SIMON, STONE NAMED PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Visalia’s Ronny Simon and Rancho Cucamonga’s Gavin Stone have been named Low-A West Player and Pitcher of the Week for August 9 – 15.

RONNY SIMON – In five games against Lake Elsinore last week, Simon was 7-for-19 with two doubles, three home runs and five walks. The 21-year old has slashed .333/.462/.786 in August and his 15 home runs are tied for fourth in the league. On Wednesday, Simon belted two home runs in Visalia’s 7-6 win.

GAVIN STONE – The 22-year old righty threw six dominant innings against Inland Empire on Friday, allowing four hits and no runs or walks with 12 strikeouts. At 101 Ks on the season, Stone is fourth in the league. Over his last five starts (23 2/3IP) Stone has walked one batter with 36 strikeouts.

MODESTO TAKES SERIES FROM SAN JOSE WITH 7-6 WIN

Modesto broke open a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with five runs, highlighted by RF Alberto Rodriguez‘ two-RBI double. That would be it for the visitors until the 10th inning. Meanwhile, San Jose chipped away, starting with an RBI double by RF Jairo Pomares in the bottom of the fourth.

C Fabian Pena hit his third homer of the year in the fifth inning to make it 5-2, Modesto. 2B Jimmy Glowenke knocked in a pair with a double in the seventh and then hit his eighth homer of the year with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to force extras.

After the two Modesto runs in the top of the 10th, LF Carter Williams singled in the installed runner to make it a 7-6 game. But Nuts right-hander Leon Hunter struck out San Jose 3B Yorlis Rodriguez to end the game.

RHP Jimmy Kingsbury started for Modesto and went 4IP, allowing two runs on six hit, no walks and six strikeouts. LHP Kyle Harrison was San Jose’s starter and he left the game after two strong innings: 0R, 1H, 1BB, 5K. No word at this time why he was pulled.

Modesto is now 47-43, eight games back of San Jose (55-35) for the second playoff spot. The Giants sit five games back of Fresno (60-30) but are still 3 1/2 games ahead of Rancho Cucamonga  (51-38) for the second and final spot.

Pomares has been on fire for San Jose, going 9 for his last 17 with two doubles and two homers. After slashing .369/.416/.709 in July, the 21-year old from Cuba is batting .429/.474/.714 over 13 games in August.

Alberto Rodriguez is hitting .365/.421/.538 in August.

Colin Davis, a 7th-round pick in this year’s draft, joined Modesto on July 28th and is 14-for-44 with two HRs, batting .318/.423, .500 over 11 games.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

VISALIA – 7
LAKE ELSINORE – 15

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The Storm had 20 hits, five different batters had three hits.
Brandon Valenzuela 3-for-6, 2B, 2RBI, hitting .444/.559/.593 in August

STOCKTON – 6
FRESNO – 1

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Brayan Buelvas HR (12), 2RBI
Junior Perez 2-for-4, 2 Runs scored
Angello Infante W (2-0), 5IP, 5H, 1R, 0BB, 3K
Drew Romo 21-game hitting streak

RANCHO CUCAMONGA  – 4
INLAND EMPIRE – 5

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Gustavo Campero 2-for-3, BB, 2B, HR (3)
Carson Matthews 3-for-5, 3 2Bs
Chase Chaney W (1-1), 4IP, 5H, 1R, 0BB, 6K

RAWHIDE HANG ON FOR 11-10 WIN OVER STORM

The Visalia Rawhide put six runs on the board in the second inning Saturday night to get out to a big lead, then held on for an 11-10 win over the Storm at Lake Elsinore. 1B Elian Miranda went 2-for-5 and belted his ninth home run to lead the offense as the Rawhide won for the third time in four games.

The six-run inning saw Visalia draw six walks along with two singles and a Miranda double. Lake Elsinore starter Jairo Iriarte was chased after just 10 batters, having allowed the first six hitters of the second inning to reach base without recording an out.

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QUAKES SHUT OUT 66ERS

Rancho Cucamonga RHP Gavin Stone went six scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts as the Quakes shut out the Inland Empire 66ers 4-0 on Friday night in San Bernardino. Stone (1-2) picked up his first professional win and the visiting Quakes got home runs from DH Jorbit Vivas and 3B Luis Diaz.

The scoring started in the fourth inning as Diaz launched a 2-run shot, his second of the year to put Rancho up 2-0. Vivas followed with a solo shot in the fifth, his 12th. LF Ismael Alcantara capped off the night with an RBI triple in the ninth.

