double and a homer (3) and SS Noelvi Marte, the Seattle Mariners’ #7 prospect, had two more hits and is now hitting .367/.426/.977.

VISALIA – 4
FRESNO – 14
Box

The Grizzlies scored in every inning except the first and broke open a close game and stayed perfect at home with a 14-4 win over the struggling Visalia Rawhide. Zac Veen, the Colorado Rockies’ top prospect, had two hits and drove in three to lead Fresno’s 14-hit attack. SS Ezequiel Tovar (#20 Rockies prospect) had two hits and an RBI and RHP Robinson Hernandez (1-0) went two scoreless innings  for the win, giving up no hits and one walk while striking out three.

SAN JOSE – 2
STOCKTON – 0
Box

CF Luis Matos  drove in both Giants runs, with a single and a sac fly, as three Giants pitchers blanked the Stockton Ports 2-0. Matos (#7 San Francisco Giants prospect) is now hitting .381/.391/1.010. Prelander Berroa (3 2/3 IP), Luis Moreno (3 1/3) and Chris Wright (2) scattered five hits and combined to strike out 11 Ports batters while walking four.

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GRIZZLIES DROP RAWHIDE IN EXTRAS

Posted on May 15, 2021 by | Comments Off on GRIZZLIES DROP RAWHIDE IN EXTRAS

SS Ezequiel Tovar homered and drove in three runs, including the game-winner in the bottom of the 1th inning as the Fresno Grizzlies won a see-saw battle with the Visalia Rawhide Friday night. The Rawhide scored single runs in the 10th and 11th innings but couldn’t put the game in the win column as Fresno tied it back up in the 11th and won on the strength of Tovar’s two-run double to end it.

Fresno starter RHP Will Ethridge went five innings allowing one run on three hits and striking out six with no walks as the Grizzlies held on to an early 2-1 lead. Tovar, the Colorado Rockies’ #20 prospect per MLB Pipeline, tacked on a run with a solo homer in the fifth.

Visalia rallied for two runs in the eighth to tie it at 3-3 on a Ronnie Simon single to RF where Zac Veen let the ball get past him and two runners  scored. Simon was thrown  out at the plate, which would prove crucial as the game ended up going to extra innings.

RHP Fineas Del Bonta-Smith went two innings in relief for the Grizzlies, striking out six. He allowed an unearned run to score by the installed runner in the 10th after pitching a scoreless ninth.

The Rawhide fell to 1-9 on the season. RHP Brandon Pfaadt went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

The Grizzlies are 7-3 and tied with Modesto for first place in the North division.

SCOREBOARD

MODESTO – 8
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 2
Box

Taylor Dollard (1-0) earned his first win with five dominant innings, allowing one run on five hits with eight Ks and no walks. LF Cade Marlowe (2) and 3B Brett Rodriguez (1) homered as the Nuts offense racked up 15 hits. #7 prospect SS Noelvi Marte went 3-for-5 with a double.

SAN JOSE – 14
STOCKTON – 3
Box

San Jose had 17 hits, including four-hit nights for SS Abdiel Layer and C Ricardo Genoves, as the Giants got back to .500 at 5-5. Layer (2) homered twice and LF Harrison Freed (1) and CF Luis Matos (2) also went deep. RHP Randy Rodriguez went the final three innings and gave up just one hit and no runs while walking one and striking out six to earn the save despite the blowout score.

INLAND EMPIRE – 7
LAKE ELSINORE – 2
Box 

LHP Ryan Smith (1-0) and LPH Jack Dashwood (S1) combined to cover all nine innings in a 7-2 win over Lake Elsinore. Smith gave up a 2nd-inning HR to Joshua Mears, his only hit allowed, and walked three while striking out eight. Dashwood went the last four innings allowing a run on four hits with no walks and five Ks. 2B Kyren Paris, the Angels’ #7 prospect, homered and LF William Rivera had three hits. The 66ers moved to within 1/2 game of the Storm in the South division standings.

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