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MODESTO’S 16-HIT ATTACK DOWNS GIANTS

The Modesto Nuts put up five runs in the third inning  Thursday night to go ahead for good in a 10-4 win at San Jose. The visitors used six singles and a double to put up the five-spot, erasing a 1-0 deficit, and added on down the stretch to get their first win of the six-game series.

CF Colin Davis and DH Eric Jones had three hits apiece to lead the Nuts offense, and both had singles to start the 3rd-inning rally. RF Alberto Rodriguez was 2-for-5 with a double.

The Giants mounted a comeback in the fifth inning with three runs. RF Jairo Pomares launched his 13th HR of the season and that was followed by a Patrick Bailey double and a Tyler Wyatt triple to make it 5-3. LF Harrison Freed brought in another run on a groundout to make it 5-4, but that was it for the Giants’ rally.

Modesto came right back in the top of the sixth with a run on an RBI  single by Jones to make it 6-4. The Nuts tacked on three in the eighth and one in the ninth to make it a comfortable 10-4 victory.

RHP  Connor Phillips started for Modesto  and went four IP, allowing one run on two hits with five walks  and six strikeouts. RHP Leon Hunter pitched the final three innings and got the win (3-0), giving up one hit with no runs or walks and three strikeouts.

San Jose CF Luis Matos had a single and a double and knocked in his 64th run of the year, tied for second in the league.

The Giants (55-32) stayed three games back of Fresno (58-29) and six games ahead of Rancho Cucamonga (48-37) for the final playoff spot.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

STOCKTON – 2
FRESNO – 1
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VISALIA – 7
LAKE ELSINORE – 4
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RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 3
INLAND EMPIRE – 13
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WEDNESDAY 8/11 SCORES

MODESTO – 2
SAN JOSE – 6
Box
Jimmy Glowenke 2-for-5, HR (7)
Abel Adames W (3-0), 2 2/3IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 4K

VISALIA – 7
LAKE ELSINORE – 6
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Ronny Simon 2-for-4, 2HR (14,15)
Caleb Roberts 1-for-2, HR (1), 2BB

STOCKTON – 3
FRESNO – 4
10 Innings
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Drew Romo 3-for-5, GW RBI single, 18-game hitting streak
Eddy Diaz 3-for-5, 2B

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 10
INLAND EMPIRE – 9
10 Innings
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Edwin Mateo 2-for-4, HR (2), 3RBI
Imanol Vargas 1-for-4, HR (9), 3RBI
Marco Hernandez 2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2RBI
Bryce Teodosio 4-for-5, 2B, 2RBI

TUESDAY 8/10 SCORES

VISALIA – 4
LAKE ELSINORE – 8
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LE
Colton Bender, 3-for-4, 2RBI
3B Lucas Dunn, 2-for-3, 2 2B
RHP Jason Reynolds, W (4-1), 2 2/3IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 1K

VIS
2B Ronny Simon, 2-for-4, BB, HR (13)

MODESTO – 0
SAN JOSE – 4
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SJ
RHP Wilkelma Castillo, W (2-0), 2 1/3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
CF Luis Matos, 2-for-4, RBI

STOCKTON – 4
FRESNO – 12

FRE
SS Julio Carreras, 3-for-4
2B Mateo Gil, 3-for-4, 2 2B
DH Zac Veen, 2-for-5, HR (14)
1B Trevor Boone, 2-for-4, HR (5), 3RBI

STK
LF Lawrence Butler, 2-for-4, 2 2B, 3RBI

RANCHO  CUCAMONGA – 3
INLAND EMPIRE – 10
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IE
CF D’Shawn Knowles, 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 3RBI
DH Braxton Martinez, 2-for-4, 2B, 4RBI
LHP Adam Seminaris, W (4-5), 6IP, 2H, 2R, 3BB, 9K

RC
2B Sam McWilliams, 1-for-3, HR (7), 2RBI

MARTE, PHILLIPS NAMED PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Modesto SS Noelvi Marte and RHP Connor Phillips have been named  Low-A West Player and Pitcher of the Week for August 2 – 8.

NOELVI MARTE – Marte was 11-for-28 against Stockton with a double, five home runs, 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored. His had a huge night on Tuesday, August 3rd when he went 4-for-5 with three home runs and nine RBIs. With 17 HRs, Marte is now second in Low-A West behind Marco Luciano’s 18, with Luciano up in High-A now.

CONNOR PHILLIPS – Phillips went six innings on Thursday against the Ports and and allowed no runs on two hits and no walks while striking out 12. It was his sixth win of the season, second in Low-A West. Over his last three starts (16 2/3 IP), Phillips has walked two with 22 strikeouts.

GRIZZLIES TAKE 4 OF 6 FROM GIANTS

Grizzlies CF Bladimir Restituyo doubled in the eventual winning run to cap a 2-run rally in the 6th inning as Fresno topped San Jose 4-3 on Sunday. The Grizzlies (56-28) stretched out their North division lead over the Giants to three games, with San Jose (53-31) five games up on Rancho Cucamonga (47-35) for the final playoff spot.

Restituyo went 2-for-3 from the #9 spot as most of the damage was done from the bottom of Fresno’s batting order. With San Jose up 2-0 in the third inning, #8 hitter Trevor Boone hit a solo homer (4) to get the Grizzlies on the board. Later, RF Joe Aeilts singled in the tying run ahead of Restituyo’s double.

RHP Case Williams went 5 IP for Fresno and allowed 5H, 3R (1ER), 1BB and 2K in getting a no-decision. LHP Tanner Propst (W, 3-1) pitched a scoreless inning with no hits or walks and one strikeout to earn the win.

1B Luis Toribio led San Jose’s offense with three hits, including two doubles, and drove in two runs. Over seven games in August, Toribio is slashing .360/.429/.640.

 

SCOREBOARD

 

INLAND EMPIRE – 13
VISALIA – 7
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66ers DH Gabe Matthews filled up the box score, going 2-for-3 with a grand slam HR (3), 5 RBIs and 4 runs scored. Inland Empire used seven pitchers with RHP Coleman Crow getting the win (4-1) for his 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Visalia also used seven pitchers. There were only eight base hits combined in this high-scoring game as both pitching staffs allowed 14 walks.

LAKE ELSINORE – 5
RANCHO CUCAMONGA  – 13
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Rancho Cucamonga banged out 14 hits along with 10 walks and scored in all but two innings. Quakes DH Ismael Alcantara went 3-for-5 with a double and his 8th HR of the season. Quakes 3B Jorbit Vivas stayed hot with a 2-for-5 day with 3 RBIs. Vivas had a fantastic July (.347/.420/.582) but he’s ahead of that pace over eight games in August at .400/.483/.480. Storm 3B Jarryd Dale belted two HRs (4,5) and LF Sean Guilbe was 2-for-4

MODESTO – 12
STOCKTON – 14
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Modesto scored 12 runs on 21 hits…and lost. Stockton’s T.J. Schofield-Sam drove in five runs, going 2-for-5 with his 6th HR of the year, a grand slam. Schofield-Sam is 11 for his last 26 and has a line of .409/.536/.591 in August. Modesto’s Alberto Rodriguez had 5 hits and has raised his batting average from .221 on July 10th to .277. Modesto 3B James Parker was 3-for-6, 2B, HR (2), 4RBIs.

WEDNESDAY 8/4 SCORES

Jairo Pomares singled in a run in the top of the 9th inning that proved to be the difference Friday night as the San  Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies 6-5 at Chukchansi Park in Fresno. Pomares’ third hit of the game gave San Jose a 6-4 lead that held up as the Grizzlies were able to push across just one run in the bottom of the 9th.

Having just been named July’s Low-A West Player of the Month, Pomares celebrated with a 3-for-5 night and boosted his batting average up to .356 on the season. 

After Fresno went up 2-0 in the first inning, San Jose came back with three runs in the second to take the lead. After a run came in on an error, 1B Tyler Wyatt doubled in two runs to give the Giants the lead. CF Luis Matos added on in the 5th with an RBI single to make it 4-2 before Fresno’s SS Julio Carreras homered in the bottom of the 5th to make it a 1-run game again.

Back came the Giants in the 6th on Luis Toribio‘s solo HR, his 5th of the year, and it was 5-3. CF Jack Yalowitz doubled in a run for the Grizzlies in the bottom of the 8th to make it 5-4 before the clubs traded single runs in the 9th.

Both clubs saw their star shortstops promoted to High-A this week as Ezequiel Tovar (Grizzlies) and Marco Luciano (Giants) moved up. The teams teams are now separated by one game in the standings and remain in the two playoff positions, with Rancho Cucamonga 6 1/2 games behind second-place San Jose.

INLAND EMPIRE – 6
VISALIA – 7
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LAKE ELSINORE – 12
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 7
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MODESTO – 6
STOCKTON – 3
